Witch In Charge - Celia Kyle Page 0,6
rest on various parts of the floor, Louie pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Dammit,” he hissed under his breath.
Just then, Kelly’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, and raised an eyebrow at what had to be a spam number because it was all sixes.
The 2 girls on top, the message read.
“Sounds like porn,” she mumbled, and put the phone back in her pocket.
“What’s that?”
“Nothing,” she shrugged at him. “Wrong number, I guess.”
Three
Kelly’s heels clicked loudly on the stone pathway as she hurried toward the main building of Othercross Judiciary. Even after working here for so long, she wasn’t exactly sure where to find her new boss.
“Maybe I should have worn my white high tops with the pink laces,” she whispered absently, looking at her feet.
The pearl pumps were so nice though, and they went with practically everything. If you looked good, it didn’t matter if you were running a few minutes late. Heels this nice demanded a slow, swinging step. Running in them would make her look like a bird trying to take off. She giggled to herself and clutched her bag even tighter to her side as she picked up her pace. Just a little.
She really didn’t want to be late, it always just kind of…happened. Her eyes were drawn from the wide stones of the pathway up to the trees that lined it, the branches tracing web patterns across the dark sky. She had her head in the clouds again. The draw of the night was far stronger than her duty to her work.
The minutes ticked by. Her new boss would most likely be waiting, but she decided to make a quick detour to see Ryan. Even though she had accepted the keys and moved into Hollow House officially, most of her stuff hadn’t made it over to the place. She would need some big, muscly help. Well…help, anyway.
The sound of her heels echoed off the stone floors and walls. She turned down one of the hallways to the research area where Ryan usually hung out. She wasn’t even sure what he did but assumed it had to do with organizing files and compiling documents for other workers.
“Hey, Ry?” she called as she poked her head through the big doors.
She smiled brightly as he came around a stack of books, holding two massive tomes. He deposited them heavily on the nearby table and hurried over to give her a quick hug.
“Hey! Aren’t you supposed to be starting your new gig tonight?”
“I’ll get there,” she shrugged. “I was just hoping to catch you before you left…to ask for a favor. You know.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I know. What do you need?”
“I’ve still got stuff to move out of my room. I was hoping you and the band might be able to help me out a bit.”
“Um, heavy lifting isn’t exactly my strong point.” He flickered his thin, delicate wings as if making a point.
“But you’re so big and muscular!” she exclaimed, as if his insinuation of delicacy were simply absurd. They both managed to keep a straight face for all of five seconds. Peals of laughter burst from them.
“Oh, Kelly!” Ryan put an arm around her, giving her a quick hug. “You never quit, do you?”
“Nope. Not in my nature.”
“So… What is your new internship all about? Is it more of the same as when you worked for Cora?”
“No clue.” She shook her head.
“Who’s your boss?”
“Owyn Stahagan. I practiced saying that last name about a hundred times.”
“Ohh, I hear he’s kind of a stick in the mud.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I don’t think he’ll appreciate your sense of humor. Try to be on your best behavior, okay?”
“I don’t like the sound of this.”
“No, you have to give this a go, Kell,” Ryan said very seriously. “He has the reputation of being the very best curse breaker in Othercross. He’s got it all—power, talent, education, and creativity. If you work with him, you’ll learn a lot.”
“Just don’t try and make him laugh, huh?”
Ryan smiled. “I didn’t say his sense of humor was dead, just that he might not appreciate yours.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?” Kelly asked, genuinely confused.
“My dear girl.” Ryan stroked her cheek, shaking his head. “Don’t ever change. You are a gorgeous and unique creature.”
“Aw, thanks!” Kelly brightened and hugged him. As she pulled back, her brow furrowed and she narrowed her eyes at him. “You know…that could be a thinly veiled jab.”
Ryan grinned. “It could be.”
“Look, forget that!” She waved away the banter. “How do I keep Owyn