Page 42 of Spring L.A.W.
“Kind of. But for your soul.”
He sighed and waved toward the back. “Your purse is in the office. However, I should mention that I had to replace you. Can’t have disappearing baristas, even in Brooklyn.”
Katie blinked. “You replaced me?”
Larry gestured to the young man now manning the espresso machine. He was maybe twenty, average height, neatly dressed. But there was something off. Not bad. Just eerie. His smile was too fake. His posture was too perfect. And when he turned to glance at Katie, his eyes lingered half a beat too long, like he was waiting for a cue he hadn’t learned yet.
Katie stared. “When did he start?”
“Yesterday afternoon, right after you ghosted. Super polite. Said he was looking to learn how to ‘perform humanity.’ I thought it must be theater slang.”
Rayna, behind her, leaned in. “That’s not theater slang.”
Katie whispered back, “That’s not even subtle.”
The not-quite-human barista gave them a practiced, dazzling smile. “Hi there. Can I get you ladies anything?”
Rayna pulled Katie gently back by the shoulder. “No thanks. Just admiring your technique.”
“Thanks!” he said, a little too enthusiastically. “I’m new at this, but I’m a quick study.”
Katie’s blood ran cold. “Rayna…”
“Yup,” Rayna murmured. “That’s our faceless friend. Almost fully loaded now. Body file complete. Still working on the casual banter module.”
Major Payne entered then, boots quiet for once. He glanced at the barista, then at Katie and Rayna. “Target?”
“Confirmed,” Rayna said.
The barista, Gray 2.0, froze for a fraction of a second, then smiled again. “Excuse me, I need to refill the napkin dispenser.”
He walked away, gait just a little too mechanical.
Payne turned to Rayna. “Approach?”
Rayna shook her head. “Not yet. He doesn’t know we know. Let’s keep it that way.”
Katie was still staring at the counter. “That thing took myjob.”
“On the bright side,” Rayna said, “you’re officially freed up to help save the world.”
Payne added dryly, “Cheer up, kid. He probably doesn’t even know how to steam milk yet.”
Katie narrowed her eyes. “I hope he burns himself on the espresso wand.”
Rayna patted her on the shoulder. “Go get your purse.”
When she was out of sight, Rayna whispered to Payne. “Let’s run a scan on this place before Gray 2.0 decides to download sarcasm.”
Payne pulled a discreet device from his jacket. It was a sleek black rectangle with glowing runes etched along the edges. He flipped it open, and a soft hum vibrated through the air as the device swept a nearly invisible ripple across the café.
Rayna whispered a spell under her breath, fingers splayed as she tuned her senses to the ambient magic in the room. Her fingers didn’t even tingle. She scanned again. Nothing.
“No residual magic,” Payne said after a beat. “Nothing left behind.”
Rayna frowned. “Yeah, I didn’t feel anything either. He’s learning. Cleaning up after himself.”
“Or someone else taught him to.”
