“You’re being sarcastic?”
“Yes. Yes, Everlee, I’m being sarcastic. I don’tknowwhat that was. I have an idea, but I need to talk with the elders to see, but if it’s what I think, then I don’t want you to talk with anyone.”
A knot lodges itself in my throat. “You think I’m a-”
She flicks her hand, and my hand flies to my mouth, covering it.
“Don’t.”
My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. She just used magic on me. Something she swore she’d never do again after she thought it would be funny to enchant my bed to keep me in it when we were little. She got the spell just a bit off and the sheets were attacking me, trying to pin me down.
I moan and stomp my foot so she’ll let my hand go because it feels like she’s superglued it to my face. She walks over and gets close to me.
“Don’t talk.”
My eyes pulse wide, the obvious sign forok I won’t talk and get my fucking hand off my mouth.
She flicks her finger and my hand falls. “Was that really necessary?”
“Hungry?” she asks, completely dismissing my question.
“Yes. I guess I am,” I huff.
When she starts to walk out of the room, she looks over her shoulder at me with those eyes that tell me she’s not kidding.
The stairs down to the main floor creak under our weight. It’s obvious this was an abandoned building of some sort and hard to tell what was really safe about this safe house. The walls look like they’re made of paper and the floors look like they’re one wrong step away from another hole in it.
“There she is!” A voice yells from the kitchen, causing me to jump into the wall. “Calm down, deary. Didn’t mean to startle, didn’t mean to startle.” The woman is moving the hot pan off the stove and putting it on the counter. “I just finished up these eggs. Come sit down and get something in your belly.”
The woman standing in the kitchen is a normal human sized version of the bobble head affixed to the bike from my memory. She has short, light pink hair that looks like one of those LED fiber optic lamp things with the thin little strands that you just want to run your hand across and pet. Only I’m pretty sure if I tried to pet her head, she’d knock me out. Which I couldn’t blame her, but her hair. I just want to touch it.
“Are you ok?” she asks looking at me.
“Ev?” Lizzy asks, nudging me and breaking me from my trance.
“Yea. Sorry.” Not sorry. “I’m still just wearing off the drinks from last night.”
“Wild night last night.” She watches me cautiously walk into the kitchen. “Name’s Betty. Don’t know if you got that from the Betty’s Bitchin’ rides, or if you remember that. You seemed a little loopy last night, then for good measure, I gave you the whammo blammo punch and knocked you out.”
Either I’m still drunk, which I didn’t think I was before, or she’s just a lot to process.
“So what happened last night? Liz Whiz here was in a hurry to get to you, then a few minutes later yuns are boltin’ out of the doors with an ‘eat shit and die fuckers’ look on your face. Well, Liz Whiz, not you. You looked like you were a bit in la la land.”
Is she talking fast or am I listening slowly? “I-”
Liz interrupts, “Like I said last night. Some ginormous troll was trying to bring her back to his lair. He had her by the wrist and was dragging her across the floor. I showed up, used a little magic, and then we bolted. One, because I’m pretty sure I pissed off the troll, and two, because you aren’t allowed to use magic. A point, the lady at the front desk, harped on several times before she let me in the club. What about this?” She runs her hand up and down her body several times, “Says I won’t follow the rules and use magic.”
“Did you use magic?” Betty asks.
“Yes, but that’s beside the point.”
The grumble from my stomach echoes around the tiny little apartment space. Judging by the blanket thrown over the back of the couch, I’d venture to say Betty slept down here. I take a bite of eggs to help soothe the ick feeling that’s churning in my stomach. I’m pretty sure it’s because I’m hungry, but it could also be nerves. Lizzy is in overprotective mode, so there’s something else going on. Something she won’t let me say.
“How was last night?” I ask, shoveling a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
“It was fine. Not much drama,” Lizzy slumps her shoulders.
“You’re mad because you didn’t get to use magic on anyone?”
