Twenty-Sided Sorceress 3 - Pack of Lies by Annie Bellett

comics?” I said, trying to keep the smile off my face.
    “Sure do, boss,” he said, his expression scared but his brown eyes dancing with humor.
    “Then put your hand here and repeat after me,” I said, indicating the slipcase. “I solemnly swear that Bruce Wayne is the bestest superhero ever and I will never profane his name or legacy by suggesting anyone could kick his ass. Because they can’t. Because he is the fucking BATMAN.”
    He managed to repeat what I’d said with only a minimum of giggles. For a man who worked nights at a truck stop and still lived in his parents’ basement, Trevor had a lot of pride. I then looked at Harper. “Good enough?”
    “Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes. She turned back to putting away the comics and I returned the hardcover to its spot.
    “So, saw Alek dropped you off,” Harper said, coming over to the counter as I booted up my laptop, hoping to lose myself in translation work.
    “We talked,” I said.
    “And? You guys okay now?”
    “Yeah. Maybe. We’ll see.” I shrugged. A chunk of hair fell into my face. I had tried to braid it all back like usual, but the part that had been obliterated by the bullet was too short to stay tucked in. I’d need to French braid it or something. Another annoyance.
    “What happened to your hair?” Harper reached over and tugged on the short chunk.
    I glanced past her at the back of the store where Trevor had pulled his painting table and was setting up to get to work. He was human, so I doubted he could hear us. I still lowered my voice down to a near whisper, knowing Harper’s preternatural senses would pick it up just fine.
    “Someone took a shot at me today, at the college,” I whispered. I didn’t really want to worry her, but Ezee had been there, so it wasn’t like I’d be able to keep it a secret from Levi or Harper. I was somewhat surprised he hadn’t texted both of them ASAP afterward.
    Then I saw the total lack of surprise in Harper’s face. Ezee had texted her. Bastard.
    “Yeah, I wondered if you’d tell me yourself,” she whispered back. “You are still coming to dinner tonight though. No getting out of that.”
    “It isn’t a good idea,” I said. “Who knows when that assassin will try again? I would just put your mom and Max in danger. Plus I think Levi is bringing Junebug. That’s too many people I care about in one place for me to risk it.”
    “Bullshit. Who better to protect you?” She made a face at me. “You can’t live your life looking over your shoulder, remember? We’re here to watch your back. If you don’t show up, I’ll tell Mom why and she’ll bring the whole damn thing to you, and you know it. Besides, you warded the shit out of the Henhouse. There’s probably no safer place in town.”
    She had a point there. I had been practicing wards by layering them all around Harper’s mother’s bed and breakfast. It was remote enough I could work magic without fear of random discovery, and often had all my friends gathered there. And, until he’d taken off, Alek had been living there in his house trailer, which had been another reason to make sure the place was protected.
    “Fine,” I muttered. “Now will you please let me work?”
    She looked like she had more questions, but just sighed and grabbed her own laptop off the counter, retreating to the oversized chair she liked to game in.
    I closed my eyes and tried to picture the word written on the paper, but it hung outside my memory, eclipsed by the explosion, the press of power on my body. Japanese, though, I was almost sure of that. Painted with ink; I remembered the shape of the symbol, the brush lines, the flow of it. I gave up eventually and opened my email.

    The day wore on without anyone trying to kill me or accuse me of murder, or any other shenanigans. I was almost lulled into thinking things might stay normal. Almost. I pulled the shades on the front windows, though with the displays and the posters up, it was very