there.”
“I’m just sitting up.”
“And did I ask you to, love?”
“Who are you?”
The woman stared at Kate and clucked her tongue a few times, looking as if she were trying to decide what to do with her. “Why’d he take her?”
“I don’t know that either. Apparently, it was too much for me to handle.”
The woman smiled again, showing off her diamond. “Sweet of him to protect the poor civies.”
Kate’s hands started to throb. She tried to adjust them in the plastic loop and only managed to spike the pain around her wrists. “I don’t understand anything you’re talking about, but if you’re looking for Craig and Jessie, I’m on board to help. You don’t need this.” She held up her bound hands. “And you don’t need that.” She nodded at the massive gun.
Instead of answering, the woman started a tour of the apartment. She moseyed around the perimeter, checking out the limited amount of furniture while keeping the gun pointed in Kate’s general direction the whole time. It didn’t take long. There wasn’t much to see. The apartment didn’t even have a kitchenette. Kate warmed things up in the microwave sitting on her dresser or she went out to eat. She had eaten more fast food in the last six months than she had the whole rest of her life.
“Are you looking for something in particular?” Kate asked.
“I’d like it good if you stopped talking.”
“I’d like it good if you took this damn thing off my wrists before my hands turn purple and fall off.”
The woman smirked. She crossed the room to Kate, drew a switchblade from her pocket, and snapped the blade out. In a brisk sweep, she cut the plastic while somehow avoiding slicing a bit of Kate with it.
The rush of feeling almost felt worse at first. Then the pain gave way to pins and needles. She rubbed her hands together to help bring back circulation. “Thanks.”
The woman then surprised Kate by sitting down on the bed next to her. She didn’t keep the gun trained on her either, laying it across her lap instead. “It’s been a shit week, princess.”
“It’s been a shit year,” Kate said.
“You have no idea.” The woman leaned toward Kate as if she were going to sniff her. Her crystal blue eyes stared deep into Kate’s. “You got some, but nothing much.”
Did everything this woman say have to come across as a riddle? “Some of what?”
“What your little girl’s got. You know. The stuff.”
“You’re talking about magic.”
“Magic. Mojo. Superpower. The Touch. None of the names really work for me.” She shrugged, leaned away. “But your girl’s supposed to have the motherload.”
“Why are you looking for her?”
The woman laughed and gave Kate a look that made her feel dense. “Seriously?”
“Nothing you’re saying to me makes a bit of sense. And since you won’t answer any of my questions…” Kate tossed her hands up.
The woman rolled her eyes and let loose a long sigh. “This isn’t going anything like we planned.”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Mica, but you mortals call me a pixie.”
“A pixie?” Kate looked Mica up and down, looking for any sign of what she was. Weren’t pixies the same thing as fairies? Shouldn’t Mica have been a lot smaller then? And have wings?
Mica stood. “Wipe that look off your face, Chica. I ain’t Tinkerbell. I’m a pixie. And never mind what you think that means.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” She started to stand as well.
Mica whipped her gun hand out straight with the barrel centered on Kate. “Keep your seat if you like breathing.”
Kate sat. She raised her hands out at her sides. Her heart knocked hard in her chest.
“This is how this is gonna work,” Mica said. “I’m going to call my peeps and tell them what a cluster fuck we got. Then we’re going to decide what to do with you, though I think I know what they’ll say.”
Kate didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Decide what to do with her? In
“I’m just sitting up.”
“And did I ask you to, love?”
“Who are you?”
The woman stared at Kate and clucked her tongue a few times, looking as if she were trying to decide what to do with her. “Why’d he take her?”
“I don’t know that either. Apparently, it was too much for me to handle.”
The woman smiled again, showing off her diamond. “Sweet of him to protect the poor civies.”
Kate’s hands started to throb. She tried to adjust them in the plastic loop and only managed to spike the pain around her wrists. “I don’t understand anything you’re talking about, but if you’re looking for Craig and Jessie, I’m on board to help. You don’t need this.” She held up her bound hands. “And you don’t need that.” She nodded at the massive gun.
Instead of answering, the woman started a tour of the apartment. She moseyed around the perimeter, checking out the limited amount of furniture while keeping the gun pointed in Kate’s general direction the whole time. It didn’t take long. There wasn’t much to see. The apartment didn’t even have a kitchenette. Kate warmed things up in the microwave sitting on her dresser or she went out to eat. She had eaten more fast food in the last six months than she had the whole rest of her life.
“Are you looking for something in particular?” Kate asked.
“I’d like it good if you stopped talking.”
“I’d like it good if you took this damn thing off my wrists before my hands turn purple and fall off.”
The woman smirked. She crossed the room to Kate, drew a switchblade from her pocket, and snapped the blade out. In a brisk sweep, she cut the plastic while somehow avoiding slicing a bit of Kate with it.
The rush of feeling almost felt worse at first. Then the pain gave way to pins and needles. She rubbed her hands together to help bring back circulation. “Thanks.”
The woman then surprised Kate by sitting down on the bed next to her. She didn’t keep the gun trained on her either, laying it across her lap instead. “It’s been a shit week, princess.”
“It’s been a shit year,” Kate said.
“You have no idea.” The woman leaned toward Kate as if she were going to sniff her. Her crystal blue eyes stared deep into Kate’s. “You got some, but nothing much.”
Did everything this woman say have to come across as a riddle? “Some of what?”
“What your little girl’s got. You know. The stuff.”
“You’re talking about magic.”
“Magic. Mojo. Superpower. The Touch. None of the names really work for me.” She shrugged, leaned away. “But your girl’s supposed to have the motherload.”
“Why are you looking for her?”
The woman laughed and gave Kate a look that made her feel dense. “Seriously?”
“Nothing you’re saying to me makes a bit of sense. And since you won’t answer any of my questions…” Kate tossed her hands up.
The woman rolled her eyes and let loose a long sigh. “This isn’t going anything like we planned.”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Mica, but you mortals call me a pixie.”
“A pixie?” Kate looked Mica up and down, looking for any sign of what she was. Weren’t pixies the same thing as fairies? Shouldn’t Mica have been a lot smaller then? And have wings?
Mica stood. “Wipe that look off your face, Chica. I ain’t Tinkerbell. I’m a pixie. And never mind what you think that means.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.” She started to stand as well.
Mica whipped her gun hand out straight with the barrel centered on Kate. “Keep your seat if you like breathing.”
Kate sat. She raised her hands out at her sides. Her heart knocked hard in her chest.
“This is how this is gonna work,” Mica said. “I’m going to call my peeps and tell them what a cluster fuck we got. Then we’re going to decide what to do with you, though I think I know what they’ll say.”
Kate didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Decide what to do with her? In
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