Friends With The Monsters - Albany Walker Page 0,79

turned over, their silver legs jutting into the air like spikes. Cups and glasses are littered among the rubble with napkins sprinkled like confetti everywhere.

Yet my eyes are drawn to the bar along the back wall. There’s a pentagram etched into the front, which is typically obscured by the countless number of bodies pressed up against it waiting for their drinks, mine included.

I take another look around with freshly searching eyes and see small runes and symbols dotted throughout the entire area. How could I have never noticed this? Some part of me had always been drawn to this bar in particular—could this be part of it? Did I sense the magic of this place without even realizing it?

Vanessa’s stance shifts when she sees me: her brow furrows and her hands slide off her hips. “Seems you’re coming around a lot more lately, Deanna. To what do I owe the honor?” Vanessa’s eyes slip in Gunnar’s direction after butchering my name. She gazes at him as if waiting for his explanation, as if he owes her something, or at least as if she thinks he does.

I take a step forward, not liking the way her eyes linger on him. “What can I say? This place draws me in like flies to a shithole. What the fuck have you been doing to stink this place up, Vanessa,” I sneer, spitting her name.

Her eyebrows lift as her lips tighten. “I think it’s the recent influx of desperate clientele that may be bringing the place down.”

Calix moves up to my side. “You think so?” I tap my chin and kick out my hip to the side. “I’m not so convinced. I think it has more to do with whatever fucked up rituals you’ve been performing here, if you ask me.”

Vanessa’s eyes dart to Gunnar again, then back to me. “I have no idea what you’re blathering about. And it’s obvious neither do you. Being born Charmed is wasted on someone like you,” she hisses defensively.

“Is that so? Is that why you crave our magic so badly, because you were born without an ounce of power?” I know I’m ruffling her feathers by the way she’s shooting daggers at me.

“I earned every lick of power I’ve ever gotten. Can you say the same?” Vanessa’s voice is low, fused with indignant rage.

Everyone left in the club is watching us. There are several witches inching closer to her—even a few of the security team—while the others stand stock still, waiting to see what will happen next. You can feel the building tension for violence in the air. I drag in the essence and my body sings from it, like having fuel thrown on my fire.

“Want to know a secret?” I waggle my eyebrows at her as I take another step closer to the bottom of the stairs.

Vanessa puffs out a breath. “What could you possibly know that I don’t already? You’re nothing but an ignorant child compared to us.”

She waves her hand like she’s encompassing the entire room and everyone but me in it. Including my guys. That raises my hackles.

A slow, evil grin forms on my lips as I grab hold of the metal handrail for the staircase. “Maybe you do know my secrets,” I lean my torso forward and lower my voice to a whisper, “but I know yours, too.”

Vanessa licks her lips as commotion at the front door has most of the people positioned around us looking in that direction, but I don’t break our stare.

“Fire Department! Clear the building!” is repeated a few times, as men and women in full firefighter gear stomp through the door, ready to put out the nonexistent fire—and the metaphorical one that was flaring between us.

“Be seeing ya,” I announce to Vanessa with a cheerful lilt. Grim and Calix flank my sides, urging me to the door the firefighters came through. I look over my shoulder to see Vanessa and Gunnar in a similar standoff to the one we just shared.

“Don’t open the club back up for business until I can perform a thorough investigation. If you do, it will be grounds for the immediate stripping of your title, with prejudice,” Gunnar states, and it’s clear he’s not talking about the night club, he is speaking about Vanessa’s coven.

Vanessa doesn’t verbally respond, but her anger is written all over her face.

Chapter 21

I’m bouncing on my toes and throwing jabs in the air like a boxer after we clear the rescue personnel. “That was amazing! I want to