Read Online Magic of the Wood House (The Elemental Phases Book 6) by Cassandra Gannon - Free Book Online Page B

had a box that
could make me happy, it’s busted.”
    Teja
glanced his way, her eyebrows tugging together.
    “No.” 
Alder shook his head.  “You’re not getting it.  The Happiness Tablet doesn’t make you happy.  It controls Happiness .  I guess it could let you steal
someone’s Happiness or…”  He trailed off with a considering frown.  “Well,
maybe you could give someone Happiness with it.  I don’t know.  Dad?” 
He glanced over at Djinn.  “How do you think it works?”
    Djinn
shrugged.  “Who cares?  I’m already plenty happy.  I just want the damn thing
so nobody else gets it.”
    “Supernatural
peer pressure.”  Sullivan translated.  “Right.  Well, I don’t have your
mystical do-hickey.  So, if that’s all…”
    “You
must have it.”  Alder interrupted.  “It’s about the size of a Rubik’s Cube,
made of mirrors with white writing on all the sides.”
    Djinn
nodded.  “Your grandfather hid it and everyone thinks that he gave it you. 
Parson had to have --like-- stressed that it was important or something.  Think . 
Where did you put it?”
    Sullivan
ran a hand through his hair.  “My grandfather died when I was a kid.  The only
things he gave me were Hot Wheels cars.  After he died, I got a storage
container filled with Christmas lights and an insurance check.  If he left some
incredibly important, shiny box with me, I don’t remember it.  And that’s the
truth.”
    “Told
you.”  Teja chimed in.
    Pele
studied Sullivan for a long moment and then swore.  “Djinn?  I don’t think the
human has the Tablet.  He’s not bright enough to lie that convincingly.”
    Sullivan
and Teja both turned to scowl at her.
    “Oh
man…”  Djinn pinned Sullivan with an aggrieved look.  “All this and you don’t
even have the box?!”  He sounded like Sullivan had intentionally misled
them.  “Bad human!  Bad!”
    “I
told you from the beginning that I didn’t have it.”  Sullivan snapped.  “And
stop talking to me like I’m a schnauzer.”
    “He
gets dogs and human mixed up.”  Alder explained.  “It’s nothing personal.”
    “They
fucking look alike!”
    Alder
ignored Djinn’s indignant assertion.  “Anyhow, whoever started the rumor about
you having the box was really convincing, Sully.  Bad folks are gonna keep coming
for it.  Who would put this motion?  You got enemies you’ve been hiding from
us?”
    “No
one cares enough about me to be my enemy.”
    “I’ll
be your enemy.”  Djinn volunteered.
    Teja’s
eyes flicked over to him.  “Watch it, D.”
    He
held up his hands in innocence.  “I’m just trying to show that I care .”
    “What about
Vandal?”  Pele asked Sullivan.  “He’s your enemy.”
    “Vandals?” 
It was hard to keep track of the various conversations.  They all talked right
over the others.  “I’ve arrested some vandals for graffiti, but I don’t think
they’re my enemies so much as they’re just dickhead teens who drank too
much PBR and…”
    “No.”  Alder
interrupted.  “Not human vandals.  Vandal, of the Light House.”
    Sullivan
stared at him blankly.
    “He’s a
black-eyed fugitive in a white robe.”  Pele prompted.  “Until a few weeks ago,
we all thought he was dead.  But, then he showed up and started shooting folks
with that gun he gave you.  It’s from the future.”
    “The
future.”  Sullivan’s eyes just couldn’t roll hard enough.
    “Yes!” 
Djinn’s head bobbed up and down in vehement agreement.  “Guns from this time
don’t hurt Elementals, genius.  So someone brought back a future weapon
and gave it to Vandal, who gave it to you .”
    Sullivan
decided to respond to the least stupid part of that statement.  “No one ‘gave’
me the gun, alright?  I found it.”  He paused.  “I think.”
    Teja
frowned.  “You seriously don’t remember where you got it?”
    “No.  The
night you came to my house,” he shot her a pointed look, both of