by G. Bailey
“What did you tell them?” I ask, feeling a fresh surge of fear.
“I told them the truth, obviously,” he replies. “I told them my sister couldn’t kill a fly if she tried - literally - but they kept insisting that they had proof.” His face takes on a determined look, his tone going businesslike. “It has to be a mistake, that’s the only explanation. I mean, it’s physically impossible. Listen, though, Karma, we’re going to sort this out. We’ll talk to someone, figure out some way to prove to them that you couldn’t have…” He trails off when he looks back at me, and it must be written all over my face that something more is afoot here. “What?” he asks, moving closer. “Karma, what is it? This is a mistake, isn’t it?”
"Oh shite, Pey,” I say, my shoulders slumping. The weight of my situation is finally crashing down on me. “I was hoping I got it all wrong. He really was a higher god," I say, starting to really panic as the shock continues to wear off. Peyton drops his hands, staring at me like I’ve just told him the world is flat or that Mum died. And there’s something else on his face, something that lights a fire of anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Peyton looks scared.
It doesn’t help the situation. I need my smartass brother to help me figure out what to do here. Peyton has always had my back, not just in the little things, like my screw-up yesterday (which is beginning to feel smaller and smaller in comparison to what I’ve done tonight), but in the big things, too. Sometimes I feel like I can come to him with problems I can’t even bring up to Mum and Dad, so seeing genuine fear on his face only makes my panic grow.
I kick my other shoe off and push past my brother, needing to move around and do something, anything. I head for the door, pausing for a moment to check on the sleeping Mads before going into the hallway. “Where are you going?” Peyton asks, following me.
“I don’t know,” I reply, shaking my head as I enter the kitchen. “I feel like I can’t sit still. I need to think. I need to…” But thinking is hard when it feels like I just grabbed a flat iron with my bare hand, and I find myself looking around before I’m really even sure what I’m looking for. You know that drawer that everyone has somewhere in their house, that one where all the random junk that doesn’t have a place of its own goes? It turns out that Mads has one of those, too, right next to where she keeps the silverware, and I pull it open, rummaging through clutter and knick knacks until I find what I’m looking for: a bandage and tape. I tie the bandage around my hand, using my teeth to rip the end before taping it down. I look up to see Peyton rubbing his face, watching me with concern. I move past him as quickly as I came, returning to her room and giving her another glance to make sure she’s okay.
Peyton only just seems to be noticing the sleeping Mads, and he looks down at her, his brow furrowing. "Why is your friend in bed, passed out?" he asks. I’m about to reply, but then I just turn and wave my hands in the air, making it clear we have bigger problems. Mads being passed out really isn’t on the top of our list of problems right now - in fact, our situation might be slightly easier now that we don’t have to worry about explaining this all to her. "Right,” he says, shaking his head, “doesn't matter. Just tell me what happened.”
I take an unsteady breath, crossing my arms over my chest. “Where are the justice twins now?” I ask, not sure if I really want to know the answer. They could already be on Mads’ doorstep, for all I know. The only reason Peyton is able to transport to where I am is because he has a charm that allows him to; the gods probably have one of their own, or the ability to get one, at the very least. Either way, time isn’t on my side here.
“Damien and Hugo are distracting the justice twins with mum and dad, but I don't have long,” Peyton replies, and then corrects himself: “You don’t have long, Karma."
“Okay,” I say, slumping back onto the bed and trying to get my thoughts in order. “Okay. I’ll tell you what happened. I had a karma job today. His name was something old and Greek-sounding. I googled him, since it was so unusual, and ended up finding out that he has this posh club not far from here.” I take a breath, staring down at my bandaged hand and flexing my stinging fingers. “Anyway, Mads said she wanted to go out tonight for my birthday. So I took her there - I figured this would be a chance to hit two birds with one stone. And then…” And then maybe I could prove I wasn’t such a fuck-up, I finished in my mind, but couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. I shook my head and continued. “Turns out, the place is owned by gods - I can almost guarantee it. The bouncers weren’t human, that much is for sure. And the whole place was like a fish tank - there was water everywhere. Anyway, that doesn't matter, though.”
“So what happened next?” Peyton asked, watching me intently without a smidge of humor on his face.
I clear my throat. “I thought the guy was human, and sensed he was fearful of water. I should have been more careful - if I hadn’t been so eager to get the job done and get out of there, I could have checked to make sure he wasn’t a supernatural. Anyway, you know how mum gets me those charms for my birthday every year?”
He nods. “Of course.”
“So she gave me one today, and I used it. I didn’t know what it did. It ended up creating this green lightning, and the next thing I knew, water was pouring out a hole in the glass ceiling. I think the lightning must have mixed with the water and killed the guy… except he wasn’t a guy, not really. And I fucking killed him by accident.” I lean forward, putting my head between my legs. I suddenly feel lightheaded, as if explaining everything that happened somehow makes it more real. There’s a ringing in my ears, and I tell myself to breathe, but that’s difficult when it feels like the world is falling apart. “Fuck,” I say again, and then look back up at Peyton. “Oh my god, they are going to send me to that correctional facility that no one ever comes out of.” My eyes widen, my heart beginning to hammer in my chest. I realize I’m breathing hard, and I probably look like a crazy person. It dawns on me that this is the second outfit I’ve ruined in the past twenty-four hours, and the thought is almost enough to make me laugh hysterically. But not quite.
The supernatural prison isn’t the kind of place anyone wants to be. It’s where the gods of justice put all the bad gods, all the monsters of the world. It’s more or less lawless, the kind of place people never get out of. There’s no such thing as unfair punishment in the magical world, and given the nature of the higher gods, it’s not like I’m going to get a fair trial if they get their hands on me. No - if they do, I’m never coming out, and I won’t last a day. My attitude in life has always been to run away the second things start to look difficult or impossible to survive. That place would make my life motto pretty shite.
The prospect of me getting thrown in jail for the rest of my life is enough to snap Peyton out of his panic, and a look of determination appears on my face as he puts a hand on my shoulder. "No,” he says firmly. “They are not going to blame you for this. That higher god had bad karma coming his way, god or not. Just because he’s a god, that doesn’t mean he’s exempt from the rules of the universe, right?” I open my mouth to respond, but he continues. “I mean, it was an accident, and they have to see that.”
“How?” I ask, throwing my hands up. “How the hell are we supposed to do that, Peyton? We’re just a couple of lesser gods, and we don’t even know the specifics of the situation yet!”
“That doesn’t matter,” Peyton insists, and I can already see the wheels turning in his head as he begins to pace back and forth. “Here’s what we’re going to do,” he says. “We’re going to get a meeting with the higher gods on their island to fight your cause.”
“And then what?” I know I’m being pessimistic, but I can’t help it - there are too many questions, and not enough answers. “Just ask them nicely to spare me their wrath because I didn’t know I had been sent after one of their own?”
“Yes,” Peyton says without a hint of sarcasm. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do. Until then,” he continues, “you’re just going to ha
ve to make sure the twin gods of justice don’t catch you before then.” He gives me a long look before moving closer and pulling me into a tight hug once again. I cling to him, feeling like a little girl again, on one of the many times I fell and skinned my knee or messed up a spell. “I won’t let my sister face a life sentence in a hell hole,” he tells me, stroking my hair soothingly. “Okay? None of our family will let that happen.”
I appreciate the comfort, but even Peyton’s reassurances aren’t enough to make me calm down. “This is all assuming the higher gods will even see me,” I say. “Everyone knows they don’t listen to anyone. Going to plead a case with them is pretty much useless. I mean, I might as well walk myself to the prison," I mutter, pushing away from him. I feel like if I have to spend one more second looking into his big, watchful eyes, he he is going to make me cry. Tears aren’t useful right now, and I never cry.
“Look,” Peyton says, not letting me turn away, “this is an unprecedented situation, okay? "There has never been a higher god killed before. I thought it was impossible to kill them, but here we are, and that has to be addressed. We can’t be sure of anything right now, and it’s possible this is a bigger deal than we’re even aware of right now. The higher gods will listen to us - I’m almost positive.” He nods firmly, and his conviction is almost strong enough for it to rub off on me. “I won't let you get blamed for something you didn't even know was possible,” he says, leaning down and grabbing the duffel bag he brought with him. “Look,” he says, handing it to me, “this is filled with enough clothes to last you a while. Mum had me pack it while Dad talked to the gods of justice. We put some daggers in there, too, as well as some food - anything we thought you might need.”
“Daggers?” I ask, my eyes going wide. “You know I can’t fight, Peyton.”
“They’re mine - the enchanted ones,” Peyton replies. “The ones I won in that bet years ago. No matter how you throw them, they will always hit their target.”
I raise my eyebrows, impressed in spite of my current fear. “That’s incredible,” I say, adding teasingly, “You hid those well.” Peyton just grins, and I can see the encouragement in his face. He really did everything he could think of for me, under the circumstances. “Thank you,” I add sincerely, meeting his eyes and nodding.
“They might give you a chance,” Peyton says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you more supplies, but this was all I could do right now. You’re going to need to use human transport and no magic moving forward, so they can't find you. I know the gods of justice can track powers. It was a risk for me to even transport here, but I didn’t know where you were, and we were low on time. You should travel to Dover, get on a ferry to London, and then take a ferry to France and disappear for a while. You know that place in the south of France we went to when you were seven?" he asks, and I nod, remembering it well. Those had been simpler times, less dangerous times. "Go there,” Peyton says, “and stay there. We will fix this and come find you."
"What if you can’t fix this?” I ask. “I killed the guy - there’s no denying it. There were witnesses, and there will be punishment for it. Accident or not.” I’m starting to feel more panicked than I ever have. "Who was he?” I ask, not expecting Peyton to know the answer. “I mean, he said he was looking for me before the lightning struck." Although Peyton doesn’t reply, I can see the confusion turn to apprehension that spreads across his features.
"I don't know who he was, but the gods of justice are on the warpath," he warns me, and I know that isn't a good thing. I’ve been lucky enough not to cross paths with them many times before this, but I did meet one of them once. That wasn't a good night, and the fact that I already have a reputation with them isn’t going to get me any favours. No, I'm going to have to think outside the box to survive this if I want top avoid them long enough to get an audience with the higher gods. If I can get to France, untracked, then I can hide out there for a good amount of time. The mountain we visited as kids has no signal, and it’s equipped with a natural barrier against magic, the result of its geographical position. I will find a cabin somewhere on the mountain and hide, even if I can’t get to the exact place we once visited.
Squaring my shoulders, I nod. "Watch her for a second while I get dressed," I tell Peyton, picking up the bag and going into Mads's bathroom. I peel my wet dress off, chucking it into the sink with my other non-broken heel. The poor things. It's such a shame, they were damn nice heels. I quickly pull out black leggings, my favourite top and my leather jacket. I also find warm socks and my only pair of black army boots. They only have a tiny heel, which will make them good for the amount of travel I’m in for. Mum must have packed this bag - she knows exactly what a girl on the run needs. I put my hand in the bag to see what else is in there only to flinch when something softly bites my finger. I pull the bag open wider and look in, surprised to see Kit the little shite in there, licking his lips.
"Really? Now is the time you decide to leave your spot under my bed?" I complain to him, knowing he can't reply or speak English, but I have a funny feeling he understands me all the same. I shake my head and see the daggers at the bottom of the bag, knowing it's best I keep them in there for now anyway. There is also a big wad of cash, a snack box and a jar of peanut butter in the bag. Mum knows me so well, and with the possible exception of Peyton, I think I’m going to miss her the most. I do the bag up and pull out my fire charm, which looks like a little flame, before setting the dress and heels on fire in Mads’ sink. I run back into the main room, seeing Peyton talking quietly to Mads as I grab my other heel and run back to chuck it in the fire. As soon as they’ve been burnt sufficiently to remove all recognizable traces of me, I put them out by running the sink and return to Mad’s room. By the time I peer in the doorway, Mads looks totally freaked out, and Peyton has gotten off the bed to stand a good distance away.
“Er…” I begin, scratching the back of my head. This was always going to be awkward.
"Madison knows you have magic, but not what you are," Peyton tells me, pointing out the obvious. "I hadn't gotten around to explaining everything.” He clears his throat, glancing at Mads sheepishly. “In my defence, it’s hard to explain, and I’ve not told anyone before in detail."
"Karma...you moved us like a friggin’ wizard. What have you not told me? Why is your older brother here?" Mads rapidly asks. I go to walk to her, wanting to tell her everything because I hate the panicked and betrayed look she has, when Peyton catches my arm, and he shakes his head.
"I need to get back, and you don't have all the time in the world to tell her. They will come here next, I'm sure of it. Mads is your only friend," Peyton points out.
"Not my only friend," I mutter, needing to argue my point. I’m not a total loner. Most of the time. Humans and people in general can be hard to make friends with.
"Only friend," both Mads and Peyton say at the same time. It's creepy as they turn to smile at each other.
"Look, you have ten minutes, then the bus will be outside. I googled it for you when I broke your phone. I will dispose of your bag," Peyton snaps out of gazing at my bestie to tell me.
"Not my phone," I groan, and he just raises his eyebrows at me, letting me know he has a damn point that I need to stay away from technology. I've heard the rumours one of the justice twins can find anyone through it. "You should go back home, but tell mum I'm okay. That this isn't her fault, because I know what she is like. I also need you to come back and keep an eye on Mads. I won't have enough time to make sure she can handle the truth." Peyton nods once and pulls me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head.
"I wish I could do this for you. It isn't fair it's you," he quietly says.
"I will be okay. I'm crafty enough to keep myself safe," I remind him who his sister is.
"I know," he says, letting me go and stepping back. "Whatever happens, we will get you out of it. This was an accident. Love you, sis." Peyton disappears into a puff of green dust, making the floor of the apartment look like a leprec
haun threw up all over it. Mads crawls to the other end of the bed, letting out a little screech.
"I'm a goddess of karma, and so are all my family. The powers run in my family, and the world is full of many different types of gods and creatures. I'm still your best friend, and nothing has changed there," I swiftly tell her, knowing that I can’t stay here much longer. I didn’t want to explain my life to her like this, nor tell her the world is much bigger and more magical than she could ever have imagined without showing her how amazing it can be. This will just make her nervous of me and the world, which I’d never want.
"This is a lot to take in, Karma," she says, still looking fearful. "Why are you in trouble? Did you kill that guy? Is that why you had to move us here and show me your secret?"
"The man was a god, a higher god, and I wasn't meant to be able to kill him. It's complicated, but it was an accident. I have to go on the run now, and I won't be able to see you for a long while. Peyton will keep you safe, I promise," I say, wanting to hug my friend but knowing she isn't at that point yet. She might never be. "I don't have to warn you not to tell anyone, do I?"
"I won't tell anyone your family’s secret, Karma," she says, and I believe her. Not that I have much choice. I walk to the door, pausing with my hand on the door handle to look back at Mads.
"You need to pretend you weren't with me tonight and clean up all this dust. You didn't see anything, and you talk to no one but Peyton about this. Understood?" I ask her, trying to be firm but my voice catches. Mads is my best friend, and I feel like I’m the shittiest person in the world for dropping this on her and leaving. Mads slides off the bed and runs to me with her arms open. I happily accept her hug, knowing I'm going to miss talking to her every day, and I’m so glad she even wants to hug me. This gives me hope, which I damn well need.