Mathilda, SuperWitch (Mathilda's Book of Shadows #1)(77)

“You got something to say to me?” I asked Derek while I watched the sphere form.

I don’t know what I was going for… I think Al Pacino in Serpico.

It didn’t seem to be working as Derek still just stared at me.

The silver disappeared as a violet coating surged up from my palm and wrapped around the orb.

“You’re a good witch,” Derek said not staring at me but at my palm. “You wouldn’t –”

A sparkling electric blue film appeared around the violet, I threw the sphere up and it hovered in mid-air.

I looked questioningly at Derek, raising my brows.

Nothing.

I flicked my fingers and it exploded in a gorgeous firework that was really just for show, a little fright was all it was meant to be. But it made little silver and shell pink sparks snake lazily around the room. A few exploded near the glasses, taking a couple with them, one overturned a chair.

Derek breathed a sigh of relief.

I lifted up my palm.

“You got something to say to me?” I asked again.

The sphere was creating itself again.

Derek said nothing.

The faerie burped.

I threw up the sphere and the firework was bigger and more brilliant this time. The sparks rocketed around the room much faster. More glasses bit the dust… as did a bottle of whiskey. A chair exploded.

I lifted up my palm again.

“You know who I am too,” Derek said. “I know witches… I even know about you. You can’t keep that up… even you don’t have the power without a wand.”

The sphere went into triple time, creating itself in seconds before I threw it up and the firework was three times the size, the rockets of sparks were not only silver and shell pink but also violet and brilliant blue and they shot around the room like bullets.

Rows of liquor and glasses exploded with fragments flying everywhere. A table and three chairs blew up, their wood and splinters scattering. More furniture overturned or flew across the room. The faerie flew under the bar and the vampire and werewolf dove for cover.

I controlled every last spark. Aidan, Ash and myself were untouched. It was taking a lot out of me but I’d be damned if I was going to let on.

Derek had hidden under the bar.

When he straightened up again, there was another sphere in my hand.

“Feel like talking yet?” I asked.

Aidan and Ash had come closer because the werewolf and vampire were up and had brushed the glass and splinters off their clothes. They didn’t look just interested anymore, they looked pissed off. The faerie hovered over his overturned glass staring at the dripping stout with despair.

There was silence.

All hell was gonna break loose, any second.

Cripes!

“Okay, okay,” Derek said (thank the goddess) as I threw the sphere up and it waited, hovering. “Whatever they’re up to, it’s too big, no one’s talking, like I said.”

I flexed my fingers.

“Wait!” Derek shouted. “Bligh’s been here. He’s been everywhere. Talk to him. He knows something.”

Who on this lush, green earth was Bligh?

I kept the sphere hovering when Aidan leaned into my ear and whispered, “Banish it, Matty, we’ve got what we need. Let’s go.”

I swept my hand up and around and absorbed the sphere back into my palm.

Still courteous, of course, I said to Derek, “Thank you.”

He just stared.

I smiled and nodded to the werewolf and vampire. “Sorry, guys,” I said.

The vampire relaxed and smiled too, nice and slow (must say, he was kinda cute… like, really kinda cute, in a thin, pale, dangerous, sexy David Tennant kind of way. I hesitated and smiled back then I put my hand on my hip going into my flirty pose when Aidan grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door).

The werewolf man just righted his chair and sat down again.

“You sure you don’t need a faerie?” the little guy called while we walked out.

The taxi was waiting, Ash shoved me in.

Nothing.

Not a word.

Total silence.

And then Aidan asked Ash, “You get a confirmation on Islington?”

“Yep,” Ash answered.

I may not have expected applause but I did expect something, a “well done”, a kiss on the cheek, something.

“Um… hello?” I called.

They turned to me.

First, Ash winked.

Then, Aidan grinned.

Fucking men.

* * * * *

To sum up:

“Bligh” is Jeremy as in Ichabod as in Agatha Darling’s watcher.

And Islington is too scary to record in any detail.

Islington is where one of Darling’s boys live(d?).

I didn’t get to go in, Aidan and Ash left me in the hallway.

The noises that came through the door were enough.

By the time Aidan came out with the all clear and I went in, the bad guy was hog-tied and gagged on the floor.

He didn’t look too good.

“They’re coming to get him,” Ash said as I entered.

The man grunted and strained.

Aidan nodded.

And we left.

The dirty-haired pawn shop dude had closed up shop by the time we got back. We went to a high-rise estate and, without knocking, Ash used his shoulder to break open the door.