Rival Magic
Page 20
“Just for the record, we’re glad you’re not dead, boss,” said Callum.
Kai grunted a laugh, then everyone piled into the car. Sera and Alex cozied up together in the back. Then came Kai, Logan, and Tony in the middle. Callum and Dal took the front.
Dal drove. He was the most sensible driver in the car, but right now he was driving like there was a giant chasing after them. Sera looked back, just in case. She was relieved to find no giant running after them, shaking its fists angrily in the air. She blinked and checked again. For a brief moment, she thought she saw Alden standing on the road behind them, staring at her. But when she blinked again, he was gone. She rubbed her head. She’d hit it a bunch of times. That hadn’t been an illusion. She could still feel the pounding migraine.
“We tracked your phone to the site of your wrecked cars,” Tony continued his report.
He handed Kai his phone. The glass was darkened in several spots and the smooth edges of the phone looked slightly warped. Surprisingly, it was still kind of working, though. It was pulsing blue with unread messages.
“How did you find us?” Sera asked.
“With one of Callum’s toys,” Tony said.
They all looked at Callum.
He smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “About a year ago, I created this magic tracker device. It broadcasts your magic signal—your aura—so people can track you if you get lost. Kai had me test it on him. We played with it a bit to see what it could do. The great thing about it is you can use a magic-detecting device to pick up the signal. You don’t need a Sniffer.”
“Sounds useful,” Sera said cautiously.
Useful but dangerous. What if these things could be tweaked to pick up on Dragon Born magic? The Magic Council could require that one be inserted into every living supernatural, then scan away at will. Even when she’d been hiding her magic, she couldn’t keep it down all the time. During her off time when she was alone or just her family was around, she had to let a little magic out. Holding it in forever just made you explode. Or leak magic continuously, whether you wanted to or not. Like a boiling pot leaking steam.
Sera exchanged looks with Alex, then said, “How well did it work?”
“Pretty well. In tests, I could pick up anything within fifty miles,” Callum replied.
“Ah, so what happened to this useful project?”
Callum’s face fell. “I couldn’t work out the kinks.”
“The thing itches like hell when activated,” Kai said. “Which explains this.” He lifted his arm, showing them the rash of red bumps that had broken out across his skin.
Callum glanced at Kai’s arm. “Oops. Sorry about that.” He pulled out a device and hit a button.
The bumps on Kai’s skin slowly began to fade.
“Too bad. It looked good on you, Drachenburg,” Logan told him.
Kai gave him a look laden with ice.
“Honey?” said Sera.
“Hmm?” he asked, his eyes still locked on Logan.
You knew the immediate crisis was over when the two of them stopped working together and started trading insults and glares.
“You’re not allowed to step on Alex’s boyfriend,” Sera reminded him.
“I’m not going to step on him.”
Oh good.
But he wasn’t through. “I’m going to roll over him with my SUV.”
Logan gave him a hard, cold smile. “Your car wouldn’t survive the encounter.”
“You underestimate my car.”
“You underestimate me.”
As they continued measuring testosterone, Sera leaned her head against Alex.
“This sucks,” her sister said. “Alden sucks. My brand new wardrobe was in that car that blew up. The clothes I just bought to replace the ones that the last apocalypse ate.”
Logan turned “You’re worried about your clothes? What about my car?”
“Your car is insured. My clothes were not.”
“Maybe we should start insuring our clothes,” Sera commented.
“We kill monsters for a living. Who would insure us?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess the same sort of person who would insure an assassin’s car.”
“Who’s that?” Alex asked Logan.
“Someone I didn’t give a choice,” he replied.
“Your boyfriend is scary,” Sera whispered to her.
“Well, at least mine doesn’t step on people,” countered Alex.
They both chuckled. The truth was Logan had probably bribed the insurance guy, and Kai didn’t actually step on people who weren’t trying to kill him. But they, like Sera and Alex, had a reputation to maintain.
“Don’t worry about your clothes,” Sera said. “We’ll go shopping when you come to San Francisco for Riley’s graduation.”
A wicked look flashed across Alex’s face. “It’s a date. But only if you promise me that you’ll let me buy you something really slutty.”
Sera snorted. “If that makes you feel better.”
“It will make you feel better.” Alex’s gaze darted to Kai, and she wiggled her eyebrows. She looked back at Sera. “I can just picture it now.” She dropped her voice to a deep, masculine growl. “Sera, you look good enough to eat.”
Sera put on a serious face and tried really hard not to laugh. “Kai, honey, we’ve discussed the complications of eating our lovers.”
Kai grunted a laugh, then everyone piled into the car. Sera and Alex cozied up together in the back. Then came Kai, Logan, and Tony in the middle. Callum and Dal took the front.
Dal drove. He was the most sensible driver in the car, but right now he was driving like there was a giant chasing after them. Sera looked back, just in case. She was relieved to find no giant running after them, shaking its fists angrily in the air. She blinked and checked again. For a brief moment, she thought she saw Alden standing on the road behind them, staring at her. But when she blinked again, he was gone. She rubbed her head. She’d hit it a bunch of times. That hadn’t been an illusion. She could still feel the pounding migraine.
“We tracked your phone to the site of your wrecked cars,” Tony continued his report.
He handed Kai his phone. The glass was darkened in several spots and the smooth edges of the phone looked slightly warped. Surprisingly, it was still kind of working, though. It was pulsing blue with unread messages.
“How did you find us?” Sera asked.
“With one of Callum’s toys,” Tony said.
They all looked at Callum.
He smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “About a year ago, I created this magic tracker device. It broadcasts your magic signal—your aura—so people can track you if you get lost. Kai had me test it on him. We played with it a bit to see what it could do. The great thing about it is you can use a magic-detecting device to pick up the signal. You don’t need a Sniffer.”
“Sounds useful,” Sera said cautiously.
Useful but dangerous. What if these things could be tweaked to pick up on Dragon Born magic? The Magic Council could require that one be inserted into every living supernatural, then scan away at will. Even when she’d been hiding her magic, she couldn’t keep it down all the time. During her off time when she was alone or just her family was around, she had to let a little magic out. Holding it in forever just made you explode. Or leak magic continuously, whether you wanted to or not. Like a boiling pot leaking steam.
Sera exchanged looks with Alex, then said, “How well did it work?”
“Pretty well. In tests, I could pick up anything within fifty miles,” Callum replied.
“Ah, so what happened to this useful project?”
Callum’s face fell. “I couldn’t work out the kinks.”
“The thing itches like hell when activated,” Kai said. “Which explains this.” He lifted his arm, showing them the rash of red bumps that had broken out across his skin.
Callum glanced at Kai’s arm. “Oops. Sorry about that.” He pulled out a device and hit a button.
The bumps on Kai’s skin slowly began to fade.
“Too bad. It looked good on you, Drachenburg,” Logan told him.
Kai gave him a look laden with ice.
“Honey?” said Sera.
“Hmm?” he asked, his eyes still locked on Logan.
You knew the immediate crisis was over when the two of them stopped working together and started trading insults and glares.
“You’re not allowed to step on Alex’s boyfriend,” Sera reminded him.
“I’m not going to step on him.”
Oh good.
But he wasn’t through. “I’m going to roll over him with my SUV.”
Logan gave him a hard, cold smile. “Your car wouldn’t survive the encounter.”
“You underestimate my car.”
“You underestimate me.”
As they continued measuring testosterone, Sera leaned her head against Alex.
“This sucks,” her sister said. “Alden sucks. My brand new wardrobe was in that car that blew up. The clothes I just bought to replace the ones that the last apocalypse ate.”
Logan turned “You’re worried about your clothes? What about my car?”
“Your car is insured. My clothes were not.”
“Maybe we should start insuring our clothes,” Sera commented.
“We kill monsters for a living. Who would insure us?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess the same sort of person who would insure an assassin’s car.”
“Who’s that?” Alex asked Logan.
“Someone I didn’t give a choice,” he replied.
“Your boyfriend is scary,” Sera whispered to her.
“Well, at least mine doesn’t step on people,” countered Alex.
They both chuckled. The truth was Logan had probably bribed the insurance guy, and Kai didn’t actually step on people who weren’t trying to kill him. But they, like Sera and Alex, had a reputation to maintain.
“Don’t worry about your clothes,” Sera said. “We’ll go shopping when you come to San Francisco for Riley’s graduation.”
A wicked look flashed across Alex’s face. “It’s a date. But only if you promise me that you’ll let me buy you something really slutty.”
Sera snorted. “If that makes you feel better.”
“It will make you feel better.” Alex’s gaze darted to Kai, and she wiggled her eyebrows. She looked back at Sera. “I can just picture it now.” She dropped her voice to a deep, masculine growl. “Sera, you look good enough to eat.”
Sera put on a serious face and tried really hard not to laugh. “Kai, honey, we’ve discussed the complications of eating our lovers.”
