Page 1 of Tricky Magic
1
Ellea
Ellea had never wanted to turn someone into a slug so badly. That was a lie—there were plenty of people she wanted to turn into a slug. Josh just so happened to be at the top of the list today. She wanted to see the look of shock on his face as his body morphed into the slimy creature. She wanted to hear the plop that would sound through his horribly decorated office. Her powers reveled in the idea, churning under her skin and whispering from that locked box in her mind,do it.
Of course, she wouldn’t and she told her powers so. She couldn’t go around turning everyone who bugged her into whatever gross animal her mind conjured. The list was forever growing thanks to her misfortune of being a trickster witch and the daughter of mortal-hating psychopaths. Josh, on the other hand, was now on her list because he didn’tagreewith the future he’d paid her to look into, and was becoming more irate by the second. And his cologne was gross.
Josh sneered at her from across the desk. He hadn’t even given her a comfortable chair to sit in; the hard wood dug into her legs, making her desperate to be finished with this reading. Preferably at home, in an oversized shirt with a book in her lap—she was exhausted. Her week had been filled with one too many bad readings and endless dreams of beasts and monsters.
When was it too early to retire?
“Check the cards,” Josh hissed, dragging her from her thoughts. “I know you read for Clint. I can’t help but think your vision is false and will help the firm I compete with.”
“I’ve been reading your future for two years,” Ellea said with a roll of her eyes. “Why would I start lying now?”
On top of being a trickster, Ellea was also a seer; she’d been reading the futures of the wealthy and famous for the past five years. It was great for her bank account, and another perk of her job was getting a side-eye from the other witches. It wasn’t against the rules, but they didn’t approve of using your power for personal gain.
Ellea reached for the black velvet pouch that held her favorite deck of tarot cards. The gilded edges gleamed as she shuffled them, one, two, three times. She stopped as her powers pulled at her chest, a feeling that the cards were where they needed to be.
Josh glanced at the stack as she placed it on the left of his desk, and a small drop of sweat escaped his hairline. He had to know Ellea was right. Every session before now had come true, that wasn’t about to change. Ellea flipped over the first card, starting at the left. It was the five of pentacles. She didn’t bother hiding the smirk that came or the bark of a laugh as she flipped the next card: ten of cups. Josh was fully sweating now, his face even more desperate.
One more card.
Ellea didn’t bother looking at the last card as she flipped it. Her magic was right, and she saw his future confirmed as he stared at the last card with horror. He knew what it meant; she usually taught her clients to read the cards.
“The world,” he hissed.
Ellea pointed at each card. “Poverty. True happiness and fulfillment. Harmony and completion.”
Josh mumbled obscenities under his breath.
“My vision is confirmed. Your current investments will leave you broke, but in the end, you and your family will find peace and happiness—”
“No!” Josh stood quickly and pulled a gun from under his desk. His hand splayed across the mahogany surface, pressing into the cards she had pulled. The gun shook as he held it at her face, and her powers crackled under her skin at the threat before her.
Ellea gritted her teeth, pressing her trickster magic down.
It would be so easy to turn this filthy mortal into a rat.
She forced the thought out of her mind and looked away from the rage in his eyes. Ellea raised her lip as she noted the sweat dripping from his hand onto the cards.
“It’s not the end of the world.” She blinked slowly at him.
He leaned closer to her, and Ellea’s stomach rolled. Josh reeked of alcohol, and his anger mixed with nervousness washed over her. He hadn’t aged well in his years as a stockbroker; too many drinks and way too many late-night meetings.
“I have built this empire from the ground up. Why should I believe you? This is impossible!” he shouted, waving the gun around.
Ugh, the dramatics.
With a thrum of her fingers, Josh was tied to his chair and Ellea was across from him, sitting on top of the desk with her legs crossed. The gun dangled on her finger as she leaned back on one hand and glared at him.
“Josh, this could have gone so many ways.” She pointed the gun at his forehead with ease and confidence. “I don’t appreciate being threatened or shouted at.”
“You’re a bitch, and you could have warned me sooner.” The insult was overshadowed by how much he was shaking.
“You could have called me before you decided to invest all your money.” Her smarter clients did.
“It’s like you enjoy watching mortals suffer,” he hissed, and at that, Ellea was done.
