Page 34 of Spring L.A.W.
Katie was already halfway to a dagger floating midair inside a crystal case. “This one’s humming. Is that normal?”
“No. Step away from it.”
They moved on.
The hallway curved into a sun-drenched greenhouse. “This is Magda’s botanical wing. Some of these plants bite.”
Katie was already poking a vine. “Which ones?”
Joell dragged her away. “Just assumeall of them.”
Next stop: a grand library filled with floating ladders, glowing tomes, and an actual fireplace that whispered an unsettling bedtime story.
A book hovered in front of Katie. She tilted her head. “Did that book just call me ‘the vessel’?”
Joell didn’t answer. She just grabbed her wrist and picked up the pace.
“This is the training room. If you want to learn how to cast safely, this is where we’ll do it.”
Katie squinted at a scorch mark on the ceiling. “What happenedthere?”
“Brianna happened. She’s our newest member.”
“Ah! There’s a learning curve, I guess.”
“Most definitely.”
They walked past a suspiciously locked door with chains and six sigils. Katie pointed. “Is that where you keep the toaster?”
Joell cracked a smile. “No. That’s where wedon’tkeep mundane things. Moving on.”
Eventually, they ascended the impressive staircase she’d seen when she first arrived. Upstairs, a door opened, on its own, revealing a cozy suite with gothic mullioned windows with a forest view, and a plush pink robe hanging on the back of the door.
Joell ushered her in. “This is your room. It’s warded, secure, and stocked with calming tea. There’s the ensuite bathroom.” She pointed to a closed door. “Try not to break anything.”
Katie flopped dramatically onto the bed. “No promises.”
Joell crossed her arms. “Get some rest. We’ll start training tomorrow.”
Katie sat up. “Joell?”
The no-nonsense woman paused at the door.
“What happens if the Gray comes back tonight?”
“It won’t. Not here.”
And with that, she left Katie to her thoughts and the quiet hum of magic pulsing through the walls.
Rayna had expected a steakhouse.Or a military canteen. Or something involving tables that could be flipped over and used as shields.
She had not expected a bistro with fairy lights, a string quartet playing lo-fi covers, and Major Freaking Payne in a linen shirt and a pair of comfortable-looking slacks that suggested he, possibly, owned an iron.
She eyed him over the rim of her wine glass. “Does this place have a dress code, or are you just trying to impress me with your casual murder-vacation look?”
Payne smirked. “You like it?”
“Not sure. I respect the effort. There's a difference.” Rayna wore a little black dress that Victoria insisted would be right for just about anything.
