“So you blackmailed him? But you said he didn’t have any money.”
She set a syringe next to the serum. “He didn’t. But it gave me an idea. Here, we need to switch places. I hate needles.”
I carefully slid out from behind Mordecai. “Gay porn gave you an idea?”
“No. Well, yeah. His reaction to the gay porn gave me an idea. I told him that I wouldn’t rat him out if he distracted his dad long enough that I could get in and steal something from the vet office.”
“But…why would a vet have anti-morphing serum?”
“A dual-society vet.” Her smile declared her brilliance. “He keeps this stuff to sell on the side. Like a black market for magical people who don’t want to be in the system. They can pay a premium and get their drugs, no questions asked. He had all sorts of stuff—the serum for vampires to walk in the sun, the lotion to keep fairies from shedding pixie dust everywhere, and…”
My smile came up from my toes. “The serum to block the moon’s call.”
Her eyes glittered. “Exactly. That stuff is legit. And yes, I took out the surveillance camera, used a cloth so I didn’t leave prints, and stole a bunch of stuff to make it seem like I wasn’t just after the one thing. I did leave behind a little blood—I put too much weight behind breaking the window and fell forward—but it should be fine. I’m not magical and this was a small job. It’s not worth a detective’s time, and certainly not worth the expense to do blood work. If I keep this a one-time situation, I’m good.”
I paused in picking up the syringe. I wouldn’t have thought of any of that.
How the hell was someone eleven years my junior so much better at this stuff?
My thoughts must’ve come through on my face, because she rolled her eyes while delicately situating Mordecai so that his arm was easy to access. “I grew up in the foster system, in case you’d forgotten. What I did back there would’ve been deemed saint-like compared to the antics of some of the other kids. One was trying to start up a prostitution ring, just to give you an idea. Thankfully, I left before that panned out, because you’ve seen these goods and they would have been a hot commodity. I’m sure he ended up getting his ass beaten anyway.”
“I had to quit my job,” I blurted as I tore the syringe out of the plastic, trying to slow down so I didn’t mess up. “That miserable bastard wouldn’t let me take an early lunch, so I took a long, permanent walk instead.”
I heard her release of breath. “Shit.”
“We’re going to be all right.” My hands were shaking. I took a couple of deep breaths. Mordecai would be fine, just as long as I got this serum into his arm. “Look at what you did this morning. You saved the day!”
“Well, I got three other bottles of that stuff. So we’re good on his medicine for a while.” She rubbed his hand, also taking deep breaths. “And I got that other crap. Once we figure out what it is, we can sell it off to keep us going until you find another job.”
I put the normal dose into the syringe, afraid to do more in case it would give him a bad reaction. Despite having done this for years, I wasn’t a doctor. Or a vet. The bottle wobbling in my hands proved it.
I closed my eyes, stilling. I had to calm down. He was going to be okay. Now that we had the serum, he’d bounce back. He’d done it before.
He had to bounce back.
“Maybe you earn money with your magic?” Daisy said, her eyes tight as she watched my movements. She shivered. “Gross.”
I huffed, not able to laugh just yet. My ability to see spirits creeped her out. She hated the thought that the dead walked amongst us. So did most people. It was why I was seen as a weirdo, even in the magical community.
I held up the syringe to check the level of the serum, my shaking a little more under control. Adrenaline still coursed through me, but it was manageable. “It pays shit, you know that. Unless you are the absolute best, and have a good track record, there aren’t any jobs for people like me. But I’ll put in as many nights at the freak show as I can until I find something else. Okay?”
One more deep breath, and I gingerly sat on the bed next to them. Nice and easy. Taking Mordecai’s arm, I prepared to give him the dose.
“You should’ve gone to college,” Daisy whispered, holding as still as she was probably able. The bed still trembled under them.
He’d bounce back. He would.
“I did. In a way.” I took a deep breath, held it, and jabbed the needle into the muscle on Mordecai’s upper arm. With my thumb, I pushed the dispenser, forcing the serum into his arm.
“Reading a bunch of books from the library is not college,” Daisy said.
“You’d be surprised. My mother went to college. She guided me on what to learn.”
“A college certificate would make it easier for you to get a better job.”
The clear liquid emptied into Mordecai’s arm. I pulled the needle out and rose, allowing myself a small bit of laughter at what she’d said. “No, it wouldn’t. I’d need magical blood…or some actual power to go with my magical blood. Or a type of magic people actually want to use—”
“I get it, I get it.” Daisy rubbed Mordecai’s hand again, looking down at him.
After ten minutes of silence, waiting with bated breath, I checked Mordecai’s pulse.
I forced down a sob. “He’ll be okay,” I said, back to shaking. Tears filled my eyes. “His pulse is already stronger. He’ll bounce back.”
A hard exhale deflated Daisy’s chest. “Thank God.”
It never ceased to amaze me. The serum worked almost immediately. Already his pulse had resumed beating, strong and sure. In a moment, I knew his breathing would even out as well. A shifter had to change for the fastest healing, but that didn’t mean a shifter’s body wasn’t resilient in human form. Now that his human side wasn’t warring with his magic, his shifter side would fight for health.
“Do you ever wish for a better life?” Daisy asked quietly.
“Sometimes. You?”
She rested her cheek against Mordecai’s head. “I used to. All the time. And then you found me. Now I have a better life. My prayers have been answered. And soon, yours will be, too. I can feel it; we’re on the brink of change.”
12
Alexis
I took a deep breath with my hand resting against the worn wooden door of the local Irish pub. The green paint was peeling away, revealing the faded brown beneath. Night cloaked the damp streets, and thick fog blocked out any hint of the moon or the stars. My mind still spun from all that had happened earlier that day, and my body ached with fatigue and the press of worry.
Even without shifting, Mordecai was healing at an impressive speed. Faster than he ever had before. It was a testimony to how much magical power he truly had. What an absolute shame his pack leader wanted him dead, and I didn’t have magical medical, because if he could get healthy, he’d be unstoppable.
Curing him was too big of a dream. At least for right now.
Dream small.
He had medicine for three months. Or, worst case, two, if he kept needing it like he had this month.
Small miracle number one.
Daisy was positive Denny wouldn’t buckle and tell his dad on her. In fact, when she’d called him with the intent to deliver a few post-theft threats, he’d fallen over himself to apologize for how he’d treated her. He’d begged to still be friends.
He’d apparently told his father that he’d heard of some out-of-town thugs blowing through San Francisco to get magical supplies to take back to Los Angeles and sell at a premium. Since Los Angeles was trying to eradicate all its magical people, and many of the poorer magical people didn’t have the funds to get out, they were desperate for the medicine to which they’d grown accustomed.
Maybe Denny wasn’t so dumb after all.
Daisy was in the clear.
Small miracle number two.
I now had extra money, since I didn’t have to buy Mordecai’s medicine.
Of course, I was minus a job.
That miracle was a wash.
Last miracle: the kids had ganged up on me and forced me out of the house. They were basically sending me out to get roaring drunk so I could forget all my woes for a few hours.