by Logan Byrne
“Like a completely different person,” he said, nodding.
“Ready?” I asked, pulling out my wand.
“Ready,” they replied, with a little apprehension in their tones. I waved my wand around, the tip and body glowing, before the three of us twisted and warped through space and time and were flung back out inside the magical realm.
“This is it, huh?” Rosie asked, looking around.
“Haven’t you been here?” I asked.
“Well, the realm is so big, and we didn’t leave near the city. Well, not this part of the city, anyway,” she said.
I looked up, seeing the hulking M.A.G.I.C. building looming nearby as plumes of exhaust and smoke floated away from the top. Its silhouette contrasted sharply with the night sky, the harsh chill of the air striking my skin before I zipped up my jacket a little more. We stood on a corner, leaning against the brick edge of a shop, as I felt the slightest homesick yearning to go inside and slip back into my old bed.
It was funny, thinking about how Blake, Britta, Charlie, and Faus were all likely in there right now. It was dinnertime, so the four of them were probably sitting around together and laughing, while I was out here in the cold, silently watching like a stoic guardian wishing and waiting to come back to life. Maybe someday soon, guys, I thought.
“Where are we supposed to go?” Raul asked, looking around.
“We need fake names before we go in,” I said, whispering and glancing around. “My name will be Bri.”
“Oh, this is fun. I’ll be Pauline,” Rosie said, excited.
“Pauline?” Raul asked.
“It was my grandmother’s name. I love it,” she said proudly.
“I’ll be Max, then,” Raul said, shrugging, like he didn’t care and just picked the first thing that came to his mind. “Let’s just get this over with before I get two pricks in my neck.”
We hopped on a bus that ran for free throughout the city. Kiren implemented it during his early presidency as a way to, in my mind, gain his citizens’ trust. We had talked about it, Mirian and I, and how it was just one tool among many that he’d used so that when the time came the citizens’ resistance to his plan wouldn’t be terrible. If they already thought he was great, then they wouldn’t give him much push-back.
I pulled the string about fifteen minutes into the ride, and we got off the bus and it sped away. “Guess he didn’t want to stick around,” Raul said, his hands in his pockets.
I could hear dogs barking in the background, with sirens not too far away. The area was rough, one I’d never even ventured into during my career, but I’d heard stories about it. It was known for crime, specifically organized crime, but nobody ever did much about it. The people in M.A.G.I.C. were either too afraid or just were too lazy, but tonight I was going to make an impact.
I looked at the paper, before looking back up across the street at a noodle shop with the same address. The place was surprisingly packed, with all different kinds of clientele, from poor to rich. I had a feeling they weren’t there for the noodles, though.
“Welcome, table for three?” the hostess asked as we walked inside.
“Yes, please,” I said, keeping my head down. I’d forgotten I was disguised, and that I didn’t have to try to hide who I was. My face might be plastered all around, but this one wasn’t. I could still be myself.
“We have a variety of noodle dishes for you to try tonight, as well as some other exotic delicacies if you’re feeling a bit more in the mood,” she said, smiling. “Enjoy.”
“This place looks amazing,” Raul said, looking around.
“Keep focused. Find something to eat,” I said, opening my menu. I kept one eye looking around the restaurant, trying to find any real sign of open drug use, while I read the menu. There didn’t seem to be any, at least not that I could see. I didn’t know if they sold the drugs in the back, or maybe not even at all. What if Pote got her facts wrong? Still, vampires owned this place, and I knew they would have some connection to the casino venture.
“Hello, what can I start you off with?” a woman asked, coming to our table. Her skin was pale, slightly grayish in tint, and her eyes were dark, possibly even black, which was typical for vampires. I thought I could feel the chill emanating from her skin, but then I realized the door had been opened up front.
“What would you suggest?” I asked, looking her in the eyes. There was something chilling about looking a vampire in the eyes. Even somebody like Xelia, who I loved and trusted, wasn’t easy to have a conversation with at first. There was a symphony of death and decay happening inside them, and their eyes revealed it. After all, you can tell a lot about a person through their eyes.
“What sort of effect are you looking to have?” she asked.
“Effect? I don’t follow,” I said, playing coy.
“Well, do you enjoy beef, chicken, mushrooms?” she asked, confusing me.
“Oh, I like chicken, I guess. What other things can you do for it to make it, you know, better?” I asked.
“Well, I do have something I could have the chefs add,” she whispered, as she glanced around us.
“Yes?” I asked.
“We have these umami flakes from Japan that are supposed to be amazing. I could have them spice yours up if you’d like,” she said. I could tell she was being serious, not realizing I was a cop or that I was looking for drugs. Maybe there was nothing going on with this place after all. Maybe it was just a good noodle shop.
“That sounds great, thank you,” I said.
“I’ll do the same,” Raul said.
“Me, too,” Rosie chimed in.
“Great, I’ll get you all started. Let me know if you want anything else,” she said, before walking off.
“That was weird,” I said.
“I totally thought she was going to offer you something else,” Rosie whispered.
“Yeah, I can’t believe she didn’t. Maybe we’re at the wrong place,” Raul said.
“No, this is the address. I checked it before we came in. I think I’m going to have a look around,” I said, standing up. I pushed in my chair, letting a waitress carrying bowls on a tray pass, before walking towards the back.
There was one hallway and one door, with the door leading to the kitchen. I could even see it as they swung it open and came in and out. The hallway was dark, only a few dim lights overhead. I stopped and read a bulletin board that hung at the entrance.
“For massages, call Murta,” one of the flyers read. It had strips of paper with a number, with five already missing. Guess she was popular with noodle connoisseurs.
There were two other doors to the bathrooms as well. I walked in the ladies’ room and locked the door behind me. It was a single room, a little rundown, but surprisingly clean otherwise. “There has to be more,” I mumbled, scrounging around.
I was looking for anything that would help show drug use or manufacturing, but their place was spotless. I opened the trash, pulling up the bag, and saw what appeared to be a small baggie through the clear plastic. “Eureka,” I mumbled to myself.
I was snapping a picture of some white residue easily visible through the bags, when there was a knock on the door. “Is somebody in there?” a woman asked.
“Just one second,” I said, hastily putting the trash bag back and washing my hands. “Hi,” I awkwardly said to her, as I walked out and shimmied past her.
The noodles came out steaming in a broth filled with an egg, vegetables, and chicken. It smelled delightful, the crisp scent of basil tickling my senses from the moment the waitress set it down on the table. “I put in your special ingredient,” she said, winking. I could see the flakes on top, something that was supposed to give it a kind of special flavor.
“None for us,” Raul said, looking at both his and Rosie’s.
“I’m sure it’s nothing much anyway. Places like this like to think they have some secret sauce but it’s probably just seaweed flakes or something,” I said, picking up my chopsticks.
As I ate more and drank more broth, I started to feel a little…off. I shook my head, trying to wiggle it out of me, but it started to affect me as Rosie and Raul looked at me with concern. “You okay?” Rosie asked.
“Yeah, I just feel weird. Maybe I ate too much,” I said, my eyes starting to play tricks on me.
“Really? I feel fine,” Rosie said.
“Same here. Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Raul asked.
“I think, I think I just need to go to the place. The, uh, you know, bathroom,” I said, standing up. I bumped into the table next to me, apologizing, before walking towards the hallway. It was a long walk, and the room was spinning a little. I felt almost weightless with every stride, like I would float away if I weren’t tied down to the floor.
“Sorry, excuse me,” I said to a woman as she exited the bathroom. She looked confused, but shrugged, and I walked inside and struggled to push in the lock.
I turned to the sink, gripping either side, before I looked at myself in the mirror. I tried to gain clarity and focus my vision, but I looked like a blur. I tried everything, but I couldn’t focus on my own reflection. I splashed some ice-cold water in my face, but it didn’t help at all, and only left me feeling wet and delusional.
What was happening to me? Why was I starting to feel like this? “Uh, Bri?” I heard Rosie say, from outside the door. She knocked, so I turned off the running water and stumbled over to the door.
“Yeah,” I said, opening it.
“Oh my god, what’s wrong?” she asked, coming inside and locking the door behind her. From what I could see of her face, it was pure concern. She put down the toilet lid and made me sit on it.
I slumped a little, my breathing shallow, before I pointed to the phone that Pote had given me. It was supposed to be secure. “Call someone,” I said.
“What? Who do I call?” she asked, panicked.
“Call Charlie, he’ll know what to do,” I said, leaning the back of my head against the wall. Rosie took my phone, dialing his number, but all I heard were murmurs. I was dying, poisoned, and this was going to be it. I was going to die in the back of a noodle shop. I, the bearer of the mark, was dying in a noodle shop bathroom.
Rosie kept telling me to keep calm and wait, though I couldn’t keep track of time. She kept saying help was on its way, but with every second feeling like agony, I wasn’t sure I could hold on much longer. There was a knock on the door, three short taps. Rosie ran to the door and opened it.
“What happened?” Britta asked, as she and Charlie walked inside.
“She just started feeling sick, I don’t know! We ate dinner, the waitress put special flavor flakes in her soup, and now she’s like this. She looks horrible,” Rosie said.
“You know this is a known drug operation, Lexa. They gave you the drugs,” Britta said, kneeling down beside me. She brushed back my hair, before shining a light in my eyes and shaking her head. “She’s definitely under the effect of something.”
“She was drugged?” Rosie gasped.
“A lot of people here get them, but I don’t think they’re supposed to work like this. It’s like her body is trying to reject them, but having a hard time doing so,” Charlie said.
“Get me some cold water,” Britta said, giving Charlie a cup. “I have some medicine that will help. You’ll be better soon.”
Charlie gave Britta the water, then wet some paper towels and wiped the sweat and oil away from my forehead. I could sense Britta mixing something together in the cup, but my head was still against the wall and my mind felt like it wasn’t even in my body any longer. It was like I was watching everything from higher up, like I wasn’t even there. I hated it.
“Okay, drink this, Lexa,” Britta said, putting the cup up to my lips. She held it, letting it go down as I swallowed every so often. It was cool, with a little minty aftertaste, before it was soon gone. “Mirian gave me this especially for something like tonight.”
“Is she okay?” Rosie asked.
“She’s going to need to get back to the camp if she’s going to get better. The tea will take a little time to get rid of everything inside her,” Britta said.
“Hey, what’s the holdup?” a woman yelled, pounding on the door.
“What’s going on?” another person asked.
“These people are in there and they won’t come out,” the other woman said.
“This is the manager. Please open the door or we will have to come inside,” another person shouted.
“Britta,” Charlie whispered.
“Take care of it,” Britta retorted.
“Folks, we’re having an incident in here, and we would like to request your patience,” Charlie said, after cracking open the door. “I’m an auditor with M.A.G.I.C., and under the authority of M.A.G.I.C., I’m going to have to ask you to back up and move on.”
“I need to use the bathroom,” a woman said.
“Yeah, and you can’t use our facilities for your weird parties,” the manager said.
“Ma’am, I can assure you nothing weird is going on in here. We’re just helping a citizen who requested our aide. Nothing more, and nothing less,” Charlie said.
“But—” the manager said.
“Ma’am, I would hate to have to call for backup right now to assist me. I think you would hate that, too, wouldn’t you?” he asked, getting a little catty.
“Ten minutes,” the manager said, before walking off.
“We have to get her out of here,” Charlie said, after locking the door again.
“I’m won’t be able to get her back to the camp with my magic. We have to use special teleports to get back there from Mirian,” Britta said.
“What about her wand?” Rosie asked.
“Guys, I can do it,” I said, trying to shake it off and regain full clarity. I got up quickly, stumbling a bit, before Charlie and Britta grabbed me and held me up.
“Lexa,” Britta said, in a motherly tone.
“What other choice do we have?” I asked, looking at her. She was beginning to get clearer, and I could make out her features, but I still felt a little dizzy and out of it. Whatever drug they were putting in the food was potent.
“Okay, get her out of here, but do it quickly. We’ll get to a street, and then see if she can use her magic to get out,” Britta said to Charlie.
“Keep your head down. We’re going to book it,” Charlie said, before wrapping my arm around his neck and holding onto me tightly. Rosie opened the door and we ran out, Charlie basically dragging me as my feet moved under me. I could see people staring at me, wondering what was wrong with me, but I tried to keep my gaze down.
Raul joined us, leaving some money on the table, before the five of us fled to a nearby alley where nobody could spot us. “Are you sure you’re well enough to get you three back?” Britta asked.
“I’m going to have to be. It’s too dangerous otherwise,” I said. I pulled out my wand, before taking in a deep, cold breath. I stood up, letting Rosie and Raul grab onto me, before I put my wand in the air.
I focused on our location, the camp, before swirling my wand around and beginning the transport. “Good luck,” Britta said, before we were sucked up into the air. We were warped and twisted around, a little more than usual, before we reappeared inside the camp. We fell from about eight feet up, splattering into the mud, but we were there.
“Can we get some help?” Rosie called, and some guards came running over and picked me up. “She needs to get to the infirm
ary.”
“I’ll be fine, I know it,” I said, trying to brush it off. I knew I wouldn’t be able to, though. I was too drowsy and still slurring my words too much for them to just let me go.
“What’s the matter?” Paola asked as I was brought in. She rushed to my side as I was laid down, putting her hand on my wrist and checking my pulse.
“She was drugged. Britta was able to counteract some of the effects, but she’s not totally better yet,” Rosie said.
“First we need to get rid of this foolish disguise,” Paola said, taking out her wand. She waved it around, and my disguise, which I’d forgotten about, was wiped away as I felt my skin bubble and shift back to normal.
“I’ll be fine, I promise,” I mumbled. Rosie pulled off my shoes and Raul pulled the covers over me. I settled in, my eyes barely able to hold themselves open, as I heard and felt Paola’s presence as she worked on me.
With no more steam in my engine, I faded out, the sedatives working their magic and knocking me out. They were too powerful, even for me.
“How is she doing?” I heard someone say, as I began to wake up.
“She’ll be fine, just sleeping it off now. It looked like she was drugged, though I’m not sure with what. She’s lucky her quick thinking got Britta and Charlie there, or else she wouldn’t have been able to get herself, Rosie, and Raul back to the camp,” Paola said.
“Hi,” I mumbled, wiping my eyes.
“How are you feeling?” Pote asked, walking up to me.
“I have a headache, but otherwise fine,” I said.
“I’ll go get you something for that,” Paola said.
“I’m glad you’re okay. I think it would be best for you to take a breather for a while, though,” Pote said.
“What do you mean? This was just a mishap, it won’t happen again,” I said.
“You’re right, it won’t, because I’m pulling you out,” she said.
