by Anthea Sharp
Because if that was actually a forest connected to the world of the faeries, they were all in deep, deep trouble.
:Mayday,: she wrote. :Possible breach into the Realm.:
A few seconds later, Tam’s reply popped up on her screen.
:What’s going on?:
:This new club in Newpoint has an enchanted forest in the middle of it,: she replied. :Might be Feyland hack? Stolen sim code?:
:Maybe.: That was Jennet. :Let me wake up a little more, and go see if Dad knows anything. It’s super-early in the morning here.:
Right, the India thing. So much for Jennet riding to the rescue. And last Marny had heard, Spark and Aran were in New Zealand, still on the big FullD VirtuMax tour. Suddenly, Marny felt very much alone. And inadequate.
Uncle Zeg responded next. :Are you in danger?:
:Not immediate.: Marny hoped. It didn’t feel dangerous, though. Just threatening, like dark storm clouds massing on the horizon.
Dammit, she wanted them here. She wasn’t one of the official Feyguard, protecting the border between the worlds. She was just Marny. Sure, she’d had a few brushes with the fey folk, but she wasn’t cut out to be a hero. That was her friends’ job.
:Investigate. Carefully,: Uncle Zeg wrote.
:Okay.: What else could she do? She was the one on the front lines, whether she was qualified or not. :I’ll report back soon.:
:Don’t get yourself in trouble,: Tam typed.
Yeah, like she wasn’t already. Marny tucked her messager into her bag, then went and splashed water on her face.
“All right,” she said to the round-cheeked girl in the mirror. “Let’s take care of this.”
Luckily, there wasn’t anyone else in the bathroom to overhear her talking to herself. She stepped out, then hesitated at the doorway back into the club.
The hallway continued on the other side of the bathrooms, but was blocked with a heavy curtain. Darting a glance at the dance floor to make sure she was unobserved, Marny pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the back hall. If she poked around a bit, maybe she could get some clues about what, exactly, was going on with Club Mysteria.
The first door she came to was locked. So were the next two. The fourth stood ajar, revealing another bathroom.
She slipped in and, by the light filtering in from the hall, made a quick inspection. Unlike the club’s public bathrooms, this one seemed to be in personal use. By a guy, if the bulky razor, spice-scented shaving cream, and lack of makeup were any indication. Not to mention the damp towel on the floor. She resisted the urge to pick it up.
The end of the hall opened into a kitchen that was clearly more than just a break room. The cupboards were stocked with food, and a few dirty bowls cluttered the sink. Marny opened the fridge.
“Looking for a snack?” The low, dangerous-sounding voice behind her made her whirl.
A tall, lean guy stood there, something predatory in his stance. His gray eyes and strong chin looked familiar… ah, yes. Nyx Spenser. Anjah had been right—he was good-looking. Or would be, if his eyes weren’t narrowed and his mouth set with anger.
“Sorry.” Marny let the fridge door close. “I’ll just go now.”
She strode toward him, but he didn’t move. Surprising, since most people got out of her way once she was in motion. Though he wasn’t a bulky guy, she could see the outline of muscles under his black T-shirt.
Finally she halted, way too close to him for comfort. Their eyes met, almost exactly at the same level. His gray irises held flecks of dark green. His breath smelled like mint.
Despite the sudden hitch in her chest, she wasn’t going to budge. No way was she letting Nyx Spenser intimidate her. Even if she had totally been prying into his private space.
The knowledge made her drop her gaze.
“Sorry isn’t good enough,” he said.
She was so close to him she could almost feel the words vibrating out of his chest.
“It’s all you’re going to get.” She made to move past him, but he reached and took her wrist in a surprisingly strong grip.
“I don’t want this to turn physical,” he said. “But unless you explain what you were doing back here, I’m calling the cops and charging you with trespassing.”
For a second, she considered letting him do just that. But she didn’t want any black marks on her name—not to mention what Intertech would think of one of their interns being taken in by the police. She was on shaky ground with von Coburg as it was. No need to make things worse.
“All right.” She stepped back, and Nyx let go of her wrist. “I was…”
The intensity of his stare didn’t fade, and somehow she knew he wouldn’t take any lame excuses, like she was hungry and looking for something to eat. She wouldn’t believe it herself, if their positions were reversed.
“I was looking around. I wanted to see how you’d set up your… installation.”
One of his brows rose. “By poking through my fridge?”
“You never know.” She gave him a small shrug.
“What’s your name?”
“Marny.” She wouldn’t give him more than that.
He waited, obviously wanting a last name, but she remained silent, refusing to look away from his penetrating gaze.
At last he frowned. “Okay, Marny Noname. How my club is set up is none of your business, but I’ll let it go this time. Since it’s opening night. But if I ever find you creeping around again, I’ll make good on that trespassing charge.”
Marny leaned forward. “I don’t creep around.”
“Keep it that way.” Nyx gestured toward the hall. “I’ll escort you back to the club.”
Marny studied him a moment, looking for any trace of faerie magic clinging to him. He didn’t transform into a hideous goblin. Nothing glowed or shimmered at the corners of her vision, and she had to conclude he seemed to be an ordinary human.
One with a piece of the Realm of Faerie in the center of his club.
Then realization shocked through her, like she’d been doused with a bucket of freezing water, and she sucked in a quick breath. She’d been an idiot. The reason he looked so familiar was because his was the face in the dream she’d had. Which, added to the magical trees out front, made perfect sense.
“Tell me about the forest,” she said, slowly walking out of the kitchen.
“It’s a proprietary technique.”
“Does VirtuMax know you’ve stolen part of their Feyland game?”
Sometimes the best defense was a strong offense. And she couldn’t tell how much he knew about the Realm, or the existence of magic. It was a tricky subject to bring up.
His expression remained impassive, but his eyes widened slightly.
“Are you some kind of corporate spy?” he countered.
“I have connections.” Let him stew on that. “I’m sure the company would be very interested to find out you’ve appropriated their images.”
Something flickered in his eyes—guilty secrets. “If they can prove I’ve stolen something under trademark or copyright, more power to them. I don’t think you’ll find a forest exactly like this in-game.”
Thinking it over, Marny nearly missed a step. Was he right? She couldn’t remember whether the silvery-leafed trees appeared in the basic game of Feyland, or only when a person entered the Realm.
Nyx held open the heavy curtain, then followed her into the crowded warehouse. The music was too loud to continue their conversation, but that was fine. She hadn’t yet figured out how to crack his cool façade. Not to mention determining if they were all standing on the brink of unspeakable disaster.
Thoughts whirling, Marny headed to the juice bar where Anjah sat waiting for her. Nyx followed right behind, quiet and dangerous.
“There you are,” her roomie said, setting down her half-empty glass of fizzy pink liquid. Then her gaze went to the guy standing at Marny’s shoulder and a sly smile crossed her face. “Well, look who you found. Nyx Spenser, I presume?”
/> She held out an elegant hand, and Nyx took it, bowing slightly. “Charmed. And you are?”
“Anjah Lee.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
“Welcome to Club Mysteria,” he said. “Excuse me a moment.”
He headed to the end of the bar, where the light-haired girl joined him. They began a low-voiced conversation, and Marny could feel Nyx watching her.
“My goodness.” Anjah gave her conspiratorial look. “I see I’ve underestimated you, Marny. Not even here for five minutes, and you managed to drag the handsome Mr. Spenser out of hiding. You must have hidden talents.”
“I suppose.” Many picked up the drink waiting for her on the bar.
The glass was cold, the pink liquid bubbling slightly. She took a sip, then set it back down, the too-sweet flavor lingering on her tongue. Glancing down the bar, she saw that Nyx was gone and the barista girl had returned to making juice. Still, she knew he had her under surveillance.
“Too bad,” Anjah said, noticing the club owner’s absence. “Are you ready?”
“For what?”
Anjah slid off the barstool she’d been perched on and shot Marny a grin over her shoulder. “To enter the magical woods, of course. Come on.”
It was the only thing left to do. Squaring her shoulders, Marny followed her roomie straight into the enchanted forest.
CHAPTER TWELVE
From the dark corner he’d claimed as his vantage point, Nyx watched Marny Noname and her shiny friend Anjah Lee head into the enchanted forest.
He should’ve known a simple curtain wouldn’t keep people out of his private space. Closing the hallway off had just moved from the bottom of his priority pile to the top. First thing tomorrow, he’d get the carpenters to install a real door.
What had she been doing back there, anyway? What was she hoping to find? She didn’t give off a criminal vibe. But she hadn’t denied being a corporate spy, either.
After the club closed, he’d do some serious digging and discover everything the ’net would yield about the mysterious Marny.
Other than that one incident, though, the night was going well. The club was hopping, and he’d told the hired doorman/bouncer to be careful not to let in more people than the fire code allowed. That would be the quickest way to get shut down, and Nyx was sure a couple plainclothes police mingled in the crowd. It only made sense, and the Newpoint chief of police was generally acknowledged to be a smart lady.
Emmie’s pale hair shone as she came over to where he stood.
“So, who’s the girl you told me to watch?” she asked.
“Not sure yet.” Nyx folded his arms and searched the trees for a glimpse of her.
For a big girl, she moved well—balanced on her feet and graceful, like she knew exactly where her body was in space.
“What was she doing back in the living area?”
“Looking around.”
He’d been an idiot to ignore the fact that VirtuMax would want some hefty licensing fees once they discovered he was using their images. Or at least that was how they’d perceive it.
Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission though, right? He could probably afford it, judging by how well the opening seemed to be going. And frankly, what he’d told Marny was true; the enchanted forest he was using was subtly different from what lay inside the game of Feyland.
His mind skidded away from why that might be.
“Are you okay?” Emmie scanned his face.
“Just thinking. There’s a line for the juice bar—you better get back.”
“Slave driver.” She gave him a look, but there wasn’t real heat to it.
They both knew she was loving every minute of being a juice jockey. Not to mention he was paying both her and Sula a more-than-decent wage.
“Well, don’t think too hard,” she said. “Don’t want to strain your brain.”
Without waiting for his comeback, she headed to the bar, and Nyx returned to scanning the forest. Bright green flashed between the trees, and pretty soon the short woman Marny had come with stepped out, smiling.
Marny followed right behind. She sent a thoughtful glance back into the woods, her expression a little less tight about the eyes than when she’d gone in. What had she been afraid of finding in there?
She’d recognized the forest as being associated with Feyland, so obviously she was a gamer. Well, that or she worked for VirtuMax, but he doubted the corporation would be sending spies to his club on opening night. They had no reason to.
He’d never leaked any vids—plus he had jammers on in the warehouse. Nobody was going to be able to film anything inside the club unless they had government-level tech.
So, her arrival tonight was just coincidence, and he was jumping to conclusions. Marny was only a nosy girl who had gotten caught.
Maybe.
He spent the next hour keeping an eye on her. She talked some with her friend, and then the shorter girl hit the dance floor with two interested guys. Slowly, and so casually that it wouldn’t be obvious unless you were watching her, Marny made her way around the entire perimeter of the warehouse. At least, she tried.
It wasn’t nice to laugh, but he couldn’t help smiling when she kept entering the forest at one point and walking out in nearly the same place, an annoyed look on her face. Finally she settled for going along the side walls, stopping when she hit the trees, and looking all around.
There was nothing to see. He’d hidden the anchors in secret compartments he’d managed to install. Nobody except him even knew they were there.
At last Marny gave up and went back to the juice bar. There was a stubborn set to her face that didn’t bode well for him, but he still wasn’t sure what sort of trouble she might cause. After sipping at her drink for half an hour, she went to talk to her friend. The other girl shook her head, and Marny didn’t spend too much time arguing with her, merely nodded and headed for the door.
Nyx fought the urge to follow her as she left. It was opening night of his club, for sim’s sake. He couldn’t just walk out on his grand achievement.
Besides, he had the feeling she’d be back.
Around two in the morning, the crowd quieted down. Nyx had his doorman shoo everybody out and lock the door as he left. Emmie and Sula cleaned up the juice bar while Nyx counted the take. It had been a good night.
“Great job,” he told the girls. “You guys head to bed.”
He’d set up one of the extra offices as a guest room as soon as he realized Emmie would be working for him. It wasn’t reasonable or safe to send her home on the bus in the middle of the night. He’d made it a condition of her employment that she, and any of her friends on the late night shift with her, stayed over at the club and went home in the morning.
“Won’t that cramp your style, big brother?” Emmie had asked. “You know, hot dates with all the ladies who fall at your feet.” Then she’d laughed at him.
“Shut it. I’m not opening Club Mysteria so that I can be a stud.” Not that he would say no if he made a connection with somebody—but the type of people on the club scene weren’t necessarily the type he wanted to date, so he figured it wouldn’t be an issue. At least not right away.
“Sula gets her license in a few months, anyway,” Emmie said. “So I guess it’s okay. It’s not like you’ll be open late every night of the week.”
He’d decided—for his own sanity, mostly—that the club would only be live Tuesday through Saturday, closing at nine on the weeknights. Maybe it was a terrible business ethic, but he wasn’t interested in chaining himself to his work. And on paper, when he ran the numbers with his dad, it had penciled out.
“Don’t stay up too late,” Emmie said.
“It’s already too late.” The adrenaline that had lifted him through the evening was fading, and tiredness tugged at his brain. But he had some research to do before he let himself sleep.
After checking that the warehouse was secure, he headed to his room, ignoring his bed in favor of the netscreen. He
needed to find out more about this Marny girl. Was she really a threat to the club?
It was ridiculously easy to track her down. Two keyword searches later a press release from Intertech popped up, announcing their new interns. One of the chosen three was a certain Marny Fanalua, from Crestview. He flicked to images, and found a picture of the Crestview High Gaming Club at a tournament. Though the image was fuzzy, there was no doubt the girl pictured staring at her screenie game with grim concentration was the same Marny he’d met that night.
Crestview… Something about the name niggled at his memory.
He keyed in a few more search words, then sat back, a chill gripping his neck as he read. Crestview—the new home of VirtuMax corporate headquarters.
Ah, crap. When Marny said she had connections, she’d been serious. VirtuMax and Intertech, in one big, intense package.
Okay, relax. She was only an intern, and even if she lived in Crestview, that didn’t mean she was all in with VirtuMax. A senior in high school didn’t have that much power, right?
He knew he was lying to himself, though. After all, he’d amassed a fortune as a high school student, and the second he left school he’d gone on to bigger projects. It would be foolish to underestimate Marny.
Know thy enemy. It was a quote from Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese general his dad had made him study before going into business. Thousands of years later, the advice was still sound.
The next time Marny Fanalua set foot in Club Mysteria, Nyx was going to know everything about her, down to her game high scores and her favorite kind of peanut butter.
Marny grabbed a cab back to the Intertech building, relieved that Anjah wanted to stay and dance. It would be too hard for Marny to try and process the events of the night and hold a conversation at the same time, even though Anjah was pretty good at keeping a one-sided chat going without much input.