Page 16 of The Cauldronball Run
Chapter Six
J.J.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania
J.J.had been driving for hours, hyperaware of every breath Farrah took in the seat beside him.The moment he'd smelled her magic—sharp and wild as storm ozone—his instincts had whisperedmine.He shoved the thought down.No human witch wanted an orc EMT weighed down with debt.But when her gaze had locked with his across the diner, wide and curious, something had pulled taut inside him.She could be his.But why would she want to be?
The Cauldronball Run's private and secure CB radio channel broke into his thoughts with an urgent update.
"Breaker breaker, this is Flame Rider to all teams.We got smokeys at the next truck stop, repeat, we got more cops than a donut convention at the Buttercup Travel Plaza."
J.J.reached for the radio, but Farrah was faster, her hand brushing his as she grabbed it.The brief contact sent heat shooting up his arm, and he had to concentrate on not swerving into the guardrail.
Focus on the road, not on how her fingers felt against yours.
"Copy that, Flame Rider.Green Machine acknowledging.We'll take the detour through Millfield," she said.
She clicked off and looked at him, eyebrows raised."Smokeys?"
"Police.And Flame Rider would be Torch, one of the dragon bikers."J.J.took the next exit, trying not to notice how Farrah leaned forward to check the road signs, bringing her close enough that he could smell her shampoo.
"How do you know all their call signs?"Farrah was studying a road map on her phone, completely oblivious to the way the afternoon sunlight was highlighting the curve of her neck.
Stop staring at her neck like a teenage boy.You're supposed to be racing, not having impure thoughts about your partner.
"A few of them. Some are more obvious than the others.”
The radio crackled again, this time with a voice that sounded like it was trying way too hard to be sophisticated."All teams, this is Secret Agent.I have obtained classified intelligence that local law enforcement is coordinating with state police through encrypted channels.Suggest we maintain low profiles and avoid main arteries."
"Intelligence," Farrah snorted, and the sound made J.J.grin."That has to be the vampire?"
"Bondo.He genuinely believes he's working for some international spy agency, probably MI6 or the CIA or maybe both simultaneously."J.J.shook his head."Nice guy, but completely delusional.”
“How does he drive during the day?”
“His Astin Martin is sunproofed.”
“Smart.”
They drove through Millfield's main street, past a diner that advertised "World's Best Pie" in hand-painted letters and a gas station with prices that made J.J.'s wallet weep in sympathy.Normal small-town America, where the biggest excitement was probably the annual corn festival and everyone knew everyone else's business.
"It's weird," Farrah said, settling back in her seat in a way that made her shoulder brush against his arm."For all their supernatural abilities and criminal activity, they're just like you and me.The demons probably need money for something mundane like rent, the pixies want to prove their tech works better than Apple's, and the vampire thinks he's saving the world one failed seduction at a time."
