Page 24 of Tricky Magic
Finnnne. I was feeling thicker than usual, anyway,Billy grumbled, getting up and also stretching.
“Well maybe if you acted like regular familiars, your love handles wouldn’t get so out of control.” Ellea smirked at her beast of a familiar. It was a lie, Billy’s size never changed. That comment earned her a snap at her hand as Billy trotted by.
She headed up to her room to change into leggings and a black t-shirt. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and was a little horrified. A week of avoiding life had really done a number to her appearance. She had to do something because lounging around a cabin and feeling sorry for herself was clearly not helping. Grabbing her running shoes on the way down the stairs, she started thinking of a plan.
Billy led the way down the long driveway to the main road as Ellea finished off the last plaits of her braid. They both found a comfortable pace as they headed into town. Instead of feeling stiff and out of shape, her powers steadily increased with each stride. Her mind raced right along with the energy coursing through her limbs.
“I want to swing by the main shop to see what they have in stock,” Ellea said.
Billy only chuffed in response.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done basic magic. Maybe I can work on that while I research more about tricksters?”
Another chuff from the beast running beside her.
“You know, we’ve only gone a mile; if you’re already too tired to form a thought, I may be a little concerned.”
Bothering with basic magic is not going to help. Research, yes, do that. You need to figure out a way to harness your power, not smother it,Bill stated flatly.
* * *
THAT WAS NOTA COUPLE OF MILES!
Billy had been screaming in Ellea’s head for about two miles now. Apparently, things were different from when she was a child. A couple of miles had turned into six by the time they reached the main shop. The dog barreled past her and pushed the shop door open. A bell rang as so many smells hit her at once.
There were wall-to-wall shelves with countless objects, some for mortals and some for supernaturals. One section was dedicated to your basic snack needs, while another had jars of animal parts, herbs, stones, and liquids. You wanted any type of crystal, they had it. Need an ice cream and some mugwort? This was your place.
Ellea took a right past a cabinet filled with all types of sea creatures, some alive and others very dead. She came to a halt when she saw Billy had all four legs in the air while getting a very enthusiastic belly rub from a man she didn’t recognize. Her tongue was basically on the floor while she was panting dramatically.
“It was only six miles,”she grumbled to herself. The guy stood and went back to speaking to the shopkeeper.
Woah, he’s tall,she thought. He had to be a shifter with how big and rugged he was. The man wore a worn black shirt under a flannel long sleeve, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It was giving off some serious Winchester vibes. Not only was he tall, but he was also big. Like, really big. He ran his hand through his chin-length dark hair, creating a dramatic part and making her zero in on a strong forearm. Her eyes raked up past his wide shoulders to a neck that had her thinking all types of things. Then he flashed a bright smile at the shopkeeper. The sharp points of his canines glinted in the light, and she bit her lip to try and suppress an unnatural sound that wanted to escape her mouth.
Fucking Hel.
Her heart began to race as she realized he looked so much like the man from her dream. His beard reminded her of the man between her legs; the rug burn from it would be so worth it. She groaned inwardly when he finally turned toward her. She caught a glimpse of hazel eyes and dimples before she turned and acted like she was very interested in a jar of dried starfish. What would she even say to him? “Hey, I dreamt of you and you made me feel things I’ve never felt before, like one of the best orgasms and feeling like I could accept my magic.”She noticed him bend down to give Billy one last pat and used that as an in.
“Don’t mind her, she’s being dramatic.”
Go away, don’t distract him and his big, strong hands,Billy groaned.
“Ew, gross,” Ellea mumbled.
“Gross?” the man said, his voice so deep that it should be a crime.
Deep and familiar.
He gave Billy one last scratch behind the ears and stood, his eyes glued to her familiar. Ellea had to crane her neck to look up at him.
“By the looks of it, you had this poor dog run ten miles,” he said with a judgmental tone. He tore his hazel eyes from the dramatic puddle of a dog on the floor. She barely held in her gasp when their eyes connected. His nostrils seemed to flare, which had her feeling very self-conscious about the last time she’d showered.
“It was only six, and it wouldn’t be so bad if she exercised more,” Ellea said, arching a brow and crossing her arms.
His beautiful eyes hardened. It looked like he might just call animal control. Billy would actually have a blast if he did. Her thoughts of her familiar torturing the staff at the pound were interrupted when those judgmental eyes traveled away from her face. Slowly, he seemed to take her in. He clearly didn’t like what he saw; he left with a scowl on his face and didn’t say another word.
What a way to meet a man from your naughty dreams.
Ellea groaned to herself and continued to explore the shop. Maybe the dream hadn’t meant anything; not all dreams were of the future. Maybe she wasn’t promised freedom from fear of her magic.
