by Trudi Jaye
“To you! This assignment is going to take me on a fast train to nowhere. You have to take it back.” The new agent is pleading now.
“Take what back?”
“Your request to have me here.”
“You’ve got it wrong, boyo, I didn’t request you. Special Agent Damien Walker requested you.”
There’s a long pause. “Walker requested me?” His voice comes out as almost a squeak. I know why. My father is a legend in the Supernatural Intelligence Group. There are apparently even rumors that he doesn’t really exist, that he’s just a scaremongering tactic used by the agency to keep the other agents in line.
“Yep. And if you’d like to ask him to rescind his request, you can do it yourself. He’ll be here tomorrow for your briefing.”
“How does he even know who I am?” This time his voice actually does squeak. The velvety smoothness has diminished, and I smirk. That’ll teach him for underestimating this assignment.
“We both looked through all the new agents coming out of the cadet training program. You seemed the most qualified.”
“But—”
“Yes, I saw the big black X against your name. We know about the trouble you got yourself into, but that’s the kind of out-of-the-box thinking you’ll need on this assignment.”
“Don’t you see? I need a normal assignment. One that will erase the black mark, not make it bigger.”
“Nothing can erase that mark on your record, son,” Jeff says softly. “They’ll be watching you for the rest of your life and waiting for you to do it again. Trust me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The same thing happened to me. That’s why I ended up here. But it turned out to be the best damn thing that ever happened to me.”
Jeff is speaking as if he’s just stating a fact, but moisture appears in the corner of my eyes. I don’t want Jeff to go. He’s more like a father to me than my biological father has ever been.
“Yeah, because it’s an easy job,” says the new guy.
“You need to stop thinking of this as a cushy assignment.” Jeff’s voice has a hard edge to it. “This will be one of the most difficult assignments you’ll ever have, if you survive it. In the twelve years I’ve been here, there have been over five hundred and thirty attempts on her life. Some of those attempts have resulted in the death of Protectors like Si here. Before I came along, three other SIG agents were killed in action. This is not a cushy job, it’s just one that I’ve done well.”
There was silence for a heartbeat. “Who is she?”
I hold my breath. This is the question I have asked and asked and asked. They never have an answer that satisfies me.
“That’s classified information,” Jeff tells him. “As time goes on, you might reach the right level of security to know more.”
I let out a disappointed rush of air.
“How can I protect her if I don’t know anything about her?”
“All you need to know is that the Earthbound think she’s dangerous. There’s also a bounty on her head, so every damn supernatural from here to Timbuktu is your enemy.” I hear Jeff pacing around the kitchen, probably getting annoyed at the line of questions.
“What’s so special about her?”
“They believe she’s a threat to the spell web. They’ll do anything to keep her from reaching her full power.”
Tingles run along my skin. It’s not long now ‘til my birthday, and then I’ll know for sure who I am and why the Earthbound think I’m so damn dangerous.
“When does she turn twenty?” asks the new agent.
“In two months’ time.”
The new agent whistles low. “So when she reaches the age of maturity, they think she’s going to bring down the spell web?”
“They’ve never come out and told us, but whatever they believe she can do, they want her dead because of it,” Jeff clarifies. “It’s our job to prevent that.”
“What if they’re right? What if she is a threat to the spell web?”
“When was the last time you saw a dragon?” Si enters the conversation for the first time. “The Dragon Wars were centuries ago. What do we need the spell web for these days? Who is it protecting us from? Even if the Earthbound saved us back then by creating the spell web, it’s irrelevant now. We cling to it out of habit rather than necessity.”
“What makes you so sure?” the new agent challenges.
“Why are you so sure I’m wrong?” Si responds softly.
“Whatever you think of the spell web, there’s no need to go around killing innocent young girls.” The annoyance in Jeff’s voice is clear. “The Earthbound have overstepped their boundaries. They’ve had unlimited reign for so long, they forget they’re not always right.”
“The SIG—your employers and mine—have a written contract with the Earthbound,” says the new agent. “The fact that you and I are here protecting this girl contradicts that agreement.”
“Someone higher up than both of us is protecting that girl, and it’s not our place to question that,” says Jeff.
“Perhaps I should call my supervisor at headquarters—”
I hear Jeff moving, and imagine him getting right up in the new agent’s face. “Agent Walker—who outranks us all, including your supervisor—will be here tomorrow,” says Jeff, practically growling. “You can ask him every damn question you want about this assignment and the politics of protecting her from the Earthbound. In the meantime, you are strictly forbidden to trumpet her presence to anyone.” Jeff’s using his SIG agent voice, and I know he’s pissed at the new guy for even suggesting he go running to his superiors.
I’m cold and shivering in my damp clothes, so I tiptoe back and crunch on the gravel outside the door, making my presence known before I open the door and walk into the kitchen.
Three sets of eyes are fixed on me. They all take in my bedraggled appearance. The new agent is a foot taller than Jeff and Si, neither of whom is short. He’s got brown hair cut into a regulation hairstyle, and his hazel eyes appraise me warily. Unlike Jeff, who is human from the tips of his toes to the top of his hairy head, this new agent has a patchy covering of the spell web. Not a full glowing grid like Si and I, but enough so I know he has a smattering of supernatural blood in him. I shift slightly, realizing my disheveled state might not be the best way to meet the new agent for the first time. But then again, what the hell do I care? He’s already trying to leave.
“Mei, this is Agent Seth Barnes. He’s my replacement.” Jeff’s eyes are unreadable. “Agent Barnes, this is Mei Walker.”
Agent Barnes looks at me for a second, blinks, and then turns to Jeff. “She’s his daughter?” A faint flush appears on his cheeks.
“There’s a reason you aced all those exams, isn’t there?” Jeff’s words are delivered with a bite. “Yes, she’s his daughter.”
Agent Barnes runs one hand shakily through his hair. “There’s no way I can get out of this damn assignment, is there?”
Jeff shakes his head. “Not without ruining your career.”
I glance back and forth between them. A shimmering anger heats my skin, and I have to force myself to take deep breaths. “If you’ve finished talking about me as if I’m not here, I’ll be going.” I turn and stalk off in the direction of my room. I need to take a shower anyway. I’m not interested in getting to know this new guy if he’s already written me and this assignment off.
“Mei! Come back here.”
Ignoring Jeff, I slam the door to my room; I’m too annoyed to be polite. Real mature, I know, but it’s not like I want this new guy here anyway. He’s acting like he’s the one who’s been put-upon. What about me? I’m the one who’s constantly guarded, watched and fussed over. Forever living in fear of having the most powerful supernaturals on the planet find and kill me for some lame reason I don’t even understand. How on earth could I destroy the spell web? Even if I could, why would I want to? I like the spell web. It makes me feel safer knowing it’s there.
/> Every supernatural knows the story. Five hundred years ago, the planet was overrun with dragons. They fought desperate and bloody battles for territory, killing hundreds of thousands of humans and supernaturals. The devastation was beyond anything seen since, including any of the human wars.
The spell web was how a small secret society called the Earthbound defeated the dragons and saved the planet. We’ve been covered by it, and they’ve been the heroes of the supernatural people, ever since.
I shiver. I was ten when one of my Protectors, Lee, noticed the way I was talking about the spell web and asked me to explain. When I told him I saw the web as a glowing grid over all the supernaturals we came across, his expression became fearful. I still remember the soft words he spoke.
Never tell anyone else what you can do, Mei. No one else can see it like that. It’s not the kind of power the SIG would ever want you to have.
His words scared me so much, I never told anyone else. When Lee was killed, my secret died with him. I sometimes think Si and Jeff suspect, but they’ve never asked and I’ve never told. Being able to see it and use it to my advantage is one big reason why I’d never want to get rid of the spell web. It’s another sense I use, like taste and touch, that helps me through my day. It’d be like cutting off an arm.
Pulling off my damp clothes, I head to the shower, the edge of my anger already wearing off. As usual, the warm water soothes me, caressing my body in just the right way, and allows my brain to sort through the information I’ve just overheard. Most of it isn’t new.
Of course there is one piece of information that sticks out. I keep going back to it, trying to unpack it in my head. They think I might bring the spell web down.
Although this has never been explicitly stated to me before, I’d guessed it already. It makes sense; it’s the main responsibility of the Earthbound. I rub my arms fiercely with the soap, making frothy bubbles along my skin.
The way I see and use the spell web is unique. I’ve researched my ability, all the way back to when the original spell was instigated, but I can find no mention of it. The Earthbound—who were just a ragtag group of secretive radical supernaturals back then—went to the ruling Supernatural Council and told them they could destroy the dragons by creating a spell. It was designed to cover the physical bodies of every single supernatural on the planet, including the dragons. The spell would then absorb a portion of each supernatural’s magic in order to supply the energy needed to control the dragons. Using the spell web, the Earthbound were able to not only defeat the dragons, but also run them to ground and destroy them completely.
I chew on my lip. Si is right. Everyone knows dragons are extinct. Why do we still need the spell web? I rub one hand over the gently glowing grid visible on my arm, wondering how much more powerful I’d be if I didn’t have it constantly over me like a tight Lycra suit. I shake my head. I don’t care.
They think I want it gone?
The very thought sends terrified shivers along my body.
CHAPTER THREE
“Mei!” Jeff’s voice carries down the hallway and into my room.
I sigh and stand up. I’m going to have to face the music eventually—this isn’t something I can put off. I slowly walk down the hallway and back into the living room, running one hand along the wall as I go. They’re all sitting on the sofas and glance up at me as I enter the room. Si and Jeff look comfortable, almost smug. Agent Barnes, on the other hand, does not. He’s sitting stiffly, both hands on his knees. His face looks pale against the dark blue of the suit he’s wearing. I’m betting his discomfort is mostly because he’s being set upon by two masters of psychological warfare. He probably has no idea what’s happening.
“I need you to take Agent Barnes into the village, show him around. Help him get acclimatized.”
I blink, startled. “I don’t—”
“Surely you’d—”Agent Barnes says at the same time.
We both stop. I narrow my eyes at him.
“Mei, you know where the keys are. Take Bertha out. And use the old track. I don’t want too much traffic on the new driveway in one day.”
I roll my eyes, but go to the counter where the keys are hanging within easy reach. “Come on, Agent Barnes. We may as well do as they say. They’ll only harass us until we do.”
He stands up, his tall frame looming over us all as he looks uncertainly from Jeff and Si to me. I raise my eyebrows at him. He firms his lips and gestures for me to lead the way, but his hazel eyes are burning.
I lead him to the garage at the side of the house, opening the door wide so he can see Bertha. He stops in midstride and starts shaking his head; I take a moment to enjoy his expression. The truck has seen better days—she looks like an old rust-bucket on the outside—but Si keeps her tuned to an inch of her life, so she’s as reliable as any vehicle can be.
“Come on. It’s fine,” I say a little impatiently.
“We should go in my truck.”
I shake my head. “Too noticeable. It’s bright red.”
“This is pretty distinctive too. It’s a pile of junk.”
“Everyone has trucks like this around here. Bertha’s designed to fit in.”
He sighs, but climbs up into the cab beside me, and pulls on the seatbelt.
I can’t help myself, I grin at him. “It’s okay, you’ll be fine.”
“Are you even old enough to drive?” he asks.
I blink uncertainly and then frown. I look young, I know that. It’s because I’m short as well as slight. It’s handy when you’re on the run, because people tend to overlook you, but Agent Barnes knows exactly how old I am. He’s just being an ass. I turn the key, put the truck into gear, and roar out of the garage, spewing gravel over his nice tidy truck as I go. I execute a perfect turn and then speed off down the lesser-known ‘old track’ that Jeff had referred to.
I keep the speed up, bouncing over potholes, holding tightly onto the steering wheel, and making sure I bounce him around as much as possible. A couple of times his head hits the roof of the cab, and he has to slouch down to keep it from happening again.
“Okay, okay, I get your point,” he says eventually. “Can you please slow down now?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, as I go over another particularly big pothole.
His head hits the roof of the cab again, and he swears. “Stop it! I’m sorry for suggesting you were too young to drive.”
“And what about everything else? Do you apologize for talking about me like I wasn’t there? And for trying to leave the assignment before it’s even begun?”
He turns to look at me. “Look, it’s nothing personal. I don’t know you, or anything about you, but this is my first assignment out of the cadet academy. I can’t be stuck babysitting in the middle of nowhere like this.”
I’m stung by the babysitting comment, but manage to swallow it down. “We don’t live here, you know,” I say. “We constantly move around.” This is Si’s private retreat, so we come back here whenever we get a chance, but it’s the first time I’ve been here in over a year.
“Really?” He raises his eyebrows. “Is that how he’s kept you safe for so long?”
I hold my lips around the information that the main way Jeff has kept me safe is by teaching me to take care of myself. He’s been teaching me survival techniques since he met me when I was seven years old. He also insisted that Si start training me in the super-secret martial art used by the Protectors at around the same time. “Sure. Moving around helps. Not too much, not in the same pattern every time, sometimes in one place for a few months, sometimes for only a few weeks or even days.”
Agent Barnes nods. “That makes sense.”
“It’s one tactic.” I prefer the times we’ve stayed in one place for months on end. To me it’s easier to defend somewhere stable, but Jeff doesn’t like any of us to become too complacent. He says it’s not good for my health.
“You don’t approve?”
“The
re are other ways to defend against threats. And by moving around, we’re exposing ourselves to more people.” I shake my head. It doesn’t matter what I think. Jeff is the one leading my security team. At least until tomorrow.
“You only need to be concerned about the supernaturals, surely?” Agent Barnes glances at me, his hazel eyes studying my face.
I blink and focus my gaze on the track in front of me, suddenly feeling hot all over. “Sure. Humans are obviously unaware of the Earthbound bounty on my head, or even that there’s anything strange going on. The spell web works for me in that way.” I have always been a talker when I get nervous. I have to clamp my lips shut to keep from saying anything more.
“Did you know that it wasn’t on purpose?”
“What wasn’t?” I frown and glance at him, forgetting my determination to keep my eyes on the road.
“The part of the spell web that keeps humans from seeing that a person is supernatural,” he says, gesturing toward me. “How the humans forgot supernaturals even existed as soon as the spell web covered the world. The Earthbound created the spell web with the sole purpose of destroying the dragons, and the supernaturals agreed because there was no other way at the time. But no one, not the supernaturals nor the Earthbound, cared whether humans knew about supernaturals. It was just an unintended side effect they discovered after the spell web was in place.”
“You have to admit it’s helpful.”
“I think Agent Harvey and your Protector Si might disagree with you.”
For a moment, I’m confused—I have no idea who this Agent Harvey might be. And then I realize he means Jeff. “Jeff talks a lot. It can be hard to figure out what he really thinks.”
“Both Agent Harvey and the Protector seem pretty clear to me.”
“It doesn’t matter what they think. The Earthbound are in charge of the spell web, and they’re not going to let it come down any time soon.”
He shrugs and turns back to the road. We’re almost to the end, and when I turn onto the main highway, he relaxes slightly. We drive in silence, and we soon arrive at the small town of Keepsake, population five hundred and seven. I park in front of the grocery store and get out of Bertha’s cab. “You coming in?” I ask.