: Chapter 47

Savannah

“You okay?” Casey glanced at me as we pulled up in front of Monster Girls auto body shop.

I’d gotten back to the LaSalles’ last night. They’d made me chug one of Uncle Pete’s healing potions, and I was so nauseated afterward that I’d gone to bed and passed out until noon. Nightmares of wolves, blood demons, and the sorcerer had kept me tossing and turning, and I’d felt like death when I woke.

“Yup. Fine and dandy,” I lied. I took a sip of my latte, enjoying the zing on my tongue that vaguely reminded me of licking the terminals on a battery, yet was weirdly delicious.

We’d stopped at Magic Grounds of Being on the way because Casey had said I looked like a zombie, to which I’d replied, What do you expect? Once there, he’d insisted that I try the coffee shop’s signature drink, the Jump-starter.

Caffeine coursed through my veins, or maybe it was magic, because I suddenly felt full of bubbly energy. I hopped out of the car and sighed as the sunshine warmed my face.

Things were dire, probably even more so than when I’d arrived in Magic Side five days ago, but the sun was shining, and I was getting my Fury back. Those were reasons enough to be happy.

A voice rang out as we stepped into the shadow of the shop. “Hiya, sexy!”

Looking for the source, I found an attractive woman with horns and a tail grinning at Casey. “Zara’s in the garage.”

I did a double take as she strode into the office, her tail swishing behind her. “Who is that?” I muttered.

“That, my dear, is Rayne. Hottest she-devil in town.” Casey smirked as he watched her disappear into the shop.

I blinked twice at him and choked out a laugh. Not because there was anything wrong with Rayne—she was wicked hot—but because Casey looked love-stricken.

“Come on, Romeo, let’s get my ride,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Zara was under the car on a red mechanic’s creeper, her legs sticking out from beneath the front bumper. My eyes rounded with shock. The Fury had never looked so good. Its deep reddish-brown paint looked like it had been detailed, though the claw marks were still visible on the hood. They added character, I decided.

“What up, Zar?” Casey said, knocking loudly on the hood of my Fury.

I shot him a glare as Zara rolled out from under the car. “Hey, you two. Your baby is ready to go,” she told me. “I was just double-checking everything. It was a lot of work for a rush job.”

As she got up and wiped her stained black hands on a rag, I took in her attire: gray skinny jeans, a black crop top, and biker boots. The smudge of grease on her forehead completed the look. She was beautiful in a biker chic way, and I was sure she could kick some ass with those boots.

It seemed like she’d done a lot more than just install the magic regulator, and she didn’t seem the type to hand things out for free. Worry twisted in my gut. “How much do I owe you for…?”

I didn’t even know what all she’d done. What if I couldn’t pay for it? Would she just keep my car?

“Your tab’s been paid,” Zara said dryly.

“What? How?” My mind reeled, but I knew the answer as soon as I asked. Jaxson fricking Laurent. It had to be.

“Jaxson ponied up. He told me not to tell you and to just say that I’d fixed it for free—but that would set a bad precedent. I don’t give friends discounts, so if you need more stuff done, you’ll have to pay full price. Triple if I have to steal the car first.”

“Of course he paid,” I hissed, feeling a scowl cut across my face. I wasn’t averse to handouts—hell, I was poor and currently unemployed—but not from Jaxson. For whatever reason, he couldn’t keep his meddling paws away from my ride. I already knew it was just one more way he’d weasel himself back into my life to exert his power over me. “I’d actually like to pay for it myself,” I said, trying to hold my voice steady.

Zara cocked a brow and frowned. “Not possible. Money’s already been exchanged, and I don’t want the pack sniffing around here. I’ve had my share of wolves, and though they’re dynamite in the bedroom, they’re bastards.”

An image of Jaxson in my bedroom flashed through my mind, and my cheeks burned.

Casey smirked. “Don’t get any thoughts, Cuz. I think you’ve already got enough scratch marks on you.” As he snickered, I fought the urge to crawl under my car and die.

Zara laughed and put her kit away as I tried to regain my composure.

Fine. Let him pay. Jaxson was an asshole, and he’d dragged me through hell and back, so I might as well milk the situation for all it was worth. And really, I just wanted my car. I’d worry about the strings another time. “What all did you do?”

Zara threw me the keys. “I fixed the busted taillight and replaced the tranny. This baby is a classic and tough as nails—though when I brought her in, I was surprised she would even run. That was, until I popped the hood. You’ve got some wicked good enchantments on her.”

“Wait a second, what?” I gaped at her.

“You didn’t know?” Zara laughed. “Check this out.”

She lifted the hood and pulled out a little flashlight, which glowed purple when she flicked it on. She shone it over my engine, and wherever the light fell, lines of tiny, glowing symbols appeared running over the components, like the miniscule printing on medicine bottles.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Someone wove some killer enchantments on your engine that kept it running. Honestly, without them, she’d have been a pile of scrap metal years ago.”

The blood drained from my head and the world spun. “My car…is magic? Did Jaxson have this installed?”

“Nah. Wolves only use aftermarket shit. These are custom. Really old-school and kinda obsessive. Like, I think you don’t even have to have a working carburetor with this one, here.” Zara pointed, her voice clearly bemused.

“Let me see that.” Casey plucked the flashlight out of Zara’s hands and leaned over the hood. “Whoa. These are some tight spells! Really precise. It reminds me of my mom’s…” He stood up, slammed his head on the hood, and swore, but then he beamed at me. “Damn, Savannah. I bet your dad enchanted your car. How sweet is that?”

I shook my head, trying to clear away the shock. “But my mom was the mechanic. We spent hours working on it together. My dad said he barely knew how to change a flat.”

Casey’s grin reached ear to ear. “Yeah, well, I think he was tinkering around with it when you weren’t looking.”

My dad had spent a lot of time alone in the garage. I’d thought it was because he’d liked swearing loudly at the TV when the Bears played. “Holy crap.”

My cousin patted me on the back. “Seems like your parents both left a little of themselves in your ride. That’s really cool.”

Uncle Pete’s words came rushing back to me from when I’d helped him brew the scrying potion. Sorcerers put their souls into their magic, which is why they seldom gave out potions or enchantments. That meant my dad had left a lot of his soul in my car. And after so many hours working together on it with my mom, so had she.

As had I.

Zara closed the hood and took her flashlight back from Casey, who’d begun to inspect other things in the shop.

I wiped away a tear that slipped down my cheek. I missed them so damn much, and I wished they’d confided in me and prepared me for this bizarre world before they’d left.

I traced my fingers along the Gran Fury with a newfound sense of wonder. It seemed, even with them gone, I hadn’t ever been quite alone. Not as long as I had my car.

Rubbing away the dampness from my eyes, I turned to my new friends. “So, who wants to go for a spin?”

“Hell, yes.” Casey’s eyes lit up. “Happy hour at Cocina del Jorge starts in twenty. Best nachos south of the Midway and microbrews on tap. Also, there’s a band that sings scandalous songs at your table.”

I laughed. “Jorge’s it is.”

He clapped his hands together. “I’ll buy the first round. You coming with, Zar?”

Zara sighed like coming with us would put her out. “Sure. Technically, this was supposed to be my day off, so I’m free for a few hours. But no tequila shots.” Her eyes flicked between Casey and me. “The last time we were there, your smartass cousin shot tequila out his nose and caused a bar fight with a bunch of vamp bikers.”

After knowing Casey for a week, I wouldn’t expect anything less. We were definitely related. “Sounds about right. Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get in today.”

“I call shotgun,” Casey said, sliding into the front seat. Zara shook her head and cursed but hopped in the back anyway while I slid into the front.

“Hey, you can skate?” Zara hefted up my old roller blades by the laces.

Casey laughed, and I blushed as my childhood came back to haunt me. “I’m pretty good at not falling on my face.”

“Hell yes.” She dropped the skates. “I’ve got two words for you. Roller derby.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Roller derby?”

She gave me a wicked grin. “Yep. This Friday. Also, the situation has changed. This is a discussion for tequila shots. Let’s go.”

My hands were damp with anticipation as I slid the key in the ignition.

I closed my eyes.

While my friends chatted, I thought of my mother and father, who’d tried so hard to protect me from this world. And even though they’d never told me anything, they’d done pretty well, all things considered.

There was still a faceless monster out there hunting me, but we’d shut down his organization in Wisconsin and gotten three abductees back alive. There wouldn’t be any new Madison Lees on the news, and that was a win.

I took a deep breath. Today was about getting my car back and being happy. Tomorrow, I’d tackle the rest of my life.

I turned the key, and the engine purred. Pure joy shot through my heart.

My baby was back.