Dangerous Diabolical: Book 1 (Iridescent) ✔️

8.3

The hot liquid washed over me as I stood under the caressing spray of the shower. All this time it had been right in front of my nose.

Unlimited power.

Both from the world around me and the living creatures in it. I'd found I could pull the Fae particles towards me quicker, but only from so far. It seemed anything within a couple of meters zapped up like a vacuum, but further than that was painstakingly slow if it moved at all. Past five meters, I couldn't pull anything and physically need to move to keep absorbing it, which was my new favourite pastime. My only goal in life right now was to see how much of the stuff I could store, and the room I was locked in was already suitably drained.

Rolling aches and pains out under the heat, the injuries I'd had at the hospital were all but a memory thanks to Leofstans healing. Now I could find unlimited magic, I'd need to ask him to teach me how he did it.

I smelt my way through the free shower offerings, going with the least offensive one, and giving my hair a few repeat rinses. Over the spray of water, I heard the food order go in from the other room, my stomach grumbling in answer.

After excessively savouring the warm water and emerging smelling thoroughly of flowers, a 'clean' towel awaited. It wasn't one Leo had used but it had a whole bunch of smells on it I didn't want to think too closely about.

Leaving the bathroom, the bitter draft of air-con cooling hit me. "It's freezing in here!" I complained to Leo who was lounging on the bed, laptop resting on his legs.

"Ah! Sorry!" He fumbled around with a remote until it clicked the machine off. And I was back to being tormented by stagnant air that stank of prey I couldn't eat. Needing to get some of 'me' in the atmosphere I began towelling my hair, wafting the damp cloth around as much as possible.

"Do you have anything I can wear?"

From the look of doom on his face, he hadn't considered that I'd need clothes. "Hold on a sec." he placed the laptop aside and began rooting around in a suitcase, "Here," holding out a t~shirt and pair of cotton shorts. They were clean but old. He'd worn them a lot. The thread on the shorts managed to pull just tight enough to keep them bunched on, and the t-shirt skimmed my knees. Willow's choice of clothing was starting to grow on me compared to this.

When the door was knocked, Leo answered it, the lock harmlessly opening for him so he could receive the carrier bag.

"Hold on a sec," he dug in his back pocket for his wallet. "Celandine, will you sort those out?" Obligingly, I let him hand over the paper bag, soaked with grease, carrying it to the table. Ginger and garlic wafted in its trail.

I could see they were marked by a pen at the top, and from the heat, they were indeed cooked. Not knowing what else to do with them, I took them out of the bag and placed the containers next to it.

"Why didn't you sort them out? Are you not hungry?" He asked, coming to lift the first one. I shrugged.

"I didn't know which was which." He placed the tub on the table, regarding me curiously, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a notepad and pen. Scrawling something, he ripped the page off and held it towards me. It was in tiny writing and was too much effort to figure out. I glanced at it, and then looked back at him questioningly.

"What?" I asked. He visibly paled, tucking the paper into his pocket.

"Where are you from Celandine?" He sat in one of the chairs heavily, food ignored.

I pouted, stomach gurgling as I tried to remember what I'd originally put on my paperwork when I'd registered. It was proving impossible, so I shrugged. "I'm not sure."