Read Magic's Design for Free Online

to Denver from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania where her family eschewed all technology, Sela had gone whole hog into materialism. Working for the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder gave her plenty of money for all the high-tech toys that she’d never had as a child. Mila could barely walk through her room without tripping on video cables from game systems, computers, and music players. “Sela’s not the type for federal trouble. They’re probably family. I’ve heard they’re really disapproving of technology and the living room is loaded with it.”
    Candy sounded unconvinced. “Yeah, maybe. But you haven’t met them. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.”
    Mila looked again at the clothing in the full-length oval mirror in the corner, suddenly relieved the shirt had a homemade feel. If the visitors were Sela’s relatives here to check her out, she just might pass the test. “I’ll be right down. Could you ask if they want something to drink? I’ve got some juice and bottled water in the fridge.”
    “Will do.” As soon as she heard the familiar thumping of Candy’s heels down the stairs, she dashed to the bathroom at the end of the hall. One look in the mirror over the sink made her grimace and drag fingers through stubborn tangles gluey with hair spray. Maybe if she flipped her hair over her head and brushed vigorously for a minute, it would help. As she counted out stroke twenty under her breath while simultaneously scrubbing her teeth with cinnamon paste, she heard something crash to the floor down the hall.
    Mila paused to listen. The rustling was definitely louder than Candy’s muted alto and two males—one tenor and one baritone—down in the living room. She stood carefully and smoothed her thick waves into place, then spit toothpaste into the sink as quietly as she could.
    Could Baba already be here? But no, Candy would have mentioned it, and Baba never did anything quietly. She grabbed the big metal flashlight from the floor near the door. It was both a necessity in a neighborhood that was usually the first in the city to lose power, and a powerful club for protection. After taking a deep breath, she carefully slipped out into the hallway.
    She was right. The noise was definitely coming from Sela’s room. The door had been closed since she left nearly a week ago, but now it was slightly ajar.
    Through the crack, she could see Sela, racing between her dresser and an open suitcase, stuffing clothing inside haphazardly and muttering to herself. Her face was covered with bruises and there was a dark spot on the back of her head that looked very much like dried blood. “Sela?” She whispered the word, not wanting the people downstairs to hear—especially since Candy had already told them that Sela wasn’t here.
    Her roommate turned so quickly she nearly fell, her face a mask of terror. She raised a hand straight-armed from her shoulder, causing Mila to take a step backward. It took a few moments for recognition to come to Sela’s eyes, but when it did, the arm dropped.
    Mila rushed forward, keeping her voice down, despite her excitement. “Sela, when did you get home? There are some people downstairs looking for you. Have you talked to them yet?”
    Her roommate looked at the open door to the room in abject horror before tiptoeing over to close it. “I haven’t been downstairs yet, because nobody knows I’m here. There are men following me, Mila. You have to tell them that I don’t live here anymore.”
    The disapproval must have been clear in her expression, because Sela’s face fell. She continued whispering, more because she wanted to find out what was going on before there were interruptions. “You know I won’t do that, Sela. How many times have I refused to lie for my boss, even when annoying clients come to the office? What’s going on? How did you get up here without coming through the door downstairs? Are you in some sort of trouble? Should I call the police? I can certainly stall