“Is the TV that thing I saved your life from?”
“It is.”
“I have since learned that you can witness people having sex on those things. I read it in one of your books.”
“Oh joy, you’ve learned about porn,” I say dryly.
“And porn is… something… you can see on the TV?”
“You can see it on more than just the TV. It’s like a video… like someone, for example, acts out a scene?—”
“Sex.”
“Sure. Sex. They act outsexand someone else records them so people can watch it later.”
“How does it work? How do you capture a scene and then put it onto another thing to watch later?”
It occurs to me that I really have no fucking idea because it just…worksand I’ve always just known it works. “Magic.”
“Ah. Understandable,” he says with a nod. “I would like to watch porn.”
“Why is it you know some thingsverywell but other things you have no idea about?”
“It all depends on whether I read about them in my cult leader’s sex books. I am a very curious man. I’m also interested in what your legs do when you put them on the ground.”
“They cling tightly to your waist while you walk. It’s illegal for me to walk too much. This earth is not prepared for my body.”
Torin snorts. “Sounds concerning. I definitely should keep carrying you, then.”
“You sure should. I’m your cult leader, after all.”
“I will do anything you wish.”
“I’m pleased I have found a servan—I mean, a… follower as good as you.”
“This follower will do anything you want. Do you want me to be naked?”
“I bet people wouldn’t drive past us if you were,” I mutter. “But no, no. We’ll just wave them down next time.”
It’s two more miles of Torin walking and me reading before another car approaches. I canfeelhis body tense up as he prepares to leap in front of them to test their serial killer capabilities, but I just jump off and wave down the car, though his expression indicates what a foolish move he thinks I’m making. The vehicle slows but the woman only cracks open the window an inch.
I plaster on my soft and friendly smile. “Hey! Our car broke down and I just need to call my friend to pick us up. Is there any way we could use your phone?”
She seems to spend a ridiculously long time contemplating this before looking over at the man in the passenger seat. He’s a pretty buff guy who looks like he could snap me in half and even give Torin a run for his money.
“Sure, but if you don’t hand it back, I will get out of this car and beat the shit out of you,” she says before smiling sweetly and handing me the phone. When she does, her fingers brush againstmine, and I feel a tingle of magic rushing up them as I realize that she’s a shifter.
Interesting.
I have no idea what Imani’s or Mickey’s numbers are, so after quickly checking the date and time on the phone, I call the front desk of the Magical Interference Unit. “Can I get transferred to Imani, please?”
“One second,” a woman says before I’m transferred. Imani answers almost right away, which has to mean that my luck is turning around.
“Special Agent Hill speaking.”
“Hey, Imani, I just wanted to let you know I was back.”
“Where’d you go? Did you finally go on vacation? Get laid? Ha. I’m hilarious. We both knowthatdidn’t happen. No, seriously, where’d you go?”
