by Sadie Moss
Of course, what they’re arguing about isn’t hilarious at all.
“You’re putting your head in the sand,” Tamlin snaps as we enter. “Jesus, I know working for the Circuit can really turn someone’s mind into mush, but I didn’t realize you were so goddamn stuck on following antiquated rules that frankly no longer apply to our situation! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” Brodie scoffs. “What’s wrong with you? You want pure anarchy? You want people losing their minds even more than they already have? Like it or not, Josephine, rules are there to help people feel safe!”
I think, if I were to guess, this relates to the big meeting we all had yesterday. Or, rather, what the few Circuit officials who are left here and the Griffin staff had yesterday. I was invited, but most of my classmates weren’t. I really hope none of them resent me for that.
Everyone’s torn over what to do about the government and Agustin. Our government is basically nonexistent right now, and some people—like Brodie—want to preserve what order still exists. They want us to try to preserve our government, to running as closely as possible to the way it was before Agustin took out all those officials. People like Brodie trust the system, or at least believe in it enough to want to change things from the inside instead of what I tend to do, which is revolt and demand we bring back the guillotine.
Tamlin obviously doesn’t agree with Brodie on that though. She must feel the way most other Unpredictables do: betrayed.
Sure enough…
“Our government put us in here,” she hisses. “They stuck us in this facility—they are not on our side! They never have been! We can’t depend on them to fix this or to protect us. The fact that it’s taken them so long to even deal with this problem just shows how little they’ve cared! They only care now because it’s affecting them! After what they’ve done to us, why should we trust them to protect us? There’s barely anyone left in the government, nobody to uphold the law that you care so much about, so we can’t sit around twiddling our thumbs and waiting for the cavalry to arrive! There is no cavalry! We’re the cavalry! We need to protect ourselves. We need to act and stop wasting time!”
Holy shit. This might be about more than just the “what do we do now” question.
Look, I know that two people having an intense interaction doesn’t automatically imply there’s some kind of underlying sexual tension. But I’ve seen plenty of arguments in my time, and I’ve also seen plenty of interactions between men and women, and right now? Tamlin and Brodie are practically chest-to-chest, eyeing each other up and down as they both breathe heavily, and honestly, they look like they’re torn between strangling each other and screwing each other’s brains out.
For once, Tamlin is flushed, her cheeks red, her eyes glittering. I’ve never seen her actually flustered like this. I’ve seen her get mad a few times, but even that had an element of control to it. At the moment though, she’s completely lost her cool, and frankly, it’s hilarious.
Not that I think someone getting upset is hilarious. But it’s just written all over Tamlin’s face how out of sorts Brodie is making her, and I bet if I called her on it, she wouldn’t even realize it was true—or she’d try to deny it.
Personally? I think it’s a good thing. It takes a lot to smash through that calm demeanor of hers, and any guy who might have a chance at being with her has to be good at that. He has to be able to get through the ironclad armor she’s got wrapped around her tighter than her designer clothes and get to the heart of who Tamlin actually is.
And although I don’t know Brodie that well, he seems like a good guy. He’s been a stand-up guy so far, helping us out, sticking his neck out for us, and he’s been really kind and supportive the last few days. I think he’s the sort of guy that’s a good mix of gentle and principled. Which would complement Tamlin’s personality well.
I glance at Dmitri, who’s got a small smirk on his face. I know he’s thinking the same thing I am—the two of us used to be exactly like that.
Hell, we still are sometimes. We’re both stubborn people with strong opinions.
Dmitri’s expression shows clear amusement, and I have to bite back a grin as I refocus on Tamlin and Brodie.
“And what exactly are you going to do?” the tall mage demands. “You have a good plan in place? You know what we need to do? What we could possibly do against this guy? Because from where I’m standing, we don’t even know enough to be able to combat him. And we have to think about our image, even now—if we go rogue, even if it’s to go against him, people will only use it against us later. We have to show that we’re not the crazy Unpredictables everyone says we are.”
“And if we stand around and do nothing, they’ll remember that too, but they’ll see it as us not helping and us not stopping him—not even trying—and they’ll claim we supported Agustin all along!”
“Sounds like a catch twenty-two to me,” Dmitri interjects in a wry drawl.
Brodie and Tamlin both jump a little, startled, and seem to realize that they’re basically pressed up against each other. They each take a step back, their faces going even redder—this time from embarrassment.
Turning away slightly, I hide my smile behind my hand as a small chuckle escapes my lips.
I know, I know, I shouldn’t laugh. I was a real pain in the ass about my feelings for the four men who are now my boyfriends, and I probably annoyed everyone around me with how back and forth I was. I was scared to let my guard down, scared to be vulnerable, scared to open up to people who could hurt me like my dad, or be taken away from me like my mom.
But I’m so much better now, and honestly, I can’t deny that it’s pretty damn funny to watch two people realize they were standing so close they could’ve started making out at any second—and that maybe they wanted to do just that.
“Did we wake you?” Tamlin says, slipping immediately into her big-sister-professor mode. “I’m sorry. We got—I was carried away. I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re fine. We were already awake.” I shrug. “You guys aren’t sure what to do next either, huh?”
Tamlin shakes her head, wrapping her arms around herself. Brodie sighs and runs a hand through his hair, making the strands stick up at odd angles.
“We don’t know where Agustin is or what his next plan of attack might be,” he tells us with a sigh. “It makes it impossible to figure out how to stop him, you know? Of course we want to stop him—nobody here is arguing against that. But you can’t fight an infection if you don’t know where the virus is.”
“So we’re stuck,” Tamlin says. “We’re stuck just sitting around like idiots until he makes another move, and when he does—”
An alarm starts blaring.
All four of us snap to attention, and panic crashes through my body like a tidal wave.
Oh, fuck.
Chapter 3
I can hear rushing feet, pounding on the floor, and yelling. It sounds like most people were still asleep, and the alarm woke them up.
We all look at each other for a split second, then turn and rush for the common area. If something’s wrong, that’s where we’ve all agreed to meet up. Safety in numbers and all that. Plus, it’s a good place to make a final stand, if that’s what ends up happening. Plenty of choke points to trap Agustin and whatever insane threat he’s dreamed up this time. Hopefully it’s not more demons.
I fucking hate demons, for the record.
We burst into the common area to find chaos, but I can’t quite tell what the source is. Everyone is rushing around, yelling, and people are on their phones and tablets. It’s impossible to make out what’s happening.
Someone grabs my arm, and I yelp in surprise, only to turn and see that it’s Kendal. The two of us got off on the wrong foot when I first started at Griffin, but in the years since then, we’ve actually become good friends. She’s usually pretty reserved and soft-spoken, but right now her voice is too loud, her auburn hair is sticking up on one side, and h
er eyes have an almost manic glint.
“There you are!” she blurts. “Thank God. Did you see?”
“See what?” I have no clue what she’s talking about.
Dean Hardwick, the man in charge of Griffin Academy—at least, before the school’s de facto closure—stands up on a table. “Everyone!” he yells, and he’s using some kind of charm on his voice, making it boom like he has a microphone in front of him. “Please, settle down, stay calm and quiet!”
Another one of my teachers, Professor Macombe, passes a laptop up to Hardwick. There are runes on the laptop case, signifying it has some kind of enchantment on it, and they glow brightly. Then the image on the screen of the laptop is projected onto the wall like we’re in a movie theater.
Huh. That’s a neat trick.
Kendal’s clutching my arm tightly, fearfully, as we watch the magical news report.
It’s…
It’s not good.
In our world, we have television channels and all that, the same as non-magical users. You can usually only access them by going onto certain websites where you have the right password or whatever. But it’s nationwide, and we all tune in just like people tune in to CNN.
But today, in the live video feed projected onto the wall, it’s not one of the usual news anchors. It’s just Agustin.
His face fills the screen, and I want to punch him so badly that my damn hand is shaking. I didn’t think I was capable of hatred until I met Agustin. I would happily toss him into a burning building and then roast marshmallows over the flames.
It’s not exactly the most heroic or noble sentiment, but then again, I never asked to be a hero.
Agustin’s eerily bland features stretch into a smile in the image on the wall. He looks so pleased with himself that he could make Caesar seem modest.
That’s not the most concerning thing though.
It’s what’s around him.
The brown-haired mage is currently sitting at the head of the High Table. The High Circuit is sort of our version of congress or parliament. We have representatives from different areas of the country, and they all have an equal share and vote on major issues.
The High Circuit is our most powerful government entity, and it’s generally made up of extremely powerful magic users. There’s no law anywhere that says you have to be a powerful mage in order to be on the High Circuit, but it sure feels like that’s the unwritten rule. I can’t remember the last time we had someone at the High Table who was only so-so at magic. They’re all badass when it comes to magical skill, even if their personalities can sometimes make you roll your eyes so hard you’re in danger of straining something.
The High Table is literally the name of the table where they all sit for their meetings. Usually the most senior member of the High Circuit will sit at the head of the table, but right now, that’s where Agustin’s sitting, and that’s not the worst of it. All around him are bodies.
Dead bodies.
A few people are sitting in other chairs, their faces relaxed and expressionless, and I recognize something in their bearing—it’s the same thing I saw in that demon bird, and in the mage on top of the tower that Agustin organized to attack Griffin.
They’re all being mind controlled.
Well, we already knew Agustin has some kind of mind control powers, so it’s not exactly a surprise.
But it is terrifying.
I’m just so damn glad he didn’t get ahold of Asher’s mind manipulation powers. Ash has the strongest mind reading and mind control abilities of anyone I know. I can’t even imagine what Agustin could do with that—possibly control people without them even realizing they’re being influenced, letting them think they’re fine and it’s all their own choice and they’ve got free will.
I shudder at the thought, shoving the idea out of my mind as if lingering on it too long will make it come true somehow.
Alongside the mind-controlled mages, there are a lot of empty seats. And on the floor, on the table, all around—there are bodies. They look like they fought, and bravely at that. There are burn marks, water marks, all kinds of bruises and scars on their bodies.
Holy shit.
“The feed was showing him just walking in there and—and killing everyone who tried to fight,” Kendal whispers, her hand still wrapped around my arm like a vise. “Someone pulled the alarm here so we could all see it, I think? It was—it was—”
She breaks off, shaking her head as her lower lips trembles.
I feel another presence at my side, and I look over to see Roman, Cam, and Asher draw up next to me. Roman silently passes me his phone, and when I glance at the screen, I realize it’s a clip of the footage of Agustin as he entered the High Circuit’s main building.
He’s wiping the floor with the people who try to come at him. He’s throwing magic around like it’s nothing, like it’s not even a thought, like the people risking their lives to try to stop him are just annoying flies he can squash with a flick of his finger.
I’ve never seen anyone wield magic like this. Hell, I didn’t know it was even possible to wield magic like this.
Roman turns off his screen with a press of a button and puts his phone away, and I’m glad for it. I couldn’t stomach seeing much more of that—innocent people dying, screaming and scared and in pain, trying to defend themselves and fight back when they didn’t stand a chance.
Up on the main screen that Hardwick’s projecting, Agustin is smirking like the cat that ate the cream.
“Good morning, everyone,” he purrs. “Sorry to wake you so early. I’m sure most of you are quite startled by this turn of events.”
Have I mentioned I really want to punch this guy? Because I do. Repeatedly.
“I’m sure many of you are wondering what’s going on.” Agustin sits up a little straighter in the large chair at the head of the table. “You’re scared, concerned, worried. Like little sheep.”
“At least he didn’t say lemmings?” Cam murmurs, but I can tell by the tone of his voice that even though he’s trying to joke like he normally does, he can’t muster up an ounce of humor right now.
“You don’t have to worry anymore though,” Agustin continues. “Everything is taken care of. There will be no more violence. No more strife. So long as you all understand that there’s a new world order in place. And that order is me. I’m in charge.”
He holds up a hand. “Now, I’m sure you’re all quite frightened right now. Wondering what that means for you. Don’t worry—this will not be a hostile takeover unless you make it that way. Everything can be peaceful. I want it to be peaceful. I have no interest in ruining your lives or hurting you. Certainly not killing you. There is no reason for bloodshed.”
I sense there’s a huge “but” coming at the end all of this, and sure enough…
“Of course, how peaceful this is will be entirely up to you. If you resist, I will have to make a show of force.” The bland-faced man shrugs. “But it doesn’t need to come to that. Under my rule, everything will continue on as it was before. Of course, there will be more regulations on things like enchantments, charms, and potions—for everyone’s safety.”
My brows draw together. For safety?
He’s making it sound like getting a charm that could blow up a building is as easy as walking into a store and laying down a wad of cash. It’s not. That stuff is already highly regulated—Johnson’s insane collection of charms probably took him years to accumulate, and the fact that he got his hands on them at all speaks to how highly connected he was. In our magical community, you can’t just get whatever damn enchantment or charm you want for no reason. So what is he talking about?
“Rationing charms, enchantments, and potions will begin effective immediately,” Agustin says. “A list of items deemed too dangerous to be permitted will be released in short order, and anyone in possession of such objects will be required to turn them in.”
“He’s trying to weaken us,” Roman says quietly, his voice a low growl that
rumbles in his chest. “He’s making sure regular magic users can’t enhance their abilities through potions or something else.”
Shit. That makes sense. He can’t have anyone threatening his power or his rule.
“Oh! And one more thing.” Agustin’s affable smile turns just a hair more vicious. “Many of you have been crying out for a long time about the blight of Unpredictables on our society. For too long, your voices have been ignored and talked over. No more. Do not fear, my good citizens. I have heard your concerns, even if the High Circuit didn’t.”
Burning anger surges through me, and it takes all my willpower not to run up and beat my fists against the wall where Agustin’s head appears. Heard their concerns? He’s been stoking anti-Unpredictable sentiment for years.
“Nobody will be in danger unless Unpredictables refuse to turn themselves in. If you possess such magic, you are hereby obliged to come forward and register yourself. Otherwise…” He clucks his tongue like we’re naughty children. “I will have to send my government officials after you. And nobody wants that.”
“Officials?” My jaw is clenched so tightly it’s hard to speak. “More like minions.”
I have no doubt that whoever he sends after us will be mind-controlled like the demon bird and the mages were. Or just people evil enough to actually support this insane man’s agenda.
“Do the right thing,” Agustin says, his voice gentle and sincere. “Turn yourselves in. Declare yourselves. And then the rest of the magical world, the good, law-abiding citizens of our society, can go on living their lives just as they were before. I promise nothing but peace.”
With that, the video cuts out.
Chapter 4
The room falls into stunned silence. I don’t think anyone knows what to do or say or even where to begin.
My stomach drops to the floor. I think I might be sick.