“I don’t know.” Distress was thick in Nix’s voice. “We’ve repressed most of what we have to stay safe. But if there’s a bigger threat out there than the Prison for Magical Miscreants, we’re screwed.”
“Then you think we should practice our magic?” Practicing would mean I wouldn’t feel like hell after using it, but that wouldn’t do me any good if I got caught.
“I don’t know. Is this scroll—and whoever is looking for us—a bigger threat than being thrown in prison?”
“We’re digging into our past with this scroll. Maybe this whole thing will lead us to our parents.” Hope flared in my chest, though I knew it was stupid. They were probably dead. Or they were the ones we were running from.
I hated not knowing.
“I don’t want to hope for that,” Nix said. “We’ve made a good life for ourselves here. I want to look to the future.”
I nodded. Though I’d love to find my parents, I agreed. Our first five years on the run had been horrible. We’d laid low out of fear, sticking to back alleys and abandoned farms, stealing only what wouldn’t be noticed. If we’d been any less afraid, we might have used our magic more and been caught.
As it was, we’d gotten ourselves tangled up in some ugly messes. But we’d made it out. We’d survived and learned about the world. Found our way to Magic’s Bend and built our shop.
I had to find this scroll and destroy it. We couldn’t lose the life we’d worked so hard for.
Nix rubbed my shoulder and got to her feet. “Get some rest. I’m going to call Del.”
“Thanks,” I said as she left.
When the door shut behind her, I flopped back onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. Sweat and dust covered my skin. It itched.
I should get up and shower.
Instead, I slowly careened over onto the couch.
Sometime later—hours or minutes, I had no idea—the sound of rain on the windows woke me. I scrubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand and squinted into the dark night. The clock by the door indicated that it was past nine.
My mouth tasted like a rodent had died in it, and I was still as gross as ever.
Excellent.
But when I stood, I felt better. Like I’d just recovered from a bad case of the flu, but at least I could walk to the shower.
Careful not to rub any of the dried blood off my daggers, I took them into the bedroom. Normally I stored them on my bedside table, but the blood on Righty was the only link to the Magica who’d stolen the scroll.
That made it the most valuable thing I owned. And valuable things belonged in the trove, hidden away from all but me.
I laid my hand on the hidden door in my bedroom. The enchantment unlocked at my touch, and I pushed the door open.
I flicked on the light, a sense of calm flowing over me as the golden light reflected off the leather and metal stacked neatly on shelves and hung from racks. It was like a library, shelves and aisles of the things I valued most. Though part of me coveted gold whenever I saw it, I thought that was more of a knee-jerk reaction, because whenever I had money to spend, the first things I looked for were leather goods and weaponry.
I walked toward the back, making my way slowly so that I could absorb as much calm as possible from my favorite place.
At the very back corner, I dropped to my knees. My least valuable boots and jackets were stored back here, but it was a facade. I pushed aside a pair of older boots and pressed my hand to the tiny, invisible door.
My touch ignited the spell and it popped open. The battered golden locket that I’d been wearing when I’d woken in that field ten years ago glinted. Once, I’d hoped it’d lead me to my parents, but I’d been wrong.
I touched it briefly, then placed the daggers inside the safe. The door shut with a soft click. I rose to my feet and headed to the shower to cram myself into the little space. Though the pipes screamed and hissed, the water was usually hot and floods were infrequent.
It didn’t take long to scrub off the grime. By the time I got out, I was feeling almost human again.
Except for the fact that my stomach was trying to eat itself.
I tugged on jeans and a tank top, dreading the walk down the street to get food from P & P. I could order in from a delivery place, but that could take an hour. There was a chance I could scavenge from my kitchen, but the odds of finding something decent weren’t high.
My stomach grumbled loudly, objecting.
“All right, all right,” I muttered. I needed to get out anyway. Dr. Garriso worked late most nights. I could grab a bite to eat and head by his office for some info.
I was throwing on my jacket when a knock sounded at the door. My muscles tensed, and I crept silently over to it, peering out through the peep hole. Nix had a goofy knock, and Del was out of town.
Aidan.
Of course.
CHAPTER NINE
The rich scent of curry wafted through the door, so I yanked it open. What could I say? I was weak.
He held up a large white sack, a grin tugging at his handsome face. “Delivery.”