Anathema (Causal Enchantment, #1) Read Online Free

fascination as
a footstool magically rose from the floor.
    “ Finally … you’d think we were
escorting you to an enema,” Sofie muttered, glancing up from her
magazine.
    “ Sorry.” I offered a sheepish smile.
“I’m a little nervous of flying.” I was lying, of course. Flying
didn’t bother me—that part was exciting. The fact that twenty–four
hours ago this woman was a complete stranger and now I was flying
to New York with her—without so much as an extra pair of underwear
and for God knows how long—had me frazzled.
    Sofie, on the other hand, was totally relaxed,
stretched out in one of the ivory leather lounge chairs across from
me, her long, slender legs crossed at the ankles; she could easily
be posing for the cover of a
Lifestyles of the Rich and
Famous
magazine.
    “ So this friend of yours who owns
this plane … what does he do?” I asked.
    “ Oh, Viggo has his hands in
everyone’s pocket,” Sofie answered cryptically, setting down her
magazine to root through her purse. “Here. “ She handed me a long,
narrow wooden box. “As a thank you for coming. Also, I noticed on
your application that your birthday is tomorrow, so … happy
birthday.”
    I gaped at her, speechless.
    “ It’s nothing extravagant,” she
added.
    “ I …” I stared down at the box.
After a long moment, I opened it. A heart–shaped, black glass
pendant the size of a quarter nestled inside. I lifted it gingerly,
running a thumb over its smooth surface; it felt much like a highly
polished stone. “You really didn’t need to—” I stopped to swallow
the lump in my throat.
    “ Here, let me put it on you,” she
offered, moving to sit next to me and lifting the silver chain to
affix it around my neck. The pendant settled against my chest.
“Shoot,” she murmured.
    I glanced over my shoulder to see her frowning.
“What?”
    “ Oh, something’s wrong with the
clasp,” she replied. I could feel her examining it. “It won’t open
without breaking. Do me a favor and leave it on for
now.”
    “ Of course!” I answered, my hand
cupping the smooth stone to admire it. I’d gladly wear it
forever.
    Sofie shifted back to her chair, watching me
with a curious expression. “It looks nice,” she finally offered
with a strained smile that never reached her eyes.
    “ Thank you. It’s beautiful,” I said,
looking down at it. There was a precious quality to its simplicity.
I wondered when she’d had the chance to get it, since we’d gone
directly from Newt’s to the airport. I opened my mouth to ask, but
Sofie had already turned her attention back to her
magazine.
    I turned to gaze out the small window beside
me. We were descending through the clouds. I expected to see a
billion lights below soon, welcoming us to our destination,
escorting me into a new and unknown chapter in my life. But for
now, the flashing lights on the plane’s wings were alone in the
sky, beacons serving as both protection and guidance.
    A hollow feeling blossomed in my chest as I
realized that warning lights like those could have saved my
mother’s life. It had been five years since the night she’d been
run down by a car. An eternity for me. The police investigation had
been short and inconclusive, suggesting that the driver hadn’t seen
her. There were no tire marks to imply otherwise. Scared, drunk,
oblivious—whatever the reason, the driver never stayed, leaving my
mother’s shattered body on the pavement and me a broken–hearted
orphan.
    I closed my eyes and imagined forcing that
terrible hollowness into a bottle and corking it tightly. That’s
how I had learned to deal with the loss of my mother. It usually
worked. This time, though, the empty void expanded, pushing against
my rib cage, constricting my lungs, becoming a stabbing ache in my
heart.
Deep breaths, Evangeline
. I inhaled and exhaled
slowly, waiting for the pain to dissipate. It didn’t. It only
intensified with each new breath, as each beat of my heart came
harder and