Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
The first time this happened, I remember feeling the euphoric sense of momentary repletion. But I was also so confused I’d shoved my dick back in my pants quickly, worried she’d come back in and find me and know what I’d done. Of course she didn’t. She went to bed just like she said she would. The next day, I tried to pretend I hadn’t been imagining her naked and wet and trembling beneath my touch.
Now, after tidying myself and zipping my pants back up, I turn back to the computer and try to shake off the memories of the past, what happened earlier, and my constant wondering if, every time she showered and I was overwhelmed with that scent, she was thinking of me or if it was just a habit to de-stress, as mechanical as scratching an itch. Everyone talked about self-care these days. I was all for her taking care of herself. Truly, it was none of my business. She didn’t need to know I was the monster hovering at the edge of her life, feeding off her scent.
I start clicking through camera feeds near the river, but my mind’s not really in it. There’s nothing on any of the feeds anyway. Occasionally some homeless folks are near the river, but no blonde women skulking around. Ammit might have put a hoodie on if she’s smart, so I try to watch for those, too.
Maybe she’s holed up somewhere for the night? Did she figure out we blocked off the exits to the city? All the cops will have her description and photo by now.
I jump when Phoenix’s door slams open against the wall with as much violence as she did when she closed it. She swings into the computer lab with as much force, freshly showered, her hair wet and only the vaguest scent of what she was doing in the shower still clinging to her.
“What have we got?” she asks, sitting down in the chair beside me and not looking my way.
I try not to stare, putting my attention back on the computer screen. I swallow before saying, “Nothing yet. I’m watching the river, but we can’t be sure how far she went up or down the bank. Or if she’s holing up somewhere for the night.”
Phoenix just wakes up another console besides the one I’m working at. “Well, we won’t stop until we find her. Vlad has more surveillance on this city than fleas on a stray dog’s ass. She’s got to show up somewhere.”
I nod. “Colorful as always.”
She smirks but doesn’t take her eyes away from the screen.
“I missed you,” I say into the quiet room, eyes on my own screen. “And this. I’ve missed this.” I don’t elaborate. But I can tell she gets what I mean when, a long time later, I hear her sigh and get a quiet, “Me, too,” back.
Chapter Sixteen
PHEONIX
10 Years Ago
Sabra came over first thing the next day, and Layden was just as quick at picking up the principles of mage-craft as he was at computer languages.
We’re standing in a large circle Sabra has chalked in the center of the courtyard, explaining the arcane symbols she’s writing on the ground.
“The interlocking circles represent the different planes we’re attempting to breach. If this curse was placed by a dybbuk—”
“What’s a dybbuk?” Layden asks.
Sabra looks surprised he doesn’t know. “A person possessed by a spirit from another plane. So if your curse was placed by a dybbuk, it will have an inter-plane dimension that we’ll need to crack. Do you remember anything from when they laid the curse?”
Layden’s excellent at keeping a straight face as he lies. “No. It happened when I was very young.” I told him I didn’t want to tell Sabra more than was necessary. “I don’t remember anything. But I can do this… I don’t know how I know how to do it, but I can.”
He lays down some glowing runes beside her arcane symbols.
Sabra’s eyes go wide. “Oh my gods, that’s amazing!” She claps with excitement. “Phoenix, are you seeing this?”
I nod. Oh, I’m seeing it all right.
“I’ve never seen symbols like this before,” she says, eyes glowing as she bends down to look at the shining runes. She looks back up at Layden. “What do they do?”
His forehead scrunches. “I’m not sure how I know, but they’re interpretations of your arcane symbols, just in another language.”
Sabra all but squeals. “It has to be from the plane the dybbuk who cursed you came from. This is a clue! And it should help us get it off you or at least manage it because wow…” She closes her eyes as she hovers her hands over his glowing runes. “Man, I can feel the power humming off these babies.”
When she looks back up at Layden, she’s beaming. “We’re going to make magic together.”