Neon Blue by E Frost (best book reader .TXT) 📗

me sick. Sittin’ there, bottling up all that power. Starin’ down your nose at everyone. Thinkin’ you know everything. Well, I got news for you, witchy-poo, you don’t know fuck-all.”

He picks up his empty plate and stalks to the sink.

I glare at his back, furious, but also, smarting. He’s struck a nerve. Left my lower lip trembling and my eyes stinging with tears. I take a few more bites of the eggs, but they’re tasteless now. I push the plate away and rise from my chair.

“I’m going to work,” I say, swallowing hard to keep my voice even.

The demon turns off the water, but remains standing at the sink with his broad back to me. “You do that.”

“Are you, uh—” I really don’t want to leave him in my house, but I don’t know how to get him to go.

“Dinner’s at six-thirty. Don’t be late.”

His presumption firms my chin. I put my hands on my hips and glare at his back. “You don’t dictate my—”

“Fuck off, witchy-poo. Before you succeed in pissing me off.”

A gout of steam rises from the sink. I’m pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the heat from the tap. I swallow hard and back towards the door. “Okay. Bye.”

“Have a nice day,” the demon says darkly.

I edge out of the kitchen, and, when my nerve breaks at the thought of what he might do if I really have pushed him too far, grab my Keds from the shoe pile beside the door and run for the train.

Lin’s busy when I finally get to the office. Other than the ten o’clock she’s covered for me, my day’s clear until five, when I have a particularly tricky case coming in for a second consultation. Since we’re running low on magic milk, and since I didn’t get to have any of the demon’s coffee, I head straight for my hearth room after checking in with Evonne.

No messages. Guess Wen-Long didn’t manage to reach his friend.

In my hearth room, I spend a long time setting up. Making a new besom out of oak and hazel twigs. Walking the pentacle and circles. I don’t usually call the corners when I’m brewing, but today I feel the need for reassurance. I dance the last circle and feel the elements swirl around me. I don’t need any extra protection when I’m brewing – my hearth room is heavily warded and the three circles would keep out anything that got through the wards – so I don’t summon any elementals.

I’m more than a little surprised when a salamander appears anyway. It blinks its tiny snake eyes at me and coils itself over the point of the pentacle closest to the door.

I bow to it. “I’m honored, but I didn’t call. I don’t have anything for you.” I don’t keep any gifts for Elementals at the office, since I never call them here. And I’m too afraid of accidentally touching the demon’s mind if I reach for any of the things I have at home. “I can share power with you, if you’d like.”

The salamander flicks out a black tongue and blinks placidly. I take that as a ‘yes’ and light the burner under my cauldron.

The salamander has fallen asleep, its reptilian head resting on its crossed claws, by the time Lin comes in. It flicks its tail in its sleep when the door opens, but doesn’t lift its head. “Some protector,” I whisper, bemused.

Lin edges toward my worktable, keeping a respectful distance from the little Elemental. “I’ve only seen pictures of those,” she whispers.

“They’re cute. Until they spit fire at you.”

“Not housetrained?”

“No. This one seems pretty docile, though.”

“So docile it’s asleep. Why’s it here?”

I’m not clear on that myself. I shrug one shoulder as I stir the cauldron. A lie’s the better course, to avoid worrying Lin. “When I called the corners, it showed up. I get them at home a lot. When I finish, it’ll go. No big deal.”

She watches me brew for a while in silence. I shake in a bag of dried blood, grimacing at the smell that rises out of the cauldron. Lin puts a hand over her nose.

“That stinks,” she whispers.

“Tell me about it. Sometimes I think I should brew wearing a gas mask.”

She shifts against the worktable and I brace myself. She always does that little, uncomfortable shift right before she says something she knows I’m going to take badly. “Zee, is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I lie.

“You seem wicked stressed.”

I acknowledge it with a nod. No point lying about that. “Did you see that thing on the news? About the fire on Newbury Street?”

She nods, ponytail bobbing.

“Remember the friend I went to see the other day? My friend from college? That was her place.”

“Oh, shit.” Lin spreads her hand over her mouth. “People died . . . ?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Are you okay? I mean, is everything okay? Do you need to take some time . . . ?”

I shake my head. Being at the office – away from the demon and doing something to keep my mind off him – is the only thing that’s keeping me together. Every time I think about going home tonight, every time I glance up and see that the clock has moved a little closer to six-thirty, the screaming starts again in the back of my head.

“I’m so sorry about your friend.”

“Me, too.” In so many ways. If I’d been a better friend to Ro, if I’d kept in touch, if I’d tried to understand her instead of condemning her, would it have made a difference? I’ll never know. It’s too late.

“Look,” Lin whispers. “I know I’ve been a little out-of-pocket the last couple of days, hooking up with Matty and everything. But you know I’m always there if you need to talk, right?”

I smile through the wreath of stinking steam that rises out of my cauldron. “Yeah, I know. Thanks, Linnie. How is it going with the new beau anyway?”

Lin blushes, golden rose in the witchlight. “Good. Better than good, actually. We have a lot in common.”