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A review by kzimm2024
Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews
5.0
Original read in May 2018, no review and 5 stars.
Re-read Feb 2024 and still love this short story. Now I understand why it's important, Dali needed to see Jim and herself work as a deadly team for them to have an HEA and eventually r*%# the Pack. That's not a spoiler is it?? bahaha
Dali gets asked to find a grandmother and the whole thing spirals out of control into curses, interfering family members and full-nudity strip bars. Who would have thought? Its good though!
Dalis mom is precious:
Kill me, please. “He is a nice cat. He’s not like that.”
“It’s instinct, Dali. Before you know it, you’ll be running a feline whorehouse.”
“Mother!”
Jim was challenged and stayed the night but they had yet to take their relationship to that next step. Jim has decided to expedite things:
“Never mind,” I whispered back at him. “You did that on purpose.”
“Did what?”
“Dropped things. Are you a jaguar or an elephant?”
I love that she can give him shit as well as understands him:
Jim sat in the seat next to me. It was the strangest thing. His face was relaxed, his pose lazy. Jim had only two modes: menacing and waiting to menace.
They are finally talking about deeper things since events are forcing them together:
My heart sank. “Does this mean that if I expect caring boyfriend Jim, you’ll give me that?”
“No,” he said. “You just get me the way I am, which means you’re screwed. I’m mostly an asshole.”
I put my hand on the door handle of Eleventh Planet. “Can you do a comic geek?”
“What will I get if I do it?”
“What do you want?”
“Make me dinner tonight,” he said.
Dali has her own special powers:
"For example, let’s say I am targeting a person whose left leg has been amputated. I could curse that doorway so any creature missing a leg would get gonorrhea.”
Jim raised his hand. “Wait. Can you actually do that?”
I waved my hands at him. “That’s not the point.”
“No, that’s the kind of information I need to know.”
“Okay, probably I could.”
Jim’s expression went blank. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
I appreciate the humor and love between them:
“If you cut it right away, all the juices will run out and you’ll get a dry piece of meat.”
“Ew.” I waved my spatula. “Please keep your carnivore details to yourself."
---------
Jim landed next to me, leaned over, and gently licked my bloody face with his jaguar tongue. I whined and rolled my big head against him.
He kissed me again, cleaning my cuts, his touch gentle and tender. I love you, too, Jim. I love you so much.
Guess what? We won. It was worth it.
Re-read Feb 2024 and still love this short story. Now I understand why it's important, Dali needed to see Jim and herself work as a deadly team for them to have an HEA and eventually r*%# the Pack. That's not a spoiler is it?? bahaha
Dali gets asked to find a grandmother and the whole thing spirals out of control into curses, interfering family members and full-nudity strip bars. Who would have thought? Its good though!
Dalis mom is precious:
Kill me, please. “He is a nice cat. He’s not like that.”
“It’s instinct, Dali. Before you know it, you’ll be running a feline whorehouse.”
“Mother!”
Jim was challenged and stayed the night but they had yet to take their relationship to that next step. Jim has decided to expedite things:
“Never mind,” I whispered back at him. “You did that on purpose.”
“Did what?”
“Dropped things. Are you a jaguar or an elephant?”
I love that she can give him shit as well as understands him:
Jim sat in the seat next to me. It was the strangest thing. His face was relaxed, his pose lazy. Jim had only two modes: menacing and waiting to menace.
They are finally talking about deeper things since events are forcing them together:
My heart sank. “Does this mean that if I expect caring boyfriend Jim, you’ll give me that?”
“No,” he said. “You just get me the way I am, which means you’re screwed. I’m mostly an asshole.”
I put my hand on the door handle of Eleventh Planet. “Can you do a comic geek?”
“What will I get if I do it?”
“What do you want?”
“Make me dinner tonight,” he said.
Dali has her own special powers:
"For example, let’s say I am targeting a person whose left leg has been amputated. I could curse that doorway so any creature missing a leg would get gonorrhea.”
Jim raised his hand. “Wait. Can you actually do that?”
I waved my hands at him. “That’s not the point.”
“No, that’s the kind of information I need to know.”
“Okay, probably I could.”
Jim’s expression went blank. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
I appreciate the humor and love between them:
“If you cut it right away, all the juices will run out and you’ll get a dry piece of meat.”
“Ew.” I waved my spatula. “Please keep your carnivore details to yourself."
---------
Jim landed next to me, leaned over, and gently licked my bloody face with his jaguar tongue. I whined and rolled my big head against him.
He kissed me again, cleaning my cuts, his touch gentle and tender. I love you, too, Jim. I love you so much.
Guess what? We won. It was worth it.