Page 39 of Scout’s Honor

“Okay,” Dakota said, smiling. “Wanna play horseshoes?”

Bonhi dropped her fork onto her plate and stood. “Sure.”

They lined up and started the game. Bonhi was good, and started with a ringer, giving her three points. She quickly pulled ahead of Dakota, while the men laughed and joked at the picnic table.

Several minutes later, Bonhi held her horseshoe up, preparing for her throw. If she could get a ringer, she would win. She threw it, and at the same time, Dakota threw something tiny. Whatever Dakota threw glanced off Bonhi’s horseshoe with a bright blue spark and changed its trajectory enough that it barely grazed the stake, ruining her ringer.

Bonhi turned to Dakota, amazed, both that she would cheat, and at whatever she did.

“How’d you do that?” Bonhi asked.

“Magic,” Dakota said, cocking a hip, her eyes challenging Bonhi.

Bonhi shut her mouth with a snap. “I should have known. Lemme see it again.”

Dakota laughed. “You don’t believe,” she said, while Aven and Dallas watched from the picnic table, drinks in hand, amused smiles on their faces.

“Damn right I don’t believe,” Bonhi said, hands on hips, but she was grinning and enjoying this. She almost wanted to believe. Dakota was fun, and the magic—if it really was magic—was astonishing.

“Too bad,” Dakota said, shrugging. “Because if you did believe, you could do it, too.”

Bonhi shook her head. “Nah, not me.”

Dakota picked up a pebble off the ground and tried to hand it to her. “If Dallas sees you glow blue that means you’re a Belief switch and if you're a Belief switch you can do magic if you believe it.”

Bonhi laughed “Like Peter Pan and Wendy.”

Dakota nodded and grinned. “Exactly like that.” She thrust the hand with the pebble at Bonhi. “Belief switches work best with stone, so this ordinary rock will be actual magic for you.”

Bonhi stared at the rock. She didn’t believe it so there was no sense in taking the rock.

“It’s late,” she said. “Thank you all for coming, but I’m gonna head to bed soon.”

Dakota’s hand wilted. She dropped the rock and looked at Dallas.

Dallas spoke up. “I was hoping we could stay, keep you safe.”

“I don't know,” Bonhi said with a grin. “You can't stay with me forever. Don't you have jobs, and lives?”

Dakota stood straighter and looked off in the distance. “Fight vampires.”

Aven saluted. “Guard switches.”

Dallas shrugged. “Not really.”

“Well…” Bonhi said, drifting toward her house. Dallas followed her, while Aven and Dakota went back to the horseshoe pit.

Bonhi locked eyes with Dallas, having no idea what she was going to say.

21—No to That Magic, Yes to This Magic

Bonhi stepped inside into the dining area, hyper-aware of Dallas behind her. She stopped and faced him, her heart beating fast when their eyes met.

“You should go with me to the magical house,” he said. “You’ll like it. You might have a-a—” He shook his head and repeated, “You’ll like it.”

“There's a magical house?”

“Yeah. It’s made of white marble and it’s the fanciest thing you ever saw. It’s out in the forest.”