“You can put me down,” I whispered. I thought for a second, he hadn’t heard me.
“Right,” he replied, his cheeks flushing slightly. He put me down, and as a sudden chill swept across my body, I realized I was sad he had listened to me. “We should go…” he trailed off and looked at me for a second. “Um… do you know where to go?”
“Sort of.” I shrugged as I steadied myself. “I know where the pilot was supposed to take us, so let’s start there. It’s as good of a place as any.” I really hoped it would lead to our next clue because if it didn’t, we were going to be left with only one option: using Justin as bait. I wanted to avoid that if possible. No matter how well the trap is laid, there’s always the chance the bait gets eaten.
“Sounds like a plan.” He smiled at me, and it was like someone turned on the sun. My heart fell into my toes as I struggled to pull in a breath, but it was like all the oxygen had fled the alley. So instead I stood there like an idiot as he took my hand in his and led me out of the alley while tapping at his expensive smartphone with his other hand. It was way newer than mine, and for a few fleeting seconds, I was jealous. Mine was three generations old now. While it still texted and stuff, it couldn’t run any of the newer phone games very well.
A moment later, we emerged from the alcove behind the hotel. Justin led me away from the hotel and toward the corner, which was fine by me. The sooner we got out of here, the better.
There was a weird bistro on the corner with a weird hand-painted sign in the window advertising swanky sounding vegan salads, which seemed a bit redundant to me. Hey, I’m not judging, but deep down I was a red-meat kind of girl.
The street continued onward into one of the swanky little mall things that have been springing up next to beachfront properties in order to squeeze hotel guests out of their last few pennies. I sighed. Capitalism at its finest.
“So, um, what’s going on?” I asked as Justin marched me past the bistro and into the tiny shop next door filled with ice cream bars. There were so many flavors, toppings, and dips it made my brain hurt and my tummy rumble audibly. Man, when was the last time I’d eaten? Yesterday? No wonder I was starving.
“I’m going to buy us ice cream while we wait for the Uber to come. Alabaster won’t come over here to look for us. It’s too crowded and he doesn’t like when people stare at him. Besides, now that we aren’t immediately accessible, he’ll be way too busy trying to wrangle the clans together to care about us.” He waggled his eyebrows at me. “I’m not saying to let him find us here, but I’m reasonably sure we can wait for the driver in relative peace.” Even as he said it, I realized his body was tense, and he kept glancing around like he was expecting Alabaster to come charging in and kill him.
“Um… are you Justin Bailey?” the bob-haired blonde at the counter said. Her huge green eyes were small only in comparison to the chest her orange shirt strained to keep hidden. She bit her lip and twirled her hair with one neon-tipped hand as she looked him up and down. “You are, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” he said, ignoring her as he gave the menu a cursory glance. “I’ll take a peach, chocolate dip with peanuts.” He glanced at me. “Know what you want?”
“I’m Mallorie,” the girl said, reaching across the counter to shake his hand even though her name was stenciled on her lime green nametag. It was spelled with an “ie.” Ugh. I already hated her.
“Nice to meet you, Mallorie, but we’re kind of in a hurry.” He smiled at her as he took her hand, and she melted into a puddle of goo before shooting me a snotty look and diving into the cooler to get his ice cream.
“Um… I think I want the watermelon,” I said because it was the first thing my eyes fell upon. “None of that other stuff. I’m a purist.”
Mallorie stuck her tongue at me, but I pretended not to see it. I’m not sure why, probably because I’m a bitch, but her dislike of me made me happy. I guess I’m shallow.
Justin tossed a crumpled twenty on the counter as his phone buzzed. Outside a gray Toyota RAV4 pulled up to the curb. The driver looked inside anxiously and reached for the cellphone attached to the dashboard.
“Looks like our ride is here,” Justin said, taking both of our ice creams and offering me one. “Keep the change, Mallorie. It was nice meeting you. I look forward to seeing you again.”
The girl probably had a heart attack judging from the coo that escaped her mouth. I almost didn’t hear it because I was too busy snatching my ice cream and grinding my teeth to pay attention to her. Screw her. Wait… wait, a second. Was I seriously hating another woman for looking at my man? OMIGOD I was, and he wasn’t even my man.
I sighed and tried to smile at her as Justin moved toward the door and held it open for me like a beacon of politeness. Was he just naturally nice to everyone or was he being nice to me? I wasn’t sure and it was kind of irksome because I was beginning to think I liked him.
Yeah, I could sort of admit that to myself because I was about to shoot the girl with my phaser for giving us ice cream, which was not the behavior of someone who totally didn’t even like someone a little bit. No. I was full on crushing on him right now, and that was stupid. Jesus, get it together, Annie.
I walked past him and moved toward the RAV4 as the SUV’s window rolled down. “You call for a ride for Justin?” the guy asked, his gaze lingering on my chest for a little longer than I’d have been comfortable with if I was getting into the car alone.
“Yeah,” Justin said, moving up behind me and pulling the back door open for me.
I got in without a word and scooted over so he could sit down. The guy turned in his seat to look at us. He was dark-skinned and had short nerdy black hair that made me think he might be Indian, but I wasn’t sure.
“Where to?” the guy asked, still looking at me, but as he spoke, his eyes shifted to Justin and a strange look crossed his face. “Do I know you from somewhere?” he asked. “Maybe drive for you before?”
“We’re going to the Dave & Buster’s Hollywood,” I said before Justin could reply. “Know where it is?”
“Yeah, it’s on Hollywood and Highland.” He turned back around and turned the car on. Instantly Barenaked Ladies “Pinch Me” came on, and I smirked. I’d always thought it was kind of a funny song. “Be there in a jiff.”
“Um… Annie, why are we going to Dave and Buster’s?” Justin asked, looking at me like I’d flipped my lid, which made sense since we were supposed to be on our way to an insidious lair filled with sinister villains.
“Because that’s where Laura was taking me, so I presume its home to their secret lair.” I leered at him. “Why? Afraid I’ll kick your ass at Skee Ball or something? Because that should be a very real fear.”
“Firstly, you’d be the one scared if you saw how good I was at laser tag,” he said, turning away from me and staring out the window at the traffic passing us by. I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. The silence began to descend around us like a living, breathing, very uncomfortable blanket.
“And secondly?” I asked, breaking the silence before it could drive me insane. Why did he suddenly seem so uncomfortable talking to me? I could see it in the sudden tension in his body, and Justin, for the most part, had been cool as a cucumber. No, something was definitely up.
“What kind of people hang out at Dave and Buster’s in the middle of the afternoon?” he asked, turning to look at me as though I was exhibit A. To be fair, I’d only gone there a couple of times and never during the day. The beer was way too expensive, and call me crazy, but I didn’t really like drunk guys hitting on me while trying to prove their prowess as gamers. It was like the worst of both worlds.
“Um… I have no idea,” I replied, my voice cautious. “What kind, Justin?”
“The kind who will know who I am.” He shook his head. “I’ll be like catnip to the people there.”
“Oh get over yourself,” I said, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. “No one will recognize you. Besides, it’s dark inside.”<
br />
“Yeah, you’re right.” He sighed as a grin twisted the corner of his lip. “I pretty much only attract people whose name ends in ‘ie,’ anyway.”
“Well, if you like Mallorie so much, why don’t you marry her,” I growled, turning away from him and crossing my arms over my chest as I stared out the window.
“She’s not really my type,” he replied like I’d missed a joke, and instead of responding like a normal person, I just let the silence stretch between us because I was mature and balanced.
17
“Well, that was a fun ride,” Justin said as we exited the RAV4 and made our way toward Dave and Buster’s. “Let’s not do that again.” We’d spent the entirety of the car ride in silence. Actually, that wasn’t true. We’d been treated to a good portion of the Barenaked Ladies Spotify catalog. It had been awesome.
“Kay,” I muttered, marching away from him and heading toward the door. I opened it as he caught up to me. Damn his long legs.
“I’m not sure why you’re upset,” he said, using his long arms to reach past me and hold the door open for me. “But will a drink make it better?”
“I should keep a clear head,” I said, stepping into the darkened atmosphere that was D&B. I wasn’t sure where to go now that we were here, but I had a plan. “You should too.”
“So, Red Bull and vodka then?” He smirked. “You know to revitalize the body and mind while also giving us courage?”
“Actually, I’d love one,” I replied because I absolutely loved Red Bull. Unfortunately, I’d had to stop drinking them a year ago because I’d been getting wicked withdrawals when I didn’t drink four a day, which was probably bad. I cut them cold turkey, and the next week had been one of the worst in my life. “But I can’t have one.”
“All right,” he said, watching my face with way too much interest for it to be good. “What’s the plan, now that we’re here?”
“I’m going to use magic,” I replied as we approached the bar.
He nodded like that was reasonable before inhaling sharply through his nose. The place was fairly empty, probably because it was still daylight outside. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure it’d be open, but the sign on the door outside had said 11 AM. Apparently people ate lunch here. Who knew?
“Are you trying to smell something?” I asked, glancing at him as I sat down on the barstool. “Cause that’s all kinds of creepy.”
“Yes, and before you ask, no, I don’t smell anything.” He shrugged at me and took the seat beside me. As he did, the bartender, a brunette with tattoos covering nearly every inch of her exposed skin, sauntered over to us. Unlike with Mallorie, she didn’t seem terribly impressed with Justin which immediately made me like her. She took one look at him and painted a smile on her face.
“What would you like?” she asked, making a point of looking at me instead of him.
“I’d like an iced tea, she’ll have a?” He glanced at me as he let the question hang in the air.
“Um… water,” I said without thinking. I didn’t actually drink soda very much, which yes, I know, was against gamer code, but I’d never really liked the taste since I hadn’t grown up drinking the stuff, and I didn’t want to copy him and get tea.
“And she’ll have a water,” Justin finished, turning his gaze back to the girl who stared at us way harder than she should have.
“Look, if this is some kind of tinder thing,” she said, from me to Justin to me again. “Can you guys sip your cheap drinks while you decide if you’re going to bone over there in Alice’s section? I really need the tips from people buying alcoholic drinks.”
Before I could do more than stutter, Justin put a crisp one hundred dollar bill on the bar and pushed it toward the girl. “Keep the change.”
Her mouth fell open as she looked at him for a long time. Then she snatched the money up and began to walk away. At the last second, she glanced at us over her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but if you need anything, let me know. Okay?”
I nodded, my cheeks feeling like they were on fire. Great, just great. The girl went away as Justin swung his gaze from her to me.
“Well, that wasn’t at all awkward,” he said, trying to smile. It didn’t quite reach his eyes. He leaned in close to me, one arm on the bar. “So, again I ask, what’s the plan?”
“I’m not sure,” I said, wishing I had a dragon radar for magical hideouts. If I did, I could just power that baby up, but unfortunately, unless I wanted to find dragon balls, I was out of luck. Not that I’d have enough power to call upon Shenlong and make a wish anyway. Believe me, I’d tried. Hell, I couldn’t even get the mock Aladdin’s lamp I’d picked up at the Disneyland souvenir shop to work. Then again, I was pretty sure the genie had been freed.
“Um… what were you expecting to happen when we got here?” Justin asked as the girl returned, gave him a super-sweet “thanks for the huge tip” look, and placed our drinks on the bar.
“Everything okay?” She raised an eyebrow at me like she was trying to make sure Justin wasn’t creepy despite the fact he’d given her a hundred bucks for four bucks worth of drinks. When I nodded, she left. Go girl power!
“Let me just think for a second,” I said as I decided to try and pretend I was a real mage instead of one who could only make fake magic work. I opened myself to the ebb and flow of magic, which was easy to do. There must have been a ley line right below the place because the surge of magic I felt hit me like an ice bucket challenge. I put my hand against the bar as it crashed into me.
It took a while to attune to the magic smashing against my brain, but soon I was moving along with it, dancing to the tune only we magi could hear. Once I’d properly attuned myself, I stretched out my senses. It strained on my brain, causing a slow, steady throb behind my left ear, but I ignored it, concentrating on the magical flow around me.
As I did, I realized there was something extraordinarily powerful to the left. I couldn’t make out what it was with my eyes closed, but the magic seemed concentrated there. I wasn’t sure if it was just there naturally or if it was being drawn there, but either way, it seemed worth investigating.
“Make sure I don’t hit anything,” I said, reaching out my left hand toward Justin while keeping my eyes screwed shut so I could see the magic in the air with my mind’s eye. I might have been able to see it normally at the same time, but judging by the strain I already felt, I didn’t want to chance it.
“Okay?” he said somewhat unsure, but I felt him take my hand and pull me off the stool. I swallowed and turned toward the pulse of power.
Then I began walking. Justin had to stop and redirect me a couple times to keep me from running into anything, but even though it felt like I’d had my eyes shut for hours, it only took a few moments to make my way over to the dense cluster of power.
I let go of my magical sight and opened my eyes. A game machine was staring back at me, but not just any game machine. No, standing in front of me was a game I absolutely hated. Donkey Kong.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, staring at the stupid monkey as he grabbed Pauline and leapt to the top of the steel girders. Then he bounced around like the big, dumb gorilla he was, messing them all up in a way that would allow Mario to traverse the girders and climb to the top.
Only, you could never actually save Pauline from the wretched gorilla because, unfortunately, once you reached level 22, there was a bug that caused Mario to die after seven or eight seconds. Pauline was left in the Donkey’s grasp, forever waiting to be rescued by her knight in shining denim.
“What’s going on?” Justin asked, glancing from the game to me. “Why are we stopping?”
“The source of the magic is coming from here,” I said, pointing at the arcade machine. It seemed a little out of place beside more modern games, but DK was a classic, and ever since that documentary a few years back, it’d found a place in some arcades, although usually it was in one of those machines that had fifty old school games on it. Then
again, games like Donkey Kong were hard as fuck, and I could see a drunk guy pumping quarter after quarter into it.
“Um, okay, so what does that mean?” he asked as I reached my hands out and ran them over the red control panel. “Is there like a secret switch or something?”
The arcade machine only had a joystick, a player one and player two button, and a jump button. It wasn’t complicated, but as I rested my left hand on the joystick and put my index finger on the red jump button, I felt a spark of power flow from the machine and into me. I didn’t recognize it per se, but I knew enough to know an animator had played this game recently. Too recently for it to be a coincidence.
But what did that mean? I stared up at the screen as Donkey asked how high I could go. Pretty fucking high, but would it be high enough? I wasn’t sure, but as I pushed a bit of magic into the game, something inside the machine responded. It wanted me to play.
“Give me a quarter,” I said, holding my right hand out to Justin. “I want to try something.”
“Um… okay,” he replied, shoving his hand in his pocket and rummaging around. “I’ll um be right back, I don’t have any change.”
I nodded to him as he padded off. I turned my attention to the game. I’d never gotten to the end before even though my brother had done it a lot. It was his favorite game, after all. That said, I’d gotten pretty far a few times before I’d stopped playing it altogether. Hopefully, I could shove a quarter into the game and something would happen. If not, well, it only cost twenty-five cents to find out. Justin could afford that.
“Here you go, Annie,” Justin said, returning with a power card. “I put five bucks on here. Is that enough?”
“Should be, Scrooge McMoneybags. If we need more, you can just get more.” I smirked at him and took the card. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” he replied as I slid the card through the reader and put a credit into the machine. “I guess it’s on like Donkey Kong.”
“You know it.” I pocketed the card before looking up at the screen and hitting the player one button. The game came to life and once again Donkey appeared on screen. He grabbed Pauline and hauled his ass up to the top.
Throne to the Wolves: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Spell Slinger Chronicles Book 1) Page 11