by G. Bailey
"Thanks, mum," I say, and she looks at the present and back to me, clearing her throat as I go to reach for the toast. I know well enough to move my hand to the present box to pick it up instead. I undo the wrapping and open the green fabric ring box to see a charm inside like usual. This charm is a lightning bolt in a green metal, and I wonder what it does. I know it couldn't possibly call lightning bolts, because the higher gods made any lightning powers illegal as that is their power and they don't like competition. Much like they are the only gods that can have friendships with each other and do whatever the hell they like.
The higher gods were around before humans were created, at least that's what they tell everyone, and people go missing who try to challenge their rule. The higher gods are a group of four that pass all judgement and laws. They have complete control over the lesser gods. Us. Though no one ever sees them, as their council of four judgement gods pass the laws, and the twin gods of justice enact them. No one really knows much about any of them, only that they live on an island that humans don’t know exists in the middle of the Dead Sea. The island is private, and you have to be invited to go there. If you have a grievance with the higher gods, there is a house on the shore where you can plead to go to the island.
"I don't know what it does, but the man I bought it off said it is special to whoever owns it. So, it will be a fun surprise," she says as I take my necklace off and slide the charm onto it before putting it back on. It fits nicely with the others, and mum knows as well as I do that I love a surprise. “Your dad is making you a chocolate and peanut butter birthday cake. If you wondered where he is.”
"I love it, thank you," I reply, smiling widely. “And dad doesn’t do presents. He still asks us to help with your birthday and anniversary presents every year.”
"Yes, and I always love my gift and how your dad makes me my favourite food,” she replies, tucking some of her hair away from her face. “Your brothers have some gifts downstairs for you, all except Peyton who says his gift was saving you yesterday and all the other times this year. I’m sure he has an actual gift, or I will be having words with him."
"Fair point. I don’t need a gift," I sheepishly reply at mum’s accusing eyes, and I quickly start eating my toast, hoping she will drop it, which of course she does not.
"I don't want to know what he has had to save you from yesterday, but I had really hoped you would get the knack of your job and powers by now. You're twenty-one today, and when I was your age, I was pregnant with Peyton, and I was the best of my siblings at my job," she says, reaching out and placing her hand over mine as I finish the piece of toast. Mum is silent for a moment, as am I because mum never mentions or speaks about her sisters. She had two of them who were killed along with mum's parents. No one ever knew who did it, and by that time, mum just had me, so she couldn't investigate. Dad told us that the higher gods said it was a human issue, but mum swears no human could have stabbed her entire family to death without them using magic to save themselves. Either way, the higher gods never change their mind about a verdict, no matter the evidence, and without their help, mum had to give up getting revenge. It's a horrible part of our past and likely why mum wanted so many children to make a big family to kind of replace what she lost. "My youngest sister, Maria, was terrible at her job. Always making a big mess, but she had a big heart under her attitude. She reminds me of you, and I think you guys would have gotten along."
"I didn't know my middle name was after your youngest sister," I whisper, knowing this is a really big moment between us. There is only one photo of mum and her sisters with her parents standing behind them all, hanging in the lounge. It’s in the middle of the room on the wall, and sometimes I would come in to find her just staring up, whispering to the photo. It’s heartbreaking, and any time we asked about it, dad would keep us busy and explain it upset mum. Mum wipes a tear away and reaches over, placing her hand on the side of my face.
"I'm sorry I find it so hard to speak about them. Their memories are tainted with their ending in my mind, and one just comes with the other. I did name you after my little sister because you look like her in a way. Hugo is named after Holly because she had his black hair. They look similar too, same chin, and both like my nan who died when I was a child. It's comforting to know, even though they are gone, they aren't really," she softly says. “They are here, with us, and I will never forget them.”
"I'd love if we could talk more about my aunts one day, mum," I say, seeing how mum tenses up just a tad. I don’t want to push her, but it’s a big part of our past that I know nothing much about. The school library has photos of them all in school, but that’s all I’ve ever been able to find out. I love my mum too much to hurt her to find out about the past.
"I think that would be a lovely idea. Perhaps with a glass of wine and some chocolate next time," she says, smiling and smoothly sliding off the bed as she clears her expression into a happy one in an instant. I find myself wiping a tear as she walks to the door and pauses. "See you downstairs in a bit, darling."
"Of course, mum," I reply, and she shuts the door as she walks out. I sit back on my bed, eating my toast and drinking my orange juice before getting the spoon for the peanut butter jar. After getting a big spoonful of peanut butter, I start eating it as I slide out of bed. I jump in the air as something quickly bites my ankle, hurting like a bitch.
"You little fecker! It's my birthday, you are meant to be nice to me, Kit!" I shout at him, hopping as I sit back down and sigh. This isn't the best start to my birthday, but at least I will have a good night with Mads tonight. I glance at my hand as I put the empty spoon down and see a name in black. It’s unusual for me to have a job so soon. Neritous Cyncus. I frown as I lift my hand, looking at how odd the name is. Who has a name like that these days? It sounds Greek or something, but certainly different, and it has my interest straightaway. I can’t remember the last time I had two bad karma jobs in a week. Normally it’s one bad, one good and then a week off. Or at least that’s the usual. This guy must have done something feckin’ bad to get me on his case right now.
I pick my phone up off the side, opening up my safari app and googling his name for clues on who he is. Nothing comes up in the directories, but there is one website which I click on. It's a popular nightclub that boasts an infinity pool, and the address isn't far from where Mads lives. We could walk there from her place, which is a little weird. My karma jobs aren’t usually this close to home. I know I should just use magic to take me to him, but I have a weird feeling about this one. I always listen to my suspicions, or at least most the time. I quickly text Mads the address, and she agrees that it's a brilliant place to go for my birthday. I lie back on the bed, rubbing my bitten foot. Nothing like a little fun karma on your twenty-first birthday.
8
"Dark red is a hundred percent your second best colour,” Mads says, nodding her approval, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
I snort, rolling my eyes. “And what’s my actual best, or do I even want to know?”
“Dark green,” of course, she says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It compliments your hair," she explains, taking a few steps forward and gesturing with her finger for me to twirl. I do as I’m told, the skirt of the scarlet dress she bought me as a birthday present billowing out around me. Mads gives a wolf whistle, making me roll my eyes again, but I can’t help laughing and moving to stand in front of the mirror. The dress is gorgeous, a blood-red crimson colour that matches the dark red heels Hugo’s girlfriend got me on behalf of the two of them. I'm officially in love with her for the heels, and I’ve decided she can stay in the family for good now (I don’t care if that makes me seem shallow - I could never hate someone with such good taste in shoes). For his part, Damien got me red roses that I know for a fact mum made him give me. He then gave me another present as soon as mum left the room. It was a gag gift, the latest in a long line that have become something of a tradition between the two of us. I always pretend to
hate his gifts, and usually they’re good for the entertainment value, at the very least… but today’s was different. I think I’ll be having words with him later on… or maybe something stronger than words.
To my surprise, Peyton bought me green emerald earrings for my birthday, little sparkling baubles that are now hanging proudly from my ears, complimenting the dress splendidly. He told me I was an annoying little shite as he was giving me the box, but that kind of sentiment is actually pretty loving for our family. I walk to the mirror, admiring the low cut dress, which stops mid-thigh and has cut outs around my ribs on the side. In spite of its flirtatiousness, it looks damn good, the kind of thing that would be great for dinner at a nice restaurant… or a night out on the town. I walk to Mads and pull her in for a hug, which is a rather rare occurrence for me, all things considered. I’m not much of a hugger, nor am I good at dealing with emotions in general, now that I think about it. My best guess is that it’s a side effect of growing up in a houseful of brothers with no sister in sight. I learned early on how to play my cards close to my chest, and even though Mads was like my school sister, even coming back to the house after school sometimes, I grew a prickly shell as a defense mechanism.
Mads just laughs at the sudden display of affection, embracing me back and giving me a squeeze. “I take this to mean you like it?” she asks.
"Thank you,” I say. “How are you so damn good at knowing what looks good on other people?”
“Because I’m damn fashionable,” Mads replies. "Of course I know what looks good; I work in a department store.” She rolls her eyes at me like that should be obvious. I suppose it kind of is.
"Come on, let's go,” I say, turning back to the mirror and giving my long red curls a fluff. “I need a long drink.”
Mads raises her eyebrows. “Is that so? What’s the occasion - aside from, you know, it being your birthday?”
“I have to tell you about what Damien got me for my birthday," I say, shuddering. I'm certain he did it because he is pissed his girlfriend couldn't handle the truth about what he is. Turns out, my parents’ reassurances didn’t do much for her in the end, and the idea that magic is real sent her into a bit of a panic. Michael the goat just toppled her right over the edge, I think. Oddly enough, he only seems to behave himself around Mads, and doesn’t say damn near a word when she’s in the house. Or, at least, she’s never told me he’s said anything, and the only time she’s ever run out of the house screaming was when Hugo and I went through our bug collecting phase. The bugs ended up getting out and dispersing throughout the house, which, as I’ve told you before, is bigger on the inside than on the outside. It was crawling with all sorts of insects and arachnids for days, and I swear mum was inches away from burning the house down and starting over again.
Where was I going with this? Oh, right - Mads and Michael. I’m not sure what it is about her that makes him act so civil and… goatlike when she’s around, although I suspect he might have a bit of a crush. Either way, his antics last night resulted in Mum having to erase Daisy’s memory, and I’m sure Damien is still put off with me over the whole thing. Why he doesn’t take out his anger on Hugo, whose idea it was in the first place, I don’t know.
Mads grabs her black handbag, which matches her suede black heels and black velvet dress, and slings it over her shoulder. I grab my own, which is red and adorned with a big bow that ties the whole outfit together. I can’t help but feel a smidge of jealousy as I watch Mads smooth out the hem of her dress. Everything always looks marvellous on her; I've never seen her look terrible in anything, as long as I’ve known her. I guess she has a sort of magic of her own, now that I think about it.
Mads links her arm in mine as soon as we get outside her apartment block and starts walking us down the pavement. Although she grew up in my village, she moved to Dublin after high school so she could be closer to her job, and I’ve gotten to reap the benefits ever since. Dublin is a gorgeous city, especially at night, when the cobbled streets come alive with people going for meals or out for a night of drinking. We Irish do know how to hold our drink down, and I sure as hell want to test that tonight. All the better if I can deliver a heaping dose of karma to my next target while I’m at it.
"So why did you choose this place tonight?" Mads asks me as we make our way down the crowded downtown street. "I didn't even know it existed until I followed the link you sent me.”
“Really?” My brow furrows. “You know all the happening places around here. I would’ve thought you’d at least be familiar.”
“It’s strange,” Mads replies, shaking her head. “I swear I've walked past the area many times before and I’ve never once seen it.” She shrugs, shaking off the uncertainty. “Well, I guess it goes to show I don’t know as much about this city as I thought I did.”
I frown at her innocent comment, unable to brush it off so lightly. I hope she doesn’t take note of my sudden seriousness, but even as I try to focus on my excitement about the night out, I can’t escape a growing feeling of unease. Mads is the observant type, so much so that it sometimes becomes annoying. She’ll take notice of everything from an undone shoelace to a new corner coffee shop to a new tenant in her apartment building. She’s the first to tell you if you’ve spilled something on your shirt, and she’s twice as passionate about partying as she is about fashion. The odds of someone like Mads not noticing a nightclub near where she lives when she walks to work every day are slim to none. To me (and I am, granted, somewhat biased), this screams magic. Maybe it’s just paranoia, but given my target’s strange, archaic-sounding name, I can’t help but wonder… Could this club have been magically hidden? And if it is, does that mean this Neritous Cyncus guy could be magical?
The more I think about this all, the more I wonder if I should take Mads somewhere else and get my brother to help me with this karma job. Given everything that happened yesterday on my last job, this is starting to seem like it’s out of my league. A cold gust of wind blows into us as we reach the next intersection, making me shiver and snapping me out of my thoughts. Shit, I think, rubbing my arms, which are now covered in goosebumps. I should have brought a coat. Somehow, in the face of freezing cold air, the idea that I might be walking into something that’s too much for me to handle starts to seem overly-paranoid, and I vow not to overthink it. I’m going to nail this job and have a great time while I’m doing it, make Mum proud of me, and prove that at twenty-one, I’ve finally come into my own as a karma god.
"I'm sure it's just a well-kept secret,” I say, dodging around the issue altogether. “I found it randomly online, and I checked the reviews, which said it’s exquisite.” This last bit is true, but there were only two reviews when I checked,and they sounded like they were talking about the wrong place. The pictures on the website made it look like an awesome place to party, but is it possible those were magicked as well? No, come on, I plead with myself, you’re being ridiculous. Just give it a shot - if you don’t like it, you can go to that other bar you usually go to on Friday nights.
Again, none of this is something I need to - or can - explain to Mads. No, we are going to have a good night, and even if there are gods at this club, we will ignore them. Gods don’t hang out together anyway, so they should have no reason to try and talk to me. Any work that happens tonight won’t involve them, or I’ll pass the job on to someone else. No harm in checking it out, though, right?
"It's your birthday, so it's up to you,” Mads says. “We can always leave and go to our regular place if this one is dead," she adds, seemingly reading my mind. We dodge a drunk couple who nearly stumbles into us, shouting sorry as they walk away. Here’s to looking like those two in a few hours, I think.
"Good plan B," I reply, squeezing her arm and grinning at her. "Now tell me what you've been up to recently. I need something to distract me from this damn cold. Are you still seeing that banker guy?” The conversation forces me to relax as I catch up with my bestie - I haven’t seen much of her in the last month, a mixtur
e of her searching for a new job and the fact I majorly dislike her latest boyfriend. He is a plonker, and I know it will only be a matter of time before Mads sees it. She’s a smart girl - almost too smart - and her taste in men is better than mine, anyway.
"Logan is an accountant, and no," Mads replies, shaking her head at my lack of memory. Banker, accountant. They are basically the same thing…I think. "He was just too normal.” Seeing my incredulous expression, she sighs and explains, “I know that doesn't make sense, but he wanted a pretty girlfriend to go to meals with, meet his posh parents, and eventually marry. He is the perfect guy to have two point five kids with and be like everyone else...and I want more than that. I want excitement, passion, and someone who challenges me in a purely sexy way."
"You are listing every girl’s perfect man there, babe," I tell her, knowing I could do with a bit of that kind of man, myself. It’s hard for me to find a human who’s even remotely exciting when I know all the secrets of the magical world. It makes most guys seem dull in comparison, and so far none of them has tickled my sense of adventure.
"I know, but a girl can dream, right?" Madison asks, giving a wistful sigh.
"Definitely,” I reply. “But for now, can we find a hottie who doesn't talk too much? That would be awesome.”
She chuckles at me. "That's all you date, Karma. I've never seen a guy who has gotten your attention for more than a week before," she declares, and as much as I hate to admit it, Mads sort of has a point. Human guys are just so boring, and dating gods isn't allowed. No one wants to risk getting locked up for a fun date with someone that actually understands what you are. I've never met a human, other than Mads, who I could even imagine telling the truth to.