“How can I be an enchanter? I’ve never done any magic,” I countered with a huff.
He sighed—I noticed he did that a lot—and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did you miss the part where I said you come into your powers at eighteen? Enchanters don’t begin to receive any magic until they’re eighteen and don’t come into their full powers until they’re twenty. Since I’m a protector, I’m lucky because I’m born with powers and they only grow more powerful the older I get.”
I swallowed thickly at his words. In two weeks I’d be eighteen and I guess now I’d go all magicky when that happened.
“How old are you?” I asked him.
“Twenty-two,” he replied. I watched him glance in the rear-view mirror. “We need to get rid of the truck. They probably have a tracker on it. Plus, we need something faster. A lot faster,” he muttered. He turned to the right and headed toward the city. He found a dealership and turned into the darkened lot.
“I think they’re closed,” I mumbled and crossed my arms over my chest.
Theodore looked at me like I was dense again. “That’s kind of the point.”
“You’re stealing a car?” I implored.
“No, of course not,” he said, and I relaxed. “I’m merely borrowing it—they might not get it back but …,” he trailed off. “Now, stay here for a minute. I need to disable the security cameras and ditch the license plates.” He slipped out of the car like a shadow. His movements reminded me of ninjas you saw in movies. Quick, precise, and almost inhuman. I watched him maneuver around the parking lot in a way that kept him from the sights of the cameras. Then he jumped at the building and scaled the wall with his bare hands. What was he? Spiderman?
After disabling the cameras, he jumped down and landed on his feet like a cat. He grinned when he caught me staring, jaw dropped. He came back to the truck and took off the license plates. I put my hand on the knob to get out and he motioned for me to stay. I almost didn’t listen but when I thought about that thing that attacked us in my house I decided to stay put.
I watched his dark form disappear into the shadows. For a moment, I thought to be afraid, but it didn’t last long. A set of headlights flashed on and a car flew through the parking lot and stopped in front of the truck. The black paint blended in with the night. It was practically invisible except for the headlights.
“Get in,” Theodore urged, rolling down the window.
I grabbed my black duffel bag and the glowing box and shuffled into the low-seated sports car. I hardly had the door closed before Theodore was racing out of the parking lot.
I took in the sleek interior. I felt like I was sitting in a plane. The red leather felt like butter. I leaned over to see the emblem on the steering wheel.
“A Porsche? Really, Theo, was that necessary?” I asked.
“First this is a Porsche Cayman R. Second, yes it was necessary. We needed a fast car. Thirdly, never ever call me Theo.”
“I’ll call you whatever I want,” I snapped.
He turned to me. “Ditto, doll face.”
“This is very conspicuous,” I said, choosing to ignore the doll face comment.
Theodore sighed. “I don’t care. I needed something fast and this baby can go from zero to sixty in four seconds and has a maximum speed of—”
“I don’t care, Theo.” I sat back in the seat.
He grinned cockily. “Okay, doll face.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “How long am I stuck in this car with you?” I asked.
He grinned even bigger. “A long time. You better buckle up.” One hand on the steering wheel, he reached across with the other to pull the seatbelt across me and snap it into place. My heartbeat skyrocketed. He chuckled like he noticed and went back to looking at the road.
I crossed my arms over my chest and willed this whole thing to be a nightmare.
Chapter 4
WHEN I WOKE UP, I knew this was not simply a nightmare. I stretched my sore limbs and twisted my neck, which was stiff from sleeping in the car.
Twenty-four hours ago, my life had been normal. Now I didn’t know what it was. All of this … I wanted to believe it was made up—too far-fetched—but I couldn’t ignore the truth. Ian was dead, my dad was gone, and that grindor or whatever it was had definitely been in my house.
There was also no denying Theo. He was very much real.
“Mornin’, doll face,” he said with a fake Southern accent.
I looked around and saw the road all around us.
“Have you slept?” I asked.
He put a hand to his chest and feigned surprise. “Are you concerned for my health? I’m touched.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t want to get killed because you fall asleep at the wheel.” I crossed my arms over my chest and adjusted my position in the seat.
“I’m fine,” he assured me. “This stuff really works.” He picked up a bottle of Five Hour Energy.
“How many of these have you had?” I gasped, taking it from him.
“Uh … four,” he counted and then giggled. Yeah, that’s right, giggled like a little girl. “And I feel great.”
“Theo,” I shrieked in irritation. “Maybe I should drive?” I suggested.
“No way.” He massaged the steering wheel. “This baby is all mine. Besides—” he shrugged but the motion was jerky “—you don’t know where we’re going.”
“Don’t remind me,” I muttered. “I’m in a car, with a boy I don’t really know going who knows where.”
“I know where,” he chortled.
“That’s my point,” I muttered, looking out the window.
“Ah, doll face, don’t be like that,” he pleaded with a fake pout, his reflection in the window overly exaggerated.
I whipped toward him. “Don’t call me doll face,” I snapped, finally giving into the itch I hadn’t wanted to scratch.
He smirked like he’d won some silent competition. “Don’t call me Theo. My name’s Theodore.”
“Not gonna happen,” I ground out, just to irritate him.
“Back at you, doll face.” He winked, his lips quirking at the corners.
It was going to be a long drive.
“What is that?” asked Theo, staring at the bag in my hands.
“Cheetos.” I swished the bag in front of his nose.
We had stopped to get gas and food before getting back on the road promptly. Apparently, even enchanters had to eat.
“Give me some.” He stuck his hand in the bag.
“Hey,” I scolded and snatched it back. “These are mine.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of sharing?” he asked and stuck a handful of Cheetos in his mouth.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t want to share with you.”
“Doll face, I’m hurt.”
“How on Earth did you come up with the nickname doll face?” I asked.
He smirked. “You kinda look like a doll.”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m offended.”
“A pretty doll,” he added with a shrug, shoving his hand in my bag of Cheetos again. I rolled my eyes, and he grinned like the Cheshire cat.
I might not have known Theo, but I knew enough that he was the kind of person I avoided at all costs.
A sarcastic asshole. A cocky jerk.