Page 23 of Made to Be

The guy’s eyes widened even further. “What the... You crazy bastard!”

He tried the door handle once more, but it only jiggled and obstinately remained shut. Giving up, he then turned and fled toward the parking lot. But my swing was faster. The board cracked into the back of the man’s head, not hard enough to cause damage but just enough to knock him unconscious. At most he would wake up with a decent lump. But he wasn't going to remember where it came from.

His body slumped forward, and he fell face first into the cardboard boxes which crumpled under his weight.

I discarded the board to the side and brushed my hands off for a job well done. Well, almost done.

I walked over and grabbed the man’s feet, preparing to move him to a more secluded spot. However, he was heavier than anticipated and I barely managed to move him a few inches before I grunted and gave Cam a pathetic, pleading look.

“Help. Please.”

He blinked dazedly before snapping out of it. He agreed easily with an almost eager nod.

“Okay.”

Together with a foot in each of our hands we dragged the unconscious body, hiding it behind the dumpster. Just to ease my conscience, I checked his pulse and when I felt its steady beat, I grabbed a lone piece of cardboard and leaned it over where his shoes were sticking out slightly. Couldn’t let anyone find him before the spell had time to work. Might as well let him lay here for a bit to learn his lesson. Well, he technically wouldn’t be learning anything.

I dug into the pocket of my jeans and felt around for the small fabric bundle. I always carried some arcane essentials on me wherever I went. A few basic spells, ingredients, chalk for runes, items to use to power certain incantations... Things for just theseoccasions. Not that I made a habit of knocking people out with two-by-fours, but one couldn’t be too careful.

Says the guy who forgot his mace at home,I thought sardonically.

This spell looked just like a little black firecracker. It was one of the many nifty tricks I had come up with. One of my favorites too.

So far, Cam hadn’t said a word. He’d merely watched on in stunned silence. But he finally seemed to find his voice,

“Victor, what’s that?” He asked, eyeing the tiny object between my fingers with curious suspicion.

“Watch and see,” I told him with a mischievous grin. Before forgetting, I leaned down and grabbed Cam’s jacket where it had fallen then his arm from where it had been tossed. Urging us several steps back, I said, “Now for our daring getaway. Hold your breath!”

With no hesitation, I then threw the magic firecracker onto the pavement near the dumpster hiding the unconscious man’s body. It snapped and crackled and immediately a massive burst of glittering black smoke began to fill the alley.

Sucking in a lungful of air, I quickly grabbed Cam’s hand and booked it straight for the parking lot.

By the time we made it back to my car, I was panting from our rapid sprint, and Cam looked only a little flustered, totally unaffected by our mad dash. Once we were seated and buckled up, Cam clutched theoh shit handle as I sped from the parking lot, tires squealing on the pavement.

“Victor?”

“Hm?” I hummed, keeping my eyes on the road.

“What was that smoke?”

I smiled broadly, “It was just some amnesia dust. Or, as I like to call it, the Morning After Powder Bomb. It’ll just make him forget the last hour or so.”I think only an hour,I didn’t voice aloud.

His head tilted to the side. “If you could make him forget, why did you hit him?”

He didn’t seem upset in the slightest about my crime of assault, merely curious. I shrugged,

“He was a jerk. And karma’s a bitch.”

The traffic light turned red, so I slowed us to a stop. I checked my rearview mirror for some reason, as if the guy would have suddenly come to and jumped in his car to give chase.

Then I heard it.

A laugh.

Cam’s laugh.

My breath caught in my lungs on a sharp inhale. And yes, it was sappy of me, but his laugh was... Damn, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. It was deep like his voice, hearty and wholesome. Musical and sweet as a song. It left me staring at him, lips parted on the release of my soft exhale.