Page 65 of That Mafioso Magic
“A hundred percent? No, but that’s what taking a leap of faith means.” I stood up. “I’m going to pack what I need. You should do the same.”
“Yeah… sure.” Xavier stood up, patted my shoulder, then walked out of the office. I walked into the back storage room and grabbed three empty medium sized boxes and began loading them up with files and office equipment pertinent to what I needed to fully conduct my cases. The last box, I took into my little studio apartment and loaded all of my magic tools and ingredients. I didn’t have a whole lot, because before the book was joined, I didn’t know a lot of magic. A lot of spells were hidden from me. Now that I knew so much more, I was going to need a whole room just for magic shit. I was sure Sage would agree.
Once I was done with that task, I began packing my two suitcases up with clothes and my other necessities. Then I got dressed and grabbed my two suitcases, carrying them to the front of the office. Jewel rose from the sofa and came over to me. “I’ll put these in the car.”
“Oh, no, I’ve got it,” I said, not feeling right about a woman carrying my suitcases.
“Really, I can handle it,” Jewel said, then lifted both suitcases as if they weighed nothing.
“I’m just… well… I’m a gentleman,” I said.
She smirked. “And that’s all well and good, Adrian. But if you’re going to be with Sage, you’re going to need to get used to women doing some heavy lifting. Sage doesn’t relegate us females to ladylike roles… not if we don’t want to be in them.”
I got her message loud and clear. I just nodded and gestured for her to carry the bags to the car. I wasn’t going to be completely outdone. I did carry the three boxes I’d packed up to the car, slipping them into the back seat and one into the trunk next to my two suitcases.
“Is this it?” Jewel asked.
“For now, yes. It’s everything that I’m going to need to help Sage. I do need to visit this magic shop that I go to. I need some more ingredients. Oh, I ummm, may need to borrow some money. I will pay you back, I swear. I just can’t afford the stuff I need for the spells I need to do,” I said.
She smirked. “Sage will be covering the bill, so no worries.”
I turned when I heard the office door open and close. Xavier was locking it up and he had one box under his other arm. He turned and headed toward his car, opening the passenger side door and putting the box on this seat. He closed the car door, then came over to me.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” he asked me. I did notice him checking Jewel out and I really couldn’t blame him. She was gorgeous and with Xavier being attracted to powerful women, it was probably a matter of time before he made his move. To my knowledge, he’d never dated a supernal before, but I knew he was curious and wasn’t afraid to do it.
“I’m going to go to the Spells and Spirit shop today. I need some items and information.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“You can, sure. Or you can find out what condo Sage set aside for you and I’ll meet you back there.”
Xavier looked back at his car filled with suitcases and boxes and sighed. “Yeah… I guess I do need to see where I’m supposed to be living for the time being. Check out this office space you mentioned. You’re just going to the store, then going there, right? You’re not going to do any investigation on your own?”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t dare sideline you like that. You’re my partner. I’m just going to speak with Olga at the shop. I need some translation help, then I’m going to meet you there. In less than two hours, I’m sure. I’ll be stopping for some lunch for us, does pizza sound good?”
“Supreme, extra cheese, thin crust,” Xavier said.
“Gotcha.” We did a fist bump and he went his way, climbing into his car and I climbed into the passenger seat of Jewel’s extra sweet ride. Once she was behind the wheel, I gave her directions to the Spells and Spirit magic shop. It was pretty popular among the humans who thought it was fun to play with the hocus pocus, never believing it was real. It was also popular among those humans who knew it was all real and of course, other mages. There weren’t that many legit magic shops in the city. Mainly because my world was still in the shadows. Therefore, Olga kept the real shit in the back for those who were actual players in the game.
“So, you really are moving in with Sage?” Jewel asked me at the twenty minutes of silence mark.
I looked at her and nodded. “I’m going to certainly give it a try.”
“I’m happy for you. I hope it all works out,” she said.
“Yeah, me too.”
“You should stay out of his business, though. I don’t think you really have the head for it.”
“His business?”
“The stuff he can’t report to the IRS.”
“Listen, I’m not going to come into Sage’s life trying to change him. I’m not entering into this relationship with blinders on. I know what he is, what he does. He’s been very forthcoming. To be honest, I think he needs to be the way he is for our magic to work. That’s what I’m beginning to understand,” I said. Xavier had put it perfectly. Sage was the darkness to my light and together, we made gray. I needed him to do the dirty work, so to speak, of the side of magic that I didn’t want to compromise my own spirit doing. Some of those spells required a life for a life from what Sage had told me. I didn’t know if I could ever do that. But Sage… he could. He would be the pillar I leaned on and vice versa. That was what I felt as I slept in his strong arms the previous night.
“Okay, just as long as you can deal,” Jewel said.
“I can.”
