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31
Lena
“Anyone else worried that nothing’s happened lately?” Ruby asks from the velvet chaise where she’s laying. She’s got on a pair of black shorts with little polka dot skulls on them, some fishnet stockings, and a black crop top. We’re in Miri’s library where I’ve been huffing old book smell and leather like I’m a party kid at a rave.
Wait, are raves still a thing?
How can I feel so damn old at twenty-seven? Maybe it’s because I prefer books over partying and have no clue about any of that stuff.
“Okay, one,”—Miri holds up a finger as she scowls at Ruby—“Why would you even put that out into the universe? Do you want pain and suffering to rain down on us, because that’s what you just asked for? Two,” she holds up a second finger, “Have you lost your mind? Nothing’s happened?”
Davis makes an amused sound that’s part grunt, part laughter. He grabs Miri by the hips and pulls her down onto his lap. It’s so weird to see Davis openly happy and all PDA with a woman. He’s so obviously in love with Miri. Despite all the crap that has been happening, despite Ruby’s messed up declaration that will inevitably have the universe laughing in our faces, he looks happy. And, I am, too. I wasn’t sure that was possible. For any of us.
Once Miri’s settled in Davis’s lap, she starts back up. “Murder committed by a psycho from Fairy, a fated bond locked into place, kicking off the launch of a brand-new Axis that everyone is still pooping their pants about.”
“I’m not pooping my pants.” Ezra looks like Miri’s personally called him out, and we all turn to stare at him as if he’s hiding a secret.
“What?” He glares back at the room, not focusing on anyone in particular.
Miri shakes her head and turns back to Ruby. “Then you’ve got Ms. Sixth Sense over here who can cross over into other worlds and talk to dead people.”
“Not really talk. There’s no talking.”
Miri ignores me and plows on. “And finally, you’ve got a stunt double who shows up out of thin air, wearing stolen clothes, who’s barely said two words since the night she magically appeared out of nowhere. What part of that is nothing?”
Ruby’s face scrunches up like she’s thinking hard, and then she shrugs. “Yeah, I guess.”
Miri groans and I sigh, turning back to my book. We’re at Miri’s house today, going through the rest of her mom’s journals and digging through any other books that might have any helpful information. Rhys was supposed to come and get his magic tested, but he backed out. He claimed someone needed to keep an eye on Zara, which, it turns out, is our new friend’s name. Now they’re both holed up in Ruby’s apartment.
Ever since the night in the clearing, she’s gone quiet. According to Ruby, she’s in shock, but she seemed just fine when she was talking to me in the astral plane. I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt, but I really want to know how she was able to cross over. That’s just one of the many questions we all have for her. Rhys has threatened each and every one of us to back off. If it wasn’t so damn annoying, I might find it sweet.
Rhys isn’t necessarily known for being sweet. Cocky, sure. Protective, yes, definitely, but he’s not the soft spoken, hold a girl’s hand kind of guy.
He doesn’t have the temper of our father, but he is hot-headed, and has been known to get in a fight or a few over the years. More these last few weeks than I can recall in the last few years. I shove those thoughts aside. I don’t know what to do about what’s going on with the two of them. I’m not sure there’s anything I can do but wait for Rhys to pull his head out of his ass and see that Archer’s not out to destroy me. Archer says they’ve come to some kind of understanding, and I’m going to trust that he’s right.
Ruby groans loudly. With a huff, she tosses the book she’s reading on the table, the loud smack making Miri glare at her. “What are we even looking for? I feel like I’m researching a project for school.”
Miri sits up straight in Davis’s lap, her own book forgotten as it tumbles to the couch next to her. Her face has a spooked look on it, and her eyes dart around the room. “What the fuck is that?”
Everyone in the room is on high alert in the next instant. I search the room to see if I can figure out what she’s talking about.
“What is it?” Davis stands with Miri, apparently unable to let go of her.
“I hear fucking chimes. In my head.”
Davis’s head whirls around toward the front of the house. The rest of us do the same, as if something is going to come busting through the doorway to the library. Ezra stands up, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes like he can actually hear someone.
“Someone’s inside the house.”
“Yeah, us. No way you can hear someone else in the house.” Ruby tosses an irritated look at Ezra.
“It’s that spell!” Miri hisses out, shoving Davis’s arm like a hyper kid.
When someone kept breaking into Miri’s house a few months back, Davis helped her put up a magical alarm to let her know someone uninvited was in her house. The fact that there’s already a bunch of people in the house when it’s being triggered, is kind of nuts. Who’s here? Why would they break in when the house is full of people?
“Shit.” Davis moves Miri behind him, but she just pushes him and stands at his side.
“Do you have any weapons in here?” Ruby doesn’t even lower her voice and a chorus of sighs sounds.
