by Erin Johnson
My mouth fell open and I chuckled. “Maple! This is serious.”
She dropped her eyes. “Sorry.” She fiddled with her apron strings. “He looks good in black.”
Wiley beamed.
I shook my head. “How are we going to get said uniforms?”
Horace swung his pale eyes to me. “They’ll give them to us.”
I plunked my face into my palm. “Of course.”
Iggy nodded in mock seriousness. “That seems likely.”
I turned my head, scraping my cheek along my hand, to face my brother. “Madeline L’Orange told me she’s tried for years to get any of the guards to spill about Carclaustra secrets—no luck. She said they’re all incredibly loyal and wouldn’t speak to her. And you expect one of these guards to just hand over not one but two uniforms?”
“It’s true. They’re loyal men.” He cocked his head. “If you wanted absolute loyalty, what would you do?”
Wiley folded his arms across his chest. “Sorry, but we’re not all criminal masterminds.”
“Clearly.” Horace pushed back from the counter and paced back and forth in front of us. “You might hire an entire team of upright citizens, who believe so deeply in the rule of law, that they’d pledge themselves to you and your cause, with undying devotion.”
Wiley snickered.
“Exactly. Such men are rare. Hard to fill an entire prison staff with them.”
“If they exist at all.” Annie looked skeptical.
Horace turned to her. “Urs Volker is one. But Bernhardt Beckham, who staffed the prison, was not. He had looser morals, allegiance that could be bought. And so that’s what he did. He found men with secrets and bought their loyalty by holding those secrets over them.”
I frowned. “What a guy.”
“Only now Beckham’s dead and Urs is in charge. ‘The Bear’ has no tolerance for moral failings, and so certain members of his staff are struggling to keep their secrets to themselves.” His eyes flashed. “Which leaves them vulnerable to manipulation.”
“You’re scary sometimes.” I shook my head.
“So, who are we manipulating?” Annie lifted a thin brow.
“I’ve done some research.” Horace stopped pacing and moved back to stand before the kitchen island. “A certain fellow has a gambling addiction. He’s lost his wife, home… nearly everything. He’ll be at the Slivered Moon tonight after his prison shift.”
“The gambling hall?” Wiley shifted on his feet.
Maple turned to him. “You know this place?”
He licked his lips as his face reddened. “My dad used to drag me along with him as a kid.”
I scoffed at Horace. “How do you know he’ll be there? How will we recognize him?”
“I’ve done my research.”
“Fine. Be all mysterious.” I rolled my eyes.
He leveled a flat look at me. “His buzz cut. That’s how you’ll recognize him.”
“So, what?” Wiley asked. “We threaten to tell Urs about his addiction if he doesn’t give us his uniform?
“It would be preferable if you secured the uniforms without him knowing how badly you want them. He’ll be less suspicious and less likely to report the loss to Urs.”
Wiley folded his arms. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“This, uh, might be a silly question.” Maple lifted a finger. “But couldn’t we just make our own uniforms?”
Horace shook his head. “They’re enchanted with proprietary spells—even I can’t replicate them. They’ll allow you entrance to the prison.” He glanced at Yann and Wiley.
I nodded. “So, that would get the guys in as guards, Annie and I go in as part of the ladies’ group with Iggy. Annie’s got the portal mirror in her purse, disguised as a compact. And Iggy will be able to guide us to the control room and the containment theatre.”
Horace blinked. His eyes slid to Maple and Sam. “And what of these two?”
Wiley stepped forward. “Maple’s not going anywhere near that prison.”
Horace folded his arms. “I suspect she can speak for herself.”
Maple leaned around Wiley. “Maple’s not going anywhere near that prison.”
I tried to stifle my smile. “Someone needs to be here to keep the bakery going, or it’s going to look suspicious. Plus, we’ll not only be baking that day, but also packing up and moving back to Bijou Mer. It’s a big job, and if it doesn’t get done, people will look for us. So we’ve all decided Maple and Sam are staying behind.”
“Besides.” Wiley folded his arms and widened his stance as if preparing for a fight. “They’ve got more to lose than any of us. She has a family she loves, a successful career as head royal baker…. If, and let’s be real, when we’re caught, we’re not taking her down with us.”
Annie hugged one arm around Sam. “And you know how people feel about shifters.” She shook her head. “We aren’t risking Sam going to trial.”
“I want to help.” Maple frowned. “You told me this morning it was because we had to keep the bakery going, and I was head baker and someone would probably ask after me.” She shook her head. “It’s not fair for me to stay safe when you’re all risking so much. I mean, Annie has a family, too.”
Annie shrugged. “I have a wonderful family, but… well, they don’t need an old bat like me anymore. Not for much, at least. It’s why I moved to Bijou Mer. After Ronald, my husband, passed away…” She sighed. “I needed a purpose.” She looked at Maple and me. “You’ll understand when you get to be my age. Well, if we all survive past Friday that is. But the world doesn’t know what to do with older women.” Her lips quirked to the side. “I wasn’t about to spend my days in a rocking chair feeding hard candies to pigeons in the park.”
I frowned at Maple and mouthed, “Do pigeons eat hard candies?”
Wiley lifted a long finger. “Question. How’d the rocking chair get into the park?”
Annie ignored him. “So I moved to a new place, started a new career in my fifties, and you know what? I love my life. But I’ve lived it. And I’ve made choices that were unconventional. And now I’m choosing to impersonate a socialite and break some criminals out of prison.” She smiled at Maple, her small eyes twinkling. “But you have a lot more living to do, missy, so let your friends protect you, hm?”
Maple huffed. “You all have a lot to lose. I’m not the only one.” She lifted a hand toward me. “Imogen is dating Hank.”
“And I’m the one who got us all into this mess.”
“Well.” She tried again. “Yann. What about your mother?”
He grinned. “She’s liffing een a beach town with her boyfriend. She’ll be fine. Besides, you are all my best friends. I’d rather go down weeth you den be safe alone.”
“Sssame here.” Sam lifted his arm straight up in the air.
“Sam, you’re staying here.” Annie gently pressed his arm down.
“You’ve got—you’ve got…,” Maple pleaded with Wiley. “Oh. I’ll just be here, worried sick about you.”
He planted his hands on his hips. “Oh my goddess, you can’t think of a single thing I have to live for. Don’t think I didn’t notice I was last, by the way.”
“No—I was last!” Iggy grumbled. “What about you, Iggy? Nope. No one remembers the flames.”
“Psh.” I grinned at him. “Don’t think I’m going in there without you.”
His expression softened and he seemed mollified.
Maple’s face flushed bright red. “That’s not what I meant. You know I—”
Wiley chuckled and pulled her into a hug. “Don’t fight it. We’re all keeping you safe, end of story.”
Maple’s shoulders slumped and her arms hung limply at her sides as Wiley held her against him. “Fine.”
Horace leaned forward and rested his elbows on the countertop. He looked at me. “I think I know what you see in them.”
I lifted a brow.
“What you see in each other.”
Maple and I excha
nged confused looks.
“You’re all outsiders.”
A moment of silence followed.
Maple frowned. “I’m not an outsider.”
Sam nodded. “I like the outssside.”
Annie scoffed, Wiley rolled his eyes, and Yann uttered, “Nooo.”
I scoffed. “Just ’cause you’re an outcast, don’t put that on us.”
He looked down, his lips pressed tight together and eyes wide.
“Er. Hate to agree with the murderous psycho, but he’s right.” Iggy winced as all eyes whipped to him.
I folded my arms. “You think you’re an outsider?”
Iggy lifted his little flame arms. “I’m a baking fire who doesn’t like to hang out with the other baking fires. They don’t get why I’d ever want to leave the safety and warmth of the oven.” He shook his head. “But I can’t live that small. Instead, I hang out with you fools all the time.” He opened his eyes wide. “Do you see any of the other fires doing that?”
I scratched the back of my neck. He had a point.
“I’m kind of an outsider,” Iggy finished.
Horace pointed at Annie. “The old woman doesn’t socialize with other old women, or follow what society expects of her.” He jerked his chin at Yann. “The ginger left his home and broke with the family lumberjack tradition to bake.”
“Your family are lumberjacks?” I looked at Maple, who seemed just as surprised. How did I not know that about Yann? And how did Horace? I rolled my eyes to myself. He’d probably say, research.
Horace looked at Sam. “A snake who’s shifted into human form but is hardly accepted by human society.” He looked at Wiley. “A kid with a rough life and street experience, in and out of jail, and now working in the royal bakery, and finally—” He turned to me. “A woman who grew up human, never knowing she had magic, but who never quite fit in and now doesn’t quite fit into magical society, or the aristocratic set her boyfriend runs with, either. Have I summed that up accurately?”
My mind whirled as the silence stretched on. Had Horace, who’d barely spent a few hours with us all, pegged us better than we could peg ourselves?
“What about me?” Maple’s voice came out small.
“You do the best of fitting in.” Horace nodded. “Which is probably why your friends are trying to protect you. You have the best chance at leading a normal, respectable life.” He sniffed. “Though, if you ask me, what’s the point? Such a trite way to live.”
Her brows pulled together and she blinked as she thought it over.
“Though, personally, I think you go against the grain in your own way. You’re quite young to be head royal baker, and a woman pursuing her career in a position of leadership. I don’t think you’re as average as you appear.”
Her lips quirked to the side. “Thanks.” She frowned. “I think.”
I scoffed. “So we’re all a bunch of weirdos like you, is that it? We should all be trying to take down society, and stick it to the man?”
“Which man?” Sam blinked at me.
Horace opened his palms. “All I meant is I can see why you chose to protect them. That day on the volcano, I saw you all as part of the problem.” He looked at me. “I couldn’t understand how a sister of mine could be blind to the evil and corruption all around us. But you’ve all… surprised me.”
I grinned in spite of myself. “You approve of my friends?”
Horace sniffed and looked away.
“Does this mean we don’t have to break into Carclaustra anymore?” Maple clasped her hands together and bared her teeth in a pleading smile.
“Would you all leave Imogen and Sam in there to rot? Or Wiley and Annie? Or any of you?”
No one answered.
“I can’t leave Nate and Pritney in there.”
Wiley shifted on his feet and rolled his shoulders. “I hate to say it, but… I can respect that.” He lifted a long finger. “Mind you, I’m not happy about being used for your diabolical plan, but… I can understand it.”
“Should we join hands and sing kumbaya?” Iggy clapped in mock excitement.
Horace rose. “Good luck at the Slivered Moon tonight. I’ll return tomorrow.”
I swiveled on my stool to watch him walk toward the open windows behind us. He paused and turned to me. “To be clear, I still despise your choice of lovers.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, in case you’ve forgotten, we’re not the typical family and I’m not looking for my big brother’s permission.”
He blinked. “He’s a prince, his father’s son. Don’t forget it.”
I folded my arms. “He’s nothing like his father.”
Horace’s face darkened. “He will always choose his father, though. Remember that.”
I shoved off the stool and faced him, my hands clenched into fists. “He loves me.”
“Look at his actions, not his words. He didn’t choose you, Imogen. You were a default when Shaday backed out of the wedding.”
Well, that cut deep. I clenched my hands tighter and ground my teeth. “Get out!”
He lifted his palms, turned into a bird, and winged out the open window.
I spun around, my face still hot with anger.
Wiley closed one eye. “Did he turn into a—”
“Swallow?” Annie finished for him. “Yep.”
“Huh.” Wiley nodded. “Kind of clever.”
“Nope!” I lifted both index fingers. “You’re not allowed to like him. He’s such a jerk.” I threw myself onto the stool.
Annie shook a finger. “You know, I didn’t see the relation before, but I do now. You two definitely fight like siblings.”
14
Sleight of Hand
Later that night, Wiley guided our airship through the bustling night sky. The sideways smile of a crescent moon peeked out from behind the floating island that loomed ahead. Wiley spun the wheel and we veered to the right and dipped under the trailing vines and roots of the island’s soil underside.
I leaned forward from the back seat and put a hand each on Wiley’s and Maple’s seats. “Where’d you learn to pilot?”
Wiley chuckled. “My dad would get so plastered I learned as a kid to get us home.” He shrugged. “Well, before we were banned from renting them after he refused to let me pilot one night and crashed us into a rope bridge.”
Maple grimaced. “That sounds scary.”
“Eh, everyone was fine.” He waved it off, but his expression darkened.
We swooped through a cloud bank, the stars and sky beyond obscured. Wiley pushed a lever forward on the crowded dashboard of knobs, levers, dials, and buttons. The ship slowed.
“Now, if I remember rightly, it’s in here somewhere.” Wiley leaned forward and squinted. White clouds blanketed the front windshield and glass roof above.
“As in—in the clouds?” I looked up. White mist rushed past the windows. How would we ever find this place?
“Yep. Good place to hide.” Wiley straightened. “Aha! See it?” He pointed, and Maple and I leaned in.
“Those lights?” Maple pointed at a couple of dim glowing orbs.
“The Slivered Moon. So many memories here. None of them good.” Wiley pushed the lever and we crept forward. The lights grew bigger and brighter until a large dirigible came into view among the mist. The huge oval-shaped balloon supported a small rectangular compartment that hung below. Wiley had explained they called it a gondola. Lights and shadows moved across the gondola’s windows. Many smaller airships, like our own, hovered about the large dirigible, tethered to it by ropes. As we neared, Wiley cut the engine and pulled a microphone down from over his head. He held the metal device to his mouth and clicked a button with his finger.
“The Star Skipper requesting permission to dock.” He released the button and we waited.
Static sounded on the other end, and then came a female voice. “Hello, Star Skipper. Is that a royal crest you’re sporting?”
Wiley half spun around and shot me a look. “I t
old you we should have rented a nondescript one.”
I folded my arms. “Well, this was faster. They were just sitting around at the palace, waiting to be used.”
Wiley cleared his throat and clicked the button. “Borrowed it. No royals on board, though.”
“Borrowed or stole?” The woman’s voice lowered.
“Borrowed. We’re on staff.” Wiley released the button and turned to me. “See, now she knows we work at the palace. We’ve already lost some of our anonymity.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I hoped.
“Go ahead, then.” The woman’s voice cut out.
“We’re in.” Wiley pressed a button and a rope shot out from our ship and tethered us to the dirigible with a little spark of magic where it connected to the balloon. It then reeled us in, closer and closer, until the door to our airship hovered in front of a platform on the outside of the gondola like a front porch. The three of us unfastened our seat belts, rose, and moved to the door. Wiley had to stoop, but managed to crank the metal door open. A strong wind rushed inside and blew my bangs into my eyes. Maple and I staggered back.
Wiley stood beside the door. “Come on. Careful, now.” He held his hand out and Maple took it. She’d insisted on coming since she wouldn’t be going into the prison. She said she had to have some role outside the bakery and wouldn’t listen to any dissuading arguments. My stomach clenched with worry as she stood at the doorway. The airship bobbed and dipped slightly in the wind, as did the dirigible platform. The bouncers, two enormous men in ripped jeans and worn jackets, stepped forward and gripped Maple’s hands.
I let out a sigh of relief after she stepped across the gap and stood safely on the platform.
Wiley turned to me. “Imogen?”
I hesitated, then gingerly took his hand. “I’m not such a huge fan of heights and—”
Before I could protest, the bouncers reached in and hauled me out. I fell into Maple’s arms and held onto her with a death grip. The strong wind whipped her hair into my face.
“Just don’t look down, okay?”
“Well, now you know I have to.” I glanced to the side and nearly passed out. A blanket of clouds below us thinned to reveal the earth, tiny and twinkling with the lights of cities below. My knees buckled and Maple dipped to catch me. I nodded and hugged my arms tight around her. “Dumb idea.”