“Here we go.” I ripped the shards of the woman’s spell away and moved the curtain of fire just in time. The spell exploded, blasting the curtain and sparkling through. “Pretty.”

“I don’t wish I had your dad, but I do wish I had that ability.” Dizzy stared at it.

“I have a book that will teach you how to magically make fire, I think.” I stepped up and pulled the door open, quickly swinging to the side as I did so.

A spell streamed out, shooting past Callie and barely missing Dizzy, who jerked too late.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we’re not here to hurt you!” Callie put her hands up. “The show is over. All the bad guys are dead.”

“Except the escaped werewolf, but don’t worry about her.” Dizzy smiled in a good-natured way. “She is terrorizing the closest town. We’re but a distant memory.”

I shook my head and looked at the sky. He wasn’t letting the gravity of the situation get to him, I’d give Dizzy that.

“What are you people?” the woman asked, huddled in the closet. She clutched her mostly empty canvas bag.

Callie noticed. “How did you create this spell?” She made a circle in the air with her finger.

The woman’s brow furrowed and she drew into herself—a defensive quirk from getting ridiculed often, I’d bet.

“I’m Reagan.” I stepped into her line of sight and stuck out my hand. “And they are harmless.”

“Penny.” She studied my face. “Are you a witch?”

“No. I’m an asshole. It’s these two you want to talk to.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder.

“She’s not an asshole, she’s strong-willed,” Dizzy said, stepping up with a smile. He stuck out his hand. “I am Desmond, but my friends call me Dizzy. Nice to meet you. We were about to head to our house for some dinner—would you care to join us?”

“I’m Callie. C’mon, after the night we all had, we need a stiff drink.”

“I don’t drink. My mom doesn’t think it’s ladylike.” Penny rose slowly.

“Do you know what’s not ladylike?” Callie grunted as she bent to get her satchel and then straightened up stiffly. “Hiding in a closet when there is danger near. That’s cowardly. Real ladies aren’t cowards.”

“Take it easy,” Dizzy said in a low voice.

“Take it easy, my left foot.” Callie stalked for the door. “If she wants any hope of controlling her incredible gift, taking it easy is a waste of time.”

I jerked my head toward the dual mages and started walking. Thankfully, Penny fell in step with me. “They are the best in this area, and they don’t usually take on apprentices. If I were you, I’d see what they have to say.”

She shrugged as we made our way out the door, then stumbled when she saw all the bodies in the outer room. Her eyes got as big as silver dollars.

This probably wasn’t the best way to initiate her into her new life.

“This isn’t normal for Dizzy and Callie.” I waved my hand through the air before picking up the pace. “This is my fault, sadly. I get into skirmishes far more than is healthy.”

“This is a skirmish?”

“Well…no. This is a clusterfuck. But you know what I mean.” I held the door open for her. “So, what do you say? Fancy some dinner? You can ask questions.” It would be an opportunity for me to find out how much she knew without having to ask. I didn’t want to let her know my traits were not normal by asking about them.

As we filed into the car, my mind drifted back to Darius and my mark. If he had my wellbeing in mind, he would stop by the Magical Law Enforcement office and check her in, not to mention he could explain what went down in the church so I wouldn’t have to. Someone needed to get on cleanup detail. The bounty would be released, and I’d get my money. After that, he could do whatever he wanted.

If he had my wellbeing in mind.

Chapter Twenty-Six

I stalked into the Magical Law Enforcement office with my usual snarl. There’d be no sense in confusing people with a pleasant attitude, which was exactly what I had underneath the carefully cultivated scowl. I’d spent all of yesterday eating, drinking, and sleeping at Dizzy and Callie’s house, relishing in their comfortable bed, salivating over their delicious food, and being spoiled with fun and laughter. It was like being with family, something I hadn’t experienced in years.

Penny had been dubbed mage-in-training, though she had—so far—refused the actual training. Callie had thrown her weight around, and Penny, with three shots of whiskey in her, had strapped on her new ladylike demeanor and told Callie where to stick it.

I’d laughed so hard that I cried.

Turned out Penny had been approached by a bunch of different mages, all wanting to train her. Finally, she’d agreed to the retreat with the best adjusted of the lot. Her recruiters had turned into zombies and the retreat had turned into a magical bloodbath.

To say the girl was now gun shy was an understatement.

She seemed to like me well enough, though. And while she definitely remembered my affinity with fire, she thought it was magical. Since she could perform magic without all the words and props that the dual mages needed, making her completely natural and one hell of a find, she didn’t think I was all that exceptional.

She could live. Yay her.

Now, at midday, seven days after I’d stormed into this office with a chip on my shoulder, I was back again, no mark in hand, really hoping Darius had done the right thing. He did not want me to enact any of the horrendous revenge schemes a bunch of drunk magic people had thought up.

“Stiffed again, I hear.” Garret leaned forward in his chair, his elbow braced on the cubicle desk.

Those words didn’t bode well.

“Fool you once, shame on you. Fool you twice, and you’re an idiot.” He laughed. People around him stopped what they were doing and looked my way.

“Taunt me once, shame on you.” I stopped in the mouth of his cube in my dirty, battle-stained clothes. I had zombie blood splattered down one side, the whole shebang was covered in scuffs and tears, and I sprinkled dirt as I walked. I could’ve stayed in the bright pink sweats, three sizes too big, Callie had loaned me, but decided I’d rather be dirty. “Taunt me twice. I dare you.”

The joy on his face melted into a guarded wariness. “Yeah, well…”

I continued to stare at him. “I dare you.”

His eyebrows fell. He leaned away from me slowly, pulling his elbow off the desk.

“That’s what I thought.” I continued down the aisle, my good mood evaporating like drizzle on hot cement. I pushed open the captain’s door and came to a stop in front of his desk. “Say my mark was checked in.”

“Can’t. Didn’t happen.”

Rage blasted through me. I curled my fists, turned, and punched his wall. I enjoyed shows of violence. “What the hell, captain?” I bellowed. “What the bloody hell? I hate vampires!”

I punched the metal of the new door, denting it.

“I’ll add that to their tab, will I?” The captain entwined his fingers in front of him on the desk. “Quite the bill they’re racking up.”

“Charge that lying cheat, Darius, the wanker.” Fuming, I ripped the door off its hinges. Or tried, anyway. They were a lot stronger than last time. The captain had seen me coming. “Dang it.”

“Sorry, kid. You could’ve been a contender.”

I wasn’t in the mood for movie quotes.

He must’ve sensed it, because his face softened. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get my mark back, drag her annoying ass in here, and get paid. That’s what I’m going to do.” I clenched my teeth, firming up my resolve. There was no other way. “It’s alive or dead, right?”

“Alive. You going into their lair to get her?”

“Gonna have to. Dang it!” I braced my hands on my hips and turned to the door, more pissed that Darius would do me like this than about the actual grievance. “He was great at pretending to be a partnership. I actually trusted him to do the right thing.”