The two hours went by quickly. Zayn would find a new table date, chat for a few minutes using made-up details about "David Williams" on the spot—which he found he was exceedingly good at—and then move to the next. He thought he'd hate this part, lying about himself, obfuscating his true nature, but he found he rather liked it. It was like wearing fresh new clothes.
At Varna High, he'd never been interested in the drama club, mostly because he didn't want to stick out, but now he regretted not joining. There was a certain freedom to pretending to be someone else.
During those two hours eight more fakes were uncovered, none by his team, and both Vin and Skylar were knocked out. They were trending towards last again, and as much fun as Zayn was having, he had no idea how to spot the fakes.
When the ninth fake was uncovered by Andrew, almost at the same time that Portia was knocked out, Zayn knew they'd be in last place again, unless he could miraculously pick out the final three without getting caught.
Frustrated, Zayn went into the bathroom to think, washing his hands and staring at himself in the mirror. How do I make them give themselves away?
There wasn't enough time for speed dates. People were starting to leave, which meant that it would get easier and easier to spot the fakes. And he couldn't stand in back and study the remaining people, that would give him away, which was what had happened to Vin.
"I need a misdirection," Zayn muttered to himself, thinking about how Instructor Pennywhistle had stolen Eddie's wallet. He'd been trying to head straight at the problem, but that's not what he needed to solve it.
When a skinny guy wearing a too-large suit stumbled into the bathroom, going straight for the sink, and using a damp paper towel to wash the sweat off his forehead, Zayn had an idea. After checking to make sure no one else was in the bathroom, Zayn waggled his fingers, letting faez fill his mind. When the spell landed on Skinny Guy, he twitched.
"You okay, there?" asked Zayn, putting his hand on Skinny Guy's shoulder.
"This has been a disaster. My hands are sweaty. I can see it in their eyes when I shake their hands that they're not interested," he said.
"You look like you're too warm in that suit," said Zayn.
"I am...yes, too hot," said Skinny Guy.
"There must be a fire somewhere, maybe in the basement. It's not your fault. But you can be the hero, save everyone, if you pull the fire alarm," said Zayn.
Skinny Guy nodded, almost a little too enthusiastically. "Yes, fire."
"Pull the alarm, before it's too late," said Zayn.
Skinny Guy moved like an automation back into the auditorium. Zayn realized he'd put the charm on a little too heavily, but that would be alright as long as he did as he was told.
Zayn positioned himself near the exit with a good sightline on the auditorium. When the fire alarm sounded, he watched for those that didn't move right away, looking like they were going to stay regardless. It helped that his fellow first years reacted similarly, proving his hypothesis.
The lady in charge of the speed dating session yelled, "Everyone out! Everyone out! Orderly line!"
Zayn moved to the door, holding it open for the others to pass through. As the final three fakes—which included Sarah Overton, his first speed date—passed his location, he shoved a blank business card in their hands, to be rewarded with wide-eyed understanding.
He left the auditorium last with a triumphant smile on his lips. The next day was Friday, which was the last day of the week, and when Instructor Allgood announced the group rankings, they would no longer be in last and just in time to make Katie's concert.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Hold, March 2014
An electrifying evening of music
Zayn leaned into the door, softly knocking to get their attention. He was met with smiles of greeting.
Vin spoke first. "I'm sorry I doubted you. And you were right, I needed more confidence. I got outed by an Academy student who wasn't even at my table."
"No worries," said Zayn. "Just own it next time."
"Thanks for winning that competition," said Skylar. "That almost makes up for being unconscious for a couple of weeks while we picked up the slack."
Skylar held her fingers an inch apart. She had a wry smile.
"Next time I know, no purple path," he said, then he looked to Portia. "Are we good?"
"Always have been. You stuck up for me when Eddie was an asshole that first day," said Portia.
"So what now?" asked Skylar. "Are we going to use our extra time on that thing you talked to us about outside of here?"
"No. I think we should take a moment and celebrate. Enjoy our newly earned freedom. Go out on the town. I haven't seen anything but the Hold or the inside of the bodega," said Zayn. "It's the city of sorcery, we should get to enjoy it, right?"
Their bright grins told him they agreed with his idea. His insides warmed and his face hurt from smiling.
"You clearly have something in mind," said Skylar, "and if it involved dressing up, I'm in, but only if you guys let me pick your outfits."
"There's a band I want to see," said Zayn. "Shall we raid the hall closet for proper attire?"
The four of them went to the disguise room and spent the next two hours finding clothes for the evening. Skylar was in her element, digging through the racks until she found a set of clothes that matched their ward nine personas and still took into account their individuality.
Vin wore tight black pants and an aqua-patterned button down with ample chest hair showing. Portia wore a skimpy red number that she looked like she might burst out of at any moment, while the outfit Skylar picked was little more than two handkerchiefs with oodles of brown skin revealed.
Skylar had tried to pick out a tight-fitting suit and bow tie, but Zayn waved them off—even though he rather liked them—because it wouldn't match the Jamaican Zayn's personality. In the end, he ended up with jeans and a V-neck shirt.
When they arrived at the High Dragon, there was a line out the door. The sign on the place was a dragon lounging on a throne of gold coins with smoke rings slipping from his lips.
They stood in line for a few minutes before Zayn said, "This is silly. Come with me."
He received funny looks from people as he walked around the velvet rope and straight up to the bouncer with the other three in tow.
"Hey man," said Zayn, laying on his Jamaican accent. He reached out to clasp hands, adding a spell of suggestion to it. Not enough to be noticed by anyone in line, in case there were hall mages waiting to get in, but enough to sway the bouncer's attitude. "We're friends of the drummer. She said to come straight up front."
His wide face crinkled with understanding. "Zayn? Yeah, she said that you might show up."
Zayn had to choke back his surprise, hiding it behind a cough. He hadn't told her that he was coming since the last time they'd talked. She'd barely been by the bodega since the day he told her he was leaving. He'd only planned to say hello and check out her band, but the fact that she'd left his name with the bouncer. The implications left him a little dizzy as he strolled into the High Dragon.
The bar was built in a semicircle with the stage at the center. The warm-up band, Fresh Fish, was playing loud and fast with two guitars and three horns. The area around the stage was packed with people. A huge animatronic dragon head blew smoke into the room, and the lights sparkled against the fog.
Vin got them drinks. Zayn didn't bother asking what it was, and they lifted their glasses in toast.
"To not being in last place!" said Zayn, having to shout over the band.
"To not having to wash dishes!" added Skylar.
"To Zayn's daring!" said Portia.
They looked at Vin, whose face went through contortions of thought. "To...forgetting about school for a night!"
They clashed their plastic cups together, spilling stickiness over their hands. Zayn took a healthy drink. His throat burned as the liquid went down, and when he belched a puff of flame came out.
/> "What was that?" coughed Zayn, waving away the smoke from his mouth.
"Dragon's breath," said Vin.
He put his meaty hand on Zayn's shoulder and squeezed. "It'll put hair on your chest."
"And on your back and palms," said Zayn, banging on his chest to get the warmth to subside, "and before I know it, I'll be a wolfman."
Before Zayn could go looking for Katie, they made three more toasts. By the last one, Zayn felt like he was floating. When he'd first come in, the music had been loud and annoying, but then he felt it pulsing through his feet. He'd never danced, except around the living room with Neveah and the twins, but he felt the urge to rush the stage and feel the press of people around him.
Zayn gave a small cheer that was swallowed by the cacophony, but it felt good to let go.
"You look like you're having a good time," said Portia, sipping on a neon green drink.
After a moment of thought he said, "Yeah, I am. I've never been out, really never drank before."
"Then you should be careful," she said.
"But I don't want to be careful," he said, laughing. "I've had to be careful all my life! It feels good not to worry, at least for one night."
"Sí, it does," said Portia, finishing half her drink and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "In Mexico City, I had to work at my father's business, doing the accounting for him."
"What's his business?" asked Zayn.
"He used to own a restaurant, good enough to make the El Universal," she said.
"Used to?"
Portia stared into the distance. "Some criminals told him he had to pay them or they'd burn the place down. He didn't pay. They torched it."
"I'm sorry," said Zayn.
"It's okay. He got insurance money, and because I no longer accountant, I can come to Hundred Halls," she said, shrugging. "Maybe someday I will find those criminals and teach them a lesson, but probably they are dead already."
Portia finished her drink and went for another one. Fresh Fish finished their set. The crowd in front of the stage dispersed, and thumping dance music came on. Zayn was checking out the animatronic dragon when Skylar grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the dance floor, where Vin and Portia already were.
They were the only ones dancing, as everyone else had gone for drinks. For a big guy, Vin was an excellent dancer. When Zayn raised an eyebrow in his direction, he leaned over and said, "I took six years of ballet until I grew eight inches and put on fifty pounds."
Zayn had almost forgotten why he was at the bar until he saw a flash of aquamarine hair on the empty stage. She was wearing tattered jeans and a white tank top.
"You made it!" she said, sitting on the edge of the stage and kicking her feet.
Zayn found himself strangely fascinated by the definition in her arm muscles.
"You've got guns," he said, reaching out and poking her arm.
"You're drunk," she said with a laugh. "Are these your friends?"
He was having such a good time, he almost forgot that he was supposed to be working in the bodega. "Yeah, man. Uncle Larice introduce me to them a few months ago."
Skylar wandered over and stuck out her hand, which Katie accepted. "You're cuter than he mentioned."
"You work in the Korean grocery store, don't you?" asked Katie.
Skylar hid a demure giggle behind a cupped hand, reverting to her fake persona. "I'm going for another drink. Nice to meet you, Katie!"
The other three went towards the bar, leaving him alone with Katie. The closeness between them was like a magnetic field. The hairs on his arm were buzzing.
"I'm glad you came," said Katie. "I wanted to see you one last time before you go back to Jamaica."
"I'm not going back," he said. "I can stay."
"What changed?" she asked, face lit with animation.
"I was letting the world push me around," he said. "But I'm over that now. I'm not going to let it."
A guy with a guitar near the back of the stage yelled her name.
"I have to go," she said. "We're almost ready to start."
"Have a great show," he said, remembering to add, "respect."
He was about to turn away, but she grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him towards her. They banged teeth as their lips mashed together, but quickly moved past the awkwardness. She tasted sweet, but there was also a familiar metallic taste that lingered on his tongue.
Katie hooked her leg around his knee, drawing him closer until there was no air between them. She had her hand on the back of his neck, jamming his mouth against hers. His skin was on fire.
Then she pulled away, hopping up and jogging towards the back. "See me after the show."
It sounded more like a command than a question, one he was happy to oblige.
As he turned around, he nearly fell over from deliriousness. He stumbled back to the bar where the others were. Someone tried to hand him a drink, but he waved it off.
"You okay, Zayn?" asked Skylar, tongue resting on her teeth playfully.
"No." He paused. "Yes? I don't know."
Before anyone else could ask him a question, Katie's band went on, and fans rushed the stage. Katie started off a song with a skillful drum opening, and before Zayn knew it, he was bobbing along with the music.
The singer for the Sticky Wickets had a smooth voice, and his lyrics swirled around Zayn's head. It didn't help that he was still high on Katie's kiss and more alcohol than he'd had in his life.
Katie played with a kinetic energy that made it seem like she was on fast-forward, even though the beat held multiple layers. Occasionally, she shot sparks from the end of her drumsticks and then made them levitate, spinning them like a top. Zayn hadn't known she knew magic, but it was the city of sorcery, so he knew he shouldn't have been surprised.
The crowd was into their music. People in front were hopping up and down like pogo sticks. There was an electricity in the air, like everyone knew this band was going to be special and they were getting to be a part of it.
Feeling overly warm, Zayn headed for the bathroom to throw water in his face, thinking better of it when he saw the swampland that was the sink counter. It looked like someone had been swimming on it.
Zayn was about to leave in search of a less flooded bathroom, when a dude with long hair burst out of a stall. He had crazed eyes, and Zayn wondered if he'd have to defend himself.
"Rock on!" said the guy, and then he made devil horns with his fists, and lightning crackled from them before he left.
He looked like a kid after his first rollercoaster ride, or someone who'd watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure too many times.
Zayn was about to follow when he saw the baggie on the ground. He knew what it was before he picked it up. The symbol on the front was the same as the one on the baggie he'd found at the bodega. The thought sobered him up quickly. He shoved the baggie in his pocket and went looking for Sparky.
When he returned to the main area, he tried to find him, but the stage lights were flaring through the smoke and he couldn't see further than ten feet. He was getting a throbbing headache from the noise.
He found the others trying to get the bartender's attention for another round, but people were jammed against the bar. Zayn gathered them in and showed them the baggie.
"Where'd you find that?" asked Vin.
"Some guy in the bathroom. He came out of the stall and shot lightning out his hands like it was the first time he'd ever done magic," said Zayn.
"This is that stuff you told us about?" asked Portia.
Zayn nodded.
"Are you sure we're not going to get in trouble for investigating this?" asked Skylar.
"We might," he said. "But if we can get this stuff off the streets, wouldn't it be worth it? I know I'd hate to see anyone else in the ward get hurt."
Instead of answering, Skylar handed the full drink she'd just ordered to a girl with pink pigtails walking past.
"I'm in," she said.
"What's he look like?"
asked Vin.
Zayn gave a brief description.
"What do we do if we find him?" asked Portia.
"Convince him to go outside. We need to talk to him, find out where he's getting it," said Zayn.
They split up, heading through the crowd. Zayn went towards the stage. Every bit of him wanted to forget about Sparky and revel in Katie playing the drums, but he kept his head down, searching the faces in the crowd.
When Zayn saw a crackle of lightning spark over the crowd like a Tesla coil, he knew he was close. He found Sparky thrusting his fists in the air like a pair of pistons. His skin was turning translucent, and he had plenty of space around him, because more lightning coiled in his chest like a snake.
He had a sweaty, delirious face, and Zayn knew it wasn't just from the dancing. The reports of people spontaneously combusting or turning into goo suddenly made sense to him. It was the drug. It gave the users the ability to channel faez and do magic, but it turned on them because their bodies couldn't handle the power.
But this wasn't some drug-addled bum on an empty street. This guy was standing in the middle of a crowded bar, and while no one would get near him, they weren't running away either, probably thinking he was part of the light show. If he turned into a human ball lightning, a whole lot of people would get hurt.
"Hey man," said Zayn, trying to get his attention. When his fingers brushed his shirt, he got a nasty shock. "Hey man, can I talk to you?"
Sparky took no notice of Zayn's attempts. He kept pumping his fists in the air and shouting randomly.
"Hey, I need to talk with you outside, please," said Zayn, shouting over the music.
Realizing that he was too far gone, Zayn tried the spell he'd used on the guy at the Speed Dating event, when he got him to pull the fire alarm.
"Come with me, now," said Zayn.
This time, he got a reaction, but it wasn't the one he wanted. Sparky spun on him, eyes glowing white.
"Don't you mess with me," he said, then threw lightning towards Zayn.
He barely got out of the way, and it was a miracle no one got hurt as the arc ricocheted off a metal scaffolding, flew through the air, and bounced off the dragon's nostrils.
The Reluctant Assassin Boxset Page 13
