Random Acts of Sorcery Read Online Free PDF Page A

the man bellowed, ignoring Miri. “And if you can’t get me the manager, then I demand a number where I can reach your superior and—”
    “We’re closed, go home,” Sam interjected, coming back into the café from the break room.
    The man gritted his teeth, his face red with exertion. “You have to get me the manager! I’m a customer, and I have a—”
    The irate customer was interrupted by a crack of thunder. The whole room seemed to vibrate with an unnatural energy.
    “Go home NOW!” Sam yelled, dropping his disguise spell for a brief moment. The man gasped, put his hand over his mouth in fright, then turned on his heel and bolted out the door as fast as he could, whimpering all the while. After he was gone, Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes, which had returned to normal.
    “I’m sorry, that was childish.”
    “We’ll allow it,” said Eugene dryly.
    “That guy was mean,” said Ethan, moving over to stand at Eugene’s side.
    “Uh….” Sam started, looking over the assembled entourage. With the Buckleys (which now included Ethan), Cassie, Jay, Mike, Khalil and Serenus, it was almost a full gathering of the entourage. The only ones missing were Aeka, who almost never left her apartment, and Dwight, who was playing with his band at some club in Sodatown.
    And Vladmira, Cassie supposed, if the little bat even counted as a member.
    “Look, everyone sit down for a minute. This is a little complicated and I want to explain what we’re doing.”
    As everyone began pulling over chairs, Miri walked up to Sam, hands behind her back with a big smile on her face. “So this is going to be educational, huh? You’re going to be the one educating me for a change?” she said in a mock-whisper.
    Sam smiled and swatted her playfully, but she was too fast for him and scampered away. Cassie stopped in the middle of dragging a chair, suddenly feeling sick; something had changed between the two of them. There was an intimacy there, something very familiar about the way he smiled and went to touch her.
    “You okay?” Jay asked. “You look all pale.”
    “I-I’m fine,” Cassie said, moving her chair the last few feet and then plopping down into it. She looked down, head swimming. Were the two of them as close as they seemed, with everything that entailed? Or was she just reading too much into one tiny little interaction?
    When ever yone was seated in a semicircle—except for Sam, who was leaning against the counter—he cleared his throat. “So, based on some…information I’ve received, the binding ritual we did a while back was only one way of doing it. And not the most complete way.”
    “That’s the only sort of binding ritual I’ve every participated in,” said Eugene.
    “This dates back to before your time,” Sam explained.
    “Does it now,” said Eugene, his expression unreadable.
    “Apparently, back in the day, when demons and vampires formed a contract, it wasn’t just for the standard five years of service. They exchanged powers too.”
    “But we already do that,” said Billingsly, his deep voice booming though the room. “When we make the contract, we get the power to alter mortal minds.”
    “Yes, but that’s a freebie, so to speak,” Serenus interjected. “To gain the full range of benefits of the contract—the ability to walk in the sun, the ability to eat food like a living creature—you have to renounce your ties to any former master, committing yourself fully to the demon you’ve chosen.”
    There was a moment of silence as everyone processed that.
    “I don’t get it,” Miri admitted.
    “See, when you all contracted to me a month or so ago, you only did it partially,” Sam continued. “You were pledging your service to me for five years, no more and no less. But apparently, when I brought you back from death, Miri, I was claiming you as my own for good. And you received all the benefits associated with that.”
    Mike leaned back in his chair. “I think I understand. So,