Read Online Casually Cursed by Kimberly Frost - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kimberly Frost
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animal arriving in London for an ad campaign and commercial shoot with his owner,” she said, touching her chest. “And his trainer,” she said, nodding at Zach.
My eyes widened.
“Lyons could’ve managed it if he’d bothered to try. Remember that, darling,” she said. “Who best takes care of you? Fiancé or family?”
“Hello,” Bryn said, and bent to stroke Merc’s fur. “I’m not even going to ask.”
Edie looked around. “There’s a lot of magic here,” she observed.
“Yes,” Bryn said. “It belongs to the Conclave, and it’s here for us.”
“Oh,” she said, frowning.
Andre stepped forward and extended a hand. “The beautiful Ms. Rhodes, I believe.”
“The very one,” Edie said, turning to Andre. “And men who call me beautiful may also call me Evie.”
Andre blushed. “Evie, I’m Andre Knobel. I’m very pleased to meet you. I wish the circumstances were better.” His brow crinkled. “I’m afraid the Association sent me to greet you and to extend an invitation for you to come to headquarters.”
“Just when I thought I’d made a friend,” Edie said.
“Do you still think it was a good idea to blow into town on a pile of cash and flash?” Bryn asked.
“You tried to sneak through, and that didn’t work. So why not flash and cash? If we are going down, at least we can do it in style.”
For the love of Hershey!
I took a deep breath and stood up straight, giving each of them a stern look.
“Everybody needs to remember his and her manners, and that we”—I gestured to the group of us and continued—“are all on the same team. Rule number one is no fighting with each other in front of the bad guys. And here comes one.”
7
THE WIZARD WHO’D come up to us in the terminal was our driver. We’d been taken from the airport to a London neighborhood that featured stately old buildings on big lots of property.
Our destination was a building of beige-brown brick that made it look bronze as we approached. We emerged, and I looked up. Gargoyles perched on stones three stories above us. My eyes widened. Were the creatures real? Did they turn from stone to flesh at sunset? Or were they just decorative? At the headquarters of magic, you never knew.
At the window of a corner turret, someone held back dark curtains. I tried to figure out whether the figure was a man or a woman, but the person stepped back and the curtains swung closed. Another wave of unease rolled through me.
The morning air had an icy grip, frosting the steps and making me pull my new emerald-green wool coat closed around me. Bryn had ordered it for me over the Internet. When I’d tried it on in Texas, I’d thought there was no way the United Kingdom would be cold enough for me to need something so heavy and hot. It wasn’t like we were going to Alaska or the arctic, after all. But luckily I’d trusted Bryn and hadn’t exchanged it for something lighter.
I quickly found that I don’t appreciate it when the weather’s cold enough to make my breath look like smoke. Breath should be invisible.
Andre held the door for us, but I paused on the steps to look at the black sedans that sidled up the street. Those cars with the darkly tinted windows had followed us all the way from the airport. They stopped in the street next to where the van we’d ridden in was parked.
“Tamara,” Bryn said, nodding to the open door.
“They’re watching. Waiting to make sure we go inside,” I said.
“Then let’s give them something interesting to watch,” Edie said, sashaying up the stairs as if her hips were maracas to shake.
“Wow,” Bryn said. “Is she for real?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I guess so. For now, at least.”
Zach’s narrowed gaze never left the sedans until we were inside and could no longer see them. I wondered if they would stay there, double-parked, to be sure we didn’t bolt out.
The lobby’s tapestries depicted the seasons. One had the four elements with spring flowers, one
My eyes widened.
“Lyons could’ve managed it if he’d bothered to try. Remember that, darling,” she said. “Who best takes care of you? Fiancé or family?”
“Hello,” Bryn said, and bent to stroke Merc’s fur. “I’m not even going to ask.”
Edie looked around. “There’s a lot of magic here,” she observed.
“Yes,” Bryn said. “It belongs to the Conclave, and it’s here for us.”
“Oh,” she said, frowning.
Andre stepped forward and extended a hand. “The beautiful Ms. Rhodes, I believe.”
“The very one,” Edie said, turning to Andre. “And men who call me beautiful may also call me Evie.”
Andre blushed. “Evie, I’m Andre Knobel. I’m very pleased to meet you. I wish the circumstances were better.” His brow crinkled. “I’m afraid the Association sent me to greet you and to extend an invitation for you to come to headquarters.”
“Just when I thought I’d made a friend,” Edie said.
“Do you still think it was a good idea to blow into town on a pile of cash and flash?” Bryn asked.
“You tried to sneak through, and that didn’t work. So why not flash and cash? If we are going down, at least we can do it in style.”
For the love of Hershey!
I took a deep breath and stood up straight, giving each of them a stern look.
“Everybody needs to remember his and her manners, and that we”—I gestured to the group of us and continued—“are all on the same team. Rule number one is no fighting with each other in front of the bad guys. And here comes one.”
7
THE WIZARD WHO’D come up to us in the terminal was our driver. We’d been taken from the airport to a London neighborhood that featured stately old buildings on big lots of property.
Our destination was a building of beige-brown brick that made it look bronze as we approached. We emerged, and I looked up. Gargoyles perched on stones three stories above us. My eyes widened. Were the creatures real? Did they turn from stone to flesh at sunset? Or were they just decorative? At the headquarters of magic, you never knew.
At the window of a corner turret, someone held back dark curtains. I tried to figure out whether the figure was a man or a woman, but the person stepped back and the curtains swung closed. Another wave of unease rolled through me.
The morning air had an icy grip, frosting the steps and making me pull my new emerald-green wool coat closed around me. Bryn had ordered it for me over the Internet. When I’d tried it on in Texas, I’d thought there was no way the United Kingdom would be cold enough for me to need something so heavy and hot. It wasn’t like we were going to Alaska or the arctic, after all. But luckily I’d trusted Bryn and hadn’t exchanged it for something lighter.
I quickly found that I don’t appreciate it when the weather’s cold enough to make my breath look like smoke. Breath should be invisible.
Andre held the door for us, but I paused on the steps to look at the black sedans that sidled up the street. Those cars with the darkly tinted windows had followed us all the way from the airport. They stopped in the street next to where the van we’d ridden in was parked.
“Tamara,” Bryn said, nodding to the open door.
“They’re watching. Waiting to make sure we go inside,” I said.
“Then let’s give them something interesting to watch,” Edie said, sashaying up the stairs as if her hips were maracas to shake.
“Wow,” Bryn said. “Is she for real?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I guess so. For now, at least.”
Zach’s narrowed gaze never left the sedans until we were inside and could no longer see them. I wondered if they would stay there, double-parked, to be sure we didn’t bolt out.
The lobby’s tapestries depicted the seasons. One had the four elements with spring flowers, one
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