Celebromancy Read Free Page B

passed over Yancy’s face. “Careful, Jane.”
    Jane stretched, cracking her back. “I’ll be fine. And we need every bit of press we can get.”
    Yancy took a halting step toward Jane, a worried, paternal look on his face. Jane raised a hand, and he stopped.
    “It’s going to be a hit, Yanc. And then we’ll be back on top.”
    They waited for a minute.
    Why am I getting a foreboding vibe off of this? It isn’t just the worry of maybe people will throw fruit instead of cheering—it was something bigger.
    “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Ree said without getting the chance to censor herself.
    Jane looked to Ree and smiled big.
    Why worry? Ree asked herself. It’ll be fine.
    “Follow me and stay close. This is going to be a great ride.” Jane nodded to her bodyguard Danny, who had appeared from nowhere to take the lead, engaging his not-to-be-fucked-with look.
    Danny Park (Strength 15, Dexterity 16, Stamina 14, Will 15, IQ 13, Charisma 10—Laborer 2 / Security 3 / Martial Artist 5 / Bodyguard 4) stood only five feet and change, but he was ripped, the muscle shirt he wore under his jacket showing enough skin to make that fact abundantly clear. He wore a short ponytail tied back, and his jeans were well worn without being patchy.
    Ree followed, and as they walked through the hotel, Ree couldn’t help but envision the group in their very own Badass Walk: the last or next-to-last shot of a TV credits sequence or film trailer where the main characters stride with purpose down a hallway, alley, or battlefield. Bonus points if something explodes in the background.
    Her mind played a made-up theme song in the style of Nerf Herder as they walked. Danny reached the front of the hotel, and two men in suits opened the doors for them.
    The crowd outside was even bigger than it had been in the ballroom by at least 50 percent. Where are all these people coming from? Ree wondered.
    Jane sauntered through the crowd wearing a modest smile. The air was tight with excitement and the flow of energy as the star held court, soaking it all in like an emotional vampire. I sure hope Dresden’s White Court doesn’t really exist. If they do, we’re all fucked. According to the model that Eastwood gave Ree during her brief stint as a snarky apprentice, there might be individual vampires that followed the model from Butcher’s novels, feeding on emotion instead of blood, but probably not enough to be their own society. If they did, Ree had no doubt that they’d have Hollywood wrapped around their sexy alabaster fingers.
    Some heroines got simple universes, with monsters and magic that followed consistent rules. As far as she could tell, magic in her world was as inconsistent and dynamic as real life, so just when she thought she understood what was going on, something would change for no discernible reason, like fashion, pop music, or Facebook.
    Ree headed straight for the waiting town car, sliding in beside Yancy. Jane took several minutes to sign, schmooze, and soak up the love.
    Yancy kept an eye on his star, and Ree watched out of the corner of her eye.
    Jane waved goodbye to the crowd and slinked into the car with deliberate grace, proving Ree’s point. She beckoned Ree in next, and Yancy took shotgun as Danny closed the door to the car, interposing himself to keep the crowds away.
    Jane leaned in to speak to both of them.
    “See, wasn’t that fun?” Her eyes were wide, like she’d just taken a hit of something high-grade.
    Yancy harrumphed. “Back to the set, please.” The driver, an older Middle Eastern man in an aviator cap, nodded, and the car pulled out into the street.
    “Actually, can you drop me somewhere?” Ree asked. “I’ve got a lunch.”
    Yancy nodded. Jane frowned. “I thought you were going to be on-set this afternoon?”
    “I will,” Ree said. “When I say ‘I have a lunch,’ what I really mean is ‘I have work.’ My boss has been good about being flexible and giving my work here priority,