I don’t turn around as I shrug and call over my shoulder. “It’s one of my best qualities.”
I hear her footfalls as she races to my side. “Here, just take this.” She presses a slip of paper into my burned palm. A line of numbers are written across it and it takes me a second to realize it’s her phone number. “I hope you use it.” She gives me a friendly grin.
I grab her forearm with my free hand before she leaves. “Thank you… for all your help.” The moment feels awkward. I’m really not very good at this friendship thing, but I offer her a tight smile before I release her.
Grinning widely, she nods once and disappears around the corner, slipping away. Just in time, too, because the doors to the house burst open behind me.
I follow suit and head down a separate alleyway. I zig zag through different streets downtown to make sure I’m not followed. When I’ve put enough space between me and them, I head into a convenience store to grab some supplies to treat my hands.
Grabbing what I need, I ignore the odd looks from the other shoppers, and make my way to the register.
“That will be nine dollars and fifty-two cents.” The teenage boy behind the counter reads the total nasally. “Cash or card?”
I have got to start thinking about how the real world pays for stuff.
I paste on a sweet, flirtatious smile as I slide my hands down my body, pretending to look for where I store my money.
Where do people store their money when they actually have money? Seems like something I should probably know as an adult…
“Oh, my goodness.” I make my eyes go wide. “I’m so sorry, but I don’t seem to have my money with me.” I pout, forcing my bottom lip out. It’s a look I would never wear normally but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Leaning over the counter, I make sure that my face is obscured by the surveillance camera. My hair hangs down on both sides of my face, shielding my eyes from view.
Reaching within myself, I pull the power I drained from Nala without her knowledge. I feel like a shitty friend, but it wasn’t exactly a position I signed up for.
I’m not completely sure this will work, but I try anyway. “You’re going to give me the supplies for free and forget that you ever saw me.” I push as much persuasion as I can toward the poor kid.
A soft glow lights his face and I know I’m right about hiding my face because I’m pretty sure my eyes are shining with intense color. Most people with magical abilities tend to have an outward sign when their power’s in use. This must be hers.
“Yeah, okay. Here you go, lady.” He methodically finishes packing my items and hands the plastic bag over. “Have a good day, ma’am.” He gives me a smile and turns his back on me to straighten the display behind the counter.
Well that was easy, but seriously? He called me ma’am. What am I? One hundred? Kids these days are cruel.
Sourly, I leave the store and head toward the guys. What a completely wretched morning.
Nineteen
A Simple Kiss
By the timeI walk back through the door, I’m exhausted and not in the mood for the guys’ surly antics. It’s just my luck that they’re all gathered in the living room as I pass by to walk into the kitchen. Stalking to the sink, I drop my bag and start rifling through it for what I need.
One of the guys couldn’t have had healing powers or something else equally as useful? No. Instead, I’m stuck with a quieter version of Quicksilver, the male version of Storm, a guy who can move shit with his mind like Magneto, and a mentor watching over us all like Charles Xavier. His own little band of mutants. I roll my eyes. Useless. Completely useless.
Grumbling to myself, I shove my hands under the faucet and turn the water on cold. The blisters burn but the cold water is soothing. Using my teeth, I get the cap off the antiseptic ointment just in time to hear the guys enter the kitchen with thudding footsteps. Everyone except Mouse, that is. That guy doesn’t make a sound.
But he is there. My gaze meets his for only a moment. Knowing he’s okay after Armond found him is comforting. It calms my heart a little after everything that’s happened.
“What happened here?” Tylin crosses his arms over his chest, taking up position against the counter on the far side of the kitchen. He leans there casually, but the air in the room shifts. I can feel his authority weighing down the room.
I grit my teeth and start slathering the ointment over my burned fingers. It hurts. It still hurts as if lava is attempting to burn through me from the inside out.
“Babe?” Jameson comes to stand beside me, taking my ruined hands in his as he looks over the damage. “What the fuck happened?” His eyes snap to mine, the blue in them cold as ice.
A dizzying feeling pulls at my mind and blink it away as I move my hand back. “It seems Mouse was spotted at the Lifeless house this morning.” I don’t make eye contact. Instead, I reach into the shopping bag and pull out some gauze and medical tape.
“I was careful.” Mouse’s voice is soft and closer than I anticipate. “I don’t understand.” This time it’s him who reaches for one of my hands, pulling it up to inspect. His eyes are sympathetic behind his black frames, and I tear my gaze from his, going back to adding some cream over each wound.
“Supposedly they’ve known you’ve been visiting me at night. It wasn’t just this morning.” I shrug a shoulder and start to lay gauze over my hand. It won’t be attractive, but the bandage will keep the blisters clean while they heal.
