The Demon Diaries

A Hint of Magic | Chapter 4

 Copyright 2013 All Rights Reserved

A Hint of Magic By Claire Chilton

4

Trials and Temptation

Dora stared down at the hex bag in her hand. It was a tiny cloth sack, tied with twine and leaves of some kind. It definitely had something in it, judging by the weight of it. The object inside felt like something hard and rectangle-shaped. Loanda had given her it with a warning. She was not allowed to open it, or she would be cursed by it too. Although she was dying to look inside, she managed to refrain and shoved the bag into the back pocket of her jeans with a shake of her head. She had a mission to complete today.

She tugged the baseball cap down, so it shadowed her eyes. Then she gritted her teeth as she walked towards the entrance of the huge skyscraper, which from the outside appeared to be mostly made of glass. As she walked through the open doors into a large reception area, she gripped the green paper bag of food that she held in her hands. She glanced down. The logo for 'Thai Garden' emblazoned on the bag of food matched the logo on her cap and T-shirt.

She approached the reception desk and held her breath. Her nerves were rattled just by being here. I hope no one notices that this shirt is too big for me. She'd borrowed the uniform from a Hal. He was probably the most laid-back guy at school. Luckily he'd been laid-back enough not to ask why she wanted his shirt.

The woman behind the reception desk was an icy blonde, wearing a sharp grey suit that matched her sharp grey eyes.

Dora shot a sideways glance towards the board next to the reception desk. It listed the companies inside the building. Cabot Investments was marked as being on the third floor.

"Ahem." The blonde coughed, and Dora turned to face her. "Can I help you?"

"Delivery for Howard Delaney at Cabot Investments," Dora replied, trying to act like a delivery person.

The receptionist narrowed her eyes. "It's a bit early for lunch."

Shit, shit, shit. She inwardly panicked, but outwardly shrugged. "What can I tell you, the guy wants his sushi now," she said, keeping her voice as relaxed as possible.

"Fine, take it up. Third floor. Check in with reception there." The blonde pointed towards the lifts behind her.

Dora nodded and headed towards the lifts. She pressed the call button and stared at the chrome doors. Getting past the second receptionist was going to be a nightmare. She needed to get into Howard's office if she was going to plant the hex bag there.

The lift doors finally opened, and she stepped into the elevator before pressing three on the dashboard. She pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket once the doors closed, and the lift began moving. She needed help with this one. She dialed Loanda's number and pressed call.

"May the light be with you," Loanda said when she answered.

"Hey, it's Dora. I need your help."

"How may I guide you?" Loanda's soothing tone echoed through the phone.

"Guide me past the receptionist on the third floor. How do I get into Howard's office?"

"Lie your way in," Loanda said in a less soothing tone.

"What the fuck am I supposed to say? I'm delivering sushi, not gold bullion."

"Get creative. This is your trial, and I'm not here to do it for you."

"Gee thanks," she muttered as Loanda hung up on her. She scowled at the phone before dropping it back into her jeans pocket. "I guess I'm on my own," she said to herself.