Page 34 of Incubus with Benefits
Then he turned and hurried off like he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. That left the woman mumbling something about assholes being ungrateful for free labor. She started toward the small park next to the coffee shop I’d just been in.
Once they were gone, I waited for a break in traffic and crossed into the center of the roundabout.
I knew better than to use my magic; EA surveillance made that a fast track to trouble. Cameras were everywhere, so I kept my cap low and clipboard visible. If anyone asked, I was surveying pioneer species. The weeds here were textbook first colonizers.
I didn’t know what I was looking for; I was just banking on that magical gut feeling that I’d know it when I saw it. Worstcase scenario, I’d leave with one new nugget of intel: Darlington University had sent a student to help with the portal research. Though judging by the researcher’s sour face, “help” might’ve been a generous term.
Even if the site turned up nothing, I could always chat up the student and see what she knew.
I was about to call it quits when something shiny caught my eye. I crouched down and plucked a broken bracelet from the weeds. It was exactly the kind of jewelry I’d used in protective charm work: gold, symbolizing divine protection, with several charms dangling from it.
One charm was black tourmaline, used for shielding. Another was an evil eye, meant to ward off harmful energy and repel bad vibes.
The bracelet was broken. The clasp was still intact, but the rings of the chain were distorted, as if it had been ripped off with some force. It buzzed faintly with residual magic in my hand.
I slipped it into my pocket, excitement building. That was no random trinket.
I was just doing one last sweep of the back when a woman’s voice said, “What are you doing here?”
Shit. It was the student from earlier.
I concentrated and called upon my charm, keeping a light hand so that it was subtle and hopefully undetectable. “Hi!” I said asI stood, holding the clipboard with the data in front of me like a shield. “I’m doing a survey of the area. Do you work here?”
I gestured to my name tag like that was proof. I’d used my own name since it was common enough. And if the researcher really was responsible, he’d know my name already.
Instead of answering, the woman looked at me like a deer in headlights. “You’re not supposed to be here.” This time, there was a note of wide-eyed panic to her words.
Did she think she would get in trouble if the researcher came back to find me here?
“Do you work here?” I asked again. If she was going to be a broken record then two could play this game. “I’m surveying the roundabout. Didn’t you guys get the email?”
“I’m just a student,” she said, lips still tight.
“Oh, I see. Can I talk to whoever’s in charge?” I asked, knowing full well that I couldn’t because he wasn’t here.
“Alfonzo isn’t here.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“No,” she lied.
I knew he came back from lunch at one p.m. on the dot every day.
“Maybe I can talk to you. You’re not in charge, but you work here, right?’
“Yes. But like I said, I’m just a student.” She was starting to relax now, my talent slowly working on her.
“That’s okay. I much prefer if I didn’t have to come back tomorrow. I’m Lily. What’s your name?” I stuck out my hand.
“Krista.” She took my hand.
Bingo! Now that my talent had something to latch onto, she relaxed.
“What do you need to know?”
I asked how long she’d been working there, how much foot traffic the area around the roundabout got, and if she’d noticed any power surges from the contained portal that might affect plant growth in the area.
Then I veered a little off track, asking about what they were researching. And as she talked, I sent some feelers out to see if she had any magic. She did, though I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. But that was normal; not everyone had magic strong enough to be apparent. And many who did shielded the magic from detection.
