Page 7

Oh, nothing. It’s just that I’m a mage, my family is insane, and if they find out I’m sneaking out at night sometimes to have sex with you in a nightclub toilet they’ll probably have to erase you from existence.

Or something like that.

That was the truth, but I couldn’t tell him that, so I simply said, “Stuff.”

I saw him nod. “Alright,” he simply said.

“No hard feelings?”

“No feelings at all,” he said, as he made his way toward the bathroom door. “That’s why this worked.”

This time, I watched him. I didn’t turn around to look at him, though—I traced his reflection as he left the bathroom. It was brutal. I couldn’t say I didn’t feel sorry for him. I did. I felt sorry for myself, too, but after having made so many unhealthy decisions, I was proud of myself that I had at least done one thing right.

If sneaking out was dangerous on its own, then seeing him was like drinking gasoline and spitting it out onto an open flame. I was asking for trouble. Not just for me, but for him, too. It had been a great few months—really, really great. Nobody ever made me feel the way he did.

Well, not feel… exactly.

I shook my head, splashed water across my face, and waited a few minutes before going back out there to find Max. As luck would’ve had it, he was still busy with that girl when I found him. I didn’t want to know what they were doing against the wall in the back of the club, so I gave them some time, went to the bar, and had another drink.

He was gone.

I didn’t want to look for him, but I did, even if only for a moment. I kept telling myself I didn’t feel anything, kept reminding myself I had done the right thing, but now standing in this nightclub felt… different. Hollow. The music was suddenly too loud, the drinks weren’t as good, and I wanted to leave.

Later, when Max managed to find me, I left the club with him in tow, helped him as he threw up beside the same dumpster he had thrown up next to when we got here, and got ready to take us home.

He was way too drunk to go straight back to the mansion, though. He hadn’t quite reached the point where he was ready to pass out—instead, all he could do was talk, and loudly. I could just imagine us reappearing in my bedroom only for Max to throw up again and then laugh about it.

We’d wake up the entire mansion.

No. I would drop us off at the edge of the estate, then Max and I could sit down among the leaves and the grass until he sobered up a bit. Then we’d quietly sneak back into the house and pretend like we never left. All I had to do was—fuck.

“Fuck,” I repeated, this time aloud.

“Almost,” Max said, “Almost, almost. Maybe next time. I should’ve gotten her name, though. I should go back and get it. I’m gonna sit down first. Yeah, that’s a good idea, you know?”

He was slurring his words and talking around himself in circles. Meanwhile, I was having a panic attack.

My amulet was gone.

“No,” I said, “No, no, no.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go inside, geez.”

“No, not you.” I groaned. “Actually, yes—you. Stay here. Stay right here.”

Max gave me a thumbs up. “I’m not going anywhere. I have my puke spot right there, I have this box right here. I’m a-okay.”

My heart was pounding. I was in full-on fight or flight mode, scrambling, scanning the alley for any sign that I may have dropped the amulet around here, somewhere. Then it came to me, a flash of blurry memory.

The bathroom, I thought to myself, already making a mad dash for the nightclub’s side door. I took my fucking shirt off.

“Where are you going?” Max called out.

“To use the bathroom,” I yelled. “Stay there!”

I didn’t have time to go around the front again. This time, I headed straight for the door. I scanned the alley again, and when I was convinced there was no one around, I placed my hand against the door. The moment called for a little overt magic, so I leaned into it, this time drawing on more of my power than I normally would’ve.

Tapping into my magic made my entire body vibrate. My skin prickled, the hairs on my arms and neck standing on their ends. I felt powerful, like I could do anything; like I could do more.