Nola reached into her purse and pulled out a cell phone. Well, well. Looked like love had gone a long way to bring my magical Luddite friend into the current century.
“Hello, this is Nola. Oh, hi, Paul.” Her face lit up like a million-watt bulb. Oh, yeah. She had it bad.
And I was happy for her. I really was. But I just wished she’d fallen for a nice uncursed police officer who didn’t work on magical crimes and instead worked in a nice nonmagical town giving out parking tickets and jaywalking citations.
I looked over at Zay. Okay, I suppose I’d fallen for him despite all the risk and danger involved in both of our lives. I guessed all I could do was try to keep Nola safe if things turned bad. I wondered if I could hire Davy or one of the other Hounds to keep an eye on her for me.
Zay shifted so that his foot pressed against mine. He was restless. It was time to leave. Time to let go of this little bit of normal. Time to get back to work. Time to save the world.
“Sure, love to,” Nola said. “Say in an hour? Perfect. Bye.” She hung up, her hair swinging forward to hide her face as she tucked the phone in her purse.
“That was Paul. He got the rest of the day off. We’re going to a movie. Would you like to see a movie?” she asked Cody.
“No monsters?”
“No monsters in the movie. Something fun, I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Allie, Zay? Do you have time for a movie?”
“I can’t,” I said. “Not today. But I am so glad I got a chance to see you.” I stood, and so did she. We hugged again.
“Think we can get together again? Maybe alone so you can tell me all the really juicy details about Zay?” she asked.
“Now, now, ladies.” Zay was still leaning back in the chair, probably to keep his ribs from hurting so much, but all it did was make him look like someone should drag him off to bed. “No talking behind a brother’s back.”
“Promise I’ll only share the good stuff.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” he said. “With me it’s all good.”
I laughed. “Well, we could start with the ego problem.”
“It’s not ego if it’s the truth.” Zay got on his feet without looking like it hurt, and we all left the restaurant.
“Did you drive?” I asked Nola.
“Yep. I’m parked right up the hill. See you soon.” We hugged one last time.
Cody was staring up at the sky. No, as he and Nola walked away, I realized he was looking up at the top of the buildings.
I saw a shadow move, the slide of a wing too big to belong to a bird. Stone?
Sweet hells. I thought I knew who Cody’s monster really was.
Chapter Four
“W hat time is it?” I asked as I buckled my seat belt.
Zay glanced at his watch. “About fifteen to three. We should get to the meeting on time.”
“Where is Victor’s place? In town?”
“Yes.”
“Does he live over one of the wells too?”
“Yes.”
“So let me get this straight: Maeve’s inn is over the Blood magic well. Victor lives over the Faith magic well?”
He nodded.
“But the Death magic well was under a crypt in a graveyard. No one’s living there to look after it.”
“Not in the graveyard. Nearby, though. Jingo Jingo used to be a groundskeeper.”
“Jingo looked after that well, not Liddy?”
“You don’t have to be a Voice of magic to be assigned to the wells. Victor’s the Voice of Faith magic, and Maeve’s the Voice of Blood magic, but Jingo was considered the best to keep an eye on the Death magic well since he lived right across the street from it and worked there. The Life well doesn’t even have a keeper.”
“Where is it?”
“Multnomah Falls.”
“Excuse me?”
“Multnomah Falls,” he said a little slower and clearer.
“There’s a well of magic under a six-hundred-foot waterfall?”
“It’s cute how you’re surprised about these things.”
I would have smacked him for that, but he was out of my good arm’s range. Note to self: smack him later.
“Who looks after that
“Hello, this is Nola. Oh, hi, Paul.” Her face lit up like a million-watt bulb. Oh, yeah. She had it bad.
And I was happy for her. I really was. But I just wished she’d fallen for a nice uncursed police officer who didn’t work on magical crimes and instead worked in a nice nonmagical town giving out parking tickets and jaywalking citations.
I looked over at Zay. Okay, I suppose I’d fallen for him despite all the risk and danger involved in both of our lives. I guessed all I could do was try to keep Nola safe if things turned bad. I wondered if I could hire Davy or one of the other Hounds to keep an eye on her for me.
Zay shifted so that his foot pressed against mine. He was restless. It was time to leave. Time to let go of this little bit of normal. Time to get back to work. Time to save the world.
“Sure, love to,” Nola said. “Say in an hour? Perfect. Bye.” She hung up, her hair swinging forward to hide her face as she tucked the phone in her purse.
“That was Paul. He got the rest of the day off. We’re going to a movie. Would you like to see a movie?” she asked Cody.
“No monsters?”
“No monsters in the movie. Something fun, I promise.”
“Okay.”
“Allie, Zay? Do you have time for a movie?”
“I can’t,” I said. “Not today. But I am so glad I got a chance to see you.” I stood, and so did she. We hugged again.
“Think we can get together again? Maybe alone so you can tell me all the really juicy details about Zay?” she asked.
“Now, now, ladies.” Zay was still leaning back in the chair, probably to keep his ribs from hurting so much, but all it did was make him look like someone should drag him off to bed. “No talking behind a brother’s back.”
“Promise I’ll only share the good stuff.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” he said. “With me it’s all good.”
I laughed. “Well, we could start with the ego problem.”
“It’s not ego if it’s the truth.” Zay got on his feet without looking like it hurt, and we all left the restaurant.
“Did you drive?” I asked Nola.
“Yep. I’m parked right up the hill. See you soon.” We hugged one last time.
Cody was staring up at the sky. No, as he and Nola walked away, I realized he was looking up at the top of the buildings.
I saw a shadow move, the slide of a wing too big to belong to a bird. Stone?
Sweet hells. I thought I knew who Cody’s monster really was.
Chapter Four
“W hat time is it?” I asked as I buckled my seat belt.
Zay glanced at his watch. “About fifteen to three. We should get to the meeting on time.”
“Where is Victor’s place? In town?”
“Yes.”
“Does he live over one of the wells too?”
“Yes.”
“So let me get this straight: Maeve’s inn is over the Blood magic well. Victor lives over the Faith magic well?”
He nodded.
“But the Death magic well was under a crypt in a graveyard. No one’s living there to look after it.”
“Not in the graveyard. Nearby, though. Jingo Jingo used to be a groundskeeper.”
“Jingo looked after that well, not Liddy?”
“You don’t have to be a Voice of magic to be assigned to the wells. Victor’s the Voice of Faith magic, and Maeve’s the Voice of Blood magic, but Jingo was considered the best to keep an eye on the Death magic well since he lived right across the street from it and worked there. The Life well doesn’t even have a keeper.”
“Where is it?”
“Multnomah Falls.”
“Excuse me?”
“Multnomah Falls,” he said a little slower and clearer.
“There’s a well of magic under a six-hundred-foot waterfall?”
“It’s cute how you’re surprised about these things.”
I would have smacked him for that, but he was out of my good arm’s range. Note to self: smack him later.
“Who looks after that
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