The night air felt cool now that I wasn’t running for my life, and I shivered as I made my way the last few blocks home, rubbing my hands along my upper arms.
Everything looked… quiet.
There were only a few charms left on my bracelet, and while I didn’t want to have to use any more of them, with my possible life and-or liberty on the line, it was worth it. One more pinch, and I broke the outer shell, rubbing the magical dust between my fingers and inhaling the small cloud that puffed into the air. With my senses now heightened, I scanned the street again.
No fresh vampire scents, no dark figures hiding in shadows, and no low, covert breathing.
I crossed the street and entered my building, starting to feel a little more at ease when the doors to the elevator closed and it made its creaky ascent to the fourth floor.
I thanked Hecara for the foresight to put a keyless spell on my door, and it opened for me as soon as I walked up and whispered, “Kethar zi vel.”
The charm I’d just used gave me night vision like a cat, and in my pitch-black apartment, I could see that no one was inside. I closed the door and re-set the locking spell, then ran into my bedroom and pulled my suitcase out from under my bed.
Unfortunately, that Hecara-blessed foresight hadn’t extended to doing my laundry before work. I shoved as many of my dirty clothes inside as I could, then went straight for my bookcase.
Crap, I had way too many books. I piled everything I couldn’t replace into a tall stack, then spelled them to a quarter of their size and weight, putting them all in.
Next was my cauldron—no witch could ever leave behind her cauldron.
I cursed under my breath when I found it still full on the stove. I’d brewed some zit cream last night and had forgotten to bottle it up. Dammit!
Dumping out the precious concoction, I shoved the whole thing into my large carpet bag, then went into the bathroom to grab my emergency baggie of cash I’d hidden in the toilet tank. I shoved half of the runics in my bra and the other half in my pocket.
Finally, I put on my backpack from school, picked up the carpet bag and suitcase, and gave my apartment one last look around before heading out.
Tears welled in the corners of my eyes, but I kept them at bay. I’d have time to cry on the bus once Noctis was far behind me.
I’d liked this place. I’d built a life for myself, paying for everything with my own money from my own work and minimal help from my parents. I could already see the look on my mom’s face when I showed up on her doorstep, on the lam for having accidentally made a mess at Premier Corvane’s party.
Nellie…
My spelled alarm system rushed past me in a whisper.
Nellie was in the building.
I looked out the peephole of my door, waiting for her to appear. The alarm would have mentioned if she was bringing anyone else, but it only told me her name.
Footsteps echoed through the corridor, and a familiar face rounded the corner. Nellie’s healthy skin looked pallid, and her expression was alert and worried.
Knock knock knock.
“Sage?” she called out. “Sage, you’re home, aren’t you? I can hear you.”
I gulped. Nellie was a merfolk, and while her sense of smell wasn’t as strong as a vampire’s or a werewolf’s, she could echolocate like a champ.
“Were you followed?” I whispered.
“No,” she said, her voice trembling. “But it’s not safe. He… he was so angry, Sage. I don’t even understand why; it was just an accident. The only thing that got hurt was some old lady’s ugly dress! Your boss stalled him for as long as he could, but he’ll probably be here soon. Come on, I ordered us a Chariot; it should be here in a few minutes.”
“To go where?” I asked. “He’ll find me just as easily at your place. I have to get back to Cindralis. My people will protect me.”
“I know,” she hissed, looking over her shoulder. She said she hadn’t been followed, right? “We’ll go to the bus station, but we need to hurry!”
I leaned my head against the door, taking one last deep breath. Goodbye, my first apartment. My first taste of adulthood and freedom.
It pained me, but my fingers eventually found their way to the doorknob and I twisted, the worn brass cold and squeaking.
Nellie’s typically perfect makeup was smudged, and she tapped her foot nervously as I tiptoed out, eyes darting to every corner. She grabbed my wrist and started dragging me back to the elevator. “I told you, it’s fine. We’ve got to go!”
