Magic Edge by Ella Summers Read Free Book Online

you must be more careful. That’s twice in one day. You’re putting undue stress on your body.”
    Yeah, like she’d asked the vampire elf to bite her, then had run over to Impulse and told the bartender to put poison in her pineapple juice. Gaelyn didn’t coddle his employees. He was a no-nonsense sort of grandfather. Alex had never met either of her grandfathers, but she imagined they must have been just like that.
    “I feel ok,” she said, opening and closing her fists. She hopped a few times on one foot, then switched to the other. “All systems in order.”
    “I’d still like to take some blood samples to be sure. Your reaction to the vampire venom was most unusual.”
    So he hadn’t forgotten about that after all. Damn. “Blood samples. Right. When I have time.” Which would be never, if she could help it. “But I’m not calling about the poison.”
    “I’ve heard about the theft of the Blood Orb from Impulse last night.”
    His tone was perfectly neutral, but Alex couldn’t help but feel defensive. Probably because she felt guilty.
    “Yeah, that happened while I was out from the poison,” she said. “You might want to tell the vampires about the bartender who betrayed them.”
    There was a brief pause. “Done.”
    Through magical or technological means? Alex didn’t ask. Gaelyn was pretty handy with a smartphone—for an old guy.
    “Wait, a minute,” Gaelyn said. “The vampires say the bartender is already dead. Someone found his head in the back room of the bar this morning.”
    Yuck. “And the body?”
    “Not yet.”
    It sounded like someone was tying off loose ends.
    “Anything else, Alexandria?” Gaelyn asked.
    Logan entered the room and leaned against the wall.
    “Uh, yes.” She chewed on her lip. “I’ve found myself a…partner.”
    The assassin winked at her.
    She stuck her tongue out at him. “Someone to work with me in the investigation.”
    “Who?”
    “Slayer.”
    “The assassin?” Low chuckles rumbled from the other end of the line. “I thought you two hated each other.”
    “Yeah, well, I guess we’ll have to look past that to achieve our common goal,” Alex said, looking at Logan.
    He rubbed his fingers together.
    “Right, so there’s just one little thing.”
    “The assassin wants to be paid,” Gaelyn said.
    “He claims to have contacts in the criminal underworld who might know who’s after the Orbs.”
    “Of that I have no doubt.”
    “So, what should I tell him?”
    For a moment, Gaelyn didn’t say anything. As the grandfather of the supernatural community, he always worked to keep them safe. Oftentimes, that meant sending Alex or Marek or someone else after monsters or misbehaving supernatural citizens. He wasn’t part of the Magic Council. He was outside of it—above it in many ways because he was so much older than anyone else. The Council members respected him. When he said something, they listened. And he’d told them to keep the supernaturals in check and the humans safe. That was the only way to keep the peace.
    Alex wasn’t sure what exactly Gaelyn was. He wasn’t a mage or vampire or fairy. And he wasn’t one of the otherworldly. She did know that while Gaelyn was immortal, his magic had dwindled with the passing years. He didn’t talk about it much, but Marek had told her.
    What Gaelyn lacked in magic, though, he more than made up for in money. He’d accumulated a lot of wealth over the millennia and had no problem spending it to protect the supernatural community, even from itself. But he didn’t have much love for assassins.
    “All right,” he finally agreed. “Tell your assassin that I’ll pay him for his assistance. But do be careful, Alexandria. Assassins are dangerous enemies and even more dangerous friends. Watch your back.”
    “I will,” she assured him, then hung up.
    “So, what did he say?” Logan asked as she tucked the phone into her jacket.
    “That you’re hired.”
    “Excellent.” He pushed off the wall.