Mags & Nats 3-Book Box Set

by Stephanie Fazio

  I snorted.

  A.J. snapped his fingers in Smith’s direction. “Look up the Leslie Massacre of 2062.”

  The computer screen flickered. Smith raised his eyebrow at whatever he was reading.

  “Care to share with the crowd?” I asked, sliding a worried glance at A.J., whose face was pale as a ghost. Flowers were arranging and rearranging themselves in a mad frenzy in their vase on the end table. Petals were flying through the air, which Sir Zachary was attempting to catch.

  Smith waved his hand, and an image appeared on the wall we kept free of artwork or windows for this reason. There was a picture of an arid landscape. It looked much like what we’d seen when we stepped off the plane in California…except for the bodies.

  Actually, there weren’t even bodies. The picture taking up the entirety of our wall showed people’s heads staked on the ends of spears. Bloody holes had replaced eye sockets, and purple tongues drooped out of open mouths. In the far corner of the picture, a crow was clutching the bloody sinews of an eyeball in its beak.

  “That massacre started because one of her soldiers called her Leslie instead of Blade,” A.J. said into our stunned silence. “I cannot emphasize how much we do not want to go near her.”

  A.J. flicked his hand, and the books replaced themselves on the shelves. Two brooms and dustpans came into the room, alone with dust rags, furniture polish, and about fifteen sponges.

  When he was stressed, A.J. cleaned. Judging by how vigorously the cleaning supplies were working, A.J. was really stressed.

  “Blade’s also a Level 9 Telepath,” A.J. continued. “And I really don’t like people helping themselves to my thoughts. Those babies are worth more than just a penny.”

  “I’m with you, bro,” Smith said, looking as sullen as A.J.

  Lower-level Telepaths could speak directly into other people’s minds, but the most powerful ones could also read thoughts and see into a person’s past. One of my wrestling friends was a Level 5 Telepath, and he could see what a person had been thinking up to a week earlier. A Level 9 would probably be able to see all the way back to our childhoods.

  “We’re not planning to lie to her,” Graysen said. “And there’s one thing you’re not taking into account. Blade isn’t going to be happy when she finds out a whole organization is operating beneath her land. She’ll want to destroy the mine as much as we do.”

  “Here’s what you aren’t taking into account,” A.J. fired back. “Blade’s unpredictable and downright certifiable. You can’t reason with someone like that.”

  Graysen nodded thoughtfully. “Does anyone have any other ideas?”

  No one spoke.

  “What does everyone else think?” Kaira asked.

  Kaira and Graysen might be the Directors, but they were still part of the Seven. They wouldn’t make a decision that affected all of us without our input.

  “If she tries anything, I can Whisper to her,” Michael offered. “Telepaths don’t interfere with my magic.”

  “We have to meet with her,” I said, wilting under the look A.J. gave me. I mouthed sorry to him before continuing. “There’s no way we can get all of those slaves out of the mine without Blade getting wise, and we may need her army’s support.”

  “Besides,” Yutika added. “She might be a nut case serial murder, but we’re the Seven. Dealing with her kind is practically old hat for us at this point.”

  “Fine.” A.J. made a violent gesture with his hand, and a broom snapped in half. “But when our heads are on stakes and crows are feasting on our eyeballs, I’m going to say I told you so.”

  ✽✽✽

  We didn’t have any time to spare if we wanted to be on time for our meeting with Blade. Conveniently, we had Yutika’s plane parked on the front lawn.

  As we boarded the plane, A.J. regaled us with a totally non-embellished story about the last time someone arrived late to a meeting with Blade. I wasn’t sure if any of us really believed him, but A.J. and Smith got us off the ground in record time.

  We had wasted valuable time trying—unsuccessfully—to convince Kaira and Graysen to stay behind. I once again considered firing myself for being such a horrible security chief.

  We congregated around the circular table in the center of the plane, where an extravagant breakfast was already waiting for us. There were eggs benedict and hot chocolate, with vegan alternatives for A.J. and me. We dug in while we discussed our upcoming negotiation with Blade.

  I didn’t think A.J. could get any more morose, but he pushed aside his avocado toast and stared at everyone else’s eggs. He muttered, “Free range is still murder” under his breath.

  To which Yutika replied, “My plane, my rules.”

  After we’d finished preparing as much as we could, we dispersed throughout the plane. Kaira and Graysen went to catch a few hours of sleep in the full bedroom Yutika had created onboard. Yutika and Michael were channel surfing on one of the giant flat-screen TVs. Sir Zachary, wearing a doggie pilot’s cap, goggles, and blue tie, was asleep between them.

  A.J. had expended enormous energy on getting the plane into the air, but he was still fidgeting and muttering to himself. Usually, Smith was the twitchy one in our group.

  Even though the plane was spotless, A.J. had ordered Yutika to make him a vacuum, which was zooming back and forth across the carpet.

  “Hey.” I sat next to A.J. and gave him a nudge. “You okay?”

  When A.J. looked at me, I saw the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

  “’Course, butterscotch.” He gave me a falsely-wide smile. Just as quickly, the smile turned to a frown. “Love bug, you’re going to fry in that scarf. Not to mention, that shade of yellow doesn’t do your complexion any favors.”

  “Don’t—” I began, realizing too late what A.J. was doing.

  My scarf unwound itself from my neck and folded itself up on the seat beside A.J. in a single motion.

  A.J.’s mouth fell open.

  “Bri Hammond, is that a hickey on your neck?!”

  “Shhh!” I pressed my hand over his mouth, looking around to see if anyone else had heard. Luckily, the vacuum was loud enough that I didn’t think they had.

  “Mrrb wrrrb mrrrr!” A.J. said from behind my hand.

  To which I replied, “Only if you keep your voice down.”

  I waited for A.J.’s nod before removing my hand. I hurriedly replaced the scarf, tying it tightly in case anyone else thought about trying to remove it.

  “I thought you and Adam were done,” A.J. whispered.

  My confusion must have shown on my face. I didn’t think I could blush any harder than I already was.

  “Not Adam?” A.J. cocked his head at me.

  Adam was my last hook-up before Diego, and the only other guy I’d been with in the last year. I chewed on my lip, unable to meet A.J.’s gaze.

  “The coxswain is gay, so I really hope it wasn’t him,” A.J. said. He started going through all of Graysen’s crew friends and discussing the likelihood that each one was the hickey-giver when I cut him off.

  “It’s Diego,” I said, needing to put us both out of our misery.

  “What’s Diego?” A.J. replied. “Is he here?” A.J. looked around the plane, his suspicious gaze in place.

  “No.” I shook my head. “I made out with him.”

  “You made out with who?”

  I groaned. “You can’t possibly be this dense.”

  A.J. got right in my face and peered into my eyes. He touched the back of his hand to my forehead. His jaw dropped.

  I hurriedly covered his mouth again as a torrent of exclamations hit my palm.

  I waited until his tirade was over before removing my hand.

  “Diego Agramonte? Our sworn enemy?” A.J. hissed.

  “The one and only,” I said, feeling like I was admitting to treason. “It’s nothing serious,” I added hurriedly. And then, because it looked like A.J. was in shock, I told him about our kiss in the graveyard, and then his visit at my window.
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  I wasn’t ready to fess up to the promise I’d made Diego, and I left out the part about how we’d gone flying. A hotter-than-fire kiss was one thing, but flying and cuddling together during a sunrise was something more. A.J. might get the wrong impression that something was going on.

  “Don’t give me that look,” I ordered A.J. “It was just a one-time—well, okay, two-time—thing.” I thought again about the favor I owed Diego, and what my friends would say when they found out. No matter how attracted to Diego I might be, his request had reminded me that we were adversaries. Last night was never going to happen again.

  I immediately squashed the quick stab of regret that accompanied that realization.

  “Well, he does have very nice eyelashes,” A.J. conceded.

  He didn’t say anything else on the matter. Whatever he was thinking, he kept it to himself.

  “Get ready, people,” Smith’s tired voice called from the cockpit. “We’ll be there in ten. A.J., look alive.”

  “Aye aye, Captain.” A.J. saluted Smith, even though Smith’s back was to us.

  A.J. spread his arms out to the side like wings and dipped them gently. I felt the plane start to descend in time with the motion.

  I blew on my fists and shook my head, clearing my thoughts of everything except our upcoming meeting with Blade.

  The plane hit the ground with a gentle bump. Dust swirled around the windows outside. I whistled for Sir Zachary, who leapt off Michael’s lap and joined me by the front of the plane.

  I peered through the swirling dust outside the window.

  “How many people did you say were coming to this meeting?” I asked Graysen, who had emerged from the bedroom and was straightening his tie.

  “Blade and maybe a couple of her guards,” Graysen said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because.” I turned back to face my friends. “There’s an army outside this plane.”

  CHAPTER 30

  The 7.5 of us stayed close together as we crossed the stretch of desert that separated us from Blade. A few hundred people stood behind her, their eyes tracking our every move.

  I glimpsed every weapon imaginable. Blade’s soldiers carried everything from rusted knives, to crossbows, to machine guns. And that was in addition to whatever magic they were packing.

  “I told you,” A.J. whispered. “Didn’t I tell you?”

  “I’m making us bullet-proof vests,” Yutika announced, drawing as we walked.

  “Works for me,” A.J. muttered.

  “Blade,” Graysen called when we were within earshot. “We’re unarmed.” He raised his hands, indicating for the rest of us to do the same. “Please tell your people to lower their weapons.”

  The California territory ruler let out a high-pitched, tittering laugh. She stalked toward us, leaving her army behind. Graysen moved protectively in front of Kaira, who poked him and pulled him back until they were side-by-side. Michael and I flanked them. A.J., Yutika, Smith, and Sir Zachary followed just behind us.

  Blade wasn’t much taller than me, although she looked bigger with all the weapons—and were those dead squirrels?—hanging off her belt. She held a leather riding crop, which she was tapping against her thigh.

  I gave A.J. a warning look, but for once, he didn’t go off on some animal rights diatribe. His face was deathly pale.

  From the information Smith had gathered, I knew that Blade was forty-one. A combination of bad hygiene and the harsh California desert had turned her into a weathered thing that appeared decades older.

  Blade’s skin was sunburned and scaly, and her blonde hair was matted together into one clump. She had tattoos on her face that made it appear as though blood was oozing from her eyes and the corners of her lips. Her milky-gray eyes might have been her most disturbing feature.

  “Well, well, well.” Blade’s voice was like honey mixed with cyanide. “Aren’t you all adorable.”

  Sir Zachary let out a low growl. I moved to the front of our group, using my titanium body as a shield between us and Blade.

  The territory ruler’s milky gaze lasered in on me. I sucked in a small breath as I felt…claws inside my mind.

  She wasn’t controlling my mind the way Subject 6 had, but it felt just as intrusive…just as wrong. She was sifting through my thoughts and memories the way a child might flip through a picture book. Memories from my childhood flashed through my mind. I saw my dad pushing me on a swing, and my mom walking me to the bus on my first day of preschool.

  “What are you doing to her?” Kaira demanded.

  “Just say the word and I’ll stop her,” Michael told me in a low voice.

  “It’s okay,” I muttered, even though it clearly wasn’t. “I’m fine.”

  As much as getting my mind torn open by this wacko sucked, I would put up with it if it would get us into Blade’s good graces. We needed her and her army to rescue the slaves. For that, I would put up with just about anything.

  Blade dove back into my mind. She dug through my memories so quickly that I couldn’t focus on what was happening outside of my mind anymore. I knew I was standing in the desert in front of Blade, but all I saw were the projections of my memories.

  Boring, boring, boring, Blade’s nails-on-chalkboard voice said inside my head.

  The images in my head began to flip faster.

  I glimpsed the first time Brent had brought Sarah home to meet the family. I felt our collective joy when Lilly was born, and then our despair over the news that she had died.

  Ah, Blade’s voice came as a delighted tinkle in my head. This is yummy.

  Blade lingered on the memory of Lilly’s funeral, forcing me to relive the darkest day of my life.

  Such little shoulders to carry the weight of her whole family’s happiness, Blade crooned. Pretending to be so strong, when you’re so lost.

  Blade giggled out loud. Then, before I could catch my breath, she went back for more.

  I saw the inside of the mine and the tomb. I saw my hopes for finding Lilly dwindle. I heard my mom’s warning about Sarah not surviving Lilly’s death a second time.

  So sweet, Blade crooned.

  The images switched to Diego, pinning me against the dresser and kissing me…Diego flying me into the stars.

  Well, hello, Blade’s voice said.

  Out loud, she said, “We have been a naughty, naughty. Haven’t we?”

  “Whatever you’re doing to her, stop,” Graysen ordered.

  All at once, Blade’s claw retracted from my mind. I staggered back a step, almost falling into Michael. I gritted my teeth as the worst headache of my life hammered around inside my skull.

  “You okay?” Michael asked me.

  I realized he was gripping my arm, which was the only reason I was still on my feet.

  I tried to nod, but the motion sent a wave of nausea surging through me.

  “Okay,” I managed after the worst of the pain had dissipated. “Just…a surprise.”

  Blinking to clear my foggy vision, I saw Blade raise her riding crop to Graysen’s face.

  “Gray,” Kaira said, but he gave her a small shake of his head. He had clearly made the same calculation I had—that a little thought-thievery was worth getting Blade’s help. That, and there was no point in pissing her off when she had three-hundred soldiers waiting to tear us apart.

  Blade drew the tasseled end of her crop across Graysen’s cheek as they locked gazes. Blade’s tongue darted out to lick her scaly lips.

  Graysen’s entire body went taut. His eyes were closed, his eyelids twitching as Blade searched through the recesses of his thoughts. Blade’s lips moved, although no sound came out. I got the feeling she was speaking inside Graysen’s head.

  Kaira put a hand on his back as she glared daggers at Blade. Blade didn’t notice.

  “Awwww.” She let out that horrible high-pitched laugh again. Her milky gaze snapped over to Kaira.

  Graysen’s eyes opened. He seemed disoriented for a second, but his attention focused the moment he r
ealized Blade was facing Kaira.

  “Sooo precious,” Blade crooned. She placed the tip of her riding crop at Kaira’s throat and dragged it down between her breasts.

  Graysen’s hand shot out and grabbed the crop.

  “Touch my wife again,” Graysen said on a low growl, “and you’ll regret it.”

  “Mmm, possessive, aren’t we?” Blade did that thing with her tongue again, and I had to stop myself from shuddering.

  “Enough,” Michael said. “We need your help, and you’re going to give it to us.”

  Before coming here, we’d agreed it would be best to get Blade to willingly agree to help us. It was an ethical slippery slope to make other people do what we wanted just because we wanted it, but it was clear Michael was done playing nice with this woman.

  “I…don’t want to help you,” Blade said, sounding puzzled.

  “Her mind’s really strong,” Michael said without looking away from Blade.

  “No one forces Blade’s hand,” the territory ruler said, referring to herself in the third person. Her eyes rolled back in her head, making her look even more unhinged. “Blade is strong. Blade is ruler.”

  Michael shook his head. “If I keep trying to influence her mind, I’ll just make her more unstable than she already is. It’s too risky.”

  When he broke eye contact, Blade shivered.

  “Blade,” Graysen said. His voice was polite, but his gaze was sharp. “You know why we’re here. As I told your lieutenant over the phone, it will be in both of our interests to work together.”

  “There are hundreds of children down in that mine,” Kaira said. “We have to get them out safely, and then we can destroy what’s left.”

  Blade threw her head back and laughed. Even though her army was too far away to hear what we were saying, their laughter carried over to us, too. They clanked their weapons against each other, making a cacophonous riot of sounds.

  When Blade spoke, her lips didn’t move. I heard her voice in my head.

  Remwald pays me well. Why should I do anything to hurt his operation?

  “Remwald’s dead,” Kaira said, making it clear Blade had spoken telepathically to all of us at once.