Page 16 of White Charms and Dark Secrets

“What did that mirror ever do to you?” he says, a smile twisting at the corners of his lips.

“It looked at me funny,” I quip, before slamming my mouth shut. Not a good time to be making jokes.

“You work here?” he asks.

“Yeah, I do. It’s my first day,” I answer honestly. It’s not like it’s a crime to work here, even if the clientele isn’t the most law-abiding bunch.

“Are you gonna scan her, or just stand there flirting all day?” Cami snaps, irritation lacing her tone. I try not to roll my eyes. We barely exchanged two sentences, but it’s obvious she has some jealousy issues. I chance a discreet glance between the two of them, watching how she looks at him and his steadfast disregard of her. Poor guy doesn’t have a clue she’s obsessed.

“Mind if I scan?” he inquires, holding up the device.

“Would it matter if I said no?” I fidget awkwardly, eyeing the scanner. I know I’m not guilty of anything, but a tremor runs down my back all the same. Something doesn’t feel right about this.

“It wouldn’t.” He clicks the button, and a flash of light flows over me. It beeps before the light cuts out.Shit, it didn’t do that with the other guy. Why did it beep?

“Gina Thornton,” he breathes, giving me a strange look.

“Gina who?” I ask, but it seems to go unheard as he begins to check off whatever this Gina person has done.

“You’re wanted for murder, arson, robbery, and distribution of illegal goods.”

I choke.He cannot be serious.

“I didn’t do any of that. I don’t even know who Gina is!” I exclaim, stepping back as he moves closer to me.

“Should have run when you had the chance,” Cami drawls. I turn to face her just as she hurls a ball of purple magic at me. It smacks me square in the chest, and I fly back, slamming into the wall behind me.

I try to pull myself up, but find my legs feel like jelly, so I plead from the floor instead. “My name is Kayla Marie Harlow, I haven’t killed anyone. I’m not whoever this Gina—” My appeal is cut off by my abrupt yelp of pain when a bolt of electrifying magic zaps me. I cry out, the shock sending tremors throughout my entire body. Tears stream down my cheeks as my vision blurs. I somehow force myself to stay conscious.

Kier. He knows who I am. He could vouch for me.

“Please, listen to me,” I beg. “Kier Huxley. D.I. Kier Huxley. Call him, ask him who Kayla Harlow is, he’ll tell you!”

“No surprises she knows the names of some detectives, probably spent enough time getting to know them the last time she got arrested,” Cami’s voice says, just before she shocks me again, even harder this time. I scream, until my throat is raw, and no sound escapes my lips.

“Maybe we should—”

“Don’t be an idiot, Micah. She’s just trying to waste our time and distract us, so she can attempt to escape. It says here in her file she’s eluded capture before; do we really want her second escape as a mark against our names?” Cami cuts the lead guy—Micah, I guess—off, forceful with her reproach.

“I’ll cuff her,” the other man’s voice volunteers, he’d been quiet until now. I hear him clamour over to me, chains clinking as he draws closer. I curl up in a ball, no other defence against them, and no fight left in me.

“Don’t bother with the magic binding cuffs, the silver ones will do. She’s just a shifter,” Cami snaps.

A shifter? I’m a witch, damnit!

My arms are yanked behind my back and cuffed. I offer no resistance as all my energy is being spent just keeping myself awake and listening. When they take me back to their office, surely they’ll figure out I’m a witch and not a shifter. Then they’ll realise their mistake and that I’m telling the truth.

Then I’ll be set free...

Everything goes black for a second. At least, I think it was only a second. I cough, my throat still feels raw and broken. My body aches in ways I couldn’t imagine possible. I hear a faded voice, but I struggle to make out any words. I force my eyes open and see Micah standing over me, his hand hovering above my chest.

Should have worn that stupid fucking bracelet after all.What’s the worst that could happen? Ha.This. This was definitely the worst thing that could have happened.

My eyes squeeze shut of their own accord when he zaps me again. The pain lances through me, causing uncontrollable convulsions to overtake me and black spots to dot my vision until it just becomes too much, and darkness claims me.

Ten

The Tomb

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