Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(25)

I looked at her, then at the awesomely crazy car. “Holy fates, we’re in Mad Max.”

Ares chuckled low in his throat.

“Need something?” The girl’s voice was rough, her posture so clearly saying Don’t fuck with me.

I approached, realizing as I got closer that she was only sixteen or seventeen. Another girl walked out of the house. Her hair was black, but otherwise, she had the same aesthetic.

“Who are they?” she asked the blonde.

“Don’t know.”

The girls looked tough, almost feral, ready to fight or curse at the least provocation. Frankly, they reminded me of Cass, Del, and I at their age, living on the edge and just trying to make it.

“We’re looking for a ride across Death Valley.” I nodded at the buggy with the pink ribbon. “That yours?”

“Yeah.” The blonde watched me with steady eyes.

“I like it.”

“Me too.” She propped a hand on her hip. “But no can do on the valley.”

“We’re desperate.” My voice reflected that. “Your uncle said you could take us.”

“Sure, normally. But the third member of our team is out sick. Wouldn’t be the quality of ride we like to guarantee.”

I glanced at the “buggy”. It was bad ass, but… “What kind of quality ride?”

“The kind where you get there alive.” She grinned, but it was more a baring of teeth.

Well that didn’t sound good. Not that I had a lot of choice. “Come on, help us out. Please. We really have to get across. I’ll pay double.”

Interest glinted in her eyes. “What are you?”

“Conjurer.” And a whole lot more. I pointed to Ares. “Vampire.”

“Can you fight?”

“Yeah.”

“Got weapons?”

“I can conjure anything. He’s got a shadow sword.”

“Willing to risk your life?”

“Every day.”

She grinned, and this time the smile was real. “Then we’re in for a good time. I’m Ana”—she hiked a thumb at her friend—“this is Bree.”

Bree approached, dark hair gleaming in the sun. “That’ll be twenty grand.”

I nearly swallowed my tongue. “For real?”

“We just told you that you might die on the crossing. Which means we might die. So yeah, it’s expensive. Especially when you’re paying double.”

“Fair enough. I don’t have any cash on me though.”

“No problem. I’ll give you my bank details, transfer it online.”

These girls knew what they were doing. And I had the money, though barely. Our shop paid well. Really well, considering the value of the magic we sold. But I was always funneling the money straight into my trove, so it was rare I had cash in the bank.

At least I was covered this time. I pulled out my phone, finding the signal to be unexpectedly good, and she rattled of some numbers. I made the transfer, then looked up.

“Ready to go now?” Bree asked. “If we leave now, we can make it to the crater by early evening. Should give you enough time to make it across before dark and for us to get home.”

“We need to get to Hider’s Haven, not the crater,” Ares said.

“Crater is as far as anyone can take you. After that, you gotta cross on your own,” Bree said.

Damn. “Crater it is, then.”

“Give us ten,” Ana said. “You can sit in the back.”

They disappeared into the house and we climbed up into the vehicle. It was a good four feet off the ground, so I had to use the tire to haul myself up into the buggy. It really should have been called The Beast, but I liked the incongruity of “buggy”.

“This thing is awesome.” I climbed all over, checking out the construction of the platforms and the sturdy bars that held them lofted over the driver. The spikes on the side panels looked like they were coated in something thick and black. Poison.

“With this as our ride, Death Valley deserves its name,” I said.

“It’s an impressive machine.” Ares looked at me, eyes sharp. “You like cars?”

“Yeah.” I almost said Duh, but then realized he hadn’t been in my trove. “But yeah, I do.”

“Careful!” Ana shouted. “That Ravener poison will kill you in a second.”

I turned to see her striding out of the house, a bag hanging from her hand. Her sister strode along at her side, heavy boots thudding on the sand. Climbing harnesses were wrapped around their legs and waists. Aviator goggles were propped on their heads. They looked like bad-asses—skinny, teenage bad-asses whose eyes were too old for their age. But I’d been the same once.

They climbed up into the buggy, Ana taking the wheel and Bree sitting next to her. Ana cranked the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life, a throaty growl that would have given my Challenger Hellcat Fabio a hard-on.

She peeled out of the town, heading for the mountains in the distance, then shouted back over her shoulder. “Bree will take the front platform. One of you on the back when I say so.”

“What’s coming at us?” I shouted.

“Anything! The valley changes what it throws at us.” I caught sight of her grin in the rearview mirror. “The humans call it Death Valley because of the heat. Little do they know.”