Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 42

C h apte r 42

Harsh Words Before Breakfast

Later Morning, Sunday, Febr uary 22 nd in Margot’s Bus at the EcoDome in A kkoy, Genc

M argot stepped through the mirror into her bus, nearly stumbling as she hit the small counter of her kitchen. Tobin followed close behind, the burst of purple magic fading as the portal closed beh ind them.

“Mirror travel,” Margot commented. “Pretty cool! Another ability?”

“Anyone can learn portal magic.” Tobin wiggled his fingers, the digits suddenly snapping into perfectly designed triangles and squares. “Given eno ugh time.”

Margot shook her head. No wonder he was so good with his hands. “You say that like it’s easy. Like anyone could just study a book or something and never have to take an airpla ne again.”

Tobin shrugged. “It is easy, Margot. Controlling your other abilities is much more complicated. Magic like this is memorizing what your fingers should be doing. I can show you.”

“You’d better,” she said. “Though there are other things I would learn first.” She kicked off her sneakers, shaking her head as she caught sight of the skirt Tobin had conjured for her, very aware of her naked body beneath the flowing bottom. Glancing at the clock in the dashboard of her bus, she headed for the kitchen, pouring water into the kettle and getting the coff ee ready.

Tobin had settled into the swivel seat on her floor, and she was pouring the hot water into the carafe when someone banged on her side door. “Margot!” Ash’s voice was loud and bordering on angry.

Margot took a deep breath, set the kettle down, leaving the carafe on the small counter, and walked to the side door. She glanced at the clock again, noting she had exactly five minutes before she needed to be on the road toward Sivas. She pushed the door open without a word, the metal screeching loudly, and stood in the doorway expectantly. Ash was standing a few feet away, just beyond the reach of the door, his chest heaving.

“You’re here,” he sa id simply.

“Of course,” Margot replied, voice neutral. “Where wo uld I go?”

“You went somewhere,” he snapped. “No one could find you last night.” His gaze skipped behind her to where Tobin sat.

“Did something happen?” she asked, moving so she stood between him and his brother, blocking his view. “Did you need me?”

“Well, no—” he began.

“Then it’s none of your business,” sh e snapped.

“Margot,” he gritted, “we’re in Genc now. O ther fae—”

“I was perfectly safe,” she insisted, gesturing to herself, “as you can see.”

“You could have let me know—Let us know,” he corrected quickly. “You’re usually there after the show. Everyone was asking for you.”

“Who was asking for me?” she demanded. Behind her, Tobin stood, heading to the counter where the coffee had finished. He busied himself in her kitchen, making thei r coffee.

Ash blanched, struggling for names. “Alby!” he managed finally and crossed his arms. “They didn’t know where the afterpa rty was.”

Margot stared down at him. “You’re telling me that Das Leprechaun couldn’t find their way to the afterparty without me giving them an address? Are you kidding? They were drowning in groupies last I saw them. Those girls always know where to go.” Margot paused, then added, “And with who.” She thought of the redhead again, the casual way she touched Ash, and felt her resolve harden. Tobin took that moment to lean down next to her, retrieving the small container of half and half from the fridge. He winked at Ash on the way back up, his upper half disappearing f rom view.

“Why is he here?” Ash demanded.

“Why shouldn’t he be here?” she retorted. “You said it yourself—We’re in Genc. There could be fae around. At least Tobin can protect me.” The words came out before she thought them through—and she watched the hurt spread across Ash’s hands ome face.

“I see,” he gritted.

“No,” she sighed. “You don’t see. And it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have an appointment in Sivas to get my bus fixed, and I don’t want to be late.” She reached out to grab the door as if to swing it shut, but Ash didn’t move out of the way. “What?” she a sked him.

“I didn’t know if you were safe,” he said quietly. “I was … worried.”

“Were you.” She turned to Tobin, accepting the mug of coffee he held out to her and took a sip. “I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone. You seemed to have plenty of company.”

“Go…”

“Don’t Go me. As I said, it doesn’t matter.” She took another sip, relishing the sweetness. “Get back on your RV, rock star,” she told him. “I’ll see you in Sivas tonight.” She reached for the handle, but he held his hand out, preventing the door from shutting.

“At least take Nik with you,” Ash said. “Please.”

Margot rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She left him at the door. Handing Tobin her mug, she yanked off her hoodie, warm enough inside her bus, despite the open door, then accepted the mug and headed to the driver’s seat, dressed in her conjured tank top and skirt. She heard Ash’s sharp intake of breath and couldn’t help but look at him. His gaze lingered on her shoulder—on the mark Tobin had left earlier that morning.

Good , she decided, let him see. Let him know how it feels. She regretted the thought, but the redhead from the couch swirled into her memory along with the casual way he had dismissed her. Margot sat down in the seat. Resting the mug in the cupholder, she reached for what she called her driving socks. Glancing over to where Ash still stood in the doorway, she yanked on the thicker socks. “I’m leaving in one minute. With or wit hout Nik.”

“Go…” he began.

“If he’s coming, he needs to get here now,” she told him, swapping out her other sock and shoving the abandoned pair into the laundry bag hanging in the closet. She swung her legs around into the footwell, then took another sip of coffee before adjusting her mirrors. “Thirty seconds,” she announced, glancing at Tobin. He took his cue, grabbing the carafe and emptying the contents into their mugs, then quickly rinsing it and tucking it back on its shelf. Twenty-five seconds later, he settled into the passen ger seat.

“We should travel together. It’s safer!” Ash insisted.

“You didn’t seem to care so much about my safety yesterday,” she said, not looking at him, “while you were busy entertaining your m any fans.”

“Go, that’s not fair, and you know it.”

“None of this is fair, Ash,” she told him, turning to look at him again—which was a mistake. His face was sad, earnest, the Ash she knew from those early days—and that night on her bus —her Ash.

Nik popped into view behind the lead singer, shoving him aside and jumping onto the bus. He turned to face Ash, gave him a one-fingered gesture, then reached for the door. “Go has to go!” he shouted and slammed the door in Ash’s face. Whirling around, he leaned down to lift the swivel seat and snapped it into place for driving. He gave a quick glance to their coffee mugs and gave Margot a pleadin g glance.

“Is th ere more?”

“Sorry,” she said. “I can swing through a gas station.”

“It’s cool. I can wait until lunch,” Nik said, buckling himself in and sitting up, clearly ready for road trip mode. She saw that he was wearing a different t-shirt today, but it still had a picture of him playing drums in hig h school.

“Thanks,” Margot said, checking her mirrors one more time. She could see Ash, still standing along the passenger side door, face crestfallen. As if sensing her gaze, he glanced up, meeting her eyes in the sid e mirror.

His mouth opened, closed, and he simply watched her. Margot sighed, hating how the look tore her heart, and put the bus into gear, leaving As h behind.