Well, shit. He snagged it again, like he would if he was getting cute with the flip. “Heads, the soul trap is the most dangerous thing Scout has to worry about, tails if it’s something else.”
And heads.
“So we gotta concentrate on the soul trap, and then we gotta worry about the other thing. And it’s not your asshole father. Fantastic. Great.” He turned to Kayleigh. “Are you happy now? I was having a decent day. I was getting to know your brother, and he’s a good guy, and now I’m scared out of my mind for him. I hope you’re happy with yourself. I blame you.”
Kayleigh stared. “Scout, I cannot fuckingevenwith this guy. Do something.”
Scout appeared to consider her words carefully before saying, “Lucky, you need to set the patio table because it’s the only thing that’ll seat the five of us. Kayleigh, get the black and white candles from the closet and set them up in a pentagram around the table. We’re going to need protection from magical forces, so figure out a setup, okay?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible. I can’t believe you’re the only family member besides Macklin I can actually stand.” And with that she stomped off, presumably toward the bedroom closet.
Lucky turned to Scout in irritation, actually understanding Kayleigh’s ire. “That’s it? Set the table and throw a spell around it?”
Scout smiled prettily at him. “Dinner’s almost ready. I’ve cooked my heart out for you guys. The least you could do is eat!”
“Augh!”
“Dishes are in the cupboard by the fridge,” Scout told him, happy as a clam. “Silverware is in the drawer underneath.”
“You suck!”
Scout turned red. “You don’t know that yet,” he mumbled, and then Lucky felt his own ears get hot, and he had no response to that but to put his coin in his pocket and go get the bowls.
LUCKY HADalways thought Marcus and Helen were sweet and courtly together, but that’s because he’d never once seen them exchange so much as a kiss on the cheek. They usually communicated almost wordlessly, with tilted heads and raised eyebrows and speaking glances. At least in front of him.
But at Scout and Kayleigh’s place, Helen knocked on the door with a bottle of wine and was setting it on the table when Marcus came in bearing flowers. Without a word, without even rolled eyes, Kayleigh went to get a vase, and they had wine and flowers when they sat down to eat.
Lucky had never had wine before.
“Not even communion wine?” Helen asked, curious.
Lucky shrugged. It was true much of his neighborhood was Catholic. Even the gangsters went to confession, although that was often because someone in their family was a priest.
“Auntie Cree stayed away from church,” he said, thinking about it. “She told stories about the fair folk instead.” He thought of his coin, and his cheeks heated. “I guess, given the magic in the family, there may be a reason for that.” He glanced at Marcus. “Helen told you about the coin, right?”
Marcus inclined his head. “She did indeed. It’s not the only case of small mechanical powers I’ve seen. I’ve always felt like there should be more of them.”
“Like you should start a school or something,” Lucky said, thinking he was being a smartass.
To his surprise, everyone at the table took him seriously, pondering for a moment.
“The book-and-coffee shop would make a perfect place for it,” Helen mused. “The problem would be getting the word out.”
“Maybe make a specialty shelf of some of the magic books,” Marcus suggested. “People often look in small book stores when they have problems with things not brought up in the mainstream.”
“Isn’t that what the internet is for?” Lucky asked, semisarcastically.
“You had a lot ofluckwith that, uh,Lucky?” Kayleigh asked him sweetly.
“You don’t let shit go, do you?” he retorted. “I said I was sorry!”
“But you never satisfactorily explained why you did it,” she replied. “I get it. You’ve got the lucky coin. Good for you. Why did that mean you had to be a dick?”
“He didn’t want to get attached,” Scout replied for him, defending him like a knight in shining armor, actually. “He was being chased by the mob the same way we’re worried about being chased by Alistair. I guess he figured out we had the same sort of secret and we’d understand if he had to take off.”
Lucky tried giving her his gamest smile, but she shook her head in disgust.
“Fine. But what’s he doing here for dinner?”
