Dahlia clutched his coat in tight fists, her body stiff with apprehension over his shoulder. He skated his free hand down her leg in a comforting caress as Genevieve threw her hands apart.
An explosion of light and magic filled the alley, burning away the shadows. A gate had been opened as easily as one might part a curtain.
He stepped forward just as Dahlia’s tremulous voice reached him. “Felix, I’ve never been through an m-gate before.”
“Shh. I’ve got you. Just try not to throw up on my back, okay?” He did a little hop, hoping to startle a laugh out of her as she bounced. “I like this coat.”
His girl didn’t laugh, though. She did something better.
Dahlia gripped his coat tighter and pressed her face into his back. Her voice was small when she said, “Please don’t let go of me.”
Felix pressed a fierce kiss to her side. “Never,” he promised, stepping into the gate.
—Call began Tuesday 4:39 AM
—Call ended Tuesday 5:04 AM
is everything okay? You sounded stressed
Just tired of family bullshit.
anything I can do to help
You can finally let me see those perky tits I’ve been dreaming of for two years
ah there he is
gods forbid the boogeyman get too close to an actual feeling
I have lots of feelings. Big ones. Thick ones.
your cock doesn’t count
I strongly beg to differ
ELEVEN
She was fairlycertain that Felix was joking when he told her not to throw up on his coat, but as soon as he stepped through the m-gate, the threat became very real.
Dahlia wasn’t used to magic. Her small town had been mostly arrants, and even after moving to the city, she’d never had much contact with the magically gifted. The Lush didn’t pay her enough to afford things like magically enhanced clothing or jewelry or tech. Even the relatively common sort of magic was foreign to her.
An m-gate was nothing close to common.
Passing through one was a bit like having her whole body sucked through a straw and shot out the other side like a spitball. One second she was nothing but atoms molded to fit a new shape and the next she was Dahlia again, presumably with all her bits and bobs, thrown over Felix’s shoulder in what looked like the foyer of an opulent, Gilded Age mansion.
She was so disoriented that it took her a minute to realize he’d set her back on her feet.
The world swayed in a sickening wave before it righted itself. The cool marble under her toes helped center her as she swallowed a mouthful of bile.
“Not so bad, huh?” Felix gave her one of those wicked smiles and flicked her nose. “Welcome home, pet.”
Weaving a little, she peered around him as a series of vampires stepped through the gate, followed by what had to be the witch. The tattooed brunette gave her a cheerful wave before clapping her hands together. The tear in space disappeared with a soundless explosion of energy that rattled the crystal chandelier above their heads.
One of the vampires handed Felix her bag. She only had a second to notice his hand was tattooed with a strange swirling pattern before Felix ushered her toward a staircase so covered in gold and marble, it was a miracle it didn’t collapse under its own weight.
A crimson runner cushioned her bare feet as Felix turned his head to dismiss the assembled crew. She didn’t notice the distant hum of music and chatter until he said, “Good work, folks. Sorry about the detour. Go back to the party and have some fun while you still can.”
More confused than before, Dahlia flicked an apprehensive glance toward the side of the foyer where the music was loudest. “There’s a party?”
