Spellbound [BWWM Original Fiction]

Charmed - 6.

CHARLONDRA

I get into the Suburban followed closely behind by Sphynx. I wouldn't exactly say that we're friends. I didn't even know his real name - we all used aliases. But at least he'd made sure I wasn't left behind when I was talking to Soleil in the foyer. Speaking of whom, I see my friend making a fuss at the door of the car before she's led away by security and we drive off.

She thinks she's my mother or, at best, an older sister with the way she behaves at times when in reality I'm the more responsible and level-headed one between the two of us. Homegirl is only 6 months older than me and still doesn't have her license. She needs to get her priorities in check.

"Is that your sister?" asks Sphynx.

"No, a friend."

"We've been sworn to secrecy. We can't even tell each other who we really are. What were you thinking bringing her here?" he whisper-shouts at me.

We're the only people talking in the car of four and I have no doubts the others are listening in. I know I would be.

"It's complicated."

"What's in the bag?"

I tighten my grip and look out of the window. I don't want to talk about my failure in completing the last task or the pass I'd been given. Tensions were high with 6 fewer people than I'd previously met at the mansion back in Long Island. We were slowly being eliminated and I could sense the competitiveness among this cohort from the short time I'd spent with them.

Sphynx may have been soft-spoken, but I didn't want to give him any ammunition to use against me. If he'd made it this far then he was smarter than those who hadn't. For all I know, he could've been buttering me up to let my guard down only to stab me in the back when I least expected it.

The car is blanketed in silence as we drive into the night. The light of the city fades when we enter the desert. I start to get a little nervous and take out my phone to text Soleil only to see that I don't have any service.

What if they brought us here so they could easily dump our bodies in this vast wasteland? I've heard the stories about Vegas being the playground of gangsters. What if I'm about to be recruited to work for one of them? They probably want to know whether I can run game on the wealthy and stupid who come here to try their luck at fortune.

I take a deep calming breath to stop my imagination from running wild. I've come this far and I know how to defend myself. My father being who he is had me trained in the event I was kidnapped.

I'd also sent Goldie a message with all the necessary info and my location as a failsafe. I don't know whether they were a he or she and it didn't really matter at this point. We had been friends for years and I was hoping to meet them soon. Despite not hearing back from them, I hoped Soleil was right about one thing and we'd meet on this wild adventure. The worst thing I could do now is panic without reason.

We arrive at a vast estate with an incredibly long and lush driveway. The car door is opened and we step out into what feels like an oasis. There's even a sprawling fountain in the middle of the circular driveway. Everyone is quiet even though you can see the questions behind our curious stares.

We're led inside the glass house in a single file. It is a modern minimalist's dream. We come to a stop in the middle of the lobby where three servers dressed in a black tux and white gloves stand before us. One holds a silver platter with an array of masks on it, another holds a box, and the other a clipboard.

"When I call out your name please step forward, select a mask, drop your phone in the box then proceed through the red door behind me. You will get your phones back when you leave," says the man holding a clipboard.