Read Online Reliquary (Reliquary Series Book 1) by Sarah Fine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Fine
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definitely happened, but it hadn’t felt like any magic experience I’d had thus far. “I don’t think I—” I gasped as Asa’s boot pressed harder into my shoulder.
“I’ll deal with her,” he said, staring steadily at Mrs. Lichtel as if daring her to question him. A drop of sweat glistened at his temple.
“I want my magic in that relic tonight ,” she said from between gritted teeth. “Or you can kiss your commission good-bye. Your choice.”
Every line of Asa’s body was etched with tension. “Of course.” He gestured toward the door. “Right now, though, we need a few minutes of privacy.”
Mrs. Lichtel looked stunned for a moment, but then she stalked into the hallway.
“But I didn’t get to—” began Don the shirtless guy, but Asa merely shoved a shirt into the guy’s arms and ushered him to the door, finally taking his freaking boot off my shoulder in the process. I took the chance to look around. I was lying next to a cot, where Don had been when I’d landed on him. The only other furniture in the room was an upholstered burgundy chair in the corner and a table lined with a row of three candles. Asa’s cases were against the wall.
“It turns out I didn’t know you that well at all,” Asa said quietly as he shut the door and leaned on it, blocking my only escape route.
I couldn’t sit up even absent Asa’s boot on my shoulder, but I managed to prop myself on an elbow. My head was throbbing, and I was still out of breath. My chest felt like it had been pumped full of ocean water, stinging from the salt. “Why didn’t you just tell me you were his brother?”
“Because it was none of your business.” He was watching me like a fox might watch a rabbit.
“Well, you’d better let me walk right out of here. I told the police I was coming, and they’ll bust all of you,” I said.
“No, you didn’t.” His voice was completely calm. “You rushed in without thinking. That’s what you do, isn’t it? I told you it was dangerous.”
My eyes started to burn, but there was no way I was going to cry in front of this jerk. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, you meant to eavesdrop.”
“I wanted to know if you were Ben’s brother.”
“And now you do.”
“Right.” My voice was barely more than a whisper, because my throat was suddenly so dry. “And now I’ll be going.”
“Nope. You seem to have forgotten that you’re in possession of stolen property.”
I groaned. “Why do you guys keep saying that? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Don’t tell me you can’t feel it.” Before I could flinch back, he was on his knees next to me, his long fingers around my throat. I cried out, but he shushed me as if I were his dog and closed his eyes. His brow furrowed and his mouth drooped into a frown before he opened his eyes once more. “Are you doing that on purpose?”
I glared at him. “Doing what? Let me go!”
Asa released my throat, slipped his arm under me, and deposited me onto the cot. The temptation to punch him was overwhelming. Instead, I clenched my fists and pressed them to my forehead, resting my elbows on my knees. “Just tell me what a reliquary is, you jerk. And explain what just happened.”
“You touched my conduit in the middle of a transaction. We were moving the magic from a natural into a relic via the conduit, but as soon as you fell on Don, it all flowed straight into you, where it will remain until I extract it.”
I shrank back so abruptly that the cot would have overturned if Asa hadn’t braced his foot on the edge of it. “We can do it fast,” he said. “All I need is Don back in here and your cooperation.”
I rubbed my hand over my chest. “Are you saying that there’s magic inside of me?”
He nodded. “A sweet little package of manip, meant for a corporate customer. Not a huge amount, but very high quality. It’s a hefty commission and I am planning to collect, one way or the
“I’ll deal with her,” he said, staring steadily at Mrs. Lichtel as if daring her to question him. A drop of sweat glistened at his temple.
“I want my magic in that relic tonight ,” she said from between gritted teeth. “Or you can kiss your commission good-bye. Your choice.”
Every line of Asa’s body was etched with tension. “Of course.” He gestured toward the door. “Right now, though, we need a few minutes of privacy.”
Mrs. Lichtel looked stunned for a moment, but then she stalked into the hallway.
“But I didn’t get to—” began Don the shirtless guy, but Asa merely shoved a shirt into the guy’s arms and ushered him to the door, finally taking his freaking boot off my shoulder in the process. I took the chance to look around. I was lying next to a cot, where Don had been when I’d landed on him. The only other furniture in the room was an upholstered burgundy chair in the corner and a table lined with a row of three candles. Asa’s cases were against the wall.
“It turns out I didn’t know you that well at all,” Asa said quietly as he shut the door and leaned on it, blocking my only escape route.
I couldn’t sit up even absent Asa’s boot on my shoulder, but I managed to prop myself on an elbow. My head was throbbing, and I was still out of breath. My chest felt like it had been pumped full of ocean water, stinging from the salt. “Why didn’t you just tell me you were his brother?”
“Because it was none of your business.” He was watching me like a fox might watch a rabbit.
“Well, you’d better let me walk right out of here. I told the police I was coming, and they’ll bust all of you,” I said.
“No, you didn’t.” His voice was completely calm. “You rushed in without thinking. That’s what you do, isn’t it? I told you it was dangerous.”
My eyes started to burn, but there was no way I was going to cry in front of this jerk. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, you meant to eavesdrop.”
“I wanted to know if you were Ben’s brother.”
“And now you do.”
“Right.” My voice was barely more than a whisper, because my throat was suddenly so dry. “And now I’ll be going.”
“Nope. You seem to have forgotten that you’re in possession of stolen property.”
I groaned. “Why do you guys keep saying that? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Don’t tell me you can’t feel it.” Before I could flinch back, he was on his knees next to me, his long fingers around my throat. I cried out, but he shushed me as if I were his dog and closed his eyes. His brow furrowed and his mouth drooped into a frown before he opened his eyes once more. “Are you doing that on purpose?”
I glared at him. “Doing what? Let me go!”
Asa released my throat, slipped his arm under me, and deposited me onto the cot. The temptation to punch him was overwhelming. Instead, I clenched my fists and pressed them to my forehead, resting my elbows on my knees. “Just tell me what a reliquary is, you jerk. And explain what just happened.”
“You touched my conduit in the middle of a transaction. We were moving the magic from a natural into a relic via the conduit, but as soon as you fell on Don, it all flowed straight into you, where it will remain until I extract it.”
I shrank back so abruptly that the cot would have overturned if Asa hadn’t braced his foot on the edge of it. “We can do it fast,” he said. “All I need is Don back in here and your cooperation.”
I rubbed my hand over my chest. “Are you saying that there’s magic inside of me?”
He nodded. “A sweet little package of manip, meant for a corporate customer. Not a huge amount, but very high quality. It’s a hefty commission and I am planning to collect, one way or the
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