The Madness Project (The Madness Method)

by Bralick, J. Leigh

  I shrugged. “Didn’t seem like a fair fight.”

  “You got Jig,” she said, eyes wide. “Can’t believe you got ‘im. Nobody gets a clean hit on Jig.”

  “Friend of yours?”

  She gave a great indignant huff. “No. Jig’s a cad.”

  I smiled; I couldn’t imagine Samyr even thinking that word, let alone using it.

  Then her face softened, and she shrugged. “Well, he’s not terrible, sometimes. He stood up for me…” She flashed a cautious glance at me. “So he’s jake. I guess.”

  “Jake?” I echoed, skeptical.

  “He’s swell,” she said, shrugging. “Jake.”

  “What about that other one?”

  “Anuk? He’s pretty swell too, ‘cept when he tries to steal from me.”

  “Steal…what you stole, I presume?”

  Her eyes flashed to my face. I thought she was about to laugh, but then the smile paled into alarm.

  “You won’t rat me out?” she whispered. “I was dead skapped!”

  I jutted my lower lip, the way I’d discovered I could shrug without actually shrugging. “If I told on you, does that mean I’d have to report myself for when I did the same thing? Let’s see, there was the time when I was twelve, and then again when I was fourteen…”

  She laughed. “That’s not true!”

  I arched a brow. “Oh, it’s true.”

  “You’re leaving?” she asked abruptly.

  I hesitated a moment, then said, “Yes. My father thinks I need to see more of the world.”

  “I can’t imagine leaving Brinmark.”

  “I can’t imagine staying,” I said, and I was only half-joking.

  Apparently she didn’t know what to think about that, because she just scowled and stared across the plaza. After a moment, though, she perked up and pointed.

  “Wait, isn’t that…”

  I followed her gaze. “Damn,” I said, and sighed. “Yes, that’s Zagger. Coming to collect.”

  Chapter 14 — Tarik

  I sighed and leaned over my knees. Half of me hoped Zagger wouldn’t recognize me, but I knew better. He could sniff me out in a crowd of any size. I could have sworn the man was half bloodhound.

  It took less than a minute for him to spot me, and immediately the anxious look on his face relaxed. As he wandered my way I darted a glance to my left, but Hayli had disappeared, improbably, in the space between seeing Zagger and Zagger seeing me. I swept a gaze around, ready to call her a liar, until I spotted a crow in the shadows not far from where Hayli had been sitting. It watched me with a keen eye for a moment, and then it exploded into the air with a flurry of wings and was gone.

  Zagger claimed he had seen a bird just before he hit Hayli with the motorcar. That suddenly made sense. Hayli was a shape-shifter. Interesting.

  “Your Highness,” Zagger said, dropping onto the wall beside me. He pulled a slim flask from inside his coat and passed it to me. “Stravitz.”

  “You know what my father would do to you if he knew you were giving me this stuff?” I asked, pulling off the cap.

  “Probably the same thing he’d do to you if he knew you were accepting it,” Zagger remarked, unfazed.

  “Oh, he knows about that. Thought it was funny.”

  Zagger laughed. “Really,” he said, then stared at his hands. “I know you’ll tell what I need to do when the time comes, Your Highness, but…I heard a rumor you won’t be coming to Lamanstal with the household. Is it true? When you said you were leaving, did you mean you were going somewhere else?”

  I sighed and handed the flask back to him. Some strangely insistent voice in my head kept begging me to tell him everything. I’d never forgiven myself for keeping secrets—that secret—from him my entire life. But more than anything I dreaded what he would think of me if he learned the truth. He wasn’t nobility but he’d been raised on nobles’ sentiments, and despising Jixies fairly well topped that list.

  And I realized with some surprise that, of all the people in my life who didn’t already know what I was, it was his opinion that I valued the most.

  “Your Highness?”

  “Sorry,” I said, shaking myself out of my silence. “That’s right. I’m not going.”

  “Does this have anything to do with that bald idiot who’s been hanging around?”

  His scowl made me smile inside, but I just shot him a dark look and said, “Yes, actually.”

  Then I couldn’t say anything at all. Guilt or shame spirited away my voice, and I stared out across the plaza at the party-goers and all the chaos. This was such a nightmare.

  Zagger shifted his weight.

  “Your knuckles are bleeding,” he remarked.

  I examined them apathetically and shrugged. “Not as much as the other kid’s face.”

  He snorted. “Not very sporting to get in a fight on your birthday.”

  “But it’s my tradition, didn’t you hear?”

  “What was it this time?”

  “Don’t be jealous you weren’t here to get involved,” I said. “Just a fight between kids.” I hesitated, then eyed Zag sidelong and added, “It was that Jixy kid from yesterday.”

  “You punched the girl?”

  “Stars, no,” I said, laughing. “What do you think I am?”

  He smiled, briefly. “Your Highness, I wanted to ask you something. Don’t know it’s my place though.”

  This was it; I just knew this was the moment it would all come out, and my whole body tensed and shuddered.

  “Go ahead,” I said, closing my eyes. “Ask away.”

  “That’s very open of you,” he said. “It’s just…I keep wondering what made you think that she was a Jixy. She just looked like any old street rat, besides turning up out of nowhere. Was that it?”

  “No,” I said. My hands tingled; I’d been clutching them too tight. Every confession died on my lips, and the silence ate minutes between us. Finally I sighed and said, “You would hate me, Zagger, if you knew everything there was to know about me.”

  He looked disturbed but he tried a smile, saying, “I doubt it, Your Highness. I was there when you were fifteen, remember?”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “I mean, what secret could you possibly have kept from me for seventeen years? It’s not as though you’re a Jixy or something.”

  Ice exploded through my veins, tugging every bit of warmth out through the hole in my heart. I must have looked stricken, because Zagger froze, face blanching, and stared at me.

  “No,” he said. “No.”

  “My parents are the only other people who know,” I said, hating how my voice crept out in a whisper. “Stars, Zag, I always wished that you knew.”

  And I wanted to say ten other things, but none of them made it past the burn of shame in my throat. I couldn’t even make a smart comment to hide behind.

  Zagger just kept staring at me. I glanced at him once and saw the war in his mind written all over his face. And I turned aside. I couldn’t face him. More than anything I wanted to get up and walk away, but I couldn’t even do that. Sitting there wasn’t courage; I was a coward.

  “What…what kind of Jixy?” he asked, surprising me. As if it mattered what breed of monster I was.

  “I can change my appearance,” I said. “Make myself look like someone else.”

  “You do that a lot?”

  “No, never. My father found out when I was five. He…told me never to use it again. Until last night.”

  Zagger pulled off his hat to scrub his hand over his close-cropped hair. “Damn. I wish you’d just told me.”

  “I needed you, Zagger,” I said, hoarse suddenly. “Needed your friendship, your help. I can’t imagine I would have survived fifteen without you there to keep pulling me back from the edge.”

  “You think I would’ve hated you for being what you are?” he asked, eyes widening. “You didn’t tell me because you thought I’d turn on you?”

  I narrowed a long, hard look at him. �
��In what world wouldn’t you have hated me?”

  “This one,” he said. “I’ve spent the last seventeen years of my life keeping you safe. I wish you’d have believed that I would never let myself hurt you either.”

  I couldn’t say anything to that. I bent my head and stared at my hands, and hoped he couldn’t see the grief I hid under the brim of my hat.

  “So that means…your mother…”

  I spun toward him, eyes blazing. “You forget about that part of it, all right? Don’t even think of her like that.”

  He lifted his hands. “Didn’t I just tell you…? Well, look, there’s Kor. How charming. I suppose he knows already?”

  “My father’s doing, not mine,” I said, sour, watching the thunderstorm of a human being beating a path through the crowd, revelers scattering like leaves as he passed.

  “Your father…?” He studied me curiously, then shook his head in disbelief and said, “He told that man?”

  “He wants me to try to get an in with the Rivanic cult, so, he hired Kor to turn me into a tramp.”

  Zag’s brows shot up. “Really! That could be dangerous.”

  “Why?”

  “Well,” he said, and hesitated, watching Kor. “Anyone’s welcome to be a follower of Rivano, but they don’t let just anyone into the cult. I’ve heard stories. People they let get a little too close, then decide they don’t like the looks of ‘em, so they take them for a ride. Police sometimes talk about finding bodies, or what’s left of them. Just be careful. The closer you get, the more suspicious they are.”

  I thought of those five murders, bodies unidentifiable. “You’re sure those were victims of the Clan?”

  He shrugged. “That’s the rumor anyway.”

  “How is it you seem to know more about the Clan than my father and Minister Farro?”

  He snorted. “What makes you think they don’t know it?”

  I couldn’t think of a thing to say to that.

  “This is madness,” he said after a moment. “It’s a madness project. Just…be careful.”

  I hesitated, clasping and unclasping my hands. “Honestly, Zag, I’m scared to death.”

  He made a little noise like a cough. “You’re not a coward, Your Highness,” he said, but the way he said it made me wonder what he really meant. “You just need to learn to accept who you are.”

  “Who I am?” I echoed. “What would that be, the Crown Prince or a damn Jixy?”

  “Yes.”

  I groaned, but Zag kept studying me with such a deep uneasiness that my stomach turned cold.

  “Zag. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just…why would he do that?”

  “My father?”

  He nodded, but when I just frowned at him he swore and leveled the flask at me. “You’re the Crown Prince, Your Highness! You’re his heir. I don’t understand. What if…”

  “What if I got killed?” I asked, mirthless, a little savage smile tugging on my lips. I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it. “Would it be such a tragedy for Cavnal? My infernal cousin Horm is already salivating over the crown. Maybe I should just let him have it. He’d fit, at least.”

  “Don’t you start,” Zagger growled, but then Kor joined us, killing the conversation.

  He slapped Zagger on the back, smirking at me in my pathetic attempt at a disguise.

  “Zagger! Pleasure to see you. I’m glad the prince isn’t around,” he said, loudly. “Told me to steer clear until tomorrow.”

  “Don’t pretend you’re happy to see me,” Zagger said, dangerous. “Sit down if you’re going to stay. You’re blocking my view.”

  Kor tipped his hat and dropped onto the wall beside me, pulling a long cigar from his jacket pocket. “Lend me a light?”

  I never carried a matchbox, but I found my ferrosteel lighter and sat for a minute twirling it in my fingers, lighting it a few times to watch the spark. Then I shrugged and stuffed it back in my pocket.

  “Sorry. I don’t like the smell.”

  He swore and Zagger stiffened like an attack dog, but at a glance from me he kept his peace. Kor resigned himself to chewing on the thing unlit.

  “Well, Tarik, this is a hell of a party.”

  I bristled. “Feel free to leave.”

  He laughed, and stayed, twirling his hat back and forth the way I was starting to find incredibly annoying. Finally, more curious than anything, I reached over and grabbed his hand to make him stop. Just as I’d expected, that little flare of electricity chased up my arm. I made a noise somewhere between a snort and a laugh and released him.

  “So,” I said.

  Zagger arched a brow, but I trusted he’d figure it out.

  “Why do you think I’m here?” Kor growled.

  “What’s your gift?”

  “It matters to you, why?”

  “Just curious.”

  He smiled, torchlight flaring on his bared teeth. “I’m a Shard.”

  “I don’t even know what that means.”

  “Learn.”

  I rolled my eyes and gave him an impatient, half-obscene gesture. “Well? Teach.”

  He flicked his wrist and a knife materialized in the uncertain light, flashing as he twirled it between his fingers.

  “All right. I’m a hell of a good fighter,” he said, and the tone of his voice and the way he twisted the knife around made me reconsider arguing with him. Almost.

  “Really?” I asked. “You have to have magic to fight?”

  He drew up, eyes narrowed, and I took the opportunity to curse myself for being flippant. But all he said was, “You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it.”

  “Language is a difficult skill,” I said blandly. “Is there magic for that too?”

  He glared at me for half a moment, then suddenly he threw back his head and laughed.

  I decided that was a perfect moment to escape before I actually made him angry, so I got to my feet, Zagger right there beside me.

  “See you in the morning, I suppose.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  Part of me wondered if I could get away with strangling him once I was a Jixy tramp.

  * * * *

  I didn’t meet with Kor in the morning. With the household preparing to leave for our country lodge up in Lamanstal, I spent the time staying out of everyone’s way until the carriages were ready to depart. As the servants got my father up into the carriage, my mother drew me aside and laid her hand on my cheek.

  “Be careful, Tarik,” she murmured. “I know what he’s asked you to do…and I know you can do it, but, please. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Come back to us.”

  I nodded, because there really wasn’t anything I could say. I couldn’t tell her I’d be fine, or that there was nothing to worry about. She would know I was lying.

  She pulled me into an embrace, drawing my head down and murmuring in my ear, “You are stronger than you know.”

  Then, without another word, she kissed me on the forehead and let the footman hand her into the carriage. My father extended his hand to me through the carriage window, but for a long moment he just clasped my hand and studied me.

  When he spoke, all he said was, “Good luck.”

  “I hope you’ll recover quickly.”

  He nodded and gave a signal to the driver, and the carriage rolled out. I backed away to stand with Zagger, watching as the better part of the palace household departed for the winter. I’d never stayed behind before. Never expected how empty the palace would feel, with a mere skeleton staff on hand to keep the rooms dusted and clean for the annual parade of visitors.

  “Well,” I said, folding my hands behind my back. “I guess that’s that. Where’s Kor?”

  “He holed himself up in one of the safe rooms.”

  “You knew about them too? Did everyone in the palace know about them besides me?”

  He grinned and led the way down to the subterrane. Kor had occupied a different chamber than my father’s secure state room. I couldn�
�t tell what it had been intended for. An interrogation room, perhaps. It was a cramped little space and almost completely empty, with just a few chairs against one wall, and a table shoved against the wall opposite. One lone chair cowered in the center of the room, and when Zagger and I entered, Kor had a foot propped on the seat.

  He leaned over his knee, twirling his knife back and forth, back and forth. I was starting to imagine he had to have something to twirl or he’d lose his grip on sanity—though watching him was beginning to threaten mine.

  “About time,” he said. “What’d you bring him for? Too afraid to come alone?”

  Zagger sat down in one of the chairs, leaning back and giving me a long knowing look.

  “You want me to respect you?” I asked, turning around to face Kor. “Then start by showing me a little.”

  “Why should I?” Kor snapped. “I’m here to scour off all that royal veneer that makes you so high and mighty. And what’s left? Get rid of your fine clothes and your title and your florid talk, and what are you underneath? A spoiled, irresponsible, self-serving brat. You don’t deserve any respect.”

  “You might want to take that back,” Zagger interjected, his voice a low growl.

  “You might want to shut up and stay out. If you want that boy to survive two days on the streets, you leave the colt-breaking to me.”

  I cringed at the comparison, but calculated it would do me no good to complain.

  “Fine,” I said. “Look, I don’t care about you or what you think of me, so can we get past the insults and name-calling and start doing what we both came here to do?”

  Kor eyed me sidelong and pointed to the chair. “All right. Sit down.”

  Zagger bristled, but I waved him off and moved to sit down. Kor’s leg flashed out and the chair clattered across the floor. I stared at it, then at Kor standing motionless in front of me, arms crossed, boring holes in me with his eyes.

  “What the hell is your problem?” I cried.

  “I told you to sit down, not pose on the chair like a skewered monkey,” he snapped.

  “Pick it up,” I said.

  “No.”

  Zagger launched himself from his chair, but he’d barely moved when Kor grabbed me by the collar and shoved me against the wall. He threw his other arm back, and it took me a second to realize that he had a revolver trained on Zagger, his thumb hovering over the hammer.