Free Smoke and Mirrors by Jess Haines Page B

help you, but I need to ask you a few personal questions. As much as I trust Eleanor’s judgment, not every Other in town thinks the same, and I need to be prepared with ready answers if I’m going to convince anyone else to meet with you.” Not exactly the truth, but it was close enough to it that she probably wouldn’t detect his little deception. The only convincing he would have to do would be to demand it be so, and most any Other in town would bend to his wishes—but he didn’t think she knew that. “That is, if you want to continue to pursue this quest of yours.”
    She didn’t answer right away, staring down at his hands wrapped around her own. Then she took a breath and straightened her spine, using her free hand to swipe a palm under her eyes and then sweep her hair back before focusing on his face instead. He was pleased to see the flicker of resolve returning, bolstered by the threads of luck reweaving her destiny.
    “Okay. Yes. If you think there’s a chance, maybe I can do this.”
    He did his best to ignore the pang of guilt that statement caused him. He just had to keep telling himself that keeping her off the scent of any true dragons was more important than his desire to help the less fortunate.
    Maybe if he repeated it to himself enough, he’d eventually believe it.
    “First, I would like to know about your family. I understand you live with your mother. She’s human, yes?”
    Kimberly’s eyes widened, and she pulled away just a bit in surprise. “How did you know that? Have you been checking up on me?”
    He gave her a smile with a few too many teeth showing. “You asked for a shot at wooing one of the rarest and most powerful Others to walk this world. They don’t usually accept an audience without knowing beforehand that the intentions of their visitors are pure.”
    She didn’t flinch from his posturing, giving him a wry look. “Melodrama suits you. You could have done things the easy way and just asked me. But to answer your question, yes.”
    That startled him into dropping the fierce look in favor of a bit of laughter. “I suppose I do tend to the overly dramatic now and then, don’t I? Yes, I’d like to know a bit more. Who your father is, for starters. Any magical connections in your bloodline you’re aware of. What can you tell me about yourself and your family?”
    “I don’t know who my father is. My mom said she had a one night stand back in her clubbing days and the guy must have been a mage. Her parents kicked her out when she got pregnant, so she’s raised me by herself. I’ve been helping her pay the rent doing odd-jobs and babysitting since I was eleven. We didn’t even know I could cast until I was sixteen and started summoning illusions every time I got stressed.” She coughed and blushed, giving him a sheepish smile. “She didn’t believe it until we had a screaming match about a guy I was seeing and it looked like I turned her into a giant shrew. As soon as it wore off, we looked into how I could get some formal training to get it under control. That’s how I got into Blackhollow.”
    He gave a snort, amusement curving his lips. “I see. Well, your lineage isn’t quite as important as your circumstances or your intentions. Tell me a bit more about what you’re doing now and your plans for yourself and your familiar.”
    She pulled her hand out of his grip, grasping the hem of her shirt to pull it out and brush at the patch of powdered sugar against the dark green button-down. He couldn’t help but notice that the third button from the bottom was missing. To keep from staring at that enticing hint of flesh visible between the gap in her shirt, he focused his gaze on her face instead. That’s when he noted the dark circles under her eyes for the first time and just how prominent her cheekbones were.
    Exhausted and probably hungry, it was no wonder she’d had such a difficult time finding her composure. He would get his answers, then send her