She shakes her head excitedly. “I can show you how to take your tooth out if you want. I got mine out myself.”
“Did you?” I raise an eyebrow. “How’d you manage that?”
Amber lets out a long-suffering sigh, crossing her arms. “She tied a piece of dental floss to the dog’s collar.”
I blink, then look back at Maisie. “You tied a string to your dog?”
“His name is Rufus,” Maisie explains solemnly. “And I threw a ball. He ran, and the tooth came out. It was awesome.”
“It was dangerous,” Amber corrects, her voice stern but her eyes dancing. “And if I ever catch you using the dog as orthodontic equipment again, there will be no movie. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mommy,” Maisie says, though she doesn’t look the least bit repentant.
I straighten up, chuckling. “Sounds like you’ve got a future engineer on your hands.”
“That’s one way to put it.” Amber glances back at the line they abandoned, which is inching forward. “I just wanted to say hi, but I should get back. We’re going to miss the show.”
Eli shifts his weight, stepping closer. “Our line seems to be moving faster. If you want… you could jump in with us?”
Amber hesitates, looking from Eli to me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to cut in front of people.”
“Please,” I say, waving a dismissive hand. “More the merrier.”
Suddenly, a voice yells out from a few spots behind us.
“Hey! No cutting! The back of the line is back there!”
I turn around slowly. Three teenage boys are standing there, looking surly and bored, wearing hoodies and trying to look tough. They’re probably sophomores in high school.
I stare them down. I don’t say anything, I just let my Alpha presence roll off me in a wave.
I’m six-three, I have two sleeves of tattoos, and I spend ten hours a day breaking down animal carcasses with a knife. I know how to look intimidating.
The ringleader meets my eyes for about two seconds before his gaze drops to the floor. He shuffles his feet, muttering something to his friends, and suddenly finds the movie posters on the wall incredibly fascinating.
I turn back to Amber. “They’re cool with it.”
Amber’s eyes are wide as she looks from me to the boys. “You… you have a very effective stare, Fallon.”
“It comes with the territory,” I say. “Come on, get in here.”
She steps into our spot in line, Maisie right beside her. The little girl looks up at Eli, studying him.
“Have you seen this movie before?” she asks him.
Eli shakes his head, smiling down at her. “No. This is actually my first time.”
“Me too,” Maisie says, excited to find a kindred spirit. “My Uncle Dorian told me about it. He said there are dragons that are like… death breathers? Or something?”
“Death Eaters,” I correct gently, leaning against the pillar. “That’s Harry Potter. Different universe. Though they both have dragons, so it’s an easy mistake to make.”
“Oh.” Maisie nods seriously. “Right. Death Eaters are the bad wizards. The dragons are just… dragons. Do you like Harry Potter?”
“I love the movies,” I tell her. “I used to watch them all the time when I was younger.”
“I like the books better,” Maisie declares. “The books have more details. Like, in the fourth book, the dragon scene is way scarier than in the movie.”
I look at this tiny, intense kid with the red glasses and the missing tooth, and I’m charmed. She’s smart, she’s articulate, and she’s not afraid to correct an adult. She’s a cool kid.
