Smoke & Silver

When I came to, I was still in the library floor. The lights were all blazingly bright and my head pounded like I had the world's worst hangover. I started to sit up, and Isaac put a hand on my shoulder to gently push me back to the floor. I lay between the fireplace and the side of the desk Isaac had occupied when we came in. His hands hovered above me, glowing faintly with golden light.

“Take it easy.” He said.

“Bring me the box.” I managed to choke out.

“What?”

“You heard me. I can put together a charm just as easily lying down as sitting up, you'll just have to hand me things.”

I heard John chuckle darkly from the other side of the desk.

“Shut up, John.” I snarled. Isaac went to fetch the box and brought it back to my side, kneeling beside me again.

He dutifully passed me the herbs and dusts I asked for as I lay in the floor. After I finished, I handed him the small vial.

“Keep this in your pocket,” I said. He nodded. “And get me another drink.”

It was Isaac's turn to chuckle as he stood and went to the globe by the desk. I heard the clink and swish of a bottle being poured into a glass. He pressed the tumbler into my hand and helped me sit up. He adjusted so that I was sitting back, leaning against his chest. It brought back memories of when we lived across from each other at that god-awful apartment complex, and we were nigh inseparable for nearly a year. I smiled at the memory and let myself be comforted by the strength in his chest.

“It was definitely magic. No scorch marks, no wires, no residue...” John was examining the desk where the charm had exploded in my face.

“No shit.” I whispered. I felt Isaac tremble a bit as he suppressed a laugh.

“Anybody want you hurt?” John asked.

“Not that I know of. You know I've always kept to myself.”

“Angry ex-girlfriend?” I looked up at him, a ghost of a smirk on my face. He tousled my hair and smiled.

“You've always been the angriest.”

“Except for that one bitch that punched you in the face.” I reminded him.

“What happened to her?” asked John, looking up from his seat at the desk.

“I checked up on her through an acquaintance. She's a miserable married housewife with a houseful of awful children.” The smile on my lips was as vindictive as I could manage, considering the numbness lingering in my face, “And by 'acquaintance', I mean her husband. He's a regular at my club.”

“I figured as much.” Isaac said dryly. I realized that he had taken his jacket off, and it lay in a ball on the floor where he had made it into a makeshift pillow. He'd always been so quietly sweet.

There was a sudden, suspicious silence from the mild din of the party. We all three looked toward the closed door. Within a second, the room outside erupted into a frenzy of screaming and loud bursts and bangs, magic flying haywire in the panic.

Isaac flung a hand out in the general direction of the door, murmuring something under his breath. I heard locks click and the sizzling of magic wards rising into place. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle in response to the rising energy.

“You two have your charms I made, right?” I whispered. Something was wrong, obviously, but there was something else going on.

They both grunted in the affirmative and looked at each other. Isaac helped me sit up more and stood behind me. I moved to lean against the large desk, dragging my whiskey glass across the rug with me.

KNOCK
KNOCK
KNOCK

I watched the two of them exchange another look. Isaac waved a hand at me in a 'stay put' gesture and crossed to prop his hip against the side of the desk nearest John, who turned to top off his gin. They stayed within my line of sight, and I reached for the box of supplies. Isaac gestured to the door again, and I heard it swing open on massive brass hinges.

I looked into the box, knowing that whoever walked into the room with such light steps couldn't see me. I grabbed the first herb I needed and started throwing together something to veil my presence as quietly as I could. At least it was a simple recipe that I had in mind, and it took mere seconds to get everything dropped in my other palm. I winced and raised it to my lips as I adjusted my grip on my whiskey. I knocked back the handful of seeds and leaves and salt, chewing it only a time or two, before washing it down with the whiskey. The gentle crackling of the fire hid the sound as the stranger finished crossing the floor to stand with the men.

“Well, you're certainly both hard to get a hold of.” A seductive voice purred. My eyes narrowed. Of course it was a woman.

“You could have sent letters. We got the charms easily enough.” John said, his tone dismissive.

“Now, don't pout. Neither of you ever actually check your mail.” She spoke again, “The charms were the surest way to get your attention.”

“So you sent us cherry bombs in the mail?” Isaac was nonplussed. I heard him pick up his glass from the desk, heard the thin cork coaster lose its grip on the bottom of the glass and clatter gently on the wood.

“Oh, did yours explode? Wonder why...” She didn't sound like she was concerned.

“It wasn't supposed to?” John asked. His voice was rougher, must have been his Whitehouse voice.

“Not if you opened it yourself in your own protective circle, as you both would have done. Who opened your charm?”

“I did, myself, at the kitchen table earlier. I wasn't paying attention.” Isaac said.

“Sloppy.” She reprimanded, teasing. I rolled my eyes and took another sip of my drink.

“So, what do you want?” That was John.

“Well, boys, since I finally have both of you before me, I've got a proposition for you.”

“We don't do threesomes. Isaac and I really have no interest in bringing in someone new.”

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. Of course John would take the opportunity to make a dirty joke. I heard Isaac stifle a chuckle of his own.

“Hardly.” Said the newcomer dryly.

“Then what could you possibly want us both for, much less simultaneously?” John continued.

“My employer has a little job that he doesn't trust anyone else to do. Each of you would be capable of the job alone, but having the two of you together positively assures success.”

“Who's your employer?” Isaac asked.

“You'll meet him tomorrow. Here's his address,” There was a beat as she handed off what I assumed was a slip of paper, “You aren't gonna offer me a drink?” She asked, her kittenish voice sulky and sweet.

“No,” was Isaac's clipped reply.

“You're both so precious. I'll see you tomorrow.” She left with a giggle and a swing of her hips. I could hear the swish of the fabric as she left. The doors slammed behind her.
I waited until either of them made eye contact with me before I stood, leaning heavily on the desk, clutching my whiskey like it was the only thing keeping me on the planet.

“Who the fuck was that?” I asked, one shaky hand bringing the glass to my lips.

“Georgia, did you do a little magic while you were on the floor?” John asked, his eyes were narrowed.

“Why?”

“I'll take that as a yes. You either fucked up or you meant to turn yourself transparent.”
I felt the blood drain from my face as I looked down.

“Goddamnit...” I muttered. I heard Isaac chuckle as he went to grab the whiskey from the miniature bar he had hidden in the globe.

“Stick to what you know, Georgie.” Isaac said, pouring my glass. I took a long drink, nodding that I'd heard him and agreed.

“You were always better at sex magic. Anything else tended to blow up in your face.” John added.

“Thanks, guys.” I sneered, setting my glass down and fumbling for my cigarettes. Isaac passed the slip of paper to John and went to help me pull my cigarette case from my purse. He opened it, pulled out a single cigarette, and put it in the corner of his own mouth. He slipped the case back into my clutch and lit the cigarette the same way John had in the limousine. Then, he took the cigarette from his mouth and offered it to me. I met his eyes as he set the filter gently between my lips.

“So, we're supposed to be there at three.” John said.

“Where?” I asked, the moment with Isaac fading as quickly as it had begun.

“Oh no, you're not going.” John nearly snorted.

“What the hell do you mean, I'm not going?”

“Georgie, it's too dangerous.”

“Too dangerous?!” I asked. The sudden flash of anger brought my voice an octave higher and about ten decibels louder than necessary.

“Georgie,” Isaac began, “the charms were meant for John and I. There's no need to involve yourself-”

“If you two think I'm letting you go on some adventure without me, you're both mistaken. I missed out on too much already.”

“I won't be going on any adventures, Georgie,” he continued, “I'm a scholar, not an explorer.”

“Oh, I'm going on an adventure though.” John chimed in. Isaac and I both glared at him.

“Listen, how's this: John and I go to the meeting without you-”

“I don't like it.”

“-and if there's anything to do after, we'll take you with us.”

If looks could kill, the look John gave Isaac would have sent him to the morgue.

“Fine.” I said, finishing my whiskey. I leaned against the desk and stared into the fire as John dragged Isaac off to the furthest corner of the room and they argued in whispers. As I finished my cigarette, they returned.

“Fine. We'll meet you here tomorrow at half past two. You can stay in the car in case we need a getaway driver. Can you dress like a chauffeur?” John asked.

I snorted.

“Of course I can. I've got outfits for every occasion.”

Isaac shrugged and looked at John, who sighed.