Bad Luck Genie: An Urban Fantasy Folly Page 21

  Chapter 24

  We turned into our subdivision two days after I made a wish on Rasputin’s bone. Mom and I talked mostly about our adventure. She hadn’t brought up my bad luck since the catacombs. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I had my hopes up that I could get my hopes up.

  A text notification dinged on my phone from an unknown number. Hey Luce. It’s Mal. Had to get a new number. Did you make it home yet?

  My stomach did a happy bounce. I hadn’t expected him to follow through on his promise so soon. I updated the number to his contact. Just now. Miss me already?

  Mom pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. She grinned at me. “Ready to take a real shower and have some good food?”

  “Oh, yeah.” I tucked my phone in my pocket.

  We climbed out and entered the house. Plastic covered the couches, and the room was cheerless due to the lack of flowers. I sighed heavily. The house was baby-proofed again. Seeing the place armed against me felt like the crazy chase for the bones never happened—we had had no minor emergencies at all in the car. I fiddled with the four-leaf clover around my neck.

  Mags came around the corner, wearing a flour-dusted apron. She pressed a hand to her chest and momentarily closed her eyes. “Thank goodness you’re back.” She squinted at my waist. “I don’t see that young man. Does this mean the curse was broken?”

  I sagged and hitched my backpack higher on my shoulder, but I couldn’t meet either of their eyes. I still hadn’t told Mom I intentionally wished for the djinni silk bond to be broken, but she hadn’t brought it up, either.

  “Nah.” Mom wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me into a side hug. “Lucy’s got a pretty good idea on how to work with it. She did great. Frankie’d be proud.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek.

  Mags’s smiled wavered as she approached me and gave me a warm hug. “I’m just glad you’re safe. I was worried about you.”

  I believed her. I sniffled and pushed back. “Oh, you’ll never believe what I brought back from the Philippines for you.”

  “The Philippines?” Mags’s wide eyes flicked to Penny. “My, you really went everywhere.”

  “Watch this.” I removed my purple metallic bottle from my backpack and summoned the albino orchid. “A flower of the sacred sleep.”

  Mags’s hands flew to her mouth, tears brimmed in her eyes, and she took the orchids. “Oh, Lucy, you dear child.”

  “You helped her solve a riddle…” Mom explained the catacombs. I swelled at the pride I heard in her voice.

  A couple of weeks later had me in a warm kitchen—the perfect environment for my pizza dough to proof. The fancy olive oil I’d coated the bowl with smelled wonderful and made my mouth water more than the sweets in front of me. I was busy decorating cupcakes when my phone dinged. The text banner caught my eye.

  Mal: We need to talk.

  My hands clenched. That phrase always promised trouble. Double swirls of strawberry and cream cheese frosting spurted on the strawberry shortcake cupcake and all over my hands. What a mess. I licked my fingers clean. My phone dinged again.

  Where are my pies you promised?

  I grinned, snapped a picture of the terrible frosting job, and sent it to him. Look what you made me do.

  Those look like a good down payment for pies. =P

  “Hmph.” I shoved the cupcake in my mouth, crossed my eyes for a selfie, and sent it to him.

  Tucking my phone in my apron pocket, I picked up two cupcakes and searched for Mags. I found her on the patio tending the orchids I’d given her.

  She smiled when she saw me. “Your mouth’s covered in frosting.”

  “It was worth it.” I handed her a cupcake. “There’s three dozen boxed up for your garden club bake sale.”

  “Thanks, Lucy. I appreciate it.”

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “I think she’s in the study.” Mags licked the frosting and closed her eyes. “So good. You know, you have time to change your mind about being a pastry chef.”

  “Not when I have marinara running through my veins.” I went back inside, headed for the study, and opened the door. “What’re you up to?”

  Mom stood over the desk, travel pamphlets and a legal pad spread out before her. “Looking at the assignments I have scheduled for the next year.”

  “Oh.” My spirits dropped. The past two weeks had been great. Mom and Mags seemed to trust me more, and we were all getting along. Now she was leaving. I set the cupcake down.

  She shyly met my eyes. “I was wondering where you’d like to go.”

  I frowned. “Me?”

  “Yeah, you. Honeybee, you’ve impressed me. I think we were wrong to believe you couldn’t live with your bad luck. It helped us get Rasputin’s bone before Sigvald.”

  “So this isn’t a ruse to”—I curled my fingers in air quotes—“find more lucky charms to break my curse?”

  “I loved spending all that time with you.” Mom averted her eyes. “I won’t pass up the opportunity if it arises, but I’m not looking for it. And we can definitely work slower while you learn how your bottle works.”

  My hopes rose. “So what’re you thinking, then?”

  “Our articles used to be about ancient lore and temples. And they still can be. You’re such a smart cookie… but what do you think about traveling the world, learning new cuisine, and finding hidden places of wonder? I’m a good photographer, and you’re a great chef. What do you say?”

  I studied the desk and hooked my arm around her waist. “I say Vikings sound cool.”

  Mom whooped and wrapped me in a hug. “I love you just the way you are, my little honeybee.”

  I smiled and hugged her tighter. “I love you too, Mama Bear.”

  Mags sat across the kitchen island, watching me dice an orange bell pepper for the pizza. It was our last night together for a while before Mom and I left for Norway.

  She tore the paper from an onion. “Are you excited?”

  “Heck, yeah.” I cleared room on the cutting board.

  “Good. Just promise if anything comes up, you’ll call me.”

  I glanced at her. “What would come up?”

  She shrugged. “Who knows? Just… I’ll always answer your call, dear-heart.”

  I smiled a little. Mags was trying to make up for her cold behavior when she’d raised me. I guess since she no longer had to hide things from me, it made it easier to be nice. I wouldn’t ignore the olive branch. Family was important.

  “Would you feel better if I checked in every once in a while?”

  Mags nodded and handed me the onion. “That would help me not to worry so much, yes.”

  “Then it’s a deal.”

  I halved the onion and set it on its flat end, then rested my palm over the top. I eased the chef’s knife in sideways and sliced right into my palm.

  I jumped back from the counter to keep my blood from contaminating the food. “Ow, ow, ow,” I whispered.

  Mags hustled off the stool, snatched up a towel, and wrapped it tightly around my hand. I bent my knees and straightened them, trying my hardest not to hop around like a moron. I hissed at the blood soaking through the towel.

  “Crap.” I pulled it back some to peek at the damage. The cut was clean, about five inches long, and I could feel how deep it was. “Crap! I need stitches. Will you take me to the urgent care?”

  I did not want to deal with stitches while I was on my first real vacation. This really sucked. My bottle plopped on the counter in a puff of blue smoke.

  “I will if you insist, but…” Mags tilted her head at my bottle. “You know there’s an easier way around this, right?”

  My lungs turned to ice, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. She wanted me to use my bottle to heal. I could barely get it to hold things for me, and she wanted me to go inside it. What if it ate me?

  “Lucy.” Warmth and love suffused her voice. “I promise your bottle doesn’t want to hurt you. Please trust me.”


  My shoulders loosened as Mags gently patted my cheek. Then she turned me toward the bottle. She was right. It was time to stop running from my true nature.

  I swallowed thickly. “How do I go inside?”

  “It’s different for everyone, but I think you just need to open your mind to it. Pretending you’re stepping into a pizza parlor might help.”

  I closed my eyes, and the smell of proofed pizza dough set my spine at ease. A cool breeze brushed the hair on the nape of my neck. Pressure built in my ears and it felt like I was squeezing through a rock and a hard place, then my feet scuffed solid ground. When I opened my eyes, I was inside my bottle.

  The pole was still there.

  My heart kicked up speed, and before my eyes, a lawn chair materialized with a first aid kit. I snorted a little, looking around. The windows were still covered purple paint, but I could stretch my arms without touching either sides of the walls, so that was a plus.

  I picked up the first aid kit and sat on the chair. My palm warmed, as if I was holding onto a mug of coffee. I pried the towel from my hand. The bleeding had mostly stopped, and my cut didn’t feel as deep as it had a moment ago. I was healing. This was so crazy. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, because I wouldn’t have to set a foot inside an urgent care again.

  I lifted my healing hand. “Thanks for the assist.” I didn’t know if talking to my bottle would help, but it felt like the appropriate thing to do.

  I was poking through the first aid kit for some moist towelettes when the scent of flowers made me lift my head. A hot plate popped into existence, and next to it, a small lopsided shoe rack appeared. I lifted a brow. Had my bottle eavesdropped when I talked about kitchens and shoe racks?

  “Not all of my Chucks will fit on that, but I can work with it.”

  Small beginnings, definitely, but being inside my bottle now, I felt a little more in control. Maybe being a djinni wasn’t that bad after all.

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank Lori Diederich for her patience, her knowledge, her encouragement, and her friendship. Without her, this book would still be sitting in Dropbox collecting pixel dust. Kimberly Hyatt for her encouragement and ways to shape my story to have more lived-in feel. And lastly, the writing community on Scribophile.

  In loving memory of Maki Sake Teriyaki, my littlest love who purred on my lap for every word.

  About the Author

  AE McKenna lives in the Midwest where she drinks beer, eats cheese, and pets cats. All at the same time.

  Curious about my other projects? Find more here! https://aemckenna.com/

  Leaving reviews is a way to support my small business. Help me out.

  Thank you for reading.