Short Story: Infinity, The Invisible Thief

This short story sort of came out of nowhere (like most of my short stories do) but when I finished it I realized its set in the same world and time as a novel I'm working on. Set in a world where magic and creatures (vampires, werewolves, witches) are all out in public and live side-by-side with normal people. It's a fun world to write in and learn as I go on so I hope you enjoy Infinity's story!

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Infinity scowled as she bumped into someone for the third time. She jumped out of the way as the next wave of passersby swarmed the bustling city sidewalks. Being invisible was hard… But it was worth it, Infinity thought as her hand went up to her chest. Her hand fisted around the locket hanging from her throat as she dodged another person. This locket held the cure for life and death.

Whatever that meant.

All she knew was the witch she stole it from really didn’t want Infinity getting her hands on it. The witch who owned the store across from a fancy penthouse complex had gone out and Infinity had slipped in. It had been easy to find the lock box hidden under the witch’s front desk. Not so easy to open it. Infinity had had to pick the lock and despell the lock box with one of the magic objects she’d stolen from a wizard a few years ago. When the box popped open she reached for the biggest, shiniest thing in there. Just as her fingers had grabbed hold of the locket the witch had walked in. Infinity had just managed to escape without too much of a hassle. Besides the fact that she was invisible now.

She walked on the side of the sidewalk, next to buildings so that she wouldn’t have to jump out of the way of so many people, her fingers caressing the smooth surface of the silver locket. Four blue gems sat in the corners, north, south, east, and west with a red ruby glittering in the center. A bit too gaudy for Infinity’s taste, but it would make for a big pay day in the black market for black magic objects. Who didn’t want to the secret of life and death? People would pay big money for this locket. If only Infinity could get it open, then she could prove to buyers that it was valuable and could do what the witch said.

Infinity turned a corner and bumped right into someone. Infinity opened her mouth to say sorry but then remembered she was invisible and went to duck passed the guy. But instead they ended up going the same way and bumping into each other again. Infinity’s brown eyes widened as they collided with a pair of baby blue ones. A pale boy with a dusting of freckles and reddish hair stared at her. Not through her but at her. He stopped short from trying to go around her, his mouth falling open when his eyes caught site of the locket around her neck. “You…” he whispered.

Infinity raised her eyebrows, gripping her hips. Who cared if he could see her? Once Infinity had seen a  poll online done by a few witches that said one in every five-people had second sight. Infinity was bound to run into at least one of them in a place like New York.

“Yeah, me?” she snapped back. She glanced over her shoulder. Who knew if the witch was still after her?

His eyes flicked between the locket and her face several times. “You hold the Pendant of Life and Death.”

Infinity shrugged, glancing down at the locket. Stay cool, maybe he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, she told herself. He can’t… She’d stolen it from an obscure witch who ran an herbal/magic shop full of cheesy, useless crap. Infinity had been surprised to find out the woman was a real witch with real power. Though how hard could an invisibility spell be, really?

“What’s it to you? If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to be on my way,” she said trying to inch around him. Instead he grabbed her wrist and stopped her, his eyes as round as they could get. “You can’t. It’s the sign I’ve been looking for. You need to come with me.”

Infinity snorted and yanked her wrist free from his grip. “Yeah right, whatever. I’m not going anywhere with you buddy.”

One of his eyebrows twitched up a few inches higher than the other. Not in a deliberate way… more like a nervous tick. “I can turn you visible again.”

That was all it took. Not that Infinity minded being invisible. An invisible thief was better than a visible one, but she was sure it would get tiring sooner or later. She didn’t want to end up being driven mad by no one being able to see her… A mad thief was no good to anyone. “Are you just saying that to get me to follow you?” she asked, hands gripping her hips. She really didn’t like how he was staring at that locket with such interest.

He shrugged, shoving is hands into his pockets. His right eyebrow twitched again. “Maybe a little but I really can do it. I’m a warlock in training. I can turn you visible easy.”

“Then do it. Right here. Right now.”

“Uh… no. Not that I haven’t made a spectacle of myself before but… I’d rather keep that locket under wraps. Do you have any idea what that can do? Where did you get it?”

Infinity touched the locket possessively. The boy finally looked at her instead of at the jewelry around her neck. He wasn’t really a boy. A young man at about Infinity’s age. Seventeen or eighteen maybe. Nineteen at the oldest. He was a full few inches taller than her and cute in a scrawny slightly awkward and suspiciously confidant kind of way. But weren’t all warlocks and witches socially awkward and confidant? All the ones Infinity had met had both traits to a certain degree. If they weren’t awkward than they were quirky. This young warlock-in-training couldn’t be any different than his other brethren.

“I stole it from a witch,” she said. Infinity may be a thief but she never lied.

His eyebrows shot up in a very expressive way that made those blue eyes get even wider. Infinity found herself wondering if he wore contacts. He seemed like the kind of guy who would wear glasses… nerdy kind of glasses. But nerdy in a cute way. “You stole it?”

She nodded, blinking away the unwanted thoughts about him. “Uh yeah… so can I go? I have to go find a buyer for this expensive and very important locket.”

 “You’re going to sell it?” He sounded repulsed and disgusted.

Witches and warlocks… always so judge-y.

“Yeah I am. I’m a thief. It’s what I do. You got a problem with that?”

The guy started to open his mouth but seemed to think better of it and held up a finger. “I can pay you double. Any buyer you may have, I can pay double what they would pay.”

Infinity scrutinized him doubtfully. Untucked white and blue button up shirt, baggy jeans, and white Vans. Not exactly rich kid material. Not even close. “Yeah… I don’t think so.”

“No its true! My master, Master Tristan, is very rich. He can double you’re pay, I swear. I’ll take you to him right now. Just give me a chance. If I’m lying than you can just punch me in the face and run away.”

He had a point. Infinity could take him. She shoved her hands into her ratty green hoodie and glanced around, trying to seem uninterested. “Fine, whatever. Only because you’re bugging me. But if you’re lying I will punch you.”

The young man nodded eagerly and grabbed her wrist, dragging her through the streets of New York.

“What’s your name anyways?” she asked hedgingly as the turned a corner and headed toward the mansions just outside the city.

“Darrell Dawn but everyone just calls me Dawn.”

“Isn’t Dawn kind of a girl name?”

He gave her a pointed look. “What’s your name?”

Infinity grinned sheepishly. “Infinity.”

“Because that’s so much better than Dawn,” he teased, smirking.

“Well, why don’t people just call you Darrell?”

His smirk vanished and he stared straight ahead. “My dad’s name is Darrell and I don’t want to be reminded of him every time someone calls me by my name.”

Infinity raised her eyebrows but said nothing. She understood touchy subjects, especially touchy subjects pertaining to parents. To Infinity’s shock he led her into the Upper East Side and stopped in front of a super secure, high tech wall. Trees obscured the mansion from view but Infinity already knew Dawn hadn’t been lying. His master was loaded.

Dawn stepped forward and spoke a word from a different language into a pad beside the glowing silver gate. With a ding and a shimmer of defense spells disabling, the gates opened to expose a marble driveway leading up to a huge, medieval-castle-esque mansion.

Infinity’s jaw dropped as she walked through the gates and into a small but gorgeous and manicured estate. She didn’t even notice the gates closing behind her.

Dawn smirked and gestured at the mansion and trees lining the driveway leading up to the front door. “Believe me now?”

Infinity nodded wordlessly and his grin widened as he led her down the driveway. She couldn’t move her head around enough to see all of it. So many beautiful trees in full bloom and a few statues here and there of mythical creatures and ancient warlocks and witches. They walked around the round-about in front of the stone stairs leading up to the front door. Infinity suddenly felt like a dirty rat. She didn’t even want to touch the immaculate stone steps, let alone enter the no doubt gorgeous and clean inside of the mansion.

Dawn knocked three times and the door opened a minute later. A dark skinned, bald man in a sweeping black cloak and tuxedo from the 1960’s, complete with coattails and all stood in front of them. His face went through numerous expressions so fast Infinity had a hard time reading him. From puzzled at having a strange girl in front of him, to dumbfounded at seeing the necklace around her neck to welcoming and grinning as he accepted her and the locket. He clasped his hands in front of him.

“Well, well I see Dawn found his sign. Come in Miss. Lebau. We have much to discuss.” He swept his arm out in a grand welcoming gesture and Infinity stepped through the threshold without hesitation.

“How do you know my name?”

The man’s dark eyes glittered with secrets. “I know how to read people which makes it quite easy for me to find one’s name without being told who they are.”

“Ok…” was all she could think to say. She stepped inside and the outside world and her troubles disappeared entirely. For the first time in Infinity’s whole life she felt like she could breath and so she did.

Infinity quickly collected herself as the door shut behind her and remembered what she was doing here. To become visible and get money. She folded her arms, staring at the two men in front of her, trying to ignore that she was in a house she could never afford in a million years. “So, shall we discuss payment?”

 

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Have a great weekend!