Spellbound (Otherworld 12)

"We can't let Jaime follow up on that sorcerer from the theater. We need to warn her."

His eyes shot open. "Shit. Of course. I should have thought--" "That's why you have me. The callous bitch who can keep her eyes on the game at all times."

"Right. Because only a callous bitch would have tried to let Leah kill her to save innocent strangers."

"I wasn't thinking of innocent strangers. I was thinking of my friends. If Leah stayed alive, then anytime she needed anything, she'd have threatened you guys."

"Part of you was thinking of innocent strangers. The same part that offered up her powers to help a little girl she barely knew."

I shrugged and took a shot. The tequila burned fast and hard. I closed my eyes and shuddered.

"Feels good?" Adam said.

"Yep."

I nodded at the bottle. He took it, filling both our glasses, then lifting his, a spark of my Adam finally lighting his eyes.

"I can still beat you," he said.

"Dream on."

He waited until I downed mine, then poured us each another shot.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Getting there. But if I ever consider using my research to hire myself out as a demon summoner, remind me about Alston."

"I'll remind you right now, after that little deal you just made with Kimerion."

Adam pulled a face. "I didn't make a deal. If he does come back with information, I'll see what he wants. Asmondai is his liege's liege, so he won't try to screw me over too badly. And I am something of an expert on demons. Well, an expert-in-training."

"But if he does offer you a deal, I should be the one to pay the price. It's my problem."

Adam didn't answer, just poured another shot, but this time, only lifted it, twisting the glass between his fingers, peering down into the tequila.

"Damn, that was easy." I gulped mine down. "There. Beat you."

He didn't smile. Didn't even point out that he had a one-shot lead on me. Just stared into the tequila like it held the meaning of life.

"I'm only going to say this once, Savannah. And only because I'm drunk enough to say it." He lifted his gaze to mine. "You don't need your spells. If you never got them back, you'd be fine. But you don't see that, so I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

I nodded, dropped my gaze, and poured another shot. We didn't drink them, just sat and looked into the tequila, then at each other. We both broke out laughing.

"God, you're rubbing off on me," I said. "I'm getting old."

"Oh, I'm going to drink it. Just give me a minute. I plan to be able to walk out when I'm done."

"That would be a first."

He sputtered. "Excuse me? How many times have I had to carry you out of a bar?"

"That's not because I was too drunk to walk. I just like seeing you try to support me when you can barely stand upright."

He shook his head and downed the shot. I followed.

"Heli-skiing," he said.

"What?"