Her First Mistake

Chapter Twenty-One: That's Him

   Allie and Ashley were chattering balls of makeup and giggles. We were all crowded into the guest room in Alexie's house. Having them laugh over concealer, for some reason, was really refreshing. It felt nice to be normal. Allie had procured a sky-blue dress for herself, one that fell from her hips and ended just below her knees. It had a fun neckline of lace. Ashley was wearing brown with blue lines in the fabric that trailed behind her like a cape.

   I didn't like dresses. Actually, I hated them. They were unnecessary, clingy, annoying, and just stupid. Nonetheless, my father had been so excited to see me go shopping that I knew I didn't really have a choice. I still loved that doofus. I'd never gone shopping for prom so he was taking advantage of this party.

   I changed clothes in the bathroom. The dress, at my insistence, was bright red. It was a smooth fabric that had a small collar around the neck, a triangle cut out to see my collarbone. It fell down my arms into bell sleeves. The dress hugged my waist and flared at my hips, ending at my mid-calf. The back was cut out, revealing the curve of my spine. I smiled a bit. Finally, a red that didn't clash with my hair. Simone, my best friend, would be proud.

   I stepped in front of the mirror to fiddle with my hair. It shone red in the light and chocolate brown in the rest. Dark almond eyes peered at my own face. My skin was a mixture between tanned and not, considering that a lot of the color was natural. I'd gotten paler in the last five months from staying inside.

   A few minutes later and I'd snagged my red ribbon from my backpack again. I braided my hair to the base of my skull and tied it off into a pony tail. A few strands escaped to frame my face. Pleased, I reached for the doorknob when my eyes caught my arm. I froze.

   The black ink was still there. It stood out like a blacklight in a dark room. My mouth went dry. Shoot. I had to cover that up. How? I cracked open the door and peered out. "Hey, Ashley, got any gloves? Ones that would go to my elbows?"

   She shook her head without looking at me. Her eyes were focused on her makeup. "No, sorry hun."

   "Shoot. Can I borrow your concealer?" 

   She looked away from the mirror, puzzled. "It's nearly out. Why? I thought you didn't want makeup."

   "I just--" I exhaled sharply. "I just need it."

   "Yeah, well, Allie and I do too. I'm sure we can split it."

   "Not if you have a little left. I'd need it all."

   Curiosity shone in her gaze. "What? What could you be covering, girl?" 

   The ink on my arm felt like it was getting warm. I bit my cheek and mentally debated. "I'll show you, but only if you swear not to tell anyone."

   Her eyes lit up and Allie grinned. "Oh, Roxie. Whatever could that mean?"

  I glowered. "No. Whatever you're thinking, no. I can promise you it's not that." She was probably thinking dirty. Teenagers were pretty much hard-wired to.

   Allie laughed. "Are you sure?"

   "I'll bet you a hundred dollars that it's not."

   "I'll take that bet." Ashley set down the brush and turned around with a dramatic look. "Show us your secrets." Allie grinned. I hoped I wasn't about to make a massive mistake and stepped outside, my arm behind my back. Ashley whistled, reaching for her perfume. Allie smacked her arm. With a grimace, I pulled my arm into the light.

   Ashley dropped the bottle back onto the table, her jaw falling open. Her eyes were wide. Allie frowned, confused. "Did you get a bad tattoo?"

   "Allie!" hissed Ashley. "Don't be stupid. Look harder at it."

   Allie's face twisted and she squinted at my arm. The moment she realized that it seemed to be untouchable to light, like the darkest paint ever, all color drained from her cheeks. She put a hand over her face. With a rattled gasp, she rasped, "y-you're messing with us, right?"

   I shook my head. "I'm not."

   "How?" Her voice rose. "Dark magic is dead -- dead! How is that -- Roxie?"

   "Well, remember the community meeting? The discussion about the accident in Tennessee?"

   "Yeah, but--"

   "Didn't I just tell you where I just got back from?"

   Somehow, she got paler. "Memphis? You lived in Memphis. Where -- Dani Darhk. Holy crap."

   "What?" Ashley asked sharply. "What about Memphis?"

   Allie was hoarse. "They said that Dani Darhk was caught trying to link a source in Memphis. Alexie said that Dani killed the human in the escape." She stared at me. "He lied."

   I nodded. "Yup."

   Ashley swallowed. "That mark... it's Dani Darhk's? You're linked to her?"

   "Unwillingly, but yes."

   "How are you still alive?"

   I snorted. "It's not from lack of effort on her part. She's nearly killed me several times. Where do you think I got these bruises from?" I pointed at the remains of the marks around my throat. They were healing, but still a little visible.

   Ashley turned around and grabbed her concealer. I caught it. "Have all of it. We can do without."

   "I figured. Thanks." I smeared it across my arm. 

   I was suddenly grateful that Alexie had taught me how to use the nex lines because neither Ashley nor Allie could access them, considering they were witches. I focused on where we were heading and got us there on the second try. Allie apparently didn't like how I got us there because I learned that the girl could cuss like a sailor.

   The two girls had managed to find an empty commute building and rented it for the night. It was plain white and stucco  on the outside, nothing special. I hauled us inside with a grin. Someone was playing music through some speakers and my eyes landed on the table of food nearby. Before I could step a foot inside, I was bombarded by Harley. 

   He threw his arm across my shoulders, his blonde hair falling to the side. "Roxie! Nice party, girlfriend!"

   "Get your heavy-ass arm off of me, Harley."

   The wizard grinned and retracted his arm. "After that show with Daniella, I definitely know better that to ignore milady's requests." I glowered at him and he chuckled. Winston appeared with Blue, both holding multiple red solo cups. "Dear lord, Harley, quit flirting with every girl that walks in. Sorry, Roxie, you're not the first."

   "I'm not surprised." I took the offered cup and sniffed. "No alcohol? Disappointing."

   Blue laughed. "Like the masters would allow that. Uptight old coots, they are." A blonde appeared at his side and hooked his arm with his. He grinned at me. "Meet Layla, my girlfriend." 

   Layla, a girl wearing dark purple and kind smile, waved. "Nice to meet you."

   "You too. Hey, has anyone seen a guy about my height, dark brown hair, kind of a sour look on his face?"

   "I think I have." Liam showed up beside Ashley. "He took a long drink from that punch. Probably testing it to see if it was spiked."

   I sighed. "That's him. I'll be back."