Page 3 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

“You’ll never get away with this, you poisonous bitch!

” Sighing, I turned to face James. He was bleeding profusely from his mouth, vomit staining his beige button-up and his hair pointing in every possible direction.

I watched closely as his chest rapidly rose and fell, how he seemed to subconsciously pick at his cuticles on his right hand.

Then, ever so slightly, his right eye began to twitch.

“We don’t have to fight.” Straightening up, I cocked my head to the side and watched as he seemed to ready himself for attack.

He had never so much as taken a self defense class, let alone fought someone in hand-to-hand combat.

But of course, no man could allow himself to be bested by a woman.

They didn’t even like being beaten by one another.

“You’re about to make your night ten times worse. ”

With a growl that sounded almost animalistic, the idiot charged at me.

Just as he was about to collide with me, I ducked, swinging my leg out and catching his ankles.

James careened forward, his head flying towards the ground until it connected with a sickening crunch.

His body instantly stilled, the sound of his breaths turning louder as he gargled his own blood that seeped across the once-gold bath rug.

I did say he would regret it.

Groaning, I stood up and walked over to him.

With the toe of my heel, I turned him onto his side, hoping he wouldn’t drown but not caring enough to actually help.

With that, I dug through my bag, pulling out a pair of loose, black pants, a dark grey cloak, a large cotton shirt, and my black boots.

I was dressed and climbing through the window within minutes.

The cold bite of the drainage pipe had me hissing in pain as I slowly shimmied my way down, my mind straying to the idea of having shadow magic. How nice it would be to have the capability of transporting myself with a mere thought.

“One more week, Nova,” I whispered to myself as my feet made contact with the sidewalk. “Just a week.”

Calmly, if not briskly, I made my way to Artie’s, knowing that this haul would bring in enough for at least two months’ worth of doses. The reality of my score had me thrumming with energy, eager to get my coin, meet with the dealer, and head home.

Right as the pawn shop came into my view, I ducked around a corner, snagged the tiny vial out of the side pocket of my pack, and closed my eyes as I tipped it back.

The dark liquid burned its way down my throat, making me wince.

I felt my long, silk blonde locks twist and shrink, turning chocolate brown as the curls formed.

My nose always hurt the worst, the small button shape growing back into my more prominent one.

Just as I opened my eyes, their color likely fading from enchanting green back to honey brown, I caught sight of my skin deepening back to its usual tawny shade.

Potions as intricate as shift were difficult to brew—the ingredients nearly impossible to come by—and it always exhausted my body to use; however, tonight went better than planned, and I wasn’t wasting any time sleeping.

Not wanting to forget the vial in my bag and risk mold growing, I ordered it back to my lab, my focus strong with the adrenaline coursing through my body. When I felt the glass disappear from my grasp, I smiled.

Magic will have flowed through my veins for twenty-five years tomorrow, but I still felt blown away every time I willed something to happen and it did.

There was nothing like it. Just for flare, I summoned thousands of tiny light bursts around my hand, the sight almost like holding the stars themselves.

Waving them off and rolling my shoulders, I closed the distance between me and Artie’s. My hands connected with the cold metal of the handle, the crisp night air meeting the heated space and warring against my skin as I pushed the glass door open.

“Stars above, not you again. Must you come into my shop more than once a week?” Artie asked from his spot behind the counter across the room.

A smirk lifted the left corner of my lips, my eyes straying to take in the many trinkets within the glass cases and upon the pale green walls. Where would he put my haul this time?

“You’re the one who buys the stuff off me.

” In fact, he was the only one who would continuously purchase clearly stolen items off a shaytan—a magic wielder.

Only eadi—magicless mortals—ran things considered as “lowly” as pawn shops.

Really, any kind of shop. And an eadi rarely trusted a shaytan.

James, while he had fetishized us, did not trust magic wielders either.

Artie was different. He found me annoying, but he still cared enough about my situation to risk buying stolen goods off me. He was a rare one.

“You get more and more annoying each time you come in here, Tershetta.” My smile widened at his use of my last name. “Now shut up, grab your weird bag, and show me what you brought.”

Chuckling, I swung my pack off my shoulders and plopped it onto the glass counter. Artie let out a huff of disapproval, but I saw the way his dark eyes lit up, his long golden hair matching each piece I pulled out. By the time I was done, he was breathing heavily and basking in the haul.

“No one can deny you are an exceptional thief, Nova,” he muttered as he began inspecting each item. Then, with sudden distaste, he peered up at me through his eyelashes. “However, perhaps that big brain of yours can find something more worthy of your time than terrorizing eadi.”

Ouch.

My smile fell, and just as quickly as his mood changed, mine did too. A glare crept onto my face and left my muscles tense. Artie knew nothing of what I did—of how hard I used this big brain.

I was fighting for more than anyone knew.

“Just give me the coin, Artie.”

By the time I was walking up to the dealer’s house, I was already beyond over the day. Janine answered as she always did, with a twitch of nerves as she pulled me inside. She snatched my gold and counted the doses out with a shaky voice.

Her small yellow house was immaculate on the inside, with an equally pristine garden in the front and a classic white picket fence surrounding it.

While her home was exceptional for an eadi, one wouldn’t have guessed she was selling.

Any of the core families would sooner have her dead than doing what she was doing, but since it wasn’t illegal, no one could actually stop her. Well, unless they killed her.

They’d have to get through me first.

“Always a pleasure, Janine,” I muttered as I stuffed the boxes of vials into my bag.

She flinched, her fear of me ridiculous seeing as I relied on her more than even Artie.

Offering her a salute that held more sarcasm than I meant to let free, I tugged open her door and made my way to the last stop of the day: the shops.

There it was. My house. Five steps away. Yes, there was the handle. Stars, it was dark out.

Just as my fingers gripped the handle, the ice cream toppled to the ground.

“Dammit!” I shouted as I dove down for it, one of the paper bags ripping and sending more groceries rolling down our front steps. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Just then, a light flickered beyond the small kitchen window. Great.

When the door swung open, I was forced to meet Celeste’s eyes.

“Hey, big sis.”