To Spell & Back Read online

  “Nice work. Ever used that trick on me?” Flix’s face betrayed nothing.

  All he said was, "Idiot lost me a bet."

  “I’ll duck backstage and see if Kin needs any help.” After I sneak him into the shadows and kiss him silly—that part I left out. “We’ll meet you back at the table in ten.” Just inside the door, we parted ways.

  Romance rode heady on the air. I had Kin’s lips on mine, my hands in his hair, and my body straining to plaster itself to his when I heard Flix speak with an edge of panic.

  “Lexi, Carl’s gone. I’ve covered every inch of the place, and I know he wouldn’t have left without me. He was having too much fun.” Tension practically zinged off him as Kin and I pulled our clothes back into place and followed him through the crowd. Flix restlessly scanned the faces surrounding us, and I did the same, pushing through the throngs of people until we’d circled the room twice and came up empty.

  “Mark’s running sound tonight; he has a good view of the entire place from the booth. Maybe he noticed something. I’ll go ask him.” I gave Flix’s arm a comforting squeeze that failed to relieve the tension I could feel rolling off his skin. He ran a hand through his hair without mussing the carefully arranged waves that reminded me of a Ken doll’s molded plastic head. “You two make another pass around the perimeter, I’ll catch up to you.” I also added a don’t worry, but I could already tell it was too late.

  A spiral staircase that looked suspiciously like petrified wood wound its way up to where the sound booth occupied a caged-in balcony section above the bar. Some of Terra’s work, no doubt. From that vantage point, Mark had a clear line of sight to the table where Carl had last been sitting.

  “Hey, Lexi. Tell Kin I said he sounded great tonight.” Mona bounced off a second barstool where she’d been sitting next to Mark. “Everything okay? I saw you and Flix take off like you were on a mission.”

  “One of my clients has a flirting problem, so we went outside to help make peace. You didn’t happen to see where Carl went, did you?”

  Mona tilted her head and gave me a confused stare. “Did you hit your head during the confrontation?”

  That sounded mildly insulting for some reason.

  “I don’t...”

  “You and Flix left, and not a minute later you came back in, spoke to Carl, and then the two of you went out the side door by the stage.”

  “I did?”

  Mona tried to pull me toward the stool she’d just vacated behind the sound board. “You’re not having another one of those episodes, are you?” Having been present for a series of strange events that were witchy in nature, I’d explained away the oddities by telling Mona I was prone to anxiety attacks. I could weather the short-term humiliation better than the aftermath of revealing my magic to her. “Or one too many cocktails?”

  I knew I hadn’t been the one to leave with Carl, which left very few alternatives. Or actually, just the one. Someone was using a glamour to look like me, and there was only one person who would be that stupid. Serena Snodgrass. Which meant Serena had gone after Carl and left Kin alone this time. I couldn’t help but feel mildly relieved, an emotion immediately supplanted by those of disloyalty and shame.

  “I'm okay. Thanks, Mona. Kin’s waiting for me.” I turned and practically flew down the stairs—no easy feat in heels, mind you. Spiral staircases were designed by a sadist! Ask anyone. I hit the bottom going way too fast and nearly fell, but Kin grabbed me and set me back on my feet.

  “Serena has Carl, I'm sure of it. Mona saw him following me out the side door, and since we all know where I was at the time, she must have used a glamour to lure him away.” Stealing my face? Really? Retribution would be swift and merciless. Any remnants of sympathy I may or may not have harbored toward Serena quickly vanished as I realized just how diabolical she’d become. Perhaps I’d been wrong in my assessment of her as a weak-willed dingbat.

  We detoured back to our table on the way out so that I could grab my purse and the keys to Pinky, my beloved scooter. Kin had come straight from work, and I’d been late getting home, so I’d chosen to ride instead of walking to the party. Not surprisingly, my purse was gone; in its place sat a blank white envelope.

  Flix snatched the note from the table and was reading the contents inside of a second.

  “She’s going to harm Carl if I don’t deliver Jett to this address by tomorrow at midnight.” Flix handed me the piece of paper, and I recognized the location—a lightly populated area to the west of the city central.

  I caught a glimpse of Mona anxiously watching while Kin escorted Flix to the side exit and flashed her a don’t worry about it smile. At some point, a more detailed explanation would have to be given, especially if I wanted to remain friends with Mona—which I did. She was my only new friend in years, and I knew from personal experience how much damage could be done by keeping large, complicated secrets. Which reminded me, there was something about Serena the others didn’t know.

  It turned out my purse and Carl weren’t the only things Serena had made off with; Pinky was gone, too.

  She died a dozen horrible deaths in my head, and I felt better for shuttling anger into imagination instead of letting it out with magic.

  “She’s got at least a ten-minute head start on us. Give Kin your keys, Flix. Are you getting anything at all from Carl?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Even Serena isn’t stupid enough to kill a person.” I felt a little mean voicing Flix’s greatest fear. “Shouldn’t you be able to sense if he’s in danger?”

  “Only if someone uses magic on him. She used you—your face anyway—to get to him, and that means the only magic she used was on herself.”

  “How did you find me that day in Shadow Hold?” We reached the car, “Let Kin drive.” I reminded as I gently pulled the keys from Flix’s hand because I didn’t think he was in any shape to concentrate.

  “Where to?” Kin asked.

  “My place. We’ll need a few things and some help from Salem to put together a rescue plan. That’s what we’re doing, right? Going after him now before Serena figures out we won’t be pulling Jett out of the hat.” I climbed in next to Kin.

  “We’re going to do whatever is necessary. And you were screaming in my head.” I’d forgotten I asked by the time Flix answered.

  “And the call button in the office?” More than idle curiosity drove the question. Flix was my oldest and dearest friend, but he kept a lot of things private, even from me. I’d long suspected him of having a supernatural level of empathic power because he always just seemed to know what I needed. In that respect, he was a much better friend to me than I was to him.

  Being open about his abilities might be crucial to rescuing Carl, but I could tell Flix wanted to do what he always did: shove the topic back into the shadows and continue hiding his most secret thoughts. “You can tell me anything; you know that, right?”

  Was that true? What if he said he could read minds? Would I ever be able to look at him the same way again? Hot blood beat a patch to my cheeks. I’d had thoughts about him. Embarrassing ones. Best friend or not and despite his sexual preference, the man was gorgeous. No woman could look at him and not wonder about certain...things.

  “I’m tuned to your vibrational frequency.”

  “What does that mean in normal speak?” Kin whipped the wheel to turn onto my street. He was learning the fastest routes home from anywhere in the city—the benefit of my vast knowledge. Garmin could call me for directions.

  “Can you read my mind?” There, I’d asked him flat out.

  Flix paused long enough that I felt an embarrassing answer coming on.

  “Not as such.” Phew. No, wait. What did that mean, exactly? “It’s more that I can read your emotions. Sad, happy, annoyed, whatever you’re feeling, I can tune in and tell.” He didn’t mention aroused, but I assumed it was on his list. Nice.

  “Can you do it for Carl, too?”

  “No, and even if I wanted to, I wouldn�
��t. That would be cheating.”

  Sounded right to me. There’s no sense of adventure if you already know the outcome, and that’s especially true in new relationships. Does he like me? Does he want me to like him? Losing the thrill of discovery in the early days of romance would take all the drama out of the emotional highs and lows. Falling in love, or even in like, is always a gamble—that’s half the fun.

  “I’m still not sure I understand. Even if you can tune in to whatever Lexi is feeling, how did you know where to find her when she was in trouble?”

  We were getting to the heart of how Flix might be able to find Carl before Serena...well, I wasn’t sure how far she was prepared to go. I added that to the list of topics to explore next. Killing him might not be an option, but there were plenty of spells she could use that would make him wish she had.

  “I just followed the echo of her screams, and I know that doesn’t help you understand what I mean, but it’s the best way to describe it. Whenever Lexi needs me, I will come.” Now I was sure I’d gotten the better end of the deal when Flix and I became friends. Whatever it took to bring Carl home, I would pour my heart and soul into the effort. Serena was never going to win a prize for brainpower, but going after Carl was beyond stupid.

  “And it doesn’t work with Carl?” Kin continued to allow his questions to flow, oblivious to Flix’s frustration until it boiled over.

  “No. It doesn’t.” He snapped. “Don’t you think if it did, I’d have flown in, grabbed him, and returned in a hot second?” Kin was smart enough not to ask any more probing questions.

  “Whatever it takes to get Carl back, we’ll do it,” I vowed. “There’s something else you should know. Serena’s pregnant.”

  “And how did you find that out?” Flix probed.

  “Salem heard it from Serena’s familiar.”

  “You’re sure about this?” I nodded my answer. “So that makes you...”

  “Aunt Lexi.” I supplied ruefully.

  “Right. And you won’t let me do anything...”

  “...that might put the baby in danger? No, of course not.” I was reasonably sure Flix wouldn’t have crossed that line anyway.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “TERRA, I NEED YOU.” That she would come without hesitation, I’d long since realized, was something I should stop taking for granted. Some families are born, others are made by cobbling together the pieces wherever you can find them. Mine is a patchwork, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Yelling for Terra, I knew, would bring immediate results. By the time we hit the kitchen, she was already there. So was Vaeta.

  “Do you have any sort of magical tracking on Pinky?” I demanded without preamble. A long shot after the tantrum I’d pulled about her treating me like a child a few weeks back, not to mention the additional hissy fit I’d pitched about the spell she’d put on Kin.

  “We’ve got a party going on, and you pulled me away for that? Who knows what Soleil will do while I'm gone. And why aren’t you there? This is your party, you know.”

  “Can you just answer the question?” I snapped, regretting the irritable tone as soon as the words left my lips.

  Her hands shot to her hips and her chin lifted. “No, I don’t have any tracking on your scooter. You made your position quite clear. You’re an adult who no longer needs our protection.” Her back, when she presented it to me, was ramrod straight. Clearly, I had not been completely forgiven, nor would I be allowed to forget my error in judgment, no matter how trivial the request had seemed when I made it.

  “I’m sorry, but this is one time when I wish you would have ignored me. Serena put on my face and when our backs were turned, lured Carl away from the party. She stole my purse and my ride to do it. She hasn’t used any magic on him.” Not wanting to state the obvious in front of Flix, I didn’t mention that she could be harming him through purely physical means.

  Terra’s eyes widened, then she looked down in chagrin for her snappy comment.

  “I’m sorry, Flix, truly. She’s trying to force your hand and get Jett back?” Terra’s question was more of a statement, cutting through to the heart of the matter and zeroing in on Serena’s motive. “Maybe we should just give her what she wants.”

  “I would if I could.” Flix turned haunted eyes my way. “But there was a thing, and that thing led to another, and even if I knew exactly where to find him now, I couldn’t go get him.”

  Vaeta’s eyes narrowed, and she spat, “Tell me where you sent him. I’m still welcome in most parts of Faerie.”

  Flix grimaced at the suggestion, and we both spoke at once, “No way.”

  “It sounds to me like you’re both too stubborn for your own good. There’s a perfectly good nexus I could drop him into, and Serena as well. Problem solved.” Vaeta rubbed her hands together twice quickly to accentuate her point.

  My toes curled in pleasure at the thought of the two of them trapped together, but ethics overcame desire. While Jett might deserve it, Serena probably didn't. Incarcerating the pair felt too much like vigilante justice, and something told me I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that blowback.

  Plus, there was the baby.

  I can count on one finger the number of times I’ve taken Terra completely by surprise. Telling her about my impending aunt-hood doubled my previous number.

  Flix’s conscience kicked in hard. “I can’t ask you to go; it’s too dangerous.” He said something in a language I’d never heard him use before and Vaeta cocked an eyebrow at him, before giving him a crooked smile.

  “That’s not your call to make, my dear. I’ll be back before you know it; give me five minutes.”

  Vaeta winked at Flix and disappeared. While she was gone, he paced a line back and forth between the kitchen island and the refrigerator, frustration seeping from his pores. I’d seen it happen a time or two with my godmothers when they got angry enough to let the mask slip and show his inner emotions.

  Vengeance on a faerie is still beautiful in a terrifying blend of sharp angles and burning eyes. Flix carried more than just Faerie blood in his heritage, which made his angry Fae-face all the scarier. Remind me never to get on his bad side. Stupid Serena.

  If anything happened to Carl, I might end up having to save her from Flix. I’m not sure whether witch law covers being an accessory to murder or not, and I don’t want to find out. Granite gray isn’t my color.

  “If she hurts him, I’m not sure I’ll be able to...”

  “She won’t. She’s not that stupid.” I hoped—prior evidence failed to support my claim. “She’ll keep Carl safe because she knows you won’t give her what she wants unless she does. Promise me you won’t go after her by yourself if whatever Vaeta’s doing doesn’t work out. You’ll need our help, and you know it.”

  “Fine. I promise you can all watch me get Carl back.”

  Kin wisely stayed out of it. This was between Flix and me since it concerned both of us.

  “Help you, not watch you.” Specifics count when making deals with faeries.

  “I promise to let you help me. I swear.” He added, crossing his fingers and whipping them into a complicated gesture I assumed was the Fae equivalent to the phrase cross my heart and hope to die.

  A somewhat disheveled Vaeta popped back into the room, her eyes wide, and her breath coming in shallow inhalations. “I guess I’m not as welcome in some parts of Faerie as I thought,” she huffed, “and our little friend managed to hitchhike his way out. Hasn’t been spotted in a while, and nearly got himself killed while he was there. Shot his mouth off in front of a naiad. They can be right mean if you cross them.”

  Flix just about blew a gasket, “How the hell did he manage to get out? And where did he go?”

  “That I don’t know, but I don’t think he came to this realm. I have a feeling he’s gone to ground, or he’s found someone else he’d rather terrorize. Either way, Serena doesn’t seem too high on his priority list, and he probably doesn’t know about the baby.”

 
“Then we’re back to square one.” Flix, rendered helpless for the first time in what I imagined was a good long while, deflated quickly.

  “We’ll just have to find them first. No waiting, forget the twenty-four-hour deadline. We just track them down and safely neutralize Serena. Problem solved.” I voiced the solution I’d known, deep down, we’d wind up employing. If you’ve ever watched one of the umpteen cop shows all over the television nowadays, you know you’re not supposed to give in to the demands of kidnappers. Or adult-nappers, same difference.

  “That seems unlikely. How are we going to find her if she’s not using magic?”

  The answer was head-slappingly obvious, which probably meant it wouldn’t work at all. “I can scry for him, but I need an item to use as the focus. Serena herself is a no-go; she’ll have warded against all locator spells. But she can’t ward Carl without alerting Flix, and she knows it. Do you have anything of his on you? ”

  Flix rifled through his pockets. “Not on me, I don’t think.”

  “What about in the Jag?” Kin suggested. He was probably thinking about the things of mine that had started turning up in his car; hair ties, an emergency lip gloss in the glove box; that type of thing.

  “That’s genius. I’ll look. And if there’s nothing I’ll just flit back to my place and look for something there.”

  “I’ll go with you.” I wanted a moment alone with Flix. “I’m sorry for dragging you into my problems. I never meant for any of this to happen. Ever since I got my magic, things have gone to another level of weird. I mean, really. I’m going to end up sort of related to Serena. I can’t even...”

  “Magic creates more problems than it solves.” Flix’s bitter note tugged at my heart.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to find him. We all will. I owe you that much for helping me save Kin’s life, but that’s not why. I know the mushy stuff makes you uncomfortable sometimes, so I’ll keep it brief. You’re my best friend, and I love you. Even if I can’t read your emotions the way you read mine, or hear you crying in my head, I know you’re feeling a hundred different things right now. We’ll get him back before the sun rises. That is my vow to you.”