How can it be Hump Day already? The good news is, new year, new week, new #1lineWed prompt and new words! I still haven’t settled on a current WIP but this morning, as I was pouring my first cup of coffee at oh-dark hundred, the first sentence came to me. I immediately stumbled into my office and managed to whip out some words while madly sipping my first cup. Here’s the result. FYI, first draft, I have no idea where it fits in the current story, and I’d mentioned Monday that I’d write when inspiration struck. Yay for magic coffee beans!
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“The only magic that works on me is right here in this cup of coffee. Disturbing me while I’m drinking it is very risky business.”

The goblin eyed her warily. The magick seated beside him snorted his disdain. The vampire leaned against hostess stand and wondered what Sade would do next. The dragon sidled up to Sinjen.

“Aren’t you going to do something?’

The rivals stared at each other then a slow smile crept across Sinjen’s face—one that even reached his eyes. “You’ll learn.”

At that seeming taunt, Nikos headed for Sade’s table. He loomed up beside her, radiating menace. The two Magicks sneered, wrongly believing the weak human needed rescuing.

With a graceful wave of her hand, Sade jammed her Sig Sauer into the dragon;s balls. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”

Nikos didn’t move, though he did gulp once, soundlessly.

Sinjen remained impassive. He’d learned long ago that Sade was always good for a show.

Sade leveled her gaze on the two men sitting at her table. “It’s early,” she explained. “I came in for a cup of coffee. That’s all. And then you pea brains decide to get all up in my face. As a trained investigator, this makes me wonder what you’ve been up to.”

The first gulped in imitation of the dragon. The second leaned against the back of his chair with a superior air. Fucking fae, Sade thought.

“Do you even know who I am?”

The fae continued to sneer. “A human too stupid to live?”

The goblin tugged on his boss’s sleeve. “Enmoore?”

The fae shrugged him off. “The operative words in that sentence are stupid, human, and live.”

The dragon moved, then flinched as Sade snapped off her pistol’s safety off. Sade settled a sunny smile on the pompous creature. “My name is Sade Marquis.”

Her statement dropped into absolute silence. Then chairs scraped on the floor and people stood, heading for the exit.

“Enmoore!” the goblin hissed, his voice filled with urgency and panic.

“Am I to quake in my boots at your name?”

Enmoore wasn’t the brightest Magick she’d come across in this case. Sade set down her cup and in a conversational tone, said, “All I wanted was a cup of coffee. No conversation. No hassle. No magical idiots to ruin my morning. Yet here you are. I had my patience tested and the test came back negative. Let me explain the facts of life…Enmoore, is it?”

The fae sputtered when she said his name like he was a commoner. “Now you listen—”

Before his next word, she’d leaned across the table, gripped his throat in a choke hold and placed the barrel of her Sig against his temple. “No,” she said softly. “You listen. I’ll reintroduce myself. Special Agent in Charge, FBI MAGIC unit.”

The little goblin flinched. The fae remained frozen. Iron was poison and not even High King Oberon himself could withstand a bullet to the brain. Sade could see the wheels turning in the fae’s head and knew the moment he connected the dots.

“The Child of Mortals,” he whispered. His eyes sparked with fear and magic swirled around him.

Yeah, this guy was so far from Fae royalty that his magic barely registered. The fact that his only minion was a goblin had been Sade’s first clue. Still, she hoped he’d point her in the right direction. She eased her weapon away and settled back into her own chair. She opened her mouth to ask her first question when a small red spot appeared on the fae’s forehead.

Nikos reacted first and took Sade to the floor, covering her with his body. Tumbling out of her chair, she just managed to catch the look of surprise on the fae’s face as a large hole appeared where the dot had been before the fae disappeared from her sight. She shoved at the heavy body pinning her down.

“Gawdammitalltohell, you fucking dragon. Get off me! You have now royally fucked up my case.”
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And there it is. Have I mentioned that coffee truly IS magic? Just ask Iffy. 😉 Writers, any royal words to share? Writers and readers, what’s magic in your life these days?