She was just too much. Why couldn’t she keep things light?
That was why his grin staggered her into silence. “Fascinated. Well, then I most certainly will ask the ghost when next she presents herself to me. I haven’t heard from her in a while but then again maybe I’m just not aware that she’s there because I can’t see her.”
“You’re serious about this.”
His smile was almost cat-like. “Completely.”
“I guess I can’t be too skeptical about ghosts. An ancient witch, who had somehow managed to keep her energy around for hundreds of years, possessed a friend of mine temporarily. She wanted to use her body to take over the world. It was a big ordeal a few years back.”
Elliot raised his eyebrows. “How did they fix it?”
“I’m not sure. That is where the story goes vague because the Enforcers got involved. I’m not sure how the outcome got to the happy ending they have now, just that it did. And she devotes her life to studying ancient things.”
He reached forward like he was going to grab something and then winced. A second later he waved his hand and the dishes rose from the table and headed for the sink. “I was going to be gallant and do that with my own two hands. I guess I forgot for just a second I couldn’t see and that I’ve made no moves to become any kind of functioning blind person.”
That was true. There were lots of blind witches and they weren’t banging into things. His father had been better at maneuvering around. “Why don’t you? Take some time to get better at it?”
“What would be the point?” That was the first time Melanie had ever heard him sound bitter. Not that she could blame him. She’d have been wracked in much more anger and resentment than Elliot seemed to be if this was happening to her.
She reached across the table and took his hand before she squeezed it. His face softened as he squeezed back. “I think you might be the first person to touch me in… I don’t know how long… who wasn’t trying to fix me or check on my curse. You just… touched me. For no other reason than the moment itself.”
Now that made her officially tear up. With her free hand, she wiped it away. “I… I’m not sure what to say to that.” And she was so rarely at a loss for words.
He let go of her hand and sat back in his seat. The amused expression he tended to wear—that she now saw for the cover it was—returned to his face. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
She steadied herself and put back on her own cover, which was the detached sound of her voice. They could both do this act, pretending they didn’t care what he was going through. It certainly did make things easier, although totally false at the same time. “I’m going to see the new Bomber play.”
Elliot sat forward. Well, that had certainly gotten his attention. “Really? You like Bomber?”
She cleared her throat. “I do. I mean, who doesn’t? If you take away the mystery of no one knowing who the elusive playwright is, the plays are still brilliantly touching. Oh, and when he does a musical? Just as good. I’d love to know who he is. Or she. It could be a woman. And some people are speculating that it’s actually a group of writers. Like all writing under the name of Bomber.”
His smile was huge, and she had no idea what that was about, but she’d certainly made him happy and that was something, at the very least. “Really? Is that what people say? Yes, I like Bomber, too.”
“Well then you should go. I’m sure we can get you a ticket.”
He waved his hand in the air. “I’m good. But tell me what you think. I mean, tomorrow is Saturday, right? I hope I’m not losing track of days.”
He was right. She worked on Saturdays, most weekends, but that didn’t mean she should come by here. That was inappropriate. Lest she forget, and she almost had, this was her client. Wow. She had to pull it together.
“Tomorrow is Saturday. So we can talk Monday about it.” She got to her feet. “And I should get going.”
“Oh.” His smile fell. “Well, tell me Monday what you think of the show. And by the way, do you have any idea how those Enforcers do that pop in and out of places that they do? I’m powerful, always have been, but I don’t have the slightest idea how to do that.”
She shook her head. Getting out of the habit of non-verbal communication was harder than it seemed. “No, I’m afraid that’s a trade secret for them.” Although she’d seen Mitchell do it, and he wasn’t an Enforcer so it was clearly something that could be worked out. “I’m afraid I’m not that powerful. I always scored mid-to high level but not gifted on the power scale. I wouldn’t even attempt it. Even if I could figure out how to move myself in that way from this room I’d probably end up face down in a sewer.”
He snorted before he outright laughed. “I wouldn’t know where I’d ended up. That would be a disaster. Still… something to contemplate. I never gave it much thought before. But it’s that sound… the pop. It makes me jump. Shows up a second before they do. Weird, right?”
“It is.” She stepped away. “Goodnight, Elliot. Do you need me to lock up or clean up anything for you since Edward has left?”
He waved his hand. “No, I can do that. Goodnight, Melanie. Be safe getting home. I wish I could go with you to make sure you got home. It’s late, right?”
A little after ten, which wasn’t so late for her to be out. “I’ll be fine.”
But it was ridiculously sweet he’d thought of it, and she rode that ridiculous high all the way home to her own apartment.
* * *
It was a dull Saturday as she once again found herself searching for the money Peter Evans was hiding. She yawned. In some way, she had to figure out how to have a life beyond work that didn’t include fantasizing about Elliot Boothe. Her nighttime dreams had been… hot to say the least. His strong arms drawing her down from where she’d been on top of him. They’d both been naked, her breasts aching, but no penetration, not yet…
She blinked. That wasn’t helpful. Particularly because in her dreams he’d had his bright blue eyes as he stared at her, not the white of the curse. She sighed. Fantasy had no use in her life, never had. Maybe it was time to use a matchmaking service and just deal with whomever she got matched with as a life partner. How bad could it be? As long as it wasn’t Peter Evans it couldn’t be much worse than this.
Mel leaned back in her oversized chair and stared at her beige walls. She’d never do that. Being alone wasn’t so bad. Witches who settled for anything less than the real thing found themselves being Elaine Evans. A message floated in from Jaiden, her friend she had set up with Edward. The date had been a dream. They were going out again tonight. She smiled. Yep, she was good at that. Maybe she should make her own matchmaking service.
In another life, when she was gloriously rich and able to open any small business she wanted on a whim. Woo, what a life that would be. She supposed she could actually make that happen. She’d invest what little she had left, and then when it was big enough, she’d buy a storefront. She closed her eyes. No one was going to take matchmaking from an unmatched witch. Besides, her temperament was entirely wrong for the job. Hearing people whine about their love lives and why they weren’t working might just make her go completely nuts. It was hard enough to hear her personal inner dialogue.
Melanie rose. It had been a boring day, but it was almost time for the Bomber show. She wasn’t going to be late or miss it. Staunchly staying away from reading reviews, she had no idea how the show was being perceived. But it was only the fifth night since it had debuted, so not everyone who’d wanted to see it would have gotten to do so yet. That was what was so strange about the Bomber shows. They were always very limited in engagement, and this was the shortest yet. Three weeks and then never again.
The theater made its money back and the actors got paid, but the author could do a lot better if he/she/they ran a longer showing. Maybe it was all part of the mystique of the whole thing. Rumor had it this was the last one. That the author wouldn’t be writing anymore. If that was true, then it real
ly was a tragedy.
A ping caught her attention, and she went back to the documents appearing on her desk. Had something substantial turned up? She read the document, her smile broadening with every word she read. Yes, this was the break she’d been waiting for. They had to get the magical inability to speak about Peter’s business off of Elaine. They needed answers. But Melanie had just found his hidden cache of funds, at least one of them, and it was a heady amount of cash. She’d done this all on her own. One of the things her power had always allowed her to do was chase answers.
She was glad to see that hadn’t changed. On Monday, when Stefan and Kim came by to work on Elaine, they’d get even further down this path.
Things were really starting to look up.
* * *
The show was beautiful. She sat next to Ava and wiped away silent tears as Ava quietly did the same. At first, she’d been struck by how different this play was from all the others she’d seen by Bomber. In the past, even when they were musicals, the shows had been about bigger than life issues as told through the lives of ordinary people.
This one was told on a much smaller scale. It was a father and son tale. They’d never understood each other, and they had little time to get to the point of understanding since the son was dying. His life was cut short through a disease magic couldn’t cure. They’d never come to understanding with each other about his mother’s death, which may or may not have been caused by a negligent act of the father.
Elliot had been right to not go see this. He didn’t need this emotional pain coupled with everything else he was going through. She pushed the thought aside. Her obsession with him had to be gotten under control. She forced herself to be back in the moment.
She was the seventh wheel tonight, and she didn’t even mind. This was too beautiful to spoil. Looking around, she could tell she wasn’t alone in feeling the moment. Lawson, Ava, Mitchell, Eleanor, Kim and Stefan were equally as enthralled. This was real pain… and in the end, everyone felt it the same way.
This play was beautiful. It would haunt her forever, but she’d be glad she’d seen it.
* * *
“What did you think?” Eleanor swung around in the parking lot to ask Melanie. “I mean, I loved it. I’m so sad, but I adored it.”
“Me, too.” She smiled at the other woman. “I just…”
“Melanie Syed,” a male voice called out, and she swung around to see a man charging toward her whom she’d never seen before. He raised his arm and a jolt of magic struck Melanie backward before it abruptly stopped.
The man shouted, but as Melanie collapsed on the ground, she could hardly think. There was so much pain…
“Stefan,” Kim shouted. “I’ve got her.”
The world went black and that was such a relief.
* * *
She woke up to the sounds of incantations. It was the healer’s chant. She’d heard it, unfortunately, quite a few times through illness and injury in her life. Three faces stared down at her. She didn’t know any of them, but they all wore the white healer robes she recognized immediately.
“Wh-what happened?” She had to clear her throat to get through the words. “Am I okay?”
The blonde woman on the right placed a steadying hand on her arm. “You’re lucky they got you here so fast and that Kim was there to work on you at the scene.”
The whole event rushed back to her. “I was attacked.”
The idea seemed foreign, like it had happened to someone else and not her. She sat up and the chanting stopped. “That’s right. Take it easy. You’ve been unconscious for three days. You’re lucky it was only that long. You had a kill shot from a magical assassin. If he’d been able to get the whole dose into you, then you’d be dead. The Enforcers were on scene to stop him.”
Lawson. Stefan. Kim. Yes, the man had only hit her for a second. What a terrible, awful way to die…
She’d only had a touch of it. Her tears surprised her, and before she could rein them back in, she outright wept on the shoulder of the blonde healer who didn’t seem surprised nor bothered that Melanie was so abruptly losing it. Someone had tried to kill her. She could have died, and she’d hardly yet lived.
If Mel vanished from the world today, her friends would miss her for a while and her parents would mourn her, but it would eventually be like she’d never existed at all. That was not how she wanted to be… this was just…
“Melly?” Her mother’s voice caught her attention, and she was soon transferred from the arms of the healer to her mother’s comforting embrace. “We’ve been so worried about you. The healers said you would be fine but still… you’re okay. You’re awake. All right, I can breathe again.”
“You can, but I’m sure you’re smothering her,” Mel’s father spoke from behind her mom.
It was okay. She was a grown woman with responsibilities, and she knew how to take care of herself. But she’d never been so happy to have her mother hold her as she was in that moment.
A thought that should have come earlier clouded her brain and made her try to speak through the sobs. “Who did this? Why?”
“I can answer that.” Lawson strode into the room. He wore his serious Enforcer expression but lost it for a second when he saw her. She really must look a mess. “You okay, Mel? We’re all so worried about you.”
She wiped her eyes. “Obviously, I’m not.”
“That’s normal. It’s a result of the attack. The magic that pushed into you upset your whole system. Victims usually report that they feel off for several weeks before regaining their equilibrium. You’ll be okay. I’ll have Ava make you something; it will help. She’s wanting to do something. I sent her home a few hours ago to rest. She’s hardly left. Eleanor, too. They love you.”
That was sweet but beside the point. “Lawson? Who? Why? What?”
“Peter Evans. I guess you’ve made some headway he doesn’t like.”
The account she’d found. “I know where his money is. Someone has to get to Elaine.”
“I’m afraid she’s dead; he took her out first. He must have someone on the payroll who protected his soul from the affront.” He squeezed her hand. “And I’m sure that account is gone. It’s most likely been moved. We’ll get information from the assassin and have him locked away where he won’t be found until trial. We’re looking for Evans, but he’s vanished. Not for long, I can find anyone.”
She choked on her sob. Oh poor Elaine. That woman had been so… broken. Witches didn’t do well when their other half, the person who held the other half of their soul, died. Elaine’s death would have hurt him soul deep if he hadn’t made arrangements. Melanie wasn’t even sure how this worked.
“We have to get you somewhere safe.”
A safe house? She was going to have to go to an Enforcer safe house? They were places even bad guys couldn’t find. Her mother shuddered. These were the places of legends. Sometimes they were said to be dungeons or underground. Melanie sobbed again. She just couldn’t seem to stop.
“I’m sorry.” Lawson bent over. “I promise it won’t be so bad.”
It would be somewhere where she wouldn’t see or speak to anyone until Lawson had this under control. Maybe, considering her current situation, that was for the best. She nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
She didn’t have to be assaulted again to know she was in over her head. Still, for just a minute it had felt good to think she was the one who was going to get Peter Evans. Now she might never know why the man did what he did… and poor Elaine. She was very annoying, but she most certainly didn’t deserve to die.
Before this, Melanie would have thought herself brave, would have believed she could handle anything that came her way. She even joked with her friends that they didn’t call on her when they were cursed or hexed when she could have helped. She knew better now. Melanie, in her heart of hearts, was a coward. She had to stay away from these kinds of things. As soon as it was safe she’d return to the corporate world. It was soul sucking but s
afe. She wasn’t cut out for this. Not at all.
And if part of her knew that her thinking wasn’t rational… well, she just didn’t care.
For two days in the safe house, she slept on and off. The place was magically spelled so food was replaced whenever it was used, and she wanted for nothing except company. Even that she didn’t miss much, not at first. What her body needed was sleep and the drinks that popped in made by Ava. They did make her feel stronger.
But on day three, loneliness set in. She had television to watch, mostly of the human variety, and books galore, but the being totally alone bit was going to be a problem. Lawson had promised to come back every several days as long as it was safe for him to do so.
She thought about Elliot constantly. He was dying from a curse he’d known was coming for him, that would take his mind, and yet he was brave about it. She’d had one moment and fallen apart. She wiped her eyes. Stupid tears. She was sick of them, too.
Did he notice she hadn’t shown up? Who would he ask about it? Or would he just write her off as disinterested and not remember her for more than a second?
“Stupid, Melanie. You’re his lawyer. Not his girlfriend. Not even his friend. He’s probably annoyed he has to hire someone else. Pull your shit together. Use this time to… I don’t know… be a better person.”
Somehow she had to.
Chapter 5
The pop woke her a second before Lawson appeared by her bedside. She screeched, pulling her blanket up before the room lit up with light.
“Fuck, Lawson. You terrified me.” Her heart raced, and she had to physically calm it down. This would have terrified her when she wasn’t half out of her mind.
Tragic Magic: Wards and Wands #3 Page 5