All That Glitters

by Dawn Ibanez

  Carly turned her designs to Kalina. “I have to do a little more work on the spades, but this is what I’m thinking so far.”

  The fact that Carly was ready to show her design was telling. Kalina looked at the drawings of numbers and symbols with flowers and bees littering the page. The designs were simple but just enough. She smiled. “I can play a fancy game of solitaire with those. I have dibs on the first deck.”

  Carly laughed. “Kiss my ass. I get the first deck. And the second has to go to Dad. You know how he gets. You get third or nothing.”

  Their argument was old familiar ground. Carly’s parents had been there for Kalina when her own father turned his back on her. Alex Hart made it no secret that Carly was his little girl. But her mother, Reese Hart, took Kalina in like a second daughter. Just like everything Carly did went to her dad, everything Kalina created needed to find a way into Reese’s hands.

  Kalina drank her bottle of water as the chime on the front door sounded. She put on her best smile and turned to the man standing in her shop. “Welcome to Starlight Candles. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  She mentally cheered for not stepping over her own tongue when she spied their customer. He was tall. Brown hair brushed back from his chiseled face. Just enough of a goatee to know how to use a razor, but enough stubble to show that he and said razor weren’t on intimate terms. He wore a grey tee-shirt that hinted at a fit body, but it was loose enough to dare you to take it off him.

  His dark eyes locked on to her from the door. “I’m looking for Kalina Benton. Do either of you know where I can find her?”

  Carly stepped forward. “What do you need her for?”

  The smirk that crossed his face told a story. “I need to speak with her about an important matter. One that could very well save her life.”

  Like a switch had been flipped, any sort of attraction she felt towards this man melted away. Carly also caught on to his potential threat. “There’s a sign on the window that says no solicitors. You can take whatever you’re selling and get the hell out.” She paused and plastered on a fake smile. “Sir.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “I mean no threat. I just wanted to speak with the witch who creates all of these candles.” His gaze went to Kalina. This time, his eyes seemed to bore into hers. “I mean you no harm. But it feels like your magic is growing and you aren’t getting rid of enough of it.”

  Kalina made sure to keep her face as neutral as possible. What he said was true. Her magic was trying to choke her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  His smile turned from mocking to amused. “You’re lying. But I’ll let you. For now.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a business card. “My name is Ryan Gold. When you’re ready to learn how to control yourself, I can help you.”

  “You don’t need to waste the card,” Kalina said, turning away from him.

  “It’s not a waste. You’ll call.”

  “Your overconfidence is not appealing.”

  He chuckled. “Again with the lies. If I were a lesser man, I would think you don’t like me.”

  Carly placed her clipboard on the counter and approached him. “I think it’s time you leave.”

  “You don’t get to decide that.”

  “Holy shit!”

  Kalina turned in time to see her friend stumble back. Without a thought, Kalina threw a hand up and summoned her magic to her. Gold went flying across the shop and crashed into a glass display. Kalina grabbed Carly’s arm and pulled her back. When she looked at Gold, he was sitting against the wall covered in cuts and glass. She flexed her fingers again. The tingling sensation of her magic hadn’t left. And if he wanted to be a problem, she would unleash every nasty trick she knew.

  His shoulders shook. He looked at the mess around him and the laugh he had been trying to hold back escaped him. “That was fun. Destroy more of your store. Please.” He looked at her with mischievous hazel eyes. With a wave of his hand, the cuts and scratches that covered his hands and face disappeared.

  “What did you just do?” Kalina asked.

  “I healed myself.” He stood and brushed the glass off his shoulders. “Would you rather I bleed all over your floor?”

  She pressed her lips together. That wasn’t the answer she wanted, but she also didn’t want his blood on her floor. “What did you do to scare Carly?”

  He sighed. “It was my own magic.” His own eyes turned a vibrant green and the pupils turned into vertical slits. “If I had known your friend was going to be such a drama queen, I would have never done it.”

  “I am not a drama queen. You just caught me off guard,” Carly said.

  Kalina put her hand on Carly’s arm. She looked at the mysterious man. “No one just walks in to offer whatever it is you’re offering. Not for free. Not even for a price. Thank you for your offer, Mr. Gold, but I decline.”

  His gaze went from Kalina to Carly and back. He then smiled. “Call me, when you change your mind.”

  “She won’t,” Carly called as he left. She turned and looked at her friend. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  She really wasn’t. Kalina went to the closet and retrieved the broom. Without a word she went to her task. When she was upset, she would clean. And she was upset enough to take care of the mess she made attacking a total stranger. Kalina fought the unsettled feeling in her chest. She used magic to attack someone. Something she never wanted to do. It didn’t matter that he was harassing her friend, or that he was completely alright afterward. She was a witch, but she didn’t want to use magic as a means to do anything.

  Kalina refused to end up like her mother.

  CHAPTER 2

  Ryan entered his penthouse and dropped his keys to the waiting table. He didn’t know what he expected when he went to Starlight Candles. But Kalina Benton wasn’t it. She was powerful, but untrained. She would have been perfect pickings for Faust. The bastard didn’t need Ryan’s help. Faust could easily walk into that shop and charm her soul right out of her.

  That wasn’t a thought that sat well with Ryan. A soft body curled around his ankle. “Hello my sweet Pizazz.” He picked up his Siamese companion and gently rubbed her head between her ears. “How was your day?” he asked. When she started to purr, he carried her into the living room. “That’s good. I had a meeting with Elena.” He chuckled when the cat hissed. “I know, you aren’t her biggest fan. No one is. But she wanted me to do something for him again.”

  “And when the great Faust wants something, he gets it.” A man sat with his arms spread out across the back of Ryan’s sofa. His dark hair was slicked back from his angular face. Ryan knew that most women threw themselves at Jasper to get his attention. “This one won’t be any different.”

  Ryan let his cat jump to the floor. He frowned when she ran in a wide circle around Jasper to the back of the penthouse. “What did you do to my cat?” he asked.

  Jasper rolled his eyes. “You think I would lower myself to harm an animal?”

  Ryan snorted. “There was that boy and his monkey,” he replied. “And the Princess’s tiger.”

  The neutral expression on Jasper’s face darkened. “Unfortunate accidents.”

  “If you say so.” Ryan went to the serving tray and poured a glass of whiskey. They were both silent as he drank his first shot. After Ryan poured himself another drink, he turned back to another of Faust’s minions. “What are you doing here?”

  Jasper waved his hand and a glass of scotch appeared in his hand. “I wanted to see what this one is like.”

  Ryan paused as he thought. They both knew he was talking about Kalina. She was going to be a hot topic for a while. “Her magic is wild and untrained. Once she learns to focus, she will be a force to reckon with. She would do well in Faust’s ranks.”

  “Yes, yes.” Jasper leaned forward. “But what is she like?” he asked again. “Is she one of those video vixens that people try to emulate? Is she down to earth?” His expression soured as he looked at
his drink. “Is she an airhead?”

  The last thing Kalina Benton was, was an airhead. Ryan stared off into the space in front of him. She appeared to be suspicious and naïve in turns. Guarded but curious. An amalgamation of contradictions that could make anyone’s head spin.

  Ryan drank from his glass. “She’s not his usual fare.” Faust didn’t usually go for the innocent. He went after the ones with vengeance, anger, and hate in their hearts.

  Jasper groaned. “That tells me nothing.”

  Jasper’s reactions were telling. The only problem was that the story wasn’t crystal clear. “When did you become a gossip?” Ryan asked. “You weren’t interested in any of the others. Why this one?”

  “If you must know, Faust wants this girl under his wing. Badly.” He sipped at his drink. “Naturally, I want to know why.”

  There was more to it than that. Jasper was desperate to get out of his deal. Knowing someone had power over him was intolerable for the sorcerer. “I haven’t figured out why Faust wants her so badly.” Jasper waved his hand in a small circle and a mist-filled sphere appeared in front of him. “She could be the missing piece to my puzzle.”

  The thought of someone trying to spy on Kalina didn’t sit well with Ryan. He slashed his hand through the air. The sphere split in two and dissipated. “Whatever you’re trying to play at, leave her out of it.”

  Jasper’s eyebrows slowly rose. As his lips turned up in a devious grin, Ryan cursed. Jasper would become an even bigger pain in the ass. “Stay away from her,” Ryan ordered. “She belongs to Faust, and I have no intention of getting caught up in whatever game it is you two are playing.”

  As Jasper chuckled, Ryan sighed. Jasper would do what Jasper wished. No more, no less. He snapped his fingers and the purple miasma of a portal appeared. When he stepped through, Ryan stood on the roof of the building across the street from Starlight Candles. He didn’t want to deal with Jasper now. But he would have to do something to keep Kalina out of his games with Faust.

  The side door of Starlight opened, and Ryan found himself transfixed as Kalina stepped out of the establishment.

  He inhaled as she carried a bag of trash to the dumpster. Most witches and sorcerers used their magic to enhance their beauty. Those like Elena and Faust used their appearance as a weapon. People would become so blinded by the flash and sparkle of their beauty, no one would suspect the ugliness that lurked underneath. Kalina was the opposite. Her magic didn’t hide her beauty, but it did dull her down.

  “We will just have to figure out a way to change that, won’t we?” he whispered.

  She turned her face to him. Ryan blinked as she shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up at him. He smiled at the disapproving frown she wore. Like it or not, she was going to be his responsibility.

  He opened another portal. This one exited at her side. Her dark eyes glared at him as he leaned against the wall of her store. “Did you really think I would give up that easily?” he asked.

  “This desperate act of wanting to teach me magic isn’t attractive, Mr. Gold.”

  Ryan laughed. If she only knew how unattractive he could be. “Why are you so dead-set against learning magic?”

  “Why are you so dead-set on teaching me magic?”

  He took in her challenging tone and her ready for combat stance. Ryan shrugged and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “Because I was told about a little witch. Her gifts were like nothing seen in recent years. But she’s wasting away. I know I can help her. And in our world, while having power is preferable, it really is all about who you know.”

  “So, you want to groom me to use me later.” She shook her head and moved away from him. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.”

  “Word about you is spreading in some circles. I can tell you now I won’t be your only caller.”

  “Then I have options. That’s good to know.”

  There was something in her tone. Kalina would be a defiant student, but that also meant she would be defiant against Faust. An interesting and dangerous situation. Then there was also Jasper. If he came after her, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t resort to trickery to gain her trust.

  “You don’t strike me as the malicious type,” she said.

  The confused expression on her face made him shrug. “Who’s to say the next potential teacher of yours will be as pleasant as I am? They could come here and not leave until you are under their complete control.”

  Her expression darkened. “That would never happen.” There was something in her tone that told him he was treading on thin ice.

  Ryan shrugged. “You say that now. But no one has come here, overpowered you, and demanded your compliance. No one has come and threatened your friend. What would you do then? It’s not like you could run to the police. And while most of the coven matrons frown at those who can’t protect their own, I promise you, they all look down on those who turn their backs to magic. Especially when they come crawling back to use magic.”

  Her plump lips turned down. She shook her head as she moved away from him. “I don’t want any of this.”

  The sincerity in her eyes pulled at him. She was insecure and afraid of her magic. And the most dangerous of their world wanted her. Ryan stepped closer to her and held out his hand. He didn’t say anything as she stared at him. It took longer than he would have liked, but she slipped her hand into his. “I know you don’t, but you need to learn how to survive.”

  This time when she looked at him, he saw a glimpse of the despair she felt in her eyes. There was a story there. One he didn’t have time to get into right now. Once he had her compliance, he could peel back her layers. Until then, there was no telling what Faust would do to acquire her.

  Ryan tightened his grip on her hand and frowned. When she threw him earlier, the magic she spent would have left most novices exhausted. She was nearly brimming with power still. “I know you don’t know me. I know there is no reason to trust me. But if you don’t start doing something about your magic, you’re going to be placing yourself and anyone you care for in danger.”

  She shook her head and stepped away from him. “I need to think.” She ran her hands through her hair and Ryan saw glimpses of pink highlights in her under layers. “I can’t do that with you whispering your devil’s deals.”

  He laughed. She knew nothing of devil's deals. “There are worse out there than me.” He stepped back and away from the door. “You still have my card. Use it when you need me.”

  Kalina’s attention went to the door where her friend carried out another bag of trash. “You were taking so long, I started to worry.”

  Ryan stood behind his glamor, his form hidden from both Kalina and her friend. He smirked as Kalina’s expressive eyes seemed to focus on him before turning away.

  “I’m good. I just need to finish cleaning and then go soak in the tub for a day.” Kalina frowned and looked back at where Ryan stood. “On second thought, I just want to hide away.”

  It was too late for that. She was on Faust’s radar now, and it was only a matter of time before others started to search for her.

  The thought of anyone else bringing Kalina into their world didn’t sit well with Ryan. He knew Jasper would try to use her as a pawn. Elena would view her as a rival and do her best to kill her. The only one he could possibly trust was Tereza. But her connection to Faust was more dangerous than anyone else’s. Ryan would have to work on persuading Kalina to accept him as a teacher.

  He turned and walked out of the alley. He would give her some time. The magic she unleashed to knock him back bought her a little bit of time. No more than a day, but at least she could soak in her tub and try to relax.

  The horn of an oncoming bus caught his attention. Ryan snapped his fingers and vanished from the street.

  He looked around his bedroom and frowned when Pizazz looked at him with a bored expression. “She’s going to be a dangerous one,” he said lowly. His cat went back to cleaning her paw. Ryan laughed as
he ran his hands through his hair.

  His concentration had broken back on the street. He’d come out of his glamor and hadn’t seen that bus coming straight for him. If just thinking about Kalina was drive him to that level of distraction, she would pose a danger to him that no one else ever had.

  She could bring about the curse that would destroy him.

  CHAPTER 3

  “You’re thinking about that guy, aren’t you?” Carly accused.

  Kalina uncovered her eyes but didn’t move from her prone position on the sofa in the breakroom. “Huh?”

  Carly came into the back room and put her hands on her hips. “That Gold guy. You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?”

  Kalina forced herself to sit up and rubbed the back of her neck. “I wasn’t thinking about him.” She was thinking about her mother. “But he wasn’t too off the mark.”

  “No.” Carly sat next to Kalina and took her hand into hers. “No one is going to come after you. You’re just a candle maker. Just like your aunts. This thing with your magic will blow over before you know it.”

  “I wish it was that easy.” Kalina pulled her hand away from Carly’s and leaned back. “He was right. The candles aren’t keeping up with my magic. And the more powerful spells are going to draw attention. I need to find a way to fix this.”

  Carly leaned back as well. “We’ll figure out something that won’t put you in any danger.” She folded her hands over her stomach and let out a slow breath. “Maybe we can put our heads together with my parents.”

  The bell to the front of the shop chimed. Kalina stood and shook her head. “Mom and Dad can’t help. They won’t understand.”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “Hello?” a soft feminine voice called.

  Kalina moved around Carly. She would have to remember to ask about that when they had a moment alone. “I’m coming.” She turned to Carly. “I know you’re worried about me, but I’ll figure something out.” She had no clue what, but she needed to have a plan ready. Even if it was something as simple as go on the run.