“Maybe it was magic.” She expected the words to be
painful somehow, but instead they left her oddly numb.
“Very funny.”
“Why would it be funny?”
“Are you serious?”
She shrugged in answer.
“Because magic isn’t real.” His tone was sharp with disdain.
“And no one can just vanish or light a cigarette with a snap
of his fingers.” She echoed his condescension in her reply.
“I know what I saw.”
She took a settling breath before continuing. “And I believe
you.”
He didn’t speak for a moment, but his silence didn’t last
nearly long enough for her comfort. “So you genuinely expect me to believe they
used some sort of magic?”
“I don’t expect you to believe anything. You saw something
and asked for an explanation. I gave you one.”
“But magic is the explanation you’re going with?”
“What else is there, Jacob?”
“I don’t know, but there has to be something.” His voice was
becoming irritated as he spoke. “Maybe they put something in my drink. I
could’ve been drugged.”
“Would you really have gotten behind the wheel of a car if
that were even a remote possibility?” she asked dryly.
He cursed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course
not. But then what? If I wasn’t drugged, what the hell happened in there?”
She wished she had another explanation for him. That there
were some sleight of hand or trick of light that would make everything
believable. But, since she didn’t, she had to concentrate on getting him to
accept the truth. And preferably before they got to Toxic. If he went up
against Alex already jittery, Alex would win.
She waited until he stopped at the next red light and then
cupped his chin gently, forcing him to look into her eyes. As she stared at
him, she imagined her hair changing from black to white and then back to black
again.
“Jesus!” His eyes widened with shock as he stared at her.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Letting go of his chin, she pointed to the now-green light.
“Drive.”
He began driving again but he was visibly shaken by her
display. “Seriously, Izzy, what was that? How—”
“Magic.”
“How? How can you—”
“It’s what we do. It’s what we are.” She could hear the
detachment in her voice as it continued wrapping its numbness around her like a
blanket.
“It’s what you are?” His voice was tight with control. “I
don’t understand. What are you?”
“We’ve been called Asura, magicians, witches and sorcerers.”
She paused suddenly, letting the oldest names die on her tongue. He’d had such
a hard time accepting everything else, she feared the names angel and demon would push him too far if said. “You can pick whichever you like. They’re all
as right as they are wrong. We tend to use Community though. It’s benign and
can be overheard by humans without causing problems.”
He didn’t reply right away. Instead he continued driving in
silence. At least she didn’t have to worry about breaking things off with him
anymore. Men never looked at her the same after they found out what she was.
“Wait. What do you mean by, ‘can be overheard by humans’?
Are you trying to tell me you’re not a human? And does that mean you can light
cigarettes with your fingertips?”
She chose to ignore the first question. They didn’t have the
time to go into the logistics of what she was or wasn’t right now. “No, I can’t
manipulate fire. And I can’t disappear at will. There are several ways the
magic can manifest. My abilities are limited to my appearance.”
“Huh?”
“I can change the way I look.”
“Anything about yourself?”
“Anything and everything, except the tattoo, that’s
permanent.”
“Okay.” His voice was stiff.
Turning to face him, she forced herself to meet his gaze.
She didn’t find the disgust or horror she’d expected, but there wasn’t
acceptance either. She took a deep breath as she reminded herself that tonight
was about ending
painful somehow, but instead they left her oddly numb.
“Very funny.”
“Why would it be funny?”
“Are you serious?”
She shrugged in answer.
“Because magic isn’t real.” His tone was sharp with disdain.
“And no one can just vanish or light a cigarette with a snap
of his fingers.” She echoed his condescension in her reply.
“I know what I saw.”
She took a settling breath before continuing. “And I believe
you.”
He didn’t speak for a moment, but his silence didn’t last
nearly long enough for her comfort. “So you genuinely expect me to believe they
used some sort of magic?”
“I don’t expect you to believe anything. You saw something
and asked for an explanation. I gave you one.”
“But magic is the explanation you’re going with?”
“What else is there, Jacob?”
“I don’t know, but there has to be something.” His voice was
becoming irritated as he spoke. “Maybe they put something in my drink. I
could’ve been drugged.”
“Would you really have gotten behind the wheel of a car if
that were even a remote possibility?” she asked dryly.
He cursed as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course
not. But then what? If I wasn’t drugged, what the hell happened in there?”
She wished she had another explanation for him. That there
were some sleight of hand or trick of light that would make everything
believable. But, since she didn’t, she had to concentrate on getting him to
accept the truth. And preferably before they got to Toxic. If he went up
against Alex already jittery, Alex would win.
She waited until he stopped at the next red light and then
cupped his chin gently, forcing him to look into her eyes. As she stared at
him, she imagined her hair changing from black to white and then back to black
again.
“Jesus!” His eyes widened with shock as he stared at her.
“What the hell’s going on?”
Letting go of his chin, she pointed to the now-green light.
“Drive.”
He began driving again but he was visibly shaken by her
display. “Seriously, Izzy, what was that? How—”
“Magic.”
“How? How can you—”
“It’s what we do. It’s what we are.” She could hear the
detachment in her voice as it continued wrapping its numbness around her like a
blanket.
“It’s what you are?” His voice was tight with control. “I
don’t understand. What are you?”
“We’ve been called Asura, magicians, witches and sorcerers.”
She paused suddenly, letting the oldest names die on her tongue. He’d had such
a hard time accepting everything else, she feared the names angel and demon would push him too far if said. “You can pick whichever you like. They’re all
as right as they are wrong. We tend to use Community though. It’s benign and
can be overheard by humans without causing problems.”
He didn’t reply right away. Instead he continued driving in
silence. At least she didn’t have to worry about breaking things off with him
anymore. Men never looked at her the same after they found out what she was.
“Wait. What do you mean by, ‘can be overheard by humans’?
Are you trying to tell me you’re not a human? And does that mean you can light
cigarettes with your fingertips?”
She chose to ignore the first question. They didn’t have the
time to go into the logistics of what she was or wasn’t right now. “No, I can’t
manipulate fire. And I can’t disappear at will. There are several ways the
magic can manifest. My abilities are limited to my appearance.”
“Huh?”
“I can change the way I look.”
“Anything about yourself?”
“Anything and everything, except the tattoo, that’s
permanent.”
“Okay.” His voice was stiff.
Turning to face him, she forced herself to meet his gaze.
She didn’t find the disgust or horror she’d expected, but there wasn’t
acceptance either. She took a deep breath as she reminded herself that tonight
was about ending
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