Tiffany starts her new job at a shady company and meets the Artificial Intelligence in charge of the office. Not finding a connection with her human coworkers, she forms a bond with the AI instead.
Someone is following Yvonne. It's only when she hides in a library that she learns why.
From behind her came the light whoosh of the door opening. She turned, breath catching. She hadn’t gotten a good look before, but this had to be her, her stalker. Tall, heavy and with straight black hair slicked back from her face, she stood like a sentry before the door. “Yvonne,” she said, “you have fifteen years worth of library fines. Time to pay up.”
What.
There were rumours that a witch lived here. Where the tree-lined path merged with the forest. Rumour had it that this witch would help you out if you asked nicely. Well- her co-workers had said it with a bit more scorn in their voices, but ever since she overheard she hadn’t been able to put it out of her mind.
She takes a moment to consider her surroundings. What had she called this place earlier? Toad Expanse? What does that even mean? Okay, whatever, it doesn’t matter.
-
Grace leans her chin on her knees. “I’m not sure exactly how it works.”
“Magic, I guess,” Emma says.
“Yeah.” Grace sighs and flops onto her back. She stares up at the empty blue sky.
“What? No, real magic doesn’t— Are you pulling my leg?” Jimmy stared at his fellow magicians. None of them looked like they were joking. For a moment, they all just looked at each other, then their expressions morphed into horror as they realised he wasn’t joking either. “Are you saying all of you have been using real magic all this time?” Jimmy’s voice came out hoarse and quiet. Derek, someone he’d known for years and considered a close friend, laughed brokenly.
“You’re saying you haven’t?”