Industrial Magic
Page 5

As long as I was reinventing myself, I might as well toss in a fitness routine. Since Lucas ran, that seemed the logical choice. I hadnt told him about it yet. Not until I reached the two-mile mark. Then Id say, Oh, by the way, I took up running a few days ago. God forbid I should admit to not being instantly successful at anything.
That morning, I finally passed the one-mile mark. Okay, it was only by about twenty yards, but it was still a personal best, so I treated myself to an iced chai for the walk home.
As I rounded the last corner, I noticed two suspicious figures standing in front of my building. Both wore suits, which in my neighborhood was extremely suspicious. I looked for Bibles or encyclopedias, but they were empty-handed. One stared up at the building, perhaps expecting it to morph into corporate headquarters.
I fished my keys from my pocket. As I glanced up, two girls walked past the men. I wondered why they werent in schooldumb question in this neighborhood, but I was still adjustingthen realized the girls were at least forty. My mistake arose from the size differential. The two men towered a foot above the women.
Both men had short, dark hair and clean-shaven, chiseled faces. Both wore Ray-Bans. Both were roughly the size of redwoods. If there hadnt been a one-inch height difference between them, Id have sworn they were identical twins. Other than that, my only way of distinguishing them was by tie color. One had a dark red tie, the other jade green.
As I drew closer, both men turned my way.
Paige Winterbourne? Red Tie said.
I slowed and mentally readied a spell.
Were looking for Lucas Cortez, Green Tie said. His father sent us.
My heart thumped double-time, and I blinked to cover my surprise.
Fath? I said. Benicio?
Thatd be the one, Red Tie said.
I pasted on a smile. Im sorry, but Lucas is in court today.
Then Mr. Cortez would like to speak to you.
He half turned, directing my gaze to a king-size black SUV idling just around the corner, in the no-stopping zone. So these two werent just messengers; they were Benicios personal half-demon bodyguards.
Benicio wants to talk to me? I said. Im honored. Tell him to come on up. Ill put on the kettle.
Red Ties mouth twisted. Hes not going up. Youre going over there.
Really? Wow, you must be one of those psychic half-demons. Never met one of those.
Mr. Cortez wants you
I put up a hand to cut him off. My hand barely reached the height of his navel. Kind of scary if you thought about it. Luckily, I didnt.
Heres how it works, I said. Benicio wantsto speak to me? Fine, but since I didnt request this audience, hes coming to me.
Green Ties eyebrows lifted above his shades.
Thats not Red Tie began.
Youre messengers. Ive given the message. Now deliver.
When neither moved, I cast under my breath and waved my fingers at them.
You heard me. Shoo.
As my fingers flicked, they stumbled back. Green Ties eyebrows arched higher. Red Tie recovered his balance and glowered, as if hed like to launch a fireball at me, or whatever his demonic specialty might be. Before he could act, Green Tie caught his gaze and jerked his chin toward the car. Red Tie settled for a glare, then stomped off.
I reached for the door handle. As the door swung open, a hand appeared over my head and grabbed it. I looked up to see the green-tie-wearing bodyguard. I expected him to hold the door shut, so I couldnt escape, but instead he pulled it open and held it for me. I walked through. He followed.
At this point, any sane woman would have run for her life. At the very least, she would have turned around and walked back out onto the street, a public place. But I was bored and such boredom has a detrimental effect on my sanity.
I unlocked the inner door. This time, I held it open for him. We walked to the elevator in silence.
Going up? I asked.
He pushed the button. As the elevator gears squealed, my resolve faltered. I was about to get into a small, enclosed place with a half-demon literally twice my size. Id seen too many movies not to know how this could turn out.
Yet what were my options? If I ran, Id be exactly what they expected: a timid witch-mouse. Nothing I did in the future would ever erase that. On the other hand, I could step on the elevator and never step off. Death or dishonor? For some people, theres really no choice.
When the elevator doors opened, I walked on.
The half-demon followed. As the doors closed, he took off his sunglasses. His eyes were a blue so cold they made the hairs on my arms rise. He pressed the Stop button. The elevator groaned to a halt.
You ever seen this scene in a movie? he asked.
I looked around. Now that you mention it, I think I have.
Know what happens next?
I nodded. The hulking bad guy attacks the defenseless young heroine, who suddenly reveals heretofore unimagined powers, which she uses to not only fend off his attack but beat him to a bloody pulp. Then she escapesI craned my head backout that handy escape hatch and shimmies up the cables. The bad guy recovers consciousness and attacks, whereupon shes forced, against her own moral code, to sever the cable with a fireball and send him plummeting to his death.