Read Online Seized: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Thrice Cursed Mage Book 4) by J.A. Cipriano - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.A. Cipriano
Tags: Action & Adventure
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where he decides whether or not he can trust us. Newsflash, Mac. You can.”
I glared at her, and she gave me an evil wink. That was exactly what had been going on, and it pissed me off to think she knew me that well when I didn’t know a thing about myself or her. Well, when this was over, I was going to sit Jenna down for a long talk. Assuming, of course, we both made it through this mission alive. If we were really going to venture into Hell, even if it was just to the “suburbs,” there were infinite ways this could go south. The idea that our job would go off without a hitch was almost laughable.
“So where’s the elevator?” I asked as we walked toward a throng of people in line to buy tickets to the top of the tower.
“On the other end of that line, unfortunately,” Jenna said, gesturing at the snaking crowd while staring at her smart phone dismally. “It’s an hour wait too.”
“Is no matter,” Vitaly said, glancing at Jenna and heading over to the will call counter. “We aren’t paying.” He stepped into the much smaller will call line. A few minutes later, he emerged with several express VIP tickets to the top of the tower. As he handed them out to each of us, his eyes twinkled. “USA is good country. You can pay to skip line. Is closest thing to royalty.”
“Awesome,” Wendy said, the first hint of cheer entering her voice since I’d met her. “I always wanted to be first class.”
I glanced at the ticket in my hand as we made our way to the VIP entrance. I wasn’t sure how much these tickets cost, but even if it wasn’t a lot, I was really glad Vassago was footing the bills. It made me wonder how Vassago handled expenses. Was there a daily stipend or did you just turn in your receipts? I probably should have found out, but I didn’t have a single dollar to my name so I couldn’t have bought anything anyway. A stipend would have been nice though.
“Wait a second,” I said, waving the ticket in the air. “This ticket says the eighty-sixth floor. Don’t we need to go to the eighty-fourth floor?”
“Oh, so you can read. I was beginning to wonder,” Marvin said in a way that made me want to stuff him in the nearest trash can.
Jenna glanced at me, her sly grin returning. “We’re going to have to jump from the eighty-sixth floor. It’s the only way we’ll have enough distance to hit the thin spot.”
A shudder ran through me as I processed the idea of jumping off the Empire State Building. Despite my earlier “mind over matter” manifesto, there was no scenario I envisioned that didn’t end with me splattered across Fifth Avenue.
“You’ve got to be out of your goddamned mind,” I cried as we cleared the metal detector and approached a section where they took touristy pictures. I’ll just say it now. Ours looked ridiculous, and I totally wanted a copy, although I didn’t know why.
“There is no other way, Mac,” Jenna said, careful to keep her voice down as we were ushered inside an elevator with half a dozen other people. “Just use your magic to make sure you make it.” The rest of her words went unsaid, but I could fill in the blanks. “Unless you want to have a hard stop at the bottom.”
“Are you always this much of a pussy?” Marvin asked, peeking out at me once again. As he spoke, several other patrons gave us the look. You know, the “why am I on the elevator with a crazy person” look. I ignored them.
“I am not a pussy,” I told the doll before flicking him between the eyes. Take that maturity.
“Don’t touch him,” Wendy snapped, whirling around to glare at me with pixie-like rage. “I may smack him around, but you most certainly don’t get to do it.”
I raised my hands in capitulation. “Sorry.”
Thankfully, the doors opened before we could argue more, and we spilled out onto the Eightieth floor. Crowds of people swarmed around us as we were directed into another elevator. Before I could catch my breath, we hurtled upward, and
I glared at her, and she gave me an evil wink. That was exactly what had been going on, and it pissed me off to think she knew me that well when I didn’t know a thing about myself or her. Well, when this was over, I was going to sit Jenna down for a long talk. Assuming, of course, we both made it through this mission alive. If we were really going to venture into Hell, even if it was just to the “suburbs,” there were infinite ways this could go south. The idea that our job would go off without a hitch was almost laughable.
“So where’s the elevator?” I asked as we walked toward a throng of people in line to buy tickets to the top of the tower.
“On the other end of that line, unfortunately,” Jenna said, gesturing at the snaking crowd while staring at her smart phone dismally. “It’s an hour wait too.”
“Is no matter,” Vitaly said, glancing at Jenna and heading over to the will call counter. “We aren’t paying.” He stepped into the much smaller will call line. A few minutes later, he emerged with several express VIP tickets to the top of the tower. As he handed them out to each of us, his eyes twinkled. “USA is good country. You can pay to skip line. Is closest thing to royalty.”
“Awesome,” Wendy said, the first hint of cheer entering her voice since I’d met her. “I always wanted to be first class.”
I glanced at the ticket in my hand as we made our way to the VIP entrance. I wasn’t sure how much these tickets cost, but even if it wasn’t a lot, I was really glad Vassago was footing the bills. It made me wonder how Vassago handled expenses. Was there a daily stipend or did you just turn in your receipts? I probably should have found out, but I didn’t have a single dollar to my name so I couldn’t have bought anything anyway. A stipend would have been nice though.
“Wait a second,” I said, waving the ticket in the air. “This ticket says the eighty-sixth floor. Don’t we need to go to the eighty-fourth floor?”
“Oh, so you can read. I was beginning to wonder,” Marvin said in a way that made me want to stuff him in the nearest trash can.
Jenna glanced at me, her sly grin returning. “We’re going to have to jump from the eighty-sixth floor. It’s the only way we’ll have enough distance to hit the thin spot.”
A shudder ran through me as I processed the idea of jumping off the Empire State Building. Despite my earlier “mind over matter” manifesto, there was no scenario I envisioned that didn’t end with me splattered across Fifth Avenue.
“You’ve got to be out of your goddamned mind,” I cried as we cleared the metal detector and approached a section where they took touristy pictures. I’ll just say it now. Ours looked ridiculous, and I totally wanted a copy, although I didn’t know why.
“There is no other way, Mac,” Jenna said, careful to keep her voice down as we were ushered inside an elevator with half a dozen other people. “Just use your magic to make sure you make it.” The rest of her words went unsaid, but I could fill in the blanks. “Unless you want to have a hard stop at the bottom.”
“Are you always this much of a pussy?” Marvin asked, peeking out at me once again. As he spoke, several other patrons gave us the look. You know, the “why am I on the elevator with a crazy person” look. I ignored them.
“I am not a pussy,” I told the doll before flicking him between the eyes. Take that maturity.
“Don’t touch him,” Wendy snapped, whirling around to glare at me with pixie-like rage. “I may smack him around, but you most certainly don’t get to do it.”
I raised my hands in capitulation. “Sorry.”
Thankfully, the doors opened before we could argue more, and we spilled out onto the Eightieth floor. Crowds of people swarmed around us as we were directed into another elevator. Before I could catch my breath, we hurtled upward, and
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