Her First Mistake

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Wanna Bet?

    I snagged my staff and left the hospital, directly from the room. Tate hung on as I dropped us directly beside my dad's apartment building. We materialized. The alley was a thin one, with three dumpsters, the fire escape, and several old boxes crowding it.

   There were voices that exploded around us. Tate jumped backwards and lifted his hands, his form lowering into a crouch. I realized what had happened in an instant and groaned. "Shit! I forgot about you guys! Sorry, Tate."

   "Roxie?" The largest boy -- one that I only knew as Chief -- poked his head out from behind the dumpster. The three other boys peered around. "That you?"

   "Yeah, Chief. It's me. Sorry." Chief was the leader of his little gang. He was the oldest, at a whopping fifteen years old. They had been guarding this little alley since they moved into the apartment building next door. They snagged money from passersby, but left locals alone. They also left me alone because I broke Chief's nose when he tried to rob me several years ago.

   "You've been gone for months!" Chief stepped out from behind the dumpster, grinning. "Where ya been?"

   Tate frowned from behind me, his posture tense. "What is an elf clan doing in a city?"

   "Elf?" I looked back at Chief. He wore ratty leather and his old jeans were torn up. Thick, brown hair was down to his chin and a beanie was jammed over his head. Now that I thought about it, all of the boys wore hats. I had never seen their ears. I would have definitely noticed if they were pointed, which I had to guess they were.

   Chief looked at Tate, annoyed. "What's a shifter doing in an alley? Our alley?" Chief glanced back at me, rolling his eyes. "Since when were you a mage, Roxie?"

   "Since five months." I hefted my staff slightly. "You guys are all elves? I never even noticed."

   One of the smaller boys snorted. "Why did you think we call him Chief?"

   My eyes narrowed at his tone. "Dude, I whooped your ass when I was human and I can still whoop it now."

   "Aw, Chief let you punch him!"

   "Wanna bet?"

   "No, not really," muttered Chief. He raised his voice. "You should probably be more careful Linewalking into public places. An Enforcer would be all over you if we weren't elves."

   "Yeah, yeah. Good to see you, but I've got to go up. See you guys later." The staff vanished and I waved. One of the elves spluttered and pointed, jabbering in some foreign tongue, but Chief wacked his head. Tate followed me as I left the alley. He looked over his shoulder, bewildered. 

   "You punched an elf chief?"

   "Well, as far as I was concerned, I was punching a nine-year-old robber."

   Tate shook his head. "I'm a little surprised. More and more elves have been forced out of their homes, but I never thought a whole clan -- even if they are small -- would subject themselves to urban life."

   I stepped into the elevator and jammed the button. The doors closed and it rattled awkwardly as the elevator rose. Tate frowned. "This thing sounds dangerous."

   "You haven't even heard the worst creak in three . . . two . . ." I cocked my head as a screech sounded. Tate winced and the elevator stopped moving, the doors sliding open. I'd been listening to that screech for years. Though his sensitive hearing probably didn't like it that much.

   He followed behind me as I got to my apartment door. I didn't hesitate to knock on it. When no one answered, I banged on the door loudly, gritting my teeth. "Dad, answer the damn door!"