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Bloody Bones :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 48 из 272The shirt hit him at nearly mid-thigh; he'd had to roll the sleeves overhis forearms. Black and silver cowboy boots completed the outfit. Everything but the boots looked borrowed. He should have looked sloppy, too casual among everyone else duded up for a Friday night, but he didn't. His utter confidence made the outfit seem perfect. A woman at one of the tables grabbed the hem of his shirt as he moved past. He pulled it out of her hands with a playful smile.
Magnus led us to a table near the empty stage. He stood, letting me choose my seat; very gentlemanly of him. I sat with my back to the wall so I could see both doors and the room. It was sort of cowboyish, but magic rode the air. Illegal magic.
Larry sat to my right. He'd watched me and scooted his chair a little back from the table so he could see the room too. It was almost frightening how seriously Larry watched what I did. It would keep him alive, but it was like being followed around by a three-year-old with a carry permit. Kind of intimidating.
Magnus smiled at us both, indulgently, like we were doing something cute or amusing. I wasn't in the mood to be amusing.
"Love charms are illegal," I said.
"You said that already," Magnus said. He flashed me a smile that I think was meant to be charming and harmless. It wasn't. There wasn't anything he could do to make himself less than exotic. He sure as hell wasn't harmless.
I stared at him until the smile wilted around the edges, and he swallowed. He spread his long-fingered hands on the tabletop, staring at them. When he looked up, the smile was gone. He looked solemn, a little nervous even. Good.
"It's not a charm," he said.
"The hell it isn't," I said.
"It isn't. A spell, but nothing as mundane as a charm."
"You're splitting hairs," I said.
Larry was staring at us intently. "Was that stuff at the bar a love charm?"
"What stuff at the bar?" Magnus's face was incredibly mild, as if he thought Larry would believe him.
Larry looked at me. "Is he kidding? The woman went from a three to a twenty-three. It had to be magic."
Magnus turned his attention to Larry for the first time, excluding me—and I felt excluded. It was like a ray of sunshine had moved away from me, and I was just a little colder, a little more in the dark.
I shook my head. "Cut the glamor crap."
Magnus turned back to me, and for a minute I felt that warmth. "Stop it."
"What?"
I stood up. "Fine; let's see how funny you think you are in jail."
Magnus encircled my wrist with his hand. His skin should have been work-roughened, but it wasn't.
Magnus led us to a table near the empty stage. He stood, letting me choose my seat; very gentlemanly of him. I sat with my back to the wall so I could see both doors and the room. It was sort of cowboyish, but magic rode the air. Illegal magic.
Larry sat to my right. He'd watched me and scooted his chair a little back from the table so he could see the room too. It was almost frightening how seriously Larry watched what I did. It would keep him alive, but it was like being followed around by a three-year-old with a carry permit. Kind of intimidating.
Magnus smiled at us both, indulgently, like we were doing something cute or amusing. I wasn't in the mood to be amusing.
"Love charms are illegal," I said.
"You said that already," Magnus said. He flashed me a smile that I think was meant to be charming and harmless. It wasn't. There wasn't anything he could do to make himself less than exotic. He sure as hell wasn't harmless.
I stared at him until the smile wilted around the edges, and he swallowed. He spread his long-fingered hands on the tabletop, staring at them. When he looked up, the smile was gone. He looked solemn, a little nervous even. Good.
"It's not a charm," he said.
"The hell it isn't," I said.
"It isn't. A spell, but nothing as mundane as a charm."
"You're splitting hairs," I said.
Larry was staring at us intently. "Was that stuff at the bar a love charm?"
"What stuff at the bar?" Magnus's face was incredibly mild, as if he thought Larry would believe him.
Larry looked at me. "Is he kidding? The woman went from a three to a twenty-three. It had to be magic."
Magnus turned his attention to Larry for the first time, excluding me—and I felt excluded. It was like a ray of sunshine had moved away from me, and I was just a little colder, a little more in the dark.
I shook my head. "Cut the glamor crap."
Magnus turned back to me, and for a minute I felt that warmth. "Stop it."
"What?"
I stood up. "Fine; let's see how funny you think you are in jail."
Magnus encircled my wrist with his hand. His skin should have been work-roughened, but it wasn't.