Borrowed Souls (Soul Charmer #1)(29)
“Ran her out?”
“You could say it’s a territorial business.” The brutal truth tiptoed between the lines. “No clue what Tess is up to, though, because last night was the first I’ve heard of anyone other than the Charmer within fifteen hundred miles being able to work real soul magic.”
“There are lots of ads—”
“You didn’t go to anyone else,” he cut her off.
“True. Doesn’t mean they aren’t legit.”
“I’m telling you. They aren’t. Little shit is easy, but grappling with pulling and pushing souls requires a long apprenticeship and a whole lot of dark dealings. Neither the Charmer or I believed Tess had next-level skill.”
Derek didn’t have to tell Callie the Soul Charmer wasn’t going to be pleased with the news. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him. “Why not?”
“She sucks chi.”
“Excuse me?” Was that a magic slur? Hadn’t that massage therapist at the home said something about balancing chakras? If Ford’s spy dabbled in soul magic, he was even more of a threat than Callie had originally thought. No wonder he wanted those police files.
“She tells people she can cleanse their bodies of toxins, purify them, shit like that, but her magic is more about siphoning their energy instead. She gives them a massage like any other asshole in town, but in the process steals bits of their souls or shoves extra souls into their bodies. From what I’ve heard, it’s like a life force dialysis.”
“Ew. What’s she get out of it?”
“Same thing every magic user does: power.”
A bolt of pure ice shot up Callie’s spine that didn’t have a damn thing to do with souls. Derek didn’t miss the shudder as her hand twitched in his. He stopped walking, and pulled Callie in toward him. He’d moved so quickly she didn’t lift her hands to stop her body from colliding with his. He must not have minded, as he gave her the satisfying weight of his arm across her shoulder blades. Safety. She languished in it.
“Magic?” he whispered in her ear. His breath tickled and she squirmed.
“Mmm?” So warm.
“Do you sense it, or was it too much info too fast?”
“Too much, I think.” She pulled in a deep breath, simply because he smelled so good.
“I keep forgetting this isn’t normal for you.”
She laughed without humor. “Fucked up is par for the course for me.”
His brows furrowed. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”
“Me, too.” Callie sighed, and then continued. “But I suppose there’s something to be said for being on the inside.”
“I’m going to keep you safe. You know that, right?” He nearly winced with the plea. This wasn’t simply a placation, and Callie doubted it was totally about her. That’s why she believed him. Maybe the touch of magic she’d acquired was working. They both had battered souls, and the earnestness in those grey eyes said he’d failed before and wouldn’t let it happen again. She understood the need for redemption.
“I do.”
Derek’s sigh of relief blew a few loose strands of Callie’s hair across her cheek. She watched his hand, waiting for his fingers to reach out and lightly caress her face as he moved them into place behind her ear. Instead he let her go and shook himself.
The spell was broken. He urged them along to the next stop, where there was another soul to retrieve.
—— CHAPTER EIGHT ——
Callie regretted teaching her mother how to send text messages.
Her phone buzzed against her kitchen counter. The rattle was loud enough to make Callie wonder if the countertop would crack. Doubtful. The material was cut-rate, but not that cheap. Besides, her lazy super would probably throw a roll of duct tape at her and wish her Godspeed.
Two years ago, showing Zara how to text message had seemed like a brilliant idea. Josh had been crashing with Callie at the time, and her mom had wanted to touch base. Unfortunately, she thought six in the morning was the absolute best time to talk. Josh might have been up then, but Callie was a firm believer in only rising before nine if you were getting paid to do so. Her mom hadn’t offered any cash, so the texts became the preferred way to communicate. She could leave a message, and Callie would get back when she was available.
Fast-forward to today, and Zara had forgotten about the waiting part of the equation. She’d sent six messages while Callie was out with Derek last night.
Where are you?
Where’s your brother?
Tell Josh to call me.
Tell me you got this.
Calliope! Call me!!
You do this on purpose.
Callie had read each one surreptitiously while walking from one target to another. They’d collected two more souls last night, and talked with another three people who had seen Tess, but couldn’t tell them how to find her. The last one of the night had been a banker who lived on the northern outskirts of Gem City. The fabric of his navy blue starched shirt strained against his belly. He wasn’t subsisting on barebones sandwiches. He’d even fessed up that it was his wife who brought Tess into their lives. While the husband rented semi-regularly from the Soul Charmer, his better half sought absolution through Tess’s chakra massage. He was trying to get right with more than the Lord, and had produced a new flyer for Tess.