Karina: Witch in the Windy City (Part One)

Content Note: This backstory takes place five months before Nick and Karina officially meet. Some parts have been omitted due to spoilers. This story contains graphic language and alcohol use.

Part One: Decisions, Decisions

Memorial Day Weekend

Chicago, IL

Karina Janowicz wasn’t a big city type of girl. She didn’t care for the crowds of people hustling and bustling about. She wasn’t a fan of the constant noise—hated the sounds of blaring horns and wailing sirens—in a city deprived of sleep. She hated the traffic jams, hated the daily parades of glowing taillights that congested the roadways and filled the air with exhaust. And yet there she was, thinking about moving to the Windy City.

Karina grabbed her wine and strolled over to the edge of the rooftop deck, her gaze traveling past the rows of townhouses and leafy green treetops. The skyscrapers that made up the heart of downtown gleamed off in the distance, their black peaks kissing the cotton candy-colored clouds. It was a hell of a view. And it could all be hers for the very low-low price of uprooting her entire life. But hey, no biggie. Right?

She only needed to sell the house she loved, quit the job she loved, and figure out how to haul all her shit across several states. But that was just the logistics of it all. There were other factors at play, bigger ones that could destroy both her and her best friend’s life, if she wasn’t careful. And a witch with unpredictably wonky magic moving in with a human didn’t exactly scream caution now, did it?

Karina flexed her fingers, feeling the faint pulse of her erratic magic thrumming in her veins. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming the magical shitstorm brewing inside her.

Play nice. Karina issued a silent warning to her powers, like she had some semblance of control over them.

She polished off the rest of her peach Moscato, savoring the sweet, fruity notes, and veered back over to the minibar, depositing her stemless glass onto the counter. Kari grabbed a chilled bottle out of the cooler and pulled the cork free with a couple of quick twists and a pop. As she reached for the glass, the thing shot out of her grip. The tumbler zoomed across the white marble and sailed straight over the edge, meeting its demise as it crashed down onto the hardwood.

Fucking kurwa.

“What was that?” Courtni asked as she stepped out onto the deck, carrying a tray filled with an assortment of snacks. “Did something break?”

“Yeah.” Karina winced, raking her fingers through her loose waves. “I kind of broke one of your wine glasses. Sorry.”

“Drunk already?” A teasing grin tugged at the corners of Courtni’s glossy lips. “Damn girly, how many glasses of wine did you have?”

“Court—”

“Relax. I’m just fucking with you.” Courtni set the platter down on the coffee table. “Everyone knows about that insanely high tolerance of yours, which needs to be studied, by the way.”

“I’m not a science experiment.” Karina rolled her eyes. She was not in the mood to talk about her boozy tolerance, which was off the charts thanks to her DNA. But Courtni didn’t need to know that. And as much as she hated lying to her bestie—who’d always been loyal to her core, sticking with Kari through the good, bad, ugly, and downright messy—she needed to keep her magical genetics under tight lock and key. The less Courtni knew, the better. “Do you have a broom and dustpan lying around?”

“Yeah,” Courtni replied. “It’s downstairs. BRB.”

As Courtni disappeared inside, Karina glared at the mess she’d made. Gods, sometimes—well, most of the time—she hated her magic, hated having all this uncontrollable power inside her. Her magic was like a live wire, dangerous and untamed. She was constantly destroying shit. And for once, just fucking once, she wanted her magic to do something good, like clean her house, or fix this stupid glass she’d broken.

And just as the thought escaped the dark confines of her subconscious, the turquoise shards slid across the hardwood, converging into a neat pile in front of her feet. They spun up off the ground, forming a mini cyclone. The jagged fragments whirled about, fusing themselves together until the tumbler was completely and utterly whole. The stemless goblet landed on the floor with a soft thud.

Karina blinked. What in the fresh fucking hell?

She picked up the tumbler and examined it carefully, inspecting the glittery turquoise for any chips or cracks, but there were none. Nothing. It was perfectly intact, flawlessly unmarred, like the damn thing hadn’t just taken a nosedive off the counter.

Fucking great. How in the hell was she supposed to explain this magical miracle?

“I’ve got cleaning supplies,” Courtni announced as she stepped outside, holding up a broom and dustpan. “Now, where is this mess?”

“Um… false alarm!” Karina flashed Courtni a bright smile, waving the magically mended glass in her hand. “It didn’t break after all.”

“Huh. Weird.” Courtni frowned, her perfectly arched brows knitting together. “I could’ve sworn I heard something break.”

“Me too.” Kari kept her fake grin in place. “But I guess it sounded worse than it was.”

“Guess so.” Courtni shrugged, propping the broom against the faded brown brick. “I don’t know about you, but I need a drink. This week has been a fucking nightmare.”

“Yeah, I could use a refill,” Karina replied as relief flooded her system, soothing her frayed nerves. Thank the gods, Courtni hadn’t seen the glass break. If she had, Karina would’ve had to come up with one hell of a creative lie—and she sucked at lying. Proverbial bullet dodged.

Karina plopped down onto the padded barstool as Courtni filled two glasses with wine. “Let me guess, one of your clients is being difficult again.”

“All of them are being difficult.” Courtni slid the goblet over. “Every single one of them has become a royally entitled thorn in my fucking ass.” She pulled out three bottles of wine and stuffed them all in an ice bucket, nodding over at the sofa. “It’s like they think I’m at their beck and call 24/7. Do I look like a concierge service?”

“Sorry,” Karina replied as they cut across the deck, their sandals clacking against the pale hardwood. “Have you heard anything about New York yet?”

Courtni’s design firm recently opened a new office in New York City, and Courtni was one of three candidates up for a promotion. If Courtni relocated, then Kari could kiss the Windy City good-fucking-bye. Her bestie was the reason Kari was even considering moving to Chicago in the first place. If Courtni took the job—which she’d be stupid not to—then Kari would be heading back to her quiet suburban life.

“Yeah.” Courtni’s shoulders slumped. “I didn’t get it. They picked Jay instead.” Courtni placed the booze-filled bucket on one of the end tables and lit the small, glass-encased firepit that took center stage on the coffee table.

“I’m sorry, Court.” Karina sank down onto the teal cushion beside Courtni.

“Meh. It’s fine. I knew it was a long shot.” Courtni snagged a grape off the tray and popped it in her mouth. “Jay’s got way more talent and way more experience. He totally deserves it.”

“It still sucks.”

“Not really.” Courtni smiled, taking a sip of wine. “I’ll take Chicago over New York any day, and besides, now I get to have you as my roommate. There is absolutely nothing sucky about that.” She clinked her glass against Kari’s. “Cheers, roomie.”

Gods, not this again.

“Can we please ease up on the peer pressure campaign this weekend?” Karina took a drink of her Moscato, resisting the urge to down it all in one quick gulp. “I just want to relax and have fun and not think about huge, life-altering decisions.”

“No. No way.” Courtni shook her head. “You’ve been avoiding this conversation for the past two weeks. We are talking about it.”

“It’s a big decision,” Karina replied. “I just need a little more time to think things through.”

“What’s there to think about?” Courtni shifted, turning towards Kari. “You’ve got an awesome job lined up. You’ve got a gorgeous, fully renovated townhouse in one of the city’s best neighborhoods—and the master bedroom, if you want it.” Courtni downed the rest of her drink. “And you get me, the greatest fucking friend in the entire world, as your roommate.” She grinned, resting her chin on top of her hand. “What’s holding you back? I don’t get it.”

Karina knew she owed Courtni an answer, just like she knew the job offer at Chicago’s newest hospital wouldn’t last forever. But she had until next Friday to give them her response. That was an entire week away. And she wanted to take that week in making her final decision, without Courtni’s—or anyone else’s—influence. She wanted this choice to be her own. Solely her own. Once she aired her doubts, Courtni would swoop in and squash every single one of her fears, selling her a brand-new life she wasn’t sure she wanted. At least, not yet.

“Talk to me.” Courtni tucked her legs beneath her. “Please. I’m just trying to understand your thought process here. That’s all.”

Karina heaved out a long-winded sigh. “I have a home—”

“That you can easily sell and make a killer profit off of.” Courtni popped open another bottle of wine. “That house is gonna fly off the market within a week. Maybe two. Tops.”

“I love that house,” Karina replied. “It has a privacy fence and a huge yard.”

“A yard with grass that you have to mow, and you hate mowing.” Courtni refreshed both of their drinks. “You’re always bitching about yardwork.”

“But at least I have privacy.” Karina cut her gaze over to the three-story townhouses encompassing Courtni’s. Just seeing all the houses stacked on top of each other sent a surge of unease up her spine. Talk about claustrophobia. “Everyone’s crammed in here like a bunch of sardines. I don’t want to look out my bedroom window and see my neighbor’s naked ass.”

“He’s got a fantastic ass,” Courtni replied. “I’ve never seen him naked, but his ass looks fabulous in a pair of faded jeans. It’s firm and toned, just like the rest of him—oh, and his face is to die for.” Courtni sighed. “I’d totally snag him up if he didn’t have a girlfriend.”

“You’ve got a little drool coming out the side of your mouth,” Karina teased, handing Courtni a paper napkin. “You might want to take care of that.”

“Shut up.” Courtni laughed, tossing a throw pillow at her.

Karina giggled, catching the beige featherweight cushion with ease. “I’m sure there are plenty of single guys around for you to choose from.”

“Oh, the city’s filled with hot, single dudes.” Courtni nodded, enthusiasm flickering in her moss green eyes. “It’s just another perk of living here. You can’t beat the dating scene, you really can’t. You’ll be putting an end to your dry spell in no time.”

“I’m not interested in dating anyone,” Karina replied, shoving her sunglasses on top of her head as the last of the sun’s rays waned from the sky. “I happen to like my independence, thank you very much.”

“I think you’ll be changing that bitter tune once you meet Josh.” Courtni’s mouth curved up in a sly smile. “He’s a doctor at the ER you’d be working at—if you take the job—which you’d be completely insane to pass up, by the way.”

“I don’t date co-workers. You know that.” Karina shook her head. “Besides, I’m not sure if I’m ready to leave my job just yet.”

“What?” Courtni’s brows shot up. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding. You were ready to walk out just last Tuesday. What changed your mind?”

“I…” Karina fiddled with her crescent moon pendant, trying to find the right words in her guilt-ridden brain. “I feel bad, okay?”

“About what?” Courtni asked, looking completely perplexed.

“I feel guilty about ditching my team. We’re friends, and friends don’t abandon each other,” Karina replied. “If I quit, I doubt the hospital will replace me, and they’ll be more screwed than they already are.”

“Didn’t one of your friends just quit?” Courtni demanded. “After she got assaulted by a patient? Isn’t that why you said you were done, because management refused to do anything about the situation?”

“Yeah,” Karina muttered, not wanting to relive that night ever again. Patient violence was just a part of the growing problem in healthcare. People’s fuses were shorter, tempers ran hotter, leading to a volatile environment, especially in the ER, where people’s lives were literally on the line. “But violence isn’t just a problem at my hospital. This shit happens everywhere. Every single day.”

“True, but at least you’d be working in a supervisory role,” Courtni replied. “You have a voice—a powerful one—and you can use it to change things, to make things better.”

“I’m just one person.”

“Karina Anastazja Janowicz.” Courtni’s tone was firm as she stared Karina dead in the face. “You are a fiery force to be reckoned with. I’ve seen you shut surgeons down with just a single fucking look. One look. Imagine what you can do with your voice.” Courtni squeezed her hand. “You have one, so use it and make a difference.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do,” Courtni replied. “You’re too good for that place. They’re taking advantage of you. All of you. You said your friends are already looking for new jobs. What are you gonna do when they all leave?”

Courtni had a point. As much as Karina hated Courtni’s logic, she knew her friend was right. It was only a matter of time before everyone quit or someone else got seriously hurt. And Karina had been wanting to quit ever since the hospital implemented lean management last year, prioritizing the dollar over patient care. Maybe it was time to move on.

“Look, I know you have your reservations about this place,” Courtni said, breaking the silence. “I know you’re not really into the big city scene, but Lincoln Park is different.”

“I don’t know,” Karina replied. “I’ve never really hung out in this part of town before.”

“Tell you what. I’ll show you around, give you the grand tour of the neighborhood,” Courtni said. “We’ll go shopping, grab some coffee and food and hit up the beach—which I know you love—and maybe we can make a pit-stop at the farmer’s market tomorrow.” Courtni’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Then we can check out the local bar scene and you can meet some of my friends. Once you see Lincoln Park in its full glory, you’ll never want to leave.”

“Okay.” Karina smiled. “I’m game.”

“You’ll be a city girl before the weekend ends,” Courtni squealed, tackling Kari in a warm hug.

“Maybe.” Karina laughed. “We’ll see.”

After Courtni went over the game plan for the weekend, the conversation shifted. They just talked, reminiscing about their wild days when they were younger and carefree, when the tribulations of adulthood didn’t weigh so heavily on their shoulders. They chatted the night away, switching topics frequently—talking about everything and anything—into the early dawn hours, forgetting about the world’s existence.

And gods, it felt good to talk. She missed these late-night conversations, missed hanging out with Courtni, and spending time with her like they used to. She hadn’t realized how lonely she was, how empty her life had become until that very moment. The dull ache in her chest subsided, the hollow hole filling with vigor and warmth. Maybe a change of scenery was what she needed. Maybe it was time to quit her soul-sucking job and move on from her stale suburban life. Maybe being a big city girl wouldn’t be so bad after all.