“Deliah, it’s time to wake up.”

  “Mom?”

  My body feels heavy, as if my limbs are made of lead. I want to open my eyes, but I can’t. What’s going on?

  “You need to wake up, Deliah.”

  The voice changes, and then it’s Rosaria speaking to me. “Deliah, wake up, now.” There’s a sense of urgency in her voice.

  I’m so tired.

  Maybe just a few more minutes.

  “Deliah Drake!”

  There’s a surge of something —energy, electricity, whatever it is —it jolts my entire body. My eyes are still closed; I keep trying to open them, but I can’t. So, I’m surprised when two very familiar, rge eyes appear directly in front of me.

  How can I see them?

  “Little mote, you must wake up. Now, wake up!” It comes out as a roar.

  I bolt upward and immediately regret it. Everything hurts; it feels like I’m on fire. My connection to the stars is still open, and I’m boiling from it. My reserves aren’t just full, they’re overflowing, into my limbs, into my skeleton, and scorching it.

  The stars don’t want to let me go tonight. If I keep burning, will I become one?

  There’s something nice about that.

  I would bze so bright.

  It takes a lot of concentration to drop my connection, and I immediately sag back to the rooftop, and Rosaria is leaning over me a minute ter.

  “I need to move you, Deliah. The authorities will be here presently.” I watch Rosaria wave her hand, but nothing happens. Maybe she moved the bodies away? Whatever magic destroyed the street, that’s one thing; almost ten bodies in various states are something else altogether. I’m not exactly surprised when Rosaria gathers me up in her arms, and we appear back in the suite at the Atntis Grande. So much for the Dolli, but I do need to get home, and one less step is appreciated.

  My thoughts short-circuit when Rosaria ys me down on the bed. “I have to go.” I don’t think I should use my magic right now; my shimmer would cut the travel time to minutes, but I’m not even sure I can stand up right now.

  “You do, my darling, but not yet.” Rosaria’s hand traces down my cheek. “You’re boiling over. First, you drain yourself dry, and then you draw in far too much magic. You overdid it, as you often do. I’m going to kiss you, Deliah, and draw the excess away.” I expected her to kiss my forehead, like Rosaria did when she boosted me, but as her lips press against mine, first tender, and then deeply, I find myself kissing her back, living out my fantasies for this moment, even as I feel my magic settle down, as the excess magic is drained away. Rosaria pulls away, and I lean back in, eager to continue, and to my shock, she stops me. “Enough, Deliah. You asked to leave, and leave you shall. Do not start something you don’t intend to finish.”

  It’s stupid to be tempted, but I am, because I’m an idiot, but I really should get home, and not just because I have csses in the morning, well, in a couple of hours from now. I’m going to be exhausted no matter what I do, but at least sleep would help. Maybe not everything, not the magical fatigue, but something. At least I hope it does.

  “Sorry, caught up in the moment.” Because I really have wanted to kiss Rosaria since I met her, and the feel of her lips on mine is something I want to feel again.

  “We will have more moments. Galina is on her way; she will escort you home with the care package in hand. I will summon you at six this evening; we have much to discuss regarding tonight’s events.” Rosaria looks tempted to lean back in, and since I really do need to leave, my limbs are heavy enough already. I push myself into a seated position because if I don’t do it right now, I won’t.

  That’s after cheer practice is over. Does Rosaria have my entire schedule memorized? She must. I am not looking forward to practice, urgh.

  “Thanks. Rosaria for helping me tonight.” Dinner was fun, minus Madison, and the kiss really was nice, despite the almost dying thing. Huh, maybe tonight actually mostly sucked.

  Rosaria looks irritated, no, embarrassed, that’s interesting. “It was my duty, Deliah. You were my guest, I would not let them take you, or allow any harm to come to you.” That actually makes sense; it also expins why she was so passive earlier. Some species take guest rights seriously, and Rosaria appears to be one of them.

  “I thought Leon was immortal.” And he’s dead, I killed him. He attacked me first, but I’ve never killed before. I’m too tired to freak out now, but ter? Who knows.

  “Immortal, yes, but not eternal. Leon didn’t age, but he was not immune to death. You impaled him on his own magic. Do not worry about it, Deliah. We will discuss these matters tonight.”

  The door to the suite swings open, and Galina steps into view. She looks like she just left a salon. She pauses with her hands on her hips, and to my surprise, gres at Rosaria. “Boss, I said you can’t sleep with her, the poor thing looks wrecked.”

  Gd to know that I look as bad as I feel.

  Yay.

  “We didn’t fuck, we were attacked. Eight dead, three fled before combat, Meridia was not among the dead, unfortunately.” Rosaria’s hand strokes my cheek again, and I lean into her touch without intending to; it really is soothing. “My darling did something incredible tonight.” The thrum rattles me, there’s no other word for it. It’s like every cell in my body shook. “She’s sensitive.” Rosaria gives me a fond smile. “More sensitive than usual. Be gentle with her. Deliah is dead on her feet.”

  Galina stares at Rosaria, looking for a hint of a lie before walking over and pulling me off the bed and into a princess carry without any effort, at least that I can tell. She seems completely unaffected by my weight. “I’ll get her home then. Are we having a briefing?”

  “When you return, there’s much to discuss and even more to prepare for. Be safe, both of you.”

  “Yes, Ma’am. I’ll be quick.”

  We pass dozens of people, but no one says a word to Galina about me. It’s weird, I would have expected at least one comment, but nothing. So it’s probably magic. She carries me out to a waiting car, and after buckling me in, I fall asleep to the gentle vibrations of her car.

  ***

  My arm has me bolting out of bed, and I immediately regret it. Ouch, my head. I feel hungover, but I didn’t drink st night. No, wait, I absolutely did. Holy shit, Rosaria took me to Greece.

  Ooh, my head, but honestly, everything hurts.

  Wait, how did I get into my bedroom? I don’t remember much after the hotel. My wards should keep magic users out; I have so many questions.

  Hangover first, other problems ter.

  It only takes a second to open my nightstand and fish out two Midol and a small amount of chocote. That will at least take the edge off, well, that and the bottle of water I’m currently inhaling. Who needs a minifridge when I can just keep drinks cold with a bit of magic?

  I need a shower, but a bag with an attached note grabs my attention. It’s handwritten and really pretty.

  Deliah,

  Here are the clothes for your onboarding on Friday; your keys are in your purse. Sorry for the intrusion, but I let myself in, and out for that matter. You were deeply asleep, and I couldn’t wake you st night.

  I look forward to working with you.

  Galina

  Well, that answers a few questions I had. Galina doesn’t have magic, so my wards wouldn’t keep her out. I really don’t like the idea that she was here in my bedroom when I was unconscious, especially if it was deep enough that I didn’t wake up at all when she carried me from the car and to my bedroom.

  I should have figured something out after Madison broke into my office, but here at home, I have a lot more limitations; my parents live here, and it would be awkward if they couldn’t get into their own house.

  Hirious, but awkward.

  I’m going to do some research; maybe I can shield my bedroom, activate it before I go to sleep, and turn it off when I leave in the morning. If Galina could carry me into my house, nothing is stopping her or someone else from taking me out.

  Yay, another problem for ter, because csses start in an hour, so I really need to get moving.

  Thankfully, I feel slightly more human after the shower, and hopefully, some actual caffeine will help too. Yes, Midol has a small amount, but I could use more - a lot more.

  Mom’s standing in the kitchen, on the phone, when I come in; there’s already a cup of coffee waiting for me.

  “Yes, Veronica, it’s due at 2 PM today. I need the report by noon to do a final read-through.” There’s a pause. “Yes, it’s st-minute, but that’s what the client wants. Pull in Deanna from Ops if you need extra help; just get it done. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  I wait until she puts her phone away before I say. “Thanks for the coffee, Mom.”

  “You had a te night, I figured you could use it.” There’s no judgment in her tone, which is a bit weird. Mom’s usually uptight about my te hours. “How was your unofficial onboarding?”

  Unofficial?

  Did Rosaria or Galina tell my parents where I was st night, making it sound like it was for the internship? That’s helpful.

  “It was a really nice dinner. I’m looking forward to Friday.” If Mom can hear the lie, she doesn’t react; that’s good. I should be excited, I am, at least a little. RSI opens doors, and I might as well reap the benefits of the internship.

  “RSI is huge, Deliah. It’s an incredible opportunity.” Mon doesn’t say, ‘don’t blow it,’ but I can hear it in her tone. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

  “Galina is really nice, she’ll be easy to work with.” I’m drinking my coffee faster than I should, but I really want to drink at least two before I need to leave.

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll be a better assistant than Veronica is; that girl has no ambition.” Why would she? Veronica gets paid the same sary if she busts her ass or does the bare minimum, plus I know she was rejected for the st three postings she applied for. I’d be phoning it in too. Maybe you should give her a raise, Mom, instead of telling Veronica she’s almost ready for promotion and then not telling her what she needs to work on. “What’s your schedule today?”

  “Cheer practice, and then I have some reading I need to do for my internship with Galina. I’ll be home te.” I’m guessing, but after st night, I’d rather pad my estimates. Mom seems happy enough for me to have te nights if it’s for my internship.

  There’s something sly in Mom’s smile, but the reason only becomes obvious when she says. “Try not to crush on your coworkers, Deliah.”

  “What do you mean?” And I’m genuinely not sure, I’m not awake enough for this conversation.

  “I’ve met both Miss Rosaria and Galina; they’re attractive women, and you have a type.”

  Oh, yeah, okay, that’s perfectly fair.

  “I don’t want to mess up the internship, Mom, so don’t worry. I’ll be keeping it professional.” One kiss notwithstanding.

  Mom grabs my now-empty cup and refills it with a sigh. “Please tell me you’ve had some water?”

  “A full bottle before I came downstairs.” I should probably have another three or four before practice this afternoon.”

  “Good, I need to run. Willow is going to call you. We have a meeting on Monday, just about your internship.” Mom’s bustling around the kitchen while she talks, that’s fine, it’s expected. So is meeting with Willow, of course, she wants to check in. My success looks good for her career.

  “Okay, love you.” But Mom’s already gone.

  Time to get ready, but with minimal makeup this morning. I’m too tired to do anything complex, and I need to walk to school.

  Alright, I look good, and the dark circles are hidden, all set.

  Except I stop dead when I walk out my front door, and Madion’s car is sitting there. What is she doing here?

  Madison leans out the window and waves when she sees me. “I’m your ride, get in.” I just stare at her, and Madison must have expected it because she adds. “Rosaria sent me. I have a note.”

  Of course she does.

  Maybe it’s petty of me, but as I walk over and get into the car, I say. “You’re turning up like a bad penny tely, Mads.” And something goes wrong every single time she does, I really hope we aren’t going to be three for three. Whatever, I ruffle my hair to self-soothe. I really hope this goes better than st night.

  As Madison passes the note over, Rosaria’s wave insignia is humming, and it feels like her magic. One less concern, I was pretty sure, Madison isn’t going to lie about who she represents, she says. “I’m gd you’re safe, Dee.”

  “I’m not safe, Mads.” I ugh, and it’s so bitter. “Everything is such a mess, and you’re not helping, even a little. Seriously, what the hell is going on with you?” She can’t just show up and flirt with me, and intersperse the flirting with betrayal. It isn’t fair.

  I don’t get an answer right away, not until Madison’s backed out of the driveway, and we’re on the way to school. “I do miss you, so so much. I’m happier than ever, but there’s a piece of me that’s been missing, and it was okay, you know? For a while, because everything else was so good, but then I saw you, and it was supposed to be a work thing, nothing serious, but it was like old times.”

  Words that mean so much, but that isn’t what Mads has been doing; we aren’t just being old friends reconnecting. “It isn’t like old times, Mads. You’re fucking straight! You don’t get to flirt with me like you aren’t.”

  Madison drives past the school and up to a drive-through. “I am, but I do love you, Dee. I’m willing to try, aren’t you?”

  It takes a surprising amount of self-control to keep from punching something. I haven’t opened Rosaria’s letter yet, and I should, but once again, Madison has me completely out of sorts.

  “No, Mads, I’m not. Do you have any idea how painful that sounds? Dating someone who isn’t actually attracted to me?” The idea of it hurts, worse than the burning from st night. I’ve wanted Madison back in my life ever since she left, but having her back is so much worse than I ever could have imagined. It’s awful. I need a distraction, so I crack open Rosaria’s letter. I’m vaguely aware of Madison ordering drinks.

  My darling,

  I’ve dispatched your Madison to escort you to and from school for the remainder of this week. Things are explosive at the moment, and your safety is paramount. She will bring you to the Atntis Grande for our meeting tonight.

  Yours, Rosaria.

  PS. You tasted so sweet. I look forward to our next kiss.

  Well, it’s definitely from Rosaria, not that I had any doubts, but the peace of mind is nice at least. Especially with that st line, I can’t believe we kissed st night. I almost slipped up at the restaurant, gave in, and ter, with Rosaria leaning over me, kissing me, I didn’t want it to end. Even now, thinking about that part st night has a pleasant flush moving into my face. Pleasant or not, I can’t kiss Rosaria again, I can’t even entertain fantasies about it.

  “Here’s your mocha, Dee,” Madison says, and I jump, too caught up in my thoughts. I’m being so stupid.

  A quick wave of my fingers has Rosaria’s note sent to my office, secure and, more importantly, away from where Madison might try to read it. “Thanks.” I test the drink immediately, and thankfully, it comes back clean. I trust Rosaria more than Madison right now, and that really hurts.

  “Dee.” Madison’s hand brushes up my arm, and she lightly shakes her head at me. “I wish I were gay, I really do. You would make me so much happier than any boy ever would. Rosaria said…” Madison cuts herself off, yeah, no. I’m not letting her get away with that.

  “What did she say, Mads?” My voice is calm, barely. What did Rosaria offer Madison, or tempt her with? My school arm rings, signaling that the first bell is in two minutes. Maybe I’ll be te, maybe I won’t be, but I’m not letting this go.

  “I’ve wanted to love you for years, Rosaria said she could help.”

  That’s.

  I throw my mocha into the nearest cup holder before I burn myself. I’m vibrating. I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry before. Both of my hands are curled into fists, and there’s a ringing in my ears, and I’m not sure that it isn’t from steam. I’m furious.

  “Dee?”

  My voice is shaking, but after a minute, I manage to get the words out. “Is Rosaria still at the Atntis?” She should be, especially if that’s where our meeting is tonight.

  “Ah, yeah.” If I’m angry, Madison is unsure, probably for the first time since she left the first time,

  I reach into my purse and take out an old cigarette case. I don’t smoke, but the case is designed to hold fragile objects, which makes it perfect for my needs. I open it, slip out a single cy rod, and snap it in half. A mist washes over me before it forms into a copy of me just outside the car, who starts jogging to school. My echo will arrive in time for css, and no one will notice the difference. I have to use them sparingly; they’re hard to make, and I don’t retain any memories from their day. Passing notes to myself is the best I’ve been able to figure out so far. Thankfully, school is typically pretty normal day-to-day, so there isn’t much to worry about.

  Magic can do a lot, a lot of wondrous things, and for every single one, there are three more horrible ones. So could Rosaria make Madison gay, or at least attracted to me? Sure. Twisting people is easy, but there’s always a cost. The moment you change someone’s fundamental nature, you create stress points that grow every day. A person can only act outside their nature for so long before it shatters them, and however I feel about Mads, and that varies a lot moment to moment, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if she got hurt because of me, and my stupid fucking crush.

  “We’re going to see her now, Mads. Right the fuck now. Start driving, or I’ll shimmer us there.” It would drain all my charges, but for something like this, it’s worth it.

  My magic is boiling under my skin; anyone in the community is going to spot me from half a mile away, and it’s taking all of my concentration to keep it leashed. Even the aegis feels warm, and it only felt like that before Rosaria and I were attacked st night.

  Thankfully, Madison starts driving, while shooting me the occasional worried look. My chest is heaving, I don’t even know how to describe how I’m feeling, upset doesn’t even scratch the surface, furious is closer, but still not right. I want to burn everything to the ground. Ever since I found out Mads was passing information about me along, I’ve been angry, but was she doing it for us all along? Am I the reason she left and has been doing all this? I hate myself right now, and if my suspicions are proven true, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

  The drive doesn’t take long, and the car hasn’t even fully stopped before I activate my shimmer until I reach the elevator, Madison can catch up, and bring my coffee. I might need a few minutes alone with Rosaria. Good thing I keep the access key to the penthouse in my purse, sure, I sm my purse into the reader a few times until it registers, but that felt good, I need something to take my frustration out on right now, and whether it’s warranted or not, I can’t attack Rosaria.

  Galina’s watching me warily when I open the penthouse door. She isn’t magical, and she has every right to be.

  “Where is she?” I really don’t like how my voice sounds right now, guttural.

  “In a meeting, Deliah. She felt you from halfway across the city. I’m getting goosebumps from all the way over here. Whatever you’re angry about, you need to calm down. We can talk calmly.”

  “Calm, calm! I feel like I’m going to explode.”

  Galina holds up her hands, palms outward, like she’s trying to hold off a wild animal; maybe she is. I certainly feel feral right now. “You don’t know me, Deliah.” She smiles at me, even if it’s a bit hesitant. “But I’ve heard of you before the other day. You’re so new, retively speaking, but you’re using your talents to help others. Do you have any idea how rare that is, what it says about your character? I trust that you won’t attack me. So I’m going to come hug you.” And sure enough, Galina crosses the room and wraps her arms around me. I leave my arms at my side, but after a minute, I return the hug, sink into Galina’s embrace and slowly start feeling calmer. She isn’t doing any magic, but being in her arms is soothing. Eventually, she says. “So you’re skipping school, and you showed up spitting nails. What did she do now?”

  That at least gets a ugh out of me. “You know about my friend Madison, right?” There’s no way she doesn’t, especially since Mads is acting as my chauffeur.

  “We’ve met several times, including st night after I tucked you into bed.”

  I feel the heat of a blush rushing into my face; it’s completely different from the rage I’ve been feeling for the st half hour or so. “Thanks for that, I was completely out of it.”

  “You’re very welcome, Deliah. So what did Rosaria do to your Madison?”

  My Madison, that’s one way to talk about her. “My very straight friend has been flirting with me, and Rosaria has either been editing her or offered to. I’ve had a crush on Madison for years now, but she can’t love me, and I came to terms with that.”

  The penthouse door slowly opens behind us, and when I turn my head, I see Madison poking her head in through the crack. Probably making sure I’m not utterly destroying the pce, I’m calming down, my magic is simmering instead of boiling right now. Galina is helping a lot.

  “Speak of the devil, come in, Madison.” I’m trying to keep my breathing calm, and the smell of Galina’s perfume is helping; it’s vender, I think, whatever it is, it’s helping a lot. Seeing Mads has my heart racing again. Galina rubs my back; she must be able to tell my stress levels spiked. “Try to remain calm, Deliah.” Easier said than done, I thought I was calming down, but seeing Madison just undid everything.

  Madison steps slowly into the room, and she looks around more, but nothing’s exploded, not yet. It’s probably for the best that Galina intercepted me, because I absolutely would have attacked Rosaria, however futile or stupid that would have been. “I ah, have your mocha, Deliah. Sorry, Galina, I wasn’t expecting to come here yet, so I only have ours.”

  “That’s quite fine, Madison. Why don’t you take a seat on the sofa, and we’ll join you momentarily.”

  “Sure.” Madison doesn’t take her eyes off of me until she’s sitting on the couch, and I feel Galina’s arms tighten around me.

  “Deliah, I want you to take ten slow, deep breaths. Can you do that for me?” I nod, and start taking the breaths; breathing exercises are routine from practice. The entire time, Galina’s hands keep tracing my back, and between her hands and the breathing exercises, I’m feeling a lot better. “Now, we’re going to go sit and wait for Rosaria. She should only be another few minutes.”

  Once Galina drops her arms, I walk over to the sofa and sit a bit away from Madison, but close enough to reach out and touch her if I need to. She smiles at me and holds out my mocha. It’s tempting to grab her hand, but I push down the impulse.

  I check my drink again, better to be safe than sorry, and then use a second spell to bring the temperature back up. There are a lot of things I could be doing right now or saying, or frankly screaming, but I close my eyes and sip on my drink, almost floating in the sensations until I hear a door open, and then I can feel Rosaria’s magic, and my breath catches.

  Stay calm, just stay calm, Deliah.

  Rosaria’s coming closer, and I focus more on my drink, on the warmth, on the taste, and smell of the chocote. I need to be grounded right now. I can’t give in to my raging emotions. Rosaria doesn’t speak until she’s right in front of me, but once she is, she strokes my cheek as she says. “Open your eyes, my darling. We have much to discuss.” The thrum from darling shatters my calm, my breath catches, and I hear Madison gasp beside me. I was trembling from rage a few minutes ago, and there’s heat still, but it’s much different. I was opening my eyes, but they fluttered just like my heart stutters. “I felt you earlier and thought you were being attacked. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  She hasn’t taken her palm off my cheek, and that makes things a bit easier. “You are.”

  “Use your words, Deliah, or do I need to draw them out of you with another kiss?”

  “Another?” Madison says, sounding breathless, as if it had never even occurred to her that Rosaria and I would kiss.

  “I shouldn’t have let you have the one; it was stupid, I’m being stupid, constantly. Answer me this, then, Rosaria: Did you approach Madison all those months ago?”

  Her nod has me grinding my teeth. “I did, she is your weakness, just as you are hers.” Rosaria lightly grabs my jaw in her hand. “Stop grinding your teeth, Delih, it’s horrible for them. Don’t worry, my darling.” Another thrum, and my jaw rexes automatically. “I haven’t made any adjustments to your friend, not yet.”

  “Never, Rosaria, you will never edit my friend.”

  “Lady Rosaria,” Madison says, but she cuts off when Rosaria looks at her.

  “Silence, you, Madison, wanted to love your friend, and you, Deliah, were desperate for her to love you. Such simple requests, not that you would have ever asked. So stubborn. Galina calmed your ire. I assume you are now calm enough not to do something as foolish as attack me?”

  It’s still tempting, but no, I’ve calmed down considerably; ter, though, well, anything could happen. “Yes.”

  Rosaria lets go of my face with a pleased smile. “Wonderful, since you are skipping your csses today, we can start our business sooner.” Galina walks back into view with a clipboard and passes it directly over to me, and without missing a beat, Rosaria says. “Sign those.”

  That’s a lot of pages, and a lot of words. Worse, none of this looks like it’s for my internship, assets? Holdings, what the hell is all this?

  “I can’t make heads or tails of this.” I take a long sip of my mocha, but it doesn’t help; it doesn’t make me feel better or make the paperwork any more sense.

  There’s a low, almost growl from Rosaria, but after a moment, she nods. “You killed Leon in combat.” Madison gasps, and she’s looking at me with incredibly wide eyes. “His holdings are now yours.”

  “They’re what?!” The world swims for a minute. Leon’s wealth was considerable, even by rumours alone; I can’t even imagine what he actually had after over a thousand years. Whatever, that’s a problem for another time.

  “Under normal circumstances, they would transfer to me. You struck the only blows against Leon during our battle, and are not officially under my banner, thus his holdings transfer to you.”

  My legs feel like they’re made of jelly, and I’m sitting right now. I would have been on the floor if I had been standing. “I don’t, but what?”

  Rosaria just grins at me, “Congratutions, you’re a Baroness, and you don’t need to worry about schorships any longer.”

  I feel like I’m blue screening, my thoughts are flying a mile a minute, and as soon as I manage to grasp one, a dozen more pop up. “I don’t even know where to start. Are these documents legitimate?”

  Galina shocks me by staying. “They’re the standard forms. I collected them this morning. They’re enchanted, no edits, and nothing slipped in if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  I was.

  “So, the upsides are pretty clear. What are the downsides?” Because I might be taken off guard, but not so much that I’m going to risk it.

  “Nothing new for you, Meredia is coming for your head either way. She wanted to own you, Deliah, but her intentions have changed since st night. You embarrassed her. Now, she wants you to hurt.”

  I press my palm into my face. I can’t deal with all this. I’m still exhausted and a little hungover on top of that. “That’s why I didn’t want to sign up with anyone. I just want to use my talents to help people, but I haven’t even joined the Crimson Dawn, and here I am, stuck in the middle of one of your wars.”

  “Dee, it will be okay. Rosaria will help you.”

  Oh, good, everyone’s on her side, not that I’m all that surprised. I’m the only one of the three of us who isn’t employed by Rosaria. Okay, fine, whatever. I write my full name on the forms, and there’s a ping from them, and Galina nods. “I’ll get them filed. Congratutions, Deliah.”

  That’s a word for it. “Now, my darling.” I almost drop my mocha, Rosaria is pushing it this morning. What I can’t figure out is whether it’s because of how angry I am or to ensure that I know she’s in control. Frankly, it could be either or both. “We have other business ahead of us. Madison, I’ll summon you ter. You may go.” I want her to stay, but other than giving me a long searching look, Madison slides to her feet and walks out of the penthouse, and I can’t take my eyes off of her the entire time. “Now that we’re alone, Deliah, are you going to attack me? If so, we should adjourn to the roof.” She says it in such a mild tone, as if it’s a completely possible outcome.

  “I have too many conflicting emotions and drives right now. Rosaria, I want to punch you in the mouth, and I want to kiss you. I want to sleep for a few days. I want to take Madison and shake her until she realizes how stupid she’s being, and I want to kiss her, too, and that makes me feel horrible. I’d probably throw up if Madison kissed me, and that is even worse! And I desperately want to run and never look back.” It would be so easy, especially now with Leon’s stuff; I have all the resources I could ever want. Who needs school? Well, I do, I really do want to go to college, be a cheerleader, live my life.

  Rosaria wraps her arms around me, and I don’t resist as she pulls me into a hug. “I’m not an amateur, Deliah. Humans are fragile, yes, but your Madison already loves you; tweaking her attraction to limit it solely to you would be child’s py. You’re attracted to me, but your inhibitions weigh you down. It would take moments to change that. I’ve had a dozen opportunities, and I’ve resisted, and do you know why?”

  The easiest answer is. “Because you don’t want to, you want me to ask for it, to desire you of my own free will. To choose you.” I’m fighting down a yawn; I’m completely wiped out from st night, and this morning isn’t helping with my exhaustion.

  She ughs, even as she shakes her head. “All very good reasons, but no, Deliah. I enjoy the chase, and tweaking you would remove any challenge.”

  Well, that’s one answer, but it leaves a lot more. “And darling?” I feel the thrum again, and it’s always so strange when I feel it from inside myself, and not from Rosaria. “That’s cheating, isn’t it?”

  “Perhaps.” Rosaria leans in and brushes her lips across my cheek, and I tremble in her arms. “That is as much for me as to warn others not to trespass. I want to make you an offer, Deliah.”

  Listening is probably stupid, but I nod. “What are you thinking?”

  “Leon’s holdings are yours, but you frankly have neither the time nor the knowledge to manage them. I’d like to steward them for you.”

  That’s an exceptionally kind offer, but I don’t have time for extra work. The internship I haven’t even started yet is already taking up too much of my time and bandwidth. So the real question becomes. “Is there a catch?”

  “Just one,” Rosaria says as she gently pokes me lightly on the nose.

  It’s incredibly tempting to sp her hand away, but I manage to restrain myself, for now at least. “What is it?”

  “You, obviously. Not permanently, our date st night was interrupted. I want a repeat.”

  One part of me wants to tell her no, we haven’t had a single date, and she isn’t going to get one. Forget power dynamics; she’s infiltrating every part of my life and has been for who knows how long. Another recognizes my attraction to Rosaria, and doesn’t see the harm, the seduction I’m in the middle of, that part really needs to be quiet. Which leaves the third part: my rational self, who knows I can’t handle the administrative duties and responsibilities of Leon’s estate. Sure, I could quit school, quit this life, and live like a queen, well, baroness, but that isn’t what I want outside of the odd moment.

  Still, better safe than sorry. “Define date.”

  I really should have expected something, but as Rosaria raises both hands to cup my face and almost dazzles me with her smile, I’m completely taken aback, and only mostly from gay panic. My heart is racing. “Twelve hours, spent together, with dinner and dancing. That’s my price.”

  That sounds reasonable, frankly, too reasonable. I can’t think of an obvious reason to decline, which is why I need to ask more questions. “That feels too good to be true. You could ask for more, and you’re not, why?”

  “Because I can afford to be patient.” Rosaria ughs even as she drops her hands. “Some of it is that I’m enjoying the chase, as I said, mortals and immortals alike cave under my interest, normally at least. You resist, your needs, your desires, your best interests.” She wraps her arms around me and tightens them. It’s comforting, but I’m definitely trapped. “You like my attention. If I were to kiss you right now, well, you tremble for it. I want you to ask, Deliah. Right now, and ter.”

  This is incredibly stupid, but I do need her help, and there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. “Rosaria of the Crimson Dawn, would you go on a date with me?”

  “Happily, I look forward to it. Now, I want you to go into your room and rest, you’re so exhausted, I can almost taste it, and not just because you’ve only had caffeine today.”

  How does she know that? “My room?”

  “This penthouse has several bedrooms; the one you’ve been using is yours for whenever you’re here.”

  That hadn’t honestly ever occurred to me, that I have a room here; it isn’t like I’ve actually done anything other than get changed here. “We’re not done with our business.”

  “Aren’t we?” Rosaria leans away from me, enough that I can see her face, and quirks her right eyebrow. “You expressed your concerns about your Madison, and you signed the forms as required to access Leon’s former estate. Your body hasn’t recovered from st night, so you need more rest. So what is more important than that?”

  It sounds incredibly petunt to disagree on principle, but I’m tempted to anyway. Rosaria is right, though. “Being petty, mostly. I don’t want to agree.”

  “Darling.” Rosaria draws out the word, and the thrum feels like I’m standing in front of a speaker at a concert. “Go to sleep. If you wish to best me in some way, you need to be rested. Whenever you wake, we’ll share a meal and have another discussion. You asked me for a date, and we can pn it together.”

  Having a hand in pnning the date sounds nice, actually. “You need to let me up first.”

  I half expected Rosaria to grin at me and carry me to the bedroom, but she unwraps her arms from around me and steps back. “Sleep until you feel rested. We are in no rush. Last night was a lot for you.”

  “Thank you.” Her eyes don’t leave me for an instant as I slide off the couch and out to where my room is, and I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

  ***

  I never want to leave this bed, it’s so comfortable, but I really do need to get up, I’m not even sure what time it is. It’s dark, but that could be the curtains; they have a hum to them, so someone, Rosaria, probably improved their ability to block light. It’s always easier to use the nature of an item than to try to work contrary to it.

  Where’s my phone? I don’t see it, or my purse for that matter. Actually, did I even bring it up from the car earlier? I can’t remember. Everything from when Madison picked me up until Galina helped calm me down is a bit of a blur, yay tunnel vision.

  Whatever, it doesn’t matter.

  There’s a small bundle of clothes at the bottom of the bed. They’re fairly casual, honestly. I could wear them to school, and no one would even bat an eye.

  Okay, shower, get dressed, see what time it is, and find my stuff.

  I stayed in the shower a little long, but it really is amazing, and I might as well enjoy the luxury while I can. Once I’m showered and ready, I leave the bedroom, and my backpack and purse are sitting on the sofa. I don’t see anyone, but there are plenty of rooms in this penthouse, so Rosaria or Galina could be in one of those.

  I want to check my phone first, mostly for the time. It’s evening, I stare at the time, it’s seven? I lost the entire day. There are no traces of a spell on me; I must have just been more exhausted than I thought. My shimmer is recharged, so that’s one benefit of my extended nap, and I’ll take whatever advantages I can get right now.

  “Deliah, you’re awake,” Galina says suddenly, and it takes an almost full turn for me to spot her; she’s by the front door.

  “After a fashion.” I let myself ugh, at least I look less of a mess than earlier. “Body is up and moving, the brain is taking a bit longer.” She looks great, professional but still feminine, the bzer is a nice plum colour. From what I saw of my onboarding clothes, I’ll be matching her, and I honestly look forward to it.

  “Let me get you a coffee, take a seat.”

  Before I can think to tell her no, Galina zips off into the kitchen. The coffee will be nice, and my parents aren’t expecting me home any time soon anyway. When Galina comes back in, she’s shed her bzer, and I can’t help but stare. It’s a sleeveless, open shoulder blouse, and she looks incredible. I hadn’t realized how fit Galina is, and as she sits beside me and passes me a coffee while holding her own, I give her a shy smile. “Thanks.” A quick tap of my fingers shows that it’s clean. “So where is Rosaria?”

  “Dealing with your affairs, remind me to give you some documentation before you head home tonight. There’s a new debit card for you.”

  Oh, right, I’m wealthy now.

  Huh.

  “I will, thanks. Sorry for the increase to your workload.” I take a sip of my coffee, and this is great.

  “Honestly, it isn’t bad. When I have you in the office proper next week, you can pay me back.”

  Galina seems to have a lot of authority, and she seems exasperated with Rosaria pretty often, and I find it really reassuring. “Can you teach me how to make coffee like this, because wow.”

  “On Friday, sure, my preferences and Rosaria’s. Your internship will mostly involve shadowing me. Don’t let anyone at RSI know you’re dating the boss; we don’t need the stock pricing dipping.”

  I’m not dating, okay, I’m having a single date I asked for, but that doesn’t count. Rosaria asked me to ask her. “You’re teasing me.” That doesn’t stop the heat rushing into my face, though.

  She wiggles her fingers in a so-so gesture. “You blush pretty cutely, but I am serious too.”

  “Noted, I don’t have pns to really talk to anyone there other than you, I don’t have the bandwidth or time.”

  There’s a bit of disbelief in Galina’s voice when she says. “You really don’t want this internship at all, do you?”

  “Not even a little bit, thanks for limiting the hours.”

  “People would kill for this internship, you know that, right?”

  Sure, and I might be killed over it, or worse if Meridia gets her way. “I know, but I didn’t earn it, not on merit or anything. Rosaria wants me to work for her, and this is a way of keeping me close. The fact that my social worker and parents are thrilled means I can’t just walk away without destroying my life.”

  I’m shocked when Galina ughs. “Deliah, I approved your hiring. No matter what Rosaria wants for the whole magic stuff, and fucking you certainly is one of those things she wants. If you weren’t suitable for the role, I would have told her no. I looked into you, and your transcripts are incredible, and that’s before your charitable work. Frankly, I would have hired you if you had applied for an internship without her prompting.”

  Oh, well, that makes me feel better about the whole thing. “I didn’t take a slot from anyone, right?” I don’t need to feel any worse about myself, but charitable work is an interesting way to describe my clients.

  Galina gently rests her left hand on my shoulder, and I only twitch a little. “Not remotely, we invented a slot for you.” She pauses and ughs. “Stop being such a good person, or I’m going to start feeling bad.”

  “About that, feeling bad. You don’t seem to have any real problem with Rosaria pursuing me. Why is that?” I’m legally an adult, sure, but everything else is sketchy as fuck. Yes, I find Rosaria attractive, but it isn’t like I was pnning on doing anything, not really. Maybe a kiss at the ball, but seriously, I was letting my hair down that night.

  “A CEO fucking young women, on and off their payroll, isn’t new. If you’re asking about the age difference, you’re legal, and attracted to her. I don’t see any reason to get my nose into your business otherwise.”

  “That’s ah, practical of you.” I’m not really sure how to phrase it otherwise.

  “Babe, in this line of work, being practical is the only thing keeping me from pulling my hair out. Rosaria pays me a not-so-small fortune to run daily operations. Your intern pay isn’t nearly what you would get if you actually signed up with her.”

  “That’s less tempting than it was yesterday, with Leon’s resources, my days of scraping the bottom of the barrel are over.” Books, materials, tutors, anything and everything that’s been holding me back for the better part of the st year are gone. Time is my only real constraint.

  “Very true, and I won’t insult you by harping on how much danger those things bring you.”

  I killed Leon, and everything he owned came into my possession. There’s nothing stopping someone from doing the same thing to me.

  “The Crimson Dawn might offer protection I’m sorely in need of, I agree. Especially with Meredia’s interest. It’s probably stupid to risk my life by clinging to my independence, but the people who rely on my help, who use my services, would never accept it, not if I were tied to Rosaria, I’ve asked.” I drain the rest of my coffee. I told Rosaria we could have dinner, but it’s only getting ter, so I might need to have Galina call her.

  And that’s really what it comes down to: my life might be easier in myriad ways, but other people who need my help wouldn’t be; they would be more vulnerable than ever.

  “Are you willing to die for that conviction, Deliah?”

  “Absolutely, because dying is easy. You probably know better than I do how dangerous the supernatural is.” I gesture to the room. “The perks are amazing, but the cost can be so much. If I can help someone, I should. I can’t make my life easier, solely for my benefit, not when others will suffer for my choice.”

  “Hold onto that, Deliah, it’s a precious thing in this world, magic or otherwise.” Galina gnces at my empty coffee cup and smiles. “Are you interested in a refill, or should I tell Rosario that you’re up and about?”

  “I’d love a second cup, but I should probably get dinner with Rosaria, pn our date, and get home. I slept way longer than I expected.”

  Galina brushes her hand down my left arm and stares at me. “You almost died st night, and you barely slept before the other emotional swings you had this morning. We were going to let you sleep until morning if you needed it.”

  I don’t even know how I would have expined that to my parents, but I shiver, both from Galina’s hand and thinking about almost dying. Everything’s so complicated, and right now, I don’t think it’s going to slow down any time soon. “I can’t afford to sleep this much. I lost all of today. I skipped practice, not that anyone knows that, but I do, and it’s shitty, Galina. I’m letting my team down.” Hopefully, my echo left me a note or something; otherwise, I’ll seem like a total fke tomorrow if anything happened today I need to know about.

  “Deliah, you can’t save anyone if you’re exhausted. How much sleep do you get normally?”

  “I talked to Rosaria about this when she dropped the intern bomb on me, four hours, six on a good night. I’m too busy, school for eight hours, another two for practices, and I need to pn routines too. Toss in homework, studying, and time with my parents. All my hours are accounted for before working on cases.”

  “Oh, Deliah, it’s no wonder you’re so tired…” Galina cuts off when the penthouse door opens and Rosaria steps through, and my pulse starts to race. She looks amazing! Rosaria’s makeup looks incredible as always, but she’s wearing a fitted women’s suit, and I might be a bit smitten.

  “Galina has she...” Rosaria’s eyes nd on me, and as she smiles, my heart beats a little faster. “Deliah, you’re awake, how wonderful.” She’s carrying a bag of some kind, but there’s no logo on it. Was she shopping?

  I raise my empty gss. “Galina and I were about to get more coffee and then notify you. Sorry, I slept so long.”

  I’m really more surprised than I should be when Rosaria crosses the distance between us, strokes my cheek with the back of her hand, and smiles as I tremble. “Darling.” The thrum wakes me up more than the coffee does. “You needed the rest.” She turns to Galina and nods. “Thank you for looking after Deliah for me.”

  “Happy to, she’s a delight.” Galina plucks the empty mug from my fingers and waves. “I’ll order dinner. Why don’t you two head up to the roof? The view is gorgeous right now.”

  I roll my eyes while Rosaria is looking at Galina; Galina made it clear that she doesn’t have any objections to Rosaria’s interest in me, but that’s still way more btant support than I expected.

  “Please make arrangements for another coffee for Deliah, and then you can head home for the night, Galina. I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”

  “I’ll brew it myself and bring it out to her. Rosaria, she’s still exhausted, has her home in the next two hours. Deliah needs more rest.”

  Exhausted, maybe, but not sleepy. There are workarounds to that, as long as I use them sparingly, but if I’m home before midnight, I should be okay regardless.

  “Dinner and our conversation, and then home, I promise.” Rosaria extends her right hand to me, and after smiling at Galina, I take it and stand. “Come with me, Deliah.” It’s so easy to follow in Rosaria’s wake, and I smile brightly when we exit onto the roof. Once again, it feels like I can casually reach out to the stars. Rosaria guides me over to a nearby chair and sits across from me.

  My reserves are full, but I can’t quite help reaching out with my connection to the stars, just long enough to brush against them and feel their warmth, and say hello before I close it again.

  “Thank you, Rosaria, for a lot of things, but mostly for pushing me to rest.” I would have powered through today, and tomorrow, and who knows how many other days before I finally rested, or colpsed, that’s the more likely of the two options.

  Rosaria’s voice is almost ft when she says, “Deliah, coming here in a rage this morning made your exhaustion clear to me. Your worries about Madison aside, you know better than to pick a fight you can’t win.”

  “For the record, I’m still not happy about the Madison situation.” There’s just nothing I can do about it right now, maybe ever, but I have to try. Something.

  “I know, but that can wait; we have a date to pn, and then I need to get you home for more rest.” Well, I can’t say that Rosaria doesn’t have her priorities and wants to stick with them; they’re just the opposite of mine.

  Galina walks onto the rooftop a moment ter, and I frown when I notice that she’s wearing her bzer again. That’s a shame. If she notices, though, Galina doesn’t mention it, probably for the best. I don’t need both Galina and Rosaria knowing that I’m attracted to them. “Here’s your coffee, Deliah. I put the paperwork we discussed earlier in your purse.”

  “Oh! Thanks, Galina. For everything. I’ll see you on Friday?”

  She winks at me, and the smile on her face becomes a grin as my cheeks start warming up. “4:30 at the office. I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby. Subtle makeup, if you would. Dinner will be here in twenty minutes.”

  I don’t want to be regional-ready for an office job, so that makes sense. “Totally not a problem, thanks again.” I recheck the coffee, and thankfully, there’s nothing wrong with it. I don’t think Galina would drug me, and that’s part of the problem. I genuinely like her, and at the end of the day, she works for Rosaria and doesn’t have any objections to Rosaria’s pns for me. That means she isn’t a friend, she’s an employee first and foremost. Letting my guard down around her is dangerous, especially since Galina’s already proven that she can waltz through my protections, and I frankly wouldn’t put it past her to have cloned my keys while I was unconscious.

  Actually, does Madison still have a spare? Huh, great, something else to worry about.

  “Wonderful, Galina, thank you.”

  Once we’re alone again, and I’ve had a few sips of my coffee, I finally decide to get down to business. “So, our date. Twelve hours, that means at least two meals, and you mentioned dancing. I have a proposal if you’re interested.”

  “What are you thinking?” Rosaria looks almost intrigued, and that’s fair. This is probably the most engaged I’ve been with her during any of our meetings.

  “I asked you for a date, circumstances aside, I take that kind of thing seriously.” I owe it to anyone I ask to put in the effort and ensure they have a good time. If I ask, it’s everything. “I want us to decide on a destination together, and then we each select a pce to eat, and one activity other than dancing. We can discuss them now together and completely pn our day, or leave them as surprises on the day of. What do you think?”

  Sure, if Rosaria agrees, I’ll have to look things up online for us to do, but I’m not going to compromise how I do things just because this date is with Rosaria, not someone else.

  “Deliah, that sounds absolutely delightful.” There’s a chime from somewhere in the penthouse, and Rosaria nods. “Our meal has arrived. Wait here, and I’ll be back momentarily.”

  I half expected her to teleport it here, but she gracefully stands and walks back into the penthouse.

  Okay, Deliah, the easy part is done. Now for the hard bit, dinner and pnning a date, but first, I drain the rest of my coffee. I’m going to need it.

  ***

  I’m giggling from the euphoria. I finally did it, I got to be a shooting star, and it felt amazing! I really need to figure out flight because I absolutely want to do that more often. I didn’t quite make it all the way home, but within three blocks is a lot better than being in a car for thirty minutes. I just need to walk the rest of the way.

  Today was a lot, and I’m still not happy, not even close. Madison can’t make that deal, and Rosaria can’t edit her because I don’t know whether I’m strong enough to say no if Madison comes up to me and professes her love. Sure, I’ll feel horrible ter, but in the moment, I don’t know if I’ll be able to turn away from a dream.

  My date with Rosaria is looming over everything, too, but that’s a problem for Saturday next week. I can’t think about it anymore tonight, especially since I just spent an hour pnning it, at least in broad strokes. I know where we’re going, Venice, at least to start. Rosaria had a look on her face I couldn’t pce, and with her teleportation, I wouldn’t put it past her to change countries at least once to make things more exciting. Venice is a good starting point; there are a few locations there I would love to visit, and now I have the chance. I need to sort through them, and better yet, see if there’s any magical pce we can go.

  There are a lot of restaurants and stores that are only accessible to people who know about the supernatural. I find more of them all the time, and word of mouth is my best bet. I haven’t wanted to embarrass myself by asking clients about the magical undernet rumours, but it might be worth asking Galina. If anyone would know it would be her, and she’s unlikely to make too much fun of me if the rumours are just to weed out newcomers like I suspect. Normally, I wouldn’t ask at all, but Rosaria has a cell phone, and that opens up a lot of possibilities that I haven’t considered before now, and I might need to reevaluate. I’ll bring it up on Friday, assuming I have any free time for shit that doesn’t have anything to do with my internship. I have the clothes Galina bought me, but maybe I should squeeze in some research. A no-makeup makeup look should be fine for the office, but how do I want to wear my hair? Would gsses downpy how hot I am, or make it worse? What does Rosaria actually like, and how easily can I do the opposite?

  So many questions.

  The date doesn’t need to be exciting or extravagant; it just needs to be a nice time. Low key would honestly be amazing, but Rosaria doesn’t do low key, or subtle for that matter. She’s actively pursuing me, and I can’t deny it’s working. There’s something nice about her attention, as incredibly stupid as it is; I like older women, sue me.

  Rosaria could literally have anyone, and she’s interested in me; I’m never anyone’s first choice.

  An old beater car parked on the street flicks its lights twice as I get close to my driveway. That’s the signal we agreed to. I guess my night isn’t over yet.

  As I walk over and slip into the passenger side, I have to cover my mouth with my hand to muffle the giggles. Sungsses, a scarf, and a giant hat with a blond wig spilling out from underneath it all, honestly, she looks ridiculous.

  “Sorry for the unannounced drop in, but we need to talk, and tonight, but first.” Arms wrap around me in a tight hug, and I melt into it, even as I return the hug. Somehow, this is my least complicated retionship right now. “Are you okay?”

  “It varies, right this minute, I’m doing okay.” I gnce over her outfit again and have to stifle a giggle. “Where’d you get the disguise, Hollywood cliches R Us?”

  My companion tilts down her sungsses so that I can see her roll her eyes at me. “It’s a cssic for a reason. How much time do we have before you’re missed?”

  “Everyone’s in bed, so a few hours for my parents, especially since I told them I would be te.” I didn’t sense anyone watching the house, but that doesn’t mean that no one is. “I need to sleep eventually, though.” Despite only being awake for a couple of hours, I’m still wiped out. It’s so annoying! I know that a lot of it is from stress, but I need at least a week to fully recover from st night.

  She tosses her head slightly, and the hat must be pinned to her hair, because it doesn’t budge. “I won’t keep you too long, your blood sugar is a mess, though. Want a burger while we talk?”

  More food is probably a good idea, especially if she can smell a deficiency. Plus, a burger joint is one way of hanging out where people won’t pay us too much attention, especially at this time of night.

  “Sure, that sounds nice.” I gnce at her disguise and roll my eyes again. “So what am I calling you tonight?”

  There’s a hint of embarrassment in her voice when she says. “Beth.”

  “Cool. It’s great to see you. The letters haven’t been the same. Seriously, thanks for checking in. How have you been?”