“Riley!” Vinny exclaims, rushing up and practically peeling me out of the car I’ve been reluctant to get out of, mostly because I’ve been hoping it would take me back home. No part of this is enjoyable as he rubs his bearded cheek all over my face and I feel a flash of magic rush up my arms. It’s a familiar magic, one I’ve felt many times before.
He’s a stout man with red hair and a long beard. His tanned skin is freckled and wrinkles around his brown eyes every time he gives me one of his smiles.
I give him a pat on the back, but it doesn’t seem like enough, so I have to give him two more back pats before he finally pulls away. Then I scoop up Kit, climb back into the back seat of the police car, and shut the door.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Imani says, beaming at me through the window like she’s gotten her smiling inspiration from horror movies.
I close my eyes and feign unconsciousness.
“You’re not dead, get your ass out here,” Imani demands as she tries the door, but I’d made sure to melt the metal together on my way in.
“Why’d you touch him?” Imani asks Vinny, knowing that what I just accomplished was because of him.
My magic works by replicating magic abilities from those I physically contact. And because Vinny can manipulate metal, the instant he touched me and I felt that magic spark in my arms, I could too.
As simple as that… okay, maybe it’s not simple at all, but it sure makes my life easier to be able to borrow whatever magic I need for the moment.
“Because I missed him,” Vinny mutters. “I can undo it.”
As soon as Vinny starts fixing the door by holding his hand over it, I swiftly fuck it up again, pleased with my ability to be a stubborn asshole because even though Vinny is quite talented with his ability to manipulate metal, the second I “borrowed” the power, I became significantly better at it.
Honestly, being a stubborn asshole is a talent of mine.
“Riley, we really do need your help,” Imani says, switching gears to see if pleading works better.
“Find someone else. I’ve retired.”
“You’re thirty-six. You can’t retire at thirty-six. And you’re too talented to have such a normal and boring job as a librarian.”
“Ms. Percy told me I’m the best helper she’s ever had. She also told me I’m cute,” I say. “We might even get married.”
“Isn’t that the lady who’s been there for like sixty-five years? There’s no way you’re the best she’s seen.”
“Sixty-nine. It’s fate.”
Vinny finally gets the door open, and Imani reaches in and grabs Kit while I watch her. Then off she goes with my familiar who is looking back at me from where she’s perched on Imani’s shoulder.
A growl escapes me as I realize that she plans to use Kit against me, and I have little choice but to follow her. Kit has no idea she’s been kidnapped. She’s just thrilled to see Imani and prepared to leave me behind.
I follow Imani and Vinny into the building.
“What do you want me for?” I ask, caving slightly.
“It’s nothing huge, I promise. We merely need you to speak to a man.”
“I hate speaking to people. I actually just hate people, I think. I like how I can shush people in the library. It makes me feel warm and tingly inside.”
It almost feels like Imani doesn’t hear me since she keeps talking about things that don’t seem to have anything to do with what I was saying. “He speaks a language that’s not recognizable and refuses to engage with our translator… though she did scream when he reached for her and then told us that he claimed that he would consume her soul if she screamed like that again. We are… unsure how serious he is.”
“So you want my soul to be consumed?” I ask.
Imani doesn’t look impressed as Kit gazes up at her. “I forgot how difficult you are to work with.”
“I’m going to do my best to remind you,” I assure her.
“Oh, I’m sure you will,” she mutters as I walk through the facility and am guided over to a door.
Not just any door, but an extremely secure door that is generally used to hide the most dangerous of criminals. And she’s over here like, “Here, head on in. Have a jolly chat.”
