Misery Happens

by Tracey Martin

  When I rushed out the door, my only concern was remembering to enter headquarters via the employees-only back door. This would involve calling Tom or anyone else inside and being let in since I didn’t have that kind of access as a mere consultant.

  The afternoon rush hadn’t hit yet, so the trains were mostly empty, which was a relief. The entire subway ride over I felt horribly conspicuous, as if I were wearing one of those Hello My Name Is stickers on my chest. Except my sticker was enormous and someone had drawn satyr horns over my last name. For the first time, I wouldn’t have minded having Melissa or Gi with me. No one had mentioned anything about sending over my usual bodyguards, and because of everything that had happened today, the thought had slipped my mind too.

  A mob continued to swarm around the Gryphons’ steps, as did a faint blue haze. The haze was barely noticeable given how the high afternoon sun bleached the red sky, but I could see it if I squinted. Andre must have been hitting the kumbaya gas again.

  More disturbing than the continued presence of the peace-loving anti-magers was the news vans. Three had set up shop as close to the protesters as they could get, and more people mingled around on the opposite side of the street, all giving off the vibe of being too curious for my comfort. Even if only half were journalists, it was too many for me.

  Heart beating faster, I cut over a block early and approached via the back door. Tom had gotten my text that I was arriving, and he opened it. “You’re late.”

  “Don’t. It’s been a rough day, and I was afraid the people out front would want to tear me open and see what color my insides were if they recognized me.”

  “It might not only be the people outside you need to worry about.”

  I stuck my sunglasses back on. “Great. Think these will help?”

  “I think you’ll walk into walls.”

  I shoved the sunglasses in my bag, doing my best to ignore the stares from the Gryphons we passed. “What’s happening with Xander?”

  Tom punched the elevator button with brutal force, and his voice picked up that odd accent it always got when he was stressed. “You were copied on the texts, right? He betrayed everyone in this organization and revealed confidential information. He must be trusting we’re too busy with other concerns that there won’t be fallout from his pathetic display.”

  “Will there be? Did he actually break any laws?”

  “The Gryphons’ legal council is considering that part. He’s definitely not going to be working with us again though. The other magi in our coalition have been calling and trying to distance themselves from him. Are you going to be okay?”

  I shrugged. “I had an interesting phone conversation with my mother earlier, but I’ll deal with the rest once I’m convinced I’ll live long enough to have reason to worry.”

  Keeping my head down, I followed Tom into a conference room on the third floor. Mitch and Grace were already there, huddled uneasily on the opposite side of the room from Lucen and Dezzi. Dezzi was all business as usual, but Lucen seemed amused by their discomfort. I punched him lightly in the arm for it.

  “How is this going to work?” Tom asked, shutting the door.

  The conference room table had been pushed against a wall, and Dezzi moved a couple chairs into the open space in the center. “It is simple. Lucen and I will gain entry into the others’ heads. Once we do that, they try using their gifts to take control of the bond. It will not be exciting to watch. It’s all a battle of mental and magical wills.”

  Mitch raised a tentative hand. “Um, my understanding is that it takes a bit of work on your part to break us down, so to speak. It sure did when those furies addicted me the other week. Not to come across like a prude or anything, but wouldn’t that involve physical contact?” He gave Lucen a wary expression, which naturally brought the smirk right back to Lucen’s face.

  I punched him again. “It takes work for a pred to do this sort of thing normally because normally you’d be fighting them. In this case, you won’t be. When you feel Lucen’s magic knocking on your brain, you’ll let him in. You could be on opposite sides of the room if you wanted.”

  “Yes, but that wouldn’t be half as much fun.” Lucen stepped away before I could land a third blow.

  Dezzi smacked him instead. “This situation is serious. Please try to act like it.”

  “So there’s not going to be any weirdness going on here? Because…” Mitch stuck his hands in his pockets, and I could detect a distinct salty embarrassment running beneath his anxiety.

  Grace, on the other hand, radiated pure fear. She’d pressed herself against the corner, but I sensed she wanted to dash for the door.

  “There’s only weirdness if you want there to be.” Lucen smiled, doing just enough to keep his amusement in check that I had no excuse to slap him for it.

  Tom pulled a chair over to the door. “I’ll stay here for a while to keep an eye on everyone. I have to leave in an hour, but if it will make you more comfortable, I can have another Gryphon replace me.” He spoke primarily to Grace, though she didn’t acknowledge him.

  I bit my tongue. It would not make me more comfortable to have Tom here. I trusted Dezzi and Lucen, and I knew Dezzi was right that no physical contact was necessary. But regardless, there was no question that this training was going to be physically arousing, even as it was magically and mentally taxing. And heaven help me if Claudius was brought in to test me soon. I didn’t care for the idea of Tom seeing me writhing in heat.

  I wasn’t sure if Mitch had thought things through to this extent, or if he had and would prefer knowing a Gryphon with a lethal weapon was on hand to keep control regardless. For his sake and Grace’s, I held in my objection. Maturity sucked.

  Dezzi shrugged to indicate that Tom staying was a waste of time, but she didn’t argue. “Since we know Jessica has experience, I’m going to start working with her, and Lucen will work with the others.”

  “No.” Grace extricated herself from the corner. “I’m not doing this. I’m not letting any of you into my soul. I’ll watch if you force me to, but I refuse to participate.”

  The mischievous gleam on Lucen’s face dimmed, and his voice became serious. “No one is going to hurt you, I swear. You heard Agent Kassin. I understand this might not be comfortable, but if you can learn how to do it, you’ll be safer.”

  “It’s soul self-defense,” I added. “It’s the same as learning any self-defense technique or martial art. It might hurt to learn, but it’s a skill that can save your life.”

  Grace wrapped her arms around her small frame, shaking her head violently. “I’m not interested. I’ll take my chances.”

  “Grace, we did talk about this,” Tom said.

  “I changed my mind.”

  That was an understatement. Her fear was so strong it was making my extremities quiver with the energy hit. I bounced from foot to foot as Tom and Dezzi attempted to assuage her rising panic. Mitch chimed in too, promising her that he wasn’t excited about the idea either, but it was necessary.

  None of their approaches worked. I could sense that Grace was more on edge than ever, and everyone’s combined pressure was working her into an awful state. Fear predominated in her heart, but her guilt was also growing. The combination made for a terrible one-two punch to her head.

  “Guys.” I held up my hands. “We don’t need to force her into this. Let Mitch and I practice first. Grace can watch and see that nothing bad happens.”

  Grace wasn’t as grateful for my defense as I thought she would be. “I don’t want to watch either. I just need space. I have to leave.” Before we could say anything else, she ran out of the room.

  Tom jumped up to follow her, and I put a restraining hand on his arm. “Let her go. She doesn’t like magic, and this is all hard on her. As long as she’s in the building, she’s safe.”

  Tom scowled and took out his phone, presumably t
o let people know to make sure Grace didn’t try to sneak outside without a guard. “She needs to learn these things. We’re counting on her.”

  “Not everyone is cut out to be a warrior,” Lucen said. “What you’re expecting of people isn’t easy.”

  “I’m not a warrior,” Mitch muttered.

  I grabbed one of the bottles of water Tom had arranged on the table. “You’re here and you’re trying. I think that makes you one. And who knows? Grace could come around still. She might just not have found the strength yet.”

  “That almost sounds like optimism,” Lucen whispered to me.

  I flipped him off. “Can we get started? I have to meet a friend in The Feathers in a few hours.”

  Tom wasn’t thrilled by my pronouncement, but Dezzi agreed with me that we might want a break by then. So we got to work.

  Thank dragons Lucen had suggested I practice with him last night. It made the ordeal less uncomfortable since I knew what to expect. But it was no easier. Initially, I was distracted by Tom’s increasing boredom as he watched us, as well as Mitch’s anxiety. Then by my own nerves. I was too aware of the hundreds of Gryphons in the building, all of whom now knew my secrets.

  I couldn’t sense anyone else’s emotions when Dezzi was in my head, so the problem then wasn’t their turmoil but my own. My lack of control. Because I was distracted with worry, my will was weakened, and I lost the ability to focus on our bond. After a second time of not getting too far, Dezzi broke our connection, and I crumpled to the floor. My head was splitting, and my body quivered with unfulfilled lust. I ran a hand over my hard nipples as I curled in on myself. I wasn’t sure which pain was stronger, but I was certain I felt like an idiot.

  Dezzi dropped onto a chair near me. “You’re not paying attention. Your mind is…” She twirled her hands around in the air.

  “It’s been a long day.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lucen’s back, and I forced myself to turn away. He had his own task, and he certainly wouldn’t help mine. “I’m ready. Let’s try again.”

  The third time, I succeeded. On my knees on the conference room floor, sweating with need and straining to keep my hands PG in front of my audience, I did it. When the direction of Dezzi’s power changed and the full force of it slammed into me, stars formed in front of my eyes. My cells felt like they were exploding, but I laughed and raised my arms skyward with elation. Dezzi’s magic healed my headache instantly and lifted my mood into the stratosphere. I could have flown into The Feathers.

  Then she cut the connection, and I crashed into reality.

  “Good.” Dezzi grabbed a cookie from the tray on the table and took a bite as though starved by the exertion. “Faster this next time.”

  We did it again and again. When I could reliably reverse the bond fast enough that I didn’t do anything stupidly embarrassing first, Dezzi had me practice controlling my response to the magic hit. Euphoria was great and all, but if I couldn’t control my emotions while buzzing with so much power, I wouldn’t be able to strategize or fight effectively.

  The effort should have left me exhausted, but feeding on powerful magic negated the tiredness. I actually felt pretty damn great when I next checked the time. “I have to get going. My muscles are telling me I could sprint the whole way to The Feathers, but somehow I doubt that’s the truth.”

  Dezzi snorted. “You might as well try. This time of day, you might be able to walk there faster than the T can take you.”

  I doubted that too, although Dezzi had a point. I didn’t look forward to fighting the rush hour crowd on the train, especially when I might be recognized.

  “I will check in with Lucen and Mitch,” Dezzi said as I got out my phone. “I am curious whether Lucen is experiencing the same side effect of this bonding as I did.”

  “Side effect? What do you mean?”

  Dezzi tapped a finger against her lips in contemplation. “I expected your ability to reverse the bond would drain me of energy, and it did. But it also drained away some of my own uniquely satyr emotions. It was more than just what I give to you with a normal addict bond.”

  Uniquely satyr emotions? It took me a second to understand what she meant. “The lust?”

  “Yes. It was lessened. I assumed it was flowing into you along with the power.”

  I nearly dropped my phone as I realized something I’d never thought about before. “It does, er, did. Reversing the bond helps me control the feeling, but it doesn’t make it totally go away. When I reversed the bond on that fury the first time, I was filled with anger. I thought it was because of the situation I was in, but it must have been partly his magic coursing through me. The same thing happened when I did it with the sylph the other week. When I pull from you, I’m pulling more of everything.”

  “You take the good and the bad. It is an interesting phenomena,” Dezzi agreed. “And I’m sorry to say that you are ready to begin work with Claudius later.”

  “Peachy.” I crept out of the room so I wouldn’t disturb the men and texted Steph to assure her we were on in spite of the day’s events. As I stuck my phone away, my hand grazed a familiar glass jar at the bottom of my bag. Grinning with relief, I pulled out a half-empty container of glamour. It must have been lying around in there for weeks.

  I practically skipped into the nearest bathroom and used the spell to rearrange my face. Although I was probably paranoid about being recognized beyond the walls of this building, I saw no need to take chances. Besides, I couldn’t easily take my satyr bodyguards into The Feathers with me. They wouldn’t want to go, and the magi wouldn’t want them there. With a fake face, I wouldn’t have to. I’d be free of dangerous humans and any furies who wanted revenge or pieces of my flesh for other reasons.

  The subway was every bit the nightmare I expected it to be, but Steph was ready and waiting near the hospital’s main entrance when I got there. I sent her a fake-me selfie so she’d know what I looked like.

  She lowered her sunglasses as I approached. “Your artistic skills need practice. Or were you going for a disguise that says ‘I broke my nose and it was never set properly’?”

  “Bite me. It’s been a long day.” Ugh. How many times had I said that today? I needed a better excuse. Though true, I was getting sick of it.

  Steph crushed her cigarette, and we started walking. “Yeah, that clip of Xander is everywhere. Shit, I’m getting bugged by people who know that I know you.”

  “Hence why my phone has been turned off most of the day.”

  “I am so sorry. Do you want to grab a beer after this and vent?”

  I sighed and pushed my magically straight, red hair out of my face. “I’d love to, but I have more work to do later.”

  “It pisses me off that you and those Gryphons are doing so much to stop whatever’s coming, and some jackass of a magi—”

  I hushed her. We’d passed beneath the colorful archway at the edge of The Feathers, and magi outnumbered the human population around us. “Not here.”

  Steph made a noise of disapproval but nodded. “So where are you taking me?”

  “We’re first going to a shop owned by a crow shifter named Vekta. She specializes in defensive kinds of charms, mainly. Next, if you want some general good luck, which is never a bad idea, I’ll take you to another place. Luck is pricey though, and that was before the world went to hell.”

  Steph kicked an empty soda bottle out of our path and wrinkled her nose at the stench emanating from a restaurant on the right. “I’ll see how much money I have left after the first shop.”

  Haggling with Vekta took forever, but the magi didn’t recognize me, which was a relief. Steph could make fun of my disguise all she wanted. It worked. Although Vekta side-eyed me a couple times, as though something about my manner or voice was familiar, she never tried to guess my name.

  “To luck or not to luck?” I asked when we left.

&
nbsp; Steph clutched her purse and the shopping bag closer to her side. “Maybe. Depends on what kind of price I can get.”

  We paused at a busy intersection beneath a brown flag bearing the form of an owl, and I checked the time. I had no great incentive to return to headquarters. It might be necessary, but facing down Claudius was at the bottom of my list of fun ways to spend an evening. “Let’s go find out about some luck then.”

  The shop I was taking Steph to was situated just off the central intersection in The Feathers. The intersection—not the shop—was a terribly designed piece of real estate. Rather than traffic lights on each street, the roads met in a roundabout, the center island of which showcased the statue of some famous magi who’d played a heroic role in the American Revolution.

  That magi had probably never anticipated that Boston’s traffic would ever reach such horrific levels. The cars, the bicycles and the pedestrians made for dangerous street crossings. Even with the reduced traffic these days, it was ugly.

  Probably because everyone needed to concentrate on their personal surrounding in order not to end up a street pancake, no one paid attention to the two humans standing in the center of it all by the statue. As my feet touched safer ground on the opposite side of the street, my gift picked up a familiar and most unwelcome emotion. An oily taste, reminiscent of stale French fry grease, filled my mouth.

  I associated that flavor with evil intentions, people about to do terrible things. Sometimes, I could get a sense of what those things were, but that wasn’t necessary today. I spun wildly in the direction of the emotion, just in time to see the two humans fling a sign that said NO MAGIC atop the statue.

  I screamed at Steph to run. Screamed at the humans to stop. But my voice was garbled to my own ears. My speed charms had activated, and the world slowed down as I searched for an opening in traffic, a path to the center of the roundabout.

  Even with charms I wasn’t fast enough. One of the humans pulled a colorful sphere out of his bag. No question, it was some kind of container, probably a type of curse grenade. I dropped to the street, yanking Steph down with me.