Rachel settled back, eyes wide when Peri used her phone to change the color of her car, shifting it from black to a solar-absorbing white by adjusting the amount of energy running through the Detroit-only paint job. Even the lot’s security light would keep the charge up. “Okay. Now we can go,” Peri said, doing another visual before getting out of the car.

Rachel followed, the thump of her door loud in the electric-lit night. “You have to make your magic,” she said softly as she watched the glow of the drone in the distance. “That is so sad.” Heels clicking, the tall woman started for the obvious entrance, Jack’s coat bumping about her calves. Peri hesitated, and Rachel turned, her eyebrows high in question. “You’re coming, right?”

“To watch you step into a magic mirror and vanish? You bet.” Peri reluctantly leaned back into the car, sliding her Glock into the car’s safe and locking it. She’d never get anything so crass past the mall’s security. Feeling naked, she shut her door.

Rachel eyed her cautiously as she waited for Peri to come even with her. “It’s not a magic mirror. Ley lines are bands of natural focused energy. You don’t think reality is perfectly homogenized, do you? You get that much free energy in one place, you can use it.”

Peri didn’t answer, instead pushing them into a faster pace. She didn’t like feeling short as she strode along beside Rachel, her two-inch boots doing nothing to bring their heights even. She couldn’t help but notice how people were turning to look at them as they headed for the main doors, even if most of Rachel’s clubbing sparkles and spandex were hidden underneath Jack’s overcoat. Peri had never felt short beside Jack, but he didn’t accompany her to the mall wearing six-inch heels, either.

“Where do you think we should look for your line?” Peri asked as they hit the double glass doors together, the wind from the equalizing pressure blowing their hair back.

And then Peri stopped, realizing she’d left Rachel behind.

She turned, seeing the woman gawking like a goober at the holographic, interactive mannequins outside the first store. It wasn’t busy, so their programming had lots of time to analyze the passing shoppers and change the outfits on the mannequins to something the approaching shopper might like. The more sophisticated ones would actually wave and lure you in with canned, flirtatious chatter. It was obvious that Rachel had never seen them before.

A worried frown furrowed Peri’s brow. You couldn’t fake shock like this. How could the woman know about electric cars and cell phones, and not about shopping mules? “Rachel?” Peri called, trying to bring the woman back.