She bantered with her customers, making sure they had everything they needed before moving on to bus an empty table. The half-filled plates of food and cold cups of coffee made her grimace, then chuckle.
Who knew this would be her rebellion? Harrison Abbott didn’t run away to sow her wild oats, as a Magian she’d done that several times over. She’d run away to live an ordinary human life.
Though she couldn’t say it had started out ordinary. When she’d first arrived in town she’d shut herself inside her small apartment, sure that her fathers or brothers would be knocking down her door at any moment, demanding she return. A part of her was surprised her potions had worked. Surprised no one knew where she was. That her triad matches hadn’t come to claim her.
It took weeks for her to let down her guard. Just enough time for her to go through the money Conway had given her. Walking into this diner had been the best thing she could have done. With no resume, references or non-magical skills, waitress at a small diner was about as normal as she was going to get. Thankfully she had a patient boss who’d taken pity on her. And she would enjoy it until the potion that protected her from being found ran out, and she was forced to go home and face the music.
She did miss them. Her family. Even the irritating, overprotective Jenner. And Callie. There was so much she wanted to share with her best friend about all she’d experienced since she’d been here, so much she wanted to know about how Callie was adjusting to being joined with her Triune and realizing she’d never been human all in one fell swoop.
But going back meant they would find her. The Magian males whose power and passion had called to hers so strongly at the Triune. She hadn’t been able to see their faces clearly, but she’d felt them. And that feeling, that scene in the stairwell, had been in her dreams every night. Along with their words of scorn for a woman they hadn’t met. For her.
No, she wasn’t ready to go back yet. Not until she knew she was strong enough to reject her Magian instincts, to reject her matches rather than living her life as a third wheel with two men who’d been forced to seek out a union against their will. Two men who loved each other, and wanted no part of her but her name and her magic.
She knew it could be done. Matches had been rejected before. She would just have to appeal to her parents. The Abbotts held sway in the community. And, especially after this last incident she was sure, with the Proxenos, whose judgment was mandatory for a true triad. As long as there’d been no actual consummation, it was possible to nullify the connection before it was too late. Mutual orgasms at a distance didn’t count.
“Jane, honey. Earth to Jane. I’ll finish bussing. You have a table waiting, hon. May as well make money while you’re here.” Dee’s whispered words at her shoulder jerked her out of her musings. How long had she been wiping down the table?
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Dee.” Jane. Plain Jane Smith. That’s who she was now. Not very original, but she’d been in a hurry. She needed to enjoy it while it lasted.
She slipped the order pad out of her apron and headed toward the man sitting alone in the booth with a bright, welcoming smile. “Good evening, sir. Would you like to hear about our specials?”
“I know what I want.”
That voice. Harrison’s fingers tightened on her pad, and her heart started to race. He looked up at her, his expression courteous and friendly. His brown eyes sparkled. Brown. Not black. Not piercing ebony. Just brown. The man was handsome, no doubt, but he wasn’t the Magian from Triune. He wasn’t as big. As overwhelming. There was no way Jacob could find her anyway, not with her magic repressed, hidden. Her mind was simply playing tricks on her.
Her smile wobbled, but it stayed on as she lifted her pen. “What’ll it be?”
“I’ve heard great things about the meatloaf…Jane. I’ll have that and a slice of the strawberry rhubarb pie.” His voice was making her thighs tremble.
“It’s the cook’s specialty. You’ll love it.”
Her jaw ached from keeping her smile, and she turned toward the kitchen without another word. Maybe she needed to take Dee’s advice and get out more. She was restless, without magic or passion. Besides, hadn’t that been on her list of things to try? She’d always wanted to experience single life as a human. To have a man who just wanted to use her for her body, not her abilities.
Melissa had invited her out more than once, complaining that she had too many wealthy, kinky men clamoring for her attention. Perhaps it was time to take her up on it. If her reaction to the man at her table was anything to go by, sooner would be better than later.
After she slipped the order to the cook, she went to the employee bathroom to splash some water on her face and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She certainly looked all too human today. Her shock of long black hair pinned up in a bun, her gray eyes still exotic, but tired. And her skin. Ugh. Normal, non-magical makeup was hell on her complexion. It felt heavy and caked onto her face. Unnatural.
If and when she ever went back to civilization, she would need a whole slew of appointments at the Magian day spa to recover.
But it would be worth it.
Her image wavered in the mirror and she gasped, stepping back so quickly her elbows hit the wall.
“Harry…”
Lorie? That sounded like her brother’s voice calling her name. Distant but distinct.
For a moment she could have sworn his
face superimposed over hers in the reflection. In the blink of an eye it was gone. He was gone.
“Shit.” Had they found her? Had they gotten Lorie, usually so lost in his research he couldn’t be bothered, to cast a locator spell that bypassed all her protections? He no doubt knew enough to do it. But she didn’t believe he would. If anyone understood her need to be left alone it was her shy, solitary brother.
Maybe she was just imagining it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Order’s up, hon. That table’s looking pretty darn impatient. Man obviously has a stick up his ass. Want me to bring it to him?” Dee sounded worried.