Mars, p.14
Mars, page 14
“Did you say that your friend is missing?”
She nodded. “Yes, Neptune. She’s been gone for hours and I don’t know where she went. She’s got my phone, wallet and everything.”
“If you want, I can help. I can put her description out on social media and have people contact you.”
“You would?” She pulled out several concert tickets from her pocket. “I can give you one of these for helping me.”
“Wow. You’re giving me a VIP ticket to Not a Vampire for tonight? Thank you so much.” I gave her my biggest grin and suddenly I no longer saw her wart. It was still there of course, but it didn’t seem so intrusive. I pulled out my cell phone and opened my accounts. “To start, I need your name.”
“It’s Venus.”
Wow. What a coincidence. Two people, friends with each other even, who have planet names.
“Nice to meet you Venus. I’m Mercury, but everyone calls me Curie.” I’d never met anyone with a planet name like me before. I kind of liked it. Almost like it was fate that we should meet. “Now can you give me your Screech name so people can tag you if they see her?”
A dazed look flashed across her face. When she blinked, it cleared. But she didn’t answer.
“Um, Venus, I need your contact information if you want people to notify you that they found your friend.”
“You mean Neptune? You’ll look for her?”
“Of course.” Her friend and her must be really close if she’s this upset. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “Your contact?” I reminded her.
Her face lost its smile and tears formed at the corner of her eye. “I don’t have my phone. It’s in her car.”
I placed my hand on her arm to comfort her. “That’s okay. I’ll have them contact you here if that works.”
Her eyes lit up. “You would?”
“Of course. I know what it’s like to be all alone in a new place.” I quickly typed in the initial information into my post. “Now, can you tell me what your friend looks like?”
“She has shoulder length brown hair…”
As she continued to describe Neptune, I typed it all in while snatching glances out the window. My mouth dropped at the mirage that matched Venus’s description outside the window. She must have conjured that with magic. What an amazing spell; I envied her gift. I pointed the Neptune mirage out to Venus. “Is that what she looks like?” The vision disappeared before my eyes. “That’s a cool spell you used. I wish I could do things like that.”
Venus’s eye glazed over, a vacant look on her face, she asked, “Oh. Hi. I’m Venus.”
“Does this sound right, Venus?” I flipped my phone around to face her so she could see what I wrote.
Her eyes glazed over again and she turned back to the window.
Huh? I glanced around the coffee shop to see if anyone else noticed Venus’ strange behavior. The barista shrugged her shoulders before going back to make whatever drink the latest customer ordered.
Not knowing what else to do and worried that Neptune was a figment of Venus’ imagination, I erased my post. But as I stood to leave the cafe, I vowed that I’d keep an eye out for this mysterious Neptune anyway as I shopped.
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About the Authors
Elena Gray has always had a vivid imagination. It took entering a writing contest to finally put her stories to paper, and that is how her first novel was born. She’s always coming up with new story ideas and has pages and pages ready to be written.
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She loves staying up late and sipping vanilla lattes while devouring as many books as she can.
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You can follow Elena everywhere on social media and also sign up for her Newsletter to stay up to date on giveaways and new releases.
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For a full list of all of her books along with reading order, head to her bookshelf on her website here.
Cali Mann is the author of the Thornbriar Academy series and Misfit of Thornbriar Academy spinoff series. She writes paranormal romance, the sexy kind with why choose, hunky shifters, sexy vampires, and women who stand up for themselves.
She learned romance by reading through her mother’s entire Gothic romance collection in her teens so she and romance go way back. When she’s not writing, she spends her time streaming shows, playing video games, and pestering her two tuxedo cats.
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Say hello to Cali online:
www.calimann.com
Cali Mann, Mars
