Burned (A Magic Bullet Novel Book 1) Read Free Page A

emblazoned on it in bright orange letters, and her denim shorts barely covered her ass cheeks. I had no doubt that the poor fit was intentional.
    "It's good to see you, Farah," I said. "How's business?"
    "Who cares? How are you?" She released me and gave me the once-over. "Not very good by the state of you. Are you on assignment as a homeless woman?"
    Farah ushered me to the back of the store where two red velvet chairs sat by the dressing room area.
    "Don't worry," I told her. "My taste hasn't devolved. I was in the middle of a mission and I got knocked out. When I woke up, I was headed here and sporting these fine accessories." I held up my copper cuffs and she gasped.
    "Alyse, no!" She grabbed my arms to examine the cuffs more closely without actually touching them. "They're actual copper cuffs?"
    "Seem to be."
    "You can't shift?"
    "I can't do anything. No summoning. No fireballs. No powers. Nada."
    "Who did this to you?"
    "Kinda why I'm here. Can I use your phone?"
    She pulled it from her back pocket and handed it to me. "Who are you calling? Your court?"
    I blew out a breath. "Good God, no. I'm not that desperate." I dialed Jamie's number. "I'm calling my handler." Every Shadow Elite agent has a handler and Jamie is mine. I think of him as my concerned uncle. We'd met in person a few times over the years, and he always seemed interested in my well-being. I didn't have any male role models in my life, so I secretly appreciated Jamie's mild concern for me.
    "Will he be able to get the cuffs removed?" she asked.
    "Not personally, but someone at the agency will. I don't know how Aladdin's security team got their hands on premium copper cuffs, though. They're a rare commodity."
    Farah frowned. "Who's Aladdin?"
    "Never mind." I didn't want to drag Farah into Shadow Elite business. I just needed to get these cuffs off and get back to Europe. I had a mission to complete.
    A robo-operator answered the call. "The number you've tried to reach is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again."
    I tried again.
    "What's wrong?" Farah asked.
    I dropped the phone into my lap, stunned. "Everything," I told her, my head swimming. "I don't know what's happening."
    Farah's gaze was riveted to my cuffs. "So you're stuck like this? For how long?"
    "Until I can find a way to get them off." We both knew it was next to impossible to get cuffs removed. Whoever did this to me either wanted me out of the way or wanted me to suffer. Or both. I had to figure out the who and why of it.
    With one finger, Farah touched the cool copper band and recoiled. "Ouch," she cried. "Doesn't it hurt?"
    "It's more like a dull ache now," I said. "A Kryptonite effect without the crippling pain."
    All djinn are vulnerable either to copper or cold iron. Marida, Hinns and Ghuls are vulnerable to copper. At best, it makes us cranky and weakens our powers. At worst, it kills us. There are plenty of copper weapons that fall somewhere in between -- weapons like the copper net that stifle our magic and cause us excruciating pain. Although items like copper pipes in the building wouldn't be the end of the world, they're best avoided. Cold iron is toxic to the other three castes -- Ifrits, Janns and Shaitans. Its effects were roughly the same.
    "I can't imagine you without your powers," Farah said quietly. "You've always been so strong."
    "I have no plans to get used to the idea," I said, fear still twisting my gut. "I've got to get to the bottom of this."
    "Do you have any friends still in PAN?" she asked. "Maybe someone local?"
    There was someone, although I hated the thought of seeing him, especially in my present condition. I didn't dare mention his name to Farah or she'd bar the doors and windows before I could escape.
    "I have someone in mind, if I can find him."
    "How are you going to sniff him out without drawing attention to your cuffs?"
    She was right. My human body made everything more difficult. "It's not going to be easy," I agreed.
    "At least you got