The Divine Demon - Book 1: A New Beginning

20. A Star Filled Night (Part 2)

This is where she lives?

Riarshi stood at the gate of an enormous apartment complex which stretched from one street corner to the other.

To the right of the pathway leading to the front door was a huge in-ground pool, its motionless water glistening in the moonlight like a mirror. Hexagonal glass tables and metallic beach chairs littered the surrounding star-lit grass. To the left of the path sat a poolside bar, with tall wooden stools lined up along a bamboo-bordered tabletop. The roof had strands of fake tropical leaves draping over the sides.

This place differed vastly from his small town apartment, which was lucky enough to have a community dryer that stole socks and a washer that leaked every other week.

Shaking the jealous thoughts from his mind, he pushed open the gate and carried his inebriated classmate to the front door of the towering complex.

There was a white sign with large black text hung in the top window of the door.

To unlock door, resident must place magic onto handle and turn knob for it to open.

"Are you freaking serious...." Riarshi hissed, wrinkling his nose.

Not only did alcohol dull one's magic power, but the babbling, drooling, and sniffling sack of dead-weight clinging to his back was barely conscious enough to do anything magic related.

His tired brain begged for sleep, longed for the release of consciousness, but his night was far from over. He had to get her inside.

Pulling together the barest of plans, he turned his head and whispered directions.

"Okay, Hara, I need you to put a bit of magic into the door so I can get you in and get you to bed... all right?"

Her head rocked back and forth like a pendulum, tipping on the edge of consciousness, ready to fall to either side. Her eyes were just thin slits of blue.

"Oh... okay."

She slowly inched her left hand toward the handle while clinging onto Riarshi's shoulder with the other. Overshooting the knob two or three times, she finally got a hold on the gold-colored metal.

At first it was a flicker, but then it promptly solidified into an even glare. A blue light shone from her eyes, and Riarshi's bulged in response. He stared at the knob, now a deep glowing blue, in disbelief.

She can STILL use magic, even in that state? How much power does this girl have?

Hara, however, couldn't turn the knob properly. Her little hand clumsily slapped across the metal, unable to find the coordination for the otherwise very simple movement.

"Jeeesh, this door ish broken or that... Stupid door..."

Riarshi began to sweat. The blue shine from her eyes was starting to dim and flicker once again, reflecting off the door window. If she ran out of magic, they would be locked out for good.

He couldn't have that happen. He wanted to go home as soon as possible, and there was absolutely, positively, zero percent chance he was bringing her home.

Riarshi had no time to think. He had to act on impulse. His hand instinctively wrapped over hers and helped her twist the knob. An audible click rang through the small passageway and the door magically opened.

"Ohhhh, trying to hold my haaand?" Hara jeered, sending Riarshi a smug look from over his shoulder. She brought her lips close to his ear and blew into it, sending a violent shiver down his spine and a tingling sensation on the back of his neck.