He scowls. “It wasn’t my intent to limit your magic. I didn’t realize you could manifest your spirit energy into a body.”
“Does this mean I won’t be able to astral project outside the caféeveranymore?”
He shakes his head. “No. It’s just my magic that’s bound here.”
“But…then why did I get stuck?”
“Because you’re using my magic,” he says, unfolding his arms to reveal my glowing name on his wrist.
I run my fingers over the mark and a shiver moves down my spine to my lower belly. It feels like a draw to him, a summoning. I step closer, my legs wobbly and head woozy. He grips my waist and steadies me.
“You’re very adept at taking from me, too,” he murmurs.
“Well, this is your own fault. If you hate it so much, take it off,” I say, giving him my arm.
He cradles my hand and stares at the brand for a long beat. In the silence, I watch his gaze move along my arm, tracing its shape. My muscles are more pronounced than most girls’, and I wonder how he feels about that. Most guys in school were intimidated by me, especially because they knew I could give them a beatdown. Didn’t make me very popular, or sought after…
But Rhazan makes me feel not just seen, but appreciated. His gaze is heavy, and slow. It lingers and traces, caresses. It feels like he’s peeling back my layers and looking deeper.
He pushes open my palm and his touch burns across my fingers. The pad of his thumb sends a thrill racing from my fingertips to my stomach.
I take a shuddering breath. “Rhaz?”
He clears his throat and steps back, separating us. The distance feels almost painful.
“It’ll be safer to remove the mark in your realm.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll lose the tether to your body and the energy required to manifest a physical presence on this plane. I’m not sure what would happen to you.”
The fiery fluffball from before barrels through the door, barking aggressively and making me jump. Rhazan growls and storms past me. It’s pointless to ask what’s going on. I know he’s not going to tell me, so I just follow after him.
We’re nearly to the end of the long hall when suddenly a ball of green liquid flies past the opening and splats on the wall. The black rock begins caving in on itself, melting and crumbling apart from the acidic shot.
Rhazan leaps around the corner with wings flared, and I charge after him. It’s mass chaos in the bar. People are running for the exits as rip after starry-blue rip forms in thin air.
“Skreet!” the creature behind the bar shrieks as he pushes me aside and runs for one of the other doors.
“Jade, go back to my room!” Rhazan yells, drawing the attention of the three nasty bugs.
“Yeah, right!” I say with a laugh.
This body isn’t my real body. I can do whatever I want here without consequences, and I intend to give these creepy creatures a little payback for nearly scaring me shitless the other night.
I grab the broom sitting at the end of the bar and snap off the end with a swift kick, then stand beside him.
“By my creator’s hand,” he grumbles. “You will replace that.”
“It’s a casualty of the interdimensional war,” I say. “Let’s rough up some roaches.”
nine
Now We’re at War with Interdimensional Cockroaches
Ilunge forward, magic surging through my arms. A golden sheen encases my makeshift staff and I whap the first skreet on the top of the head. It skreets—a sound that perfectly matches its name—and whirls around for its glowing portal.
I lock the bo staff under my arm and give the second one a heavy backhanded swing. The blow cracks against the monster’s side, and it too flies for its portal. There’s just one left and it looks at me like an angry dog ready to fight over a bone. Acidic drool drips from its razor-sharp teeth. Its mouth opens wider and it screams. The noise hurts my whole body and turns my stomach like I might puke.
