Stay safe, stay smart, baby girl…
That voice. I knew it. I was slipping into a dream and, with my last sliver of semi-consciousness, I made a mental note to ask Tobe to write down those Navajo incantations tomorrow.
I needed to see the face of the man that voice belonged to.
Chapter Eighteen
A knock on the door made my eyes snap open.
Sunshine poured through the windows. I’d left the thick, dark green curtains open. Only then, after a heavy sleep, did I take in the colors of my room—dark green on the windows and carpeted floor, and walnut paneling on the walls, with matching furniture. I was so tired yesterday, so overwhelmed, I didn’t even notice the mid-century vibe.
It didn’t match the rest of the coven, and I had a feeling it was decorated by the previous magical, as the furnishings sort of matched the 1950s movie posters. A second knock made me sit up.
“Yeah?” I called out, readjusting to consciousness.
“It’s Astrid! Can I come in?”
I blinked several times, the memory of yesterday coming back in full color. Man, I was knocked out last night. I couldn’t remember a single dream. Come to think of it, I could barely remember how I got back from the Bestiary.
“Yeah, sure,” I replied, pushing the blanket aside.
My jeans and T-shirt were still on. It was a miracle I’d made it out of my boots last night.
The door opened, and in came Astrid, dragging a solid metal clothes rack with her, the wheels squeaking a little too loudly. It was loaded with a plethora of clothes, with a bottom rack on which several boxes wobbled as she stopped in the middle of the room.
“What in the world?” I murmured, getting out of bed and rubbing my eyes.
Astrid put on a presentation pose, beaming as she pointed at the rack.
“These are all for you, compliments of the San Diego Coven!” she said.
Upon closer inspection, I realized that all the clothes were in my size—all my favorite brands and styles, in a variety of whites, blues, and reds, mostly, along with a couple of leather jackets. She opened the boxes one by one. Boots, biker style, ankle height, and not too heavy on the soles, just the way I liked my footwear, as well as a pair of sneakers.
“Astrid. What’s all this?” I managed, while she opened one last box, which was filled with lingerie, and a bag of essential girly stuff—shampoo, conditioner, personal hygiene, and makeup, all my regular brands. How did they know? Wait. My apartment.
“Well, after the gargoyle attack last night, there wasn’t much left that we could salvage from your apartment,” Astrid explained, taking one of the leather jackets and turning it over to get a better look at the metallic accents. Judging by the look on her face, she liked it.
“I don’t… What?” I was still quite confused.
“The gargoyles trashed the place, and I don’t mean just the broken water pipe and windows—”
“No, that was me,” I replied, replaying the entire scene in my mind.
“Ah, okay. Cool.” She nodded, slightly amused. “You really need an Esprit, girl.” She chuckled, then switched back to serious-looking Astrid. “Thing is, one of the gargoyles flipped over the TV, then pulled out and tore some of the live wires in the wall. I’m quite fuzzy on the details right now. Bottom line, your place burned down. A little.”
“What?!”
My jaw dropped. My heart sank. I could almost cry, but after what I’d seen happen to Daisy, the apartment didn’t seem like the worst part of my encounter with the beasts.
“There was a fire. The sprinkler system was set off, eventually, but most of your stuff was scorched, and everything else was soaked. Your place is a mess. Sorry, but I think you’ll be staying here for more than a day or two.” Astrid offered me a sympathetic smile.
A couple of seconds went by as I did a quick assessment in the back of my head.
“The place is insured,” I remembered. “The lease covers accidents and stuff. Pretty sure it covers fires. I think it’ll be okay. I won’t lose my lease. I got a three-month deposit on that place.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re the cleanup crew; we’ll take care of that, too.” She winked, then pointed at the wardrobe. “Do you like it?”
“I… Yeah, I do. A lot, actually. How did you know my size and stuff?”
She hesitated, offering me the jacket. I took it, briefly looked at it, then left it on my bed. I didn’t like the silence coming off her. She was hiding something. I could feel it—there was a lot of awkwardness coming from her, too much for me to handle pre-coffee.
“Astrid, how did you know?” I asked again, adding a bit more gravitas to my voice.
“I didn’t. Wade did.”
“Huh?”
“Wade bought all this,” Astrid said, her voice barely audible.
I looked at the wardrobe again, then moved closer to get a better view of the lingerie box and—oh, my God, there is so… much… black lace…
“Everything?” I managed, staring at the bundle of bras and panties with various lace designs, all worthy of artistic praise. They were all high-end creations, the kind of stuff I couldn’t afford but would’ve loved to wear, especially if I ever met a special someone… at some point.
This was so private, so intimate. I was stunned, flustered, and a little creeped out. It was as if someone had peeked into my mind, plucking out my most hidden sartorial desires and turning them into reality.
“Um, yeah.” I heard Astrid’s reply as I bent down and noticed my favorite shampoo and conditioner set. Freesia and jasmine.
“You’re telling me that Wade went out this morning and bought all this for me?” I turned to face her, still having trouble processing the information.
She sighed, then nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I didn’t even know until they were delivered to Kid City. Some of the parents who had kids playing there looked a little confused, but… Anyway, yeah. I mean, he used the coven card, though. He didn’t pay out of his own pocket or anything.”
“How did he know to buy all this? I mean, these are all my size, my style. Even my favorite brands. This is weird… or creepy. I’m not sure which,” I blurted, and Astrid chuckled, which further befuddled me. “How come you aren’t creeped out?”
“Oh, honey, I’ve been here for too long to be creeped out by something as innocent and, frankly, as cute as this,” she replied. “Wade is a very special kind of guy. He pays a lot of attention to details, even when you think he’s not. Christmas has been amazing since he came into the coven. He’s in charge of the gifts, every year, because he just… knows everybody’s tastes. He won’t tell us how he does it, though. It’s his secret, he says.”
“Okay, so I’m not the only one he’s creeped out like this!” I said.
“Come on, don’t be so hard on the guy. That’s just Wade. It doesn’t mean anything, if you ask me. Though, I’ve never seen him buy lingerie for anyone—that’s a first.” Astrid giggled, then checked her watch. “Shoot! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up, get dressed, and I’ll meet you in the banquet hall!”
She didn’t wait for a reply as she rushed out, leaving me with my wonderful wardrobe. Handpicked and purchased by Wade freaking Crowley.
After twenty minutes spent gawking at the rack and then a quick shower, I slipped into some of the new clothes, opting for jeans, a smart cotton shirt, and the leather jacket I’d left on the bed. My face was on fire when I put on the lingerie, and I struggled to ignore the thrills when I saw how perfectly it fit me, how every black band hugged my form and brought out my curves.
I put on a pair of boots, then slapped on some BB cream and brushed my bright red mane. After a week of absolute weirdness and two near-death experiences, I had to admit—I looked great. I had always felt comfortable in my own skin, though I often tried to stay invisible, unnoticeable, but I’d already gotten used to the fact that there was only so much I could do to hide my natural features.
My hair was long, soft, and straight, reaching just beneath my shoulder blades. The tips curled up when the humidity was higher than usual. My eyes were sky blue, and I often wondered whether I’d gotten them from my mom or my dad. The same question applied to the sprinkle of freckles on my nose. I was taller than the average girls in my age bracket, which was why I often chose flat soles—so as to not stand out even more.
After about ten minutes of getting lost in those humongous hallways, I finally found the banquet hall, with its pristine white tables and silverware. There was a huge breakfast buffet at the end, loaded with a variety of pastries, fresh fruit, coffee and tea, pancakes—basically breakfast heaven, complete with three types of maple syrup.
I scanned the room, looking for my Rag Team. My eyes met Finch’s, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up at attention. I offered a brief scowl, then found Garrett at the same table, along with Poe and the rest of the investigative team.
After another minute, I eventually found Astrid, Santana, Tatyana, Dylan, Raffe, and Wade at the opposite end of the same long table, with one spare seat. My heart warmed up a little, thinking they’d actually saved it for me.
Aw.
I glided through the hall, taking deep breaths as all the magicals’ emotions started licking at my senses, like silent but nagging flames. I made it to the buffet, making sure to ignore everyone around me and in my path. My hope was that if I avoided eye contact, somehow my Empathy wouldn’t be so intense.
With slightly shaking hands, I managed to pour myself a cup of coffee with three sugars, then loaded a plate with a pastry and some red berries. I wasn’t too hungry, but I figured I had a long day ahead. Carbs were welcome. I counted to a hundred in my head as I made my way to my team’s side of the table.
Anxiousness, anger, jealousy, curiosity, frantic heartbeats, and affection, fear, and concern—these were the overall vibe of the coven that morning. Every magical had something to worry or be thrilled about, and it was all piling up on top of my already-frayed nerves. I needed to eat really quickly and get out of there.