Read Online Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway - Free Book Online
Authors: Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
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so frantically I was surprised they didn’t rip off. It was weird, watching Dad’s jerky movements as he scrambled into a sitting position, hearing his squeaky, high-pitched exclamations. The ground winked into a stretch of brown and green and—
And then reality came back like thunder breaking, and the carpet snapped to a slow, easy soar. Frances moaned and clutched her stomach. Fred was still laughing, a little shaky, and he was holding on to Alexa as if he couldn’t let go. Alexa threw her arms around him and grinned at us. “Everyone all right?”
“We’re fine. Are you?” Dad began.
“Don’t worry about me.” Alexa started brushing off her sleeves and skirt with mostly steady hands.
“We should call the police,” Dad said.
Alexa nodded. “Meathead and Trixie probably ran the second they saw us get away, but you’re right.”
“Don’t mention us,” Peter said. “They won’t come if they think it was some fuss over ords. Tell them it was normal people.”
“I’ll tell them the truth,” Alexa said. “And they will do their job.”
Peter snorted.
Alexa kept her eyes on him as she said, “Our first priority, however, is getting you kids to Rothermere. Sorry, Peter. I’ll have to get your mom up to the city one day for a proper good-bye.”
He shrugged.
“What about his parents?” I asked, nodding to Fred.
“They’re not—” Fred began and then stopped.
“Are they going to go to jail?” I asked.
“Abby.” Dad’s voice was a low warning.
“That depends,” Alexa said carefully. “I could probably talk to someone, arrange something. If that’s what Fred wanted.”
Fred glanced at all of us, mouth half-open, and then looked at his hands.
“You don’t have to decide now—” Alexa stopped, whipping her head around. The air inside the force field started vibrating with a sharp, heavy twang. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”
CHAPTER
8
“Dad,” Alexa said.
“I see them,” Dad replied. The carpet pulled forward, speeding up.
Alexa quickly checked and then double-checked everyone’s safety belts. She was on her third go-round when I finally saw the carpet. It was a flashy one, fast, and coming up hard behind us. It had to duck and weave around parents heading home after dropping off their kids. I saw Trixie’s dark hair flaming in the wind.
“These guys are desperate,” I said.
Alexa gave a grim nod.
Something whizzed around us. The carpet. It lapped us in tight, dizzying circles, so close it almost crashed into us a couple of times and Dad had to slow to a near stop.
Barbarian Mike chucked things that bounced harmlessly off the force field. On the next lap, I glimpsed Trixie pulling on a pair of long gloves. Even with the wind rushing, it was not hard to catch what they were saying. They didn’t really seem the“quiet conversation” type, and I definitely heard Trixie’s comment about how they’d be done by now if not for
somebody’s
ord mom. But she was smiling. She smiled at Barbarian Mike and he smiled back. They were enjoying themselves.
Peter had been watching the carpet’s circles intently; at that comment I saw his face go dark and hard. The next second he was on his feet, the safety ropes straining against his waist, his fist passing easily through our force field and theirs to smash into Trixie’s jaw. I caught the surprise on Trixie’s face before their carpet dropped down again. This time it didn’t come back up.
Alexa yanked Peter down, and he crossed his arms over his chest with a stubborn look. She seemed to struggle for a few seconds, then said, “How’s your hand?” He held it out and she examined it.
“That was a very foolish thing to do,” Dad said.
“Foolish.” Alexa nodded in agreement, then added in a low voice, “But a good punch.”
“You want to punch with your whole body. Not just your hand,” Dad added.
Something chimed, and Dad curved the carpet up for a few seconds before we lurched into the air. Dad
And then reality came back like thunder breaking, and the carpet snapped to a slow, easy soar. Frances moaned and clutched her stomach. Fred was still laughing, a little shaky, and he was holding on to Alexa as if he couldn’t let go. Alexa threw her arms around him and grinned at us. “Everyone all right?”
“We’re fine. Are you?” Dad began.
“Don’t worry about me.” Alexa started brushing off her sleeves and skirt with mostly steady hands.
“We should call the police,” Dad said.
Alexa nodded. “Meathead and Trixie probably ran the second they saw us get away, but you’re right.”
“Don’t mention us,” Peter said. “They won’t come if they think it was some fuss over ords. Tell them it was normal people.”
“I’ll tell them the truth,” Alexa said. “And they will do their job.”
Peter snorted.
Alexa kept her eyes on him as she said, “Our first priority, however, is getting you kids to Rothermere. Sorry, Peter. I’ll have to get your mom up to the city one day for a proper good-bye.”
He shrugged.
“What about his parents?” I asked, nodding to Fred.
“They’re not—” Fred began and then stopped.
“Are they going to go to jail?” I asked.
“Abby.” Dad’s voice was a low warning.
“That depends,” Alexa said carefully. “I could probably talk to someone, arrange something. If that’s what Fred wanted.”
Fred glanced at all of us, mouth half-open, and then looked at his hands.
“You don’t have to decide now—” Alexa stopped, whipping her head around. The air inside the force field started vibrating with a sharp, heavy twang. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”
CHAPTER
8
“Dad,” Alexa said.
“I see them,” Dad replied. The carpet pulled forward, speeding up.
Alexa quickly checked and then double-checked everyone’s safety belts. She was on her third go-round when I finally saw the carpet. It was a flashy one, fast, and coming up hard behind us. It had to duck and weave around parents heading home after dropping off their kids. I saw Trixie’s dark hair flaming in the wind.
“These guys are desperate,” I said.
Alexa gave a grim nod.
Something whizzed around us. The carpet. It lapped us in tight, dizzying circles, so close it almost crashed into us a couple of times and Dad had to slow to a near stop.
Barbarian Mike chucked things that bounced harmlessly off the force field. On the next lap, I glimpsed Trixie pulling on a pair of long gloves. Even with the wind rushing, it was not hard to catch what they were saying. They didn’t really seem the“quiet conversation” type, and I definitely heard Trixie’s comment about how they’d be done by now if not for
somebody’s
ord mom. But she was smiling. She smiled at Barbarian Mike and he smiled back. They were enjoying themselves.
Peter had been watching the carpet’s circles intently; at that comment I saw his face go dark and hard. The next second he was on his feet, the safety ropes straining against his waist, his fist passing easily through our force field and theirs to smash into Trixie’s jaw. I caught the surprise on Trixie’s face before their carpet dropped down again. This time it didn’t come back up.
Alexa yanked Peter down, and he crossed his arms over his chest with a stubborn look. She seemed to struggle for a few seconds, then said, “How’s your hand?” He held it out and she examined it.
“That was a very foolish thing to do,” Dad said.
“Foolish.” Alexa nodded in agreement, then added in a low voice, “But a good punch.”
“You want to punch with your whole body. Not just your hand,” Dad added.
Something chimed, and Dad curved the carpet up for a few seconds before we lurched into the air. Dad
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