asked, pointing to the balled-up handkerchief.
“No, because we’re leaving it here. The charm isn’t on you. It’s about you. That’s different.”
“How is that different? This shit’s weird.”
“Welcome to magic,” Onyx shrugged.
Drew frowned. “So what now?”
“Now you go about your life like normal and you wait,” said Molly. “If nothing happens in the next month, you come back and we do this again.”
“Also, you can’t tell a misfire from the real thing,” noted Onyx. “Just like with normal relationships. Have fun with that.”
“Seriously?” asked Drew, half laughing now out of frustration. Maybe they really were taking him for a ride. “How do I even know this works at all?”
Molly gasped with plenty of melodrama. “Do you doubt our power?”
“Maybe a little,” Drew shrugged.
“You’ve seen me call lightning, you jerk!”
“Hey, I didn’t actually see nothin’,” he corrected. “You were there and lightning sorta happened. This is Seattle. The weather changes every ten minutes.”
Molly gasped again, louder this time.
“Can you do anything that actually looks like magic?”
“ Do not set our new house on fire,” Onyx warned sternly.
“C’mon, what’ve you got? Can you turn people into animals? Turn invisible? Wait, that’s not flashy, I wouldn’t see. Oh, I got it: can you fly?”
Molly’s eyes flared. She snatched her wand up off of the table. “Challenge accepted.”
* * *
Alex found her in the living room near the front door, amid a handful of guests on their way out. He half-expected her to be surrounded by attention-hungry men, as was usually the case with her at parties. Instead, she consulted her cell phone along with one of Molly’s friends, whose name he didn’t know.
“There, now I have your email,” said Lorelei. “The link to the video should be enough, but it might help if you fill out the online application and send it to me, too. I’ll make sure it gets to the right people.”
“Ohmygod, you will?” the young woman asked with wide, hopeful eyes. “I really thought I was screwed when I couldn’t get time off from work for the open call.”
“Remember, I make no guarantees. I only help with the conservatory’s fundraising. But I can assure you no one made any real decisions over the holidays. With a performance video like this, I’m sure I can at least get you in above the first cut.”
“Absolutely. I completely understand that.” She let out an excited breath. “Wow. With the way things were going, I thought I’d have to sell my soul to get an audition.”
“Never deal with anyone who quotes that sort of price,” said Lorelei. “It’s nothing but an ugly racket every time.”
The other woman’s smile lit up the room as one of her friends opened up the door. “Thanks. I’ll send you the other stuff first thing tomorrow!”
“Happy New Year,” Lorelei said as a last farewell. She turned to meet Alex with a knowing and accusing smile. “You’ve been thinking naughty thoughts.”
“I was a minute ago. Did I just see what I think I saw? Are you playing fairy godmother?”
“Nonsense, love. Fairies don’t exist.” She stepped close to him, fondling his shirt. “I’m a patron of the arts. My hobbies are based entirely out of self-interest. You know the limits of my charity.” His smile drew her in closer. “You also know how I can sense your desires. What’s on your mind?”
“Is anyone watching?” he asked without taking his eyes off hers.
She mirrored his grin. With a hint like that, Alex knew she’d employ a little magical privacy. She didn’t need arcane gestures or mystic words. Most of her magic came naturally. “No one but Onyx might see us. I can’t make any promises against her eyes, but she’s not in the room.”
Alex slipped his arms around her waist. Their bodies slid together for a long, shameless kiss. Endless hunger stirred in both lovers, soothed only by the shared
“No, because we’re leaving it here. The charm isn’t on you. It’s about you. That’s different.”
“How is that different? This shit’s weird.”
“Welcome to magic,” Onyx shrugged.
Drew frowned. “So what now?”
“Now you go about your life like normal and you wait,” said Molly. “If nothing happens in the next month, you come back and we do this again.”
“Also, you can’t tell a misfire from the real thing,” noted Onyx. “Just like with normal relationships. Have fun with that.”
“Seriously?” asked Drew, half laughing now out of frustration. Maybe they really were taking him for a ride. “How do I even know this works at all?”
Molly gasped with plenty of melodrama. “Do you doubt our power?”
“Maybe a little,” Drew shrugged.
“You’ve seen me call lightning, you jerk!”
“Hey, I didn’t actually see nothin’,” he corrected. “You were there and lightning sorta happened. This is Seattle. The weather changes every ten minutes.”
Molly gasped again, louder this time.
“Can you do anything that actually looks like magic?”
“ Do not set our new house on fire,” Onyx warned sternly.
“C’mon, what’ve you got? Can you turn people into animals? Turn invisible? Wait, that’s not flashy, I wouldn’t see. Oh, I got it: can you fly?”
Molly’s eyes flared. She snatched her wand up off of the table. “Challenge accepted.”
* * *
Alex found her in the living room near the front door, amid a handful of guests on their way out. He half-expected her to be surrounded by attention-hungry men, as was usually the case with her at parties. Instead, she consulted her cell phone along with one of Molly’s friends, whose name he didn’t know.
“There, now I have your email,” said Lorelei. “The link to the video should be enough, but it might help if you fill out the online application and send it to me, too. I’ll make sure it gets to the right people.”
“Ohmygod, you will?” the young woman asked with wide, hopeful eyes. “I really thought I was screwed when I couldn’t get time off from work for the open call.”
“Remember, I make no guarantees. I only help with the conservatory’s fundraising. But I can assure you no one made any real decisions over the holidays. With a performance video like this, I’m sure I can at least get you in above the first cut.”
“Absolutely. I completely understand that.” She let out an excited breath. “Wow. With the way things were going, I thought I’d have to sell my soul to get an audition.”
“Never deal with anyone who quotes that sort of price,” said Lorelei. “It’s nothing but an ugly racket every time.”
The other woman’s smile lit up the room as one of her friends opened up the door. “Thanks. I’ll send you the other stuff first thing tomorrow!”
“Happy New Year,” Lorelei said as a last farewell. She turned to meet Alex with a knowing and accusing smile. “You’ve been thinking naughty thoughts.”
“I was a minute ago. Did I just see what I think I saw? Are you playing fairy godmother?”
“Nonsense, love. Fairies don’t exist.” She stepped close to him, fondling his shirt. “I’m a patron of the arts. My hobbies are based entirely out of self-interest. You know the limits of my charity.” His smile drew her in closer. “You also know how I can sense your desires. What’s on your mind?”
“Is anyone watching?” he asked without taking his eyes off hers.
She mirrored his grin. With a hint like that, Alex knew she’d employ a little magical privacy. She didn’t need arcane gestures or mystic words. Most of her magic came naturally. “No one but Onyx might see us. I can’t make any promises against her eyes, but she’s not in the room.”
Alex slipped his arms around her waist. Their bodies slid together for a long, shameless kiss. Endless hunger stirred in both lovers, soothed only by the shared
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