“Yeah, been there briefly,” I reply, remembering getting patched up there after the events in the tunnels. “I didn’t have much time to explore, though.”
“I know I’m a delight and will always be your favorite, but I thought you might enjoy being around other witches.”
Nerves bubble in my stomach. I’ve always been a confident person. Never shy. I’ve always been chatty and never suffered from social anxiety, but suddenly I feel like I want to open the car door and tuck-and-roll out of here. I feel like an impostor, a fraud. My lack of ability with my magic except the basics—levitating objects, turning book pages, unlocking and locking doors—has me feeling inadequate.
It doesn’t help me feel any better that all the murders come back to this place.
“Don’t be nervous,” Jade says like she can read my mind. Who knows, maybe she can.
“I’m not nervous,” I say defensively.
“Okay.” She taps her fingers on the steering wheel. “But it would be okay if you were,” she assures.
When we arrive at the hotel, she tosses her keys at the valet and winks. He checks her out in a way that makes me think they might’ve hooked up before.
I look around the swanky lobby with wide eyes. Everyone around melookshuman, butmore. They carry themselves in a way that’s wholly different—with a grace and confidence a mere human couldn’t emulate. I bet I stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t possess the etherealness these supernaturals have. Too many years being human, I suppose.
“You’re overthinking,” Jade says, once again making me question whether she can read minds.
“How do you know that? You’re not reading my mind, are you?”
We reach the elevators, and she pushes the button to call one. “No,” she laughs. “Your body language is incredibly easy to read.” She crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot impatiently, pushing the button in rapid succession like a little kid.
When the doors slide open, she takes a startled step back. My eyes widen at the tall man who takes up the entire elevator—not with his size, but his presence. If I thought the others milling around the lobby were intimidating, they have nothing on his guy. Silver-hued eyes flash from me to Jade, where they narrow before his brow furrows. He stalks past us, and Jade closes her eyes, a look of annoyance on her face.
The doors begin to slide closed, but she sticks her foot out to stop it.
“Come on,” she says, gesturing me forward.
When we’re alone in the elevator, I ask, “Who was that?”
“No one,” she sighs, leaning against the wall.
“I don’t believeyou.”
“I don’t care if you believe me or not.” She stretches out the fingers of her left hand, eyeing her dark purple manicure.
When the doors open and Jade leads me down the hall, all thoughts of the mysterious man are forgotten. There aren’t rooms spaced like a normal hotel. These are much farther apart. Jade slides a key card out of her pocket and stops in front of a door that doesn’t look any more remarkable than the ones we already passed.
Holding it open wide, she motions me inside first.
It’s a large open space, but within that space there are various designated seating areas. Everything, from the walls to the furniture, is done in shades of deep purple and red. Women and men are dispersed throughout the space, some chatting, some working on laptops, and some doing small magic.
A rock seems to lodge itself in my throat.
This is … these are … they’re likeme.
I see why Jade brought me here. I didn’t expect to immediately feel like I belong here, but I do. I might only be doing basic magic that most learn as kids and teens, but one day Iwillbe able to do more. So much of it, according to Jade, is intuitive.
“How do you feel?” Jade asks me.
“Happy,” I reply.
“Good.” She smiles. “Let me introduce you to some people.”
After she escorts me around to about fifteen witches and warlocks, we settle at a table with an older witch named Helena and a witch closer to our age, whose name is Penelope.
“Ava’s magic was bound until very recently. She was adopted and didn’t know she was a witch,” Jade explains.
