Need to catch up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blayde\u2019s reaction to the news didn\u2019t surprise Fiona. But the raised eyebrows of the faun and the centaur across the table from her indicated that they\u2019d expected something more\u2026subdued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three of them stood sat around a conference table while Fiona spoke to her brother with the phone’s holographic communication function disabled. Fiona waited until her brother\u2019s raucous laughter subsided a bit to speak again. \u201cI\u2019m glad the idea of a man being attracted to me is so hilarious to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not your attractiveness I\u2019m questioning. It\u2019s the intelligence of the beast you\u2019ve managed to snare.\u201d He indulged in another victorious laugh. \u201cFlicka Starr? Imagine falling for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt sounds like you were setting me up to fail.\u201d She was grateful her brother couldn’t see the disgust she felt etched into her face. What would the point be? Though, she didn\u2019t doubt her brother would do such a thing just to hurt her credibility should she ever need it in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evil minds worked years ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m proud of you. I worried you might go all goody-goody and tell on me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why would you worry about that, with a demon\u2019s mark controlling me?<\/em> She bit her tongue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blayde\u2019s tone twisted into one of prurient amusement. \u201cYou haven\u2019t had to do anything\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marcaeus\u2019s hand clenched on the tabletop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiona shot him an apologetic glance as she made a disgusted noise. \u201cNo! Don\u2019t be gross. I don\u2019t even want to think about it. I keep putting him off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She mouthed, \u201csorry\u201d to Marcaeus. It didn\u2019t erase the dark, angry look on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019s not angry at you. He\u2019s angry at Blayde.<\/em> Why would an astral creature and successful CEO care about the opinion of a mortal like her? Blayde had wounded Marcaeus\u2019s ego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She continued to her brother, \u201cBut that\u2019s what makes the situation so precarious. He\u2019s going to get suspicious, eventually, as to why I can\u2019t\u2026do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m sure he\u2019s aware of why you can\u2019t do it.\u201d Blayde snickered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t risk calling so you could be gross,\u201d Fiona snapped back. \u201cI\u2019m trying to do what you asked me to. You said to infiltrate the company; I did. You said to do whatever it took, so here I am. In Johnson\u2019s apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs I said, I\u2019m impressed. What more do you want?\u201d Waves of smug assholishness radiated from the speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want the footage of Larkin destroyed.\u201d Fiona forced her jaw to relax. \u201cNo tricks. No lies. I did what you asked me to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did what you asked me to do, and you still put a demonic leash on me.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cConsider it gone.\u201d The answer was far too easy. She waited and, sure enough, Blayde added, \u201cAfter the election, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hobb and Marcaeus exchanged a glance before Hobb typed something on his holopad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight. I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re going to expect more work from me? At least, until your wife has her senate seat and your defense contract is brokered?\u201d Fiona cringed; if she kept it up with the exposition, Blayde would know for sure that he was being spied on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s so nice to hear that you\u2019ve become jaded. I take it that your time among the astrals hasn\u2019t been the fairy tale you assumed it would be?\u201d he gloated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomeone\u2019s coming. I have to go,\u201d she lied. \u201cI\u2019m not sure how often I\u2019ll be able to report to you. He\u2019s clingy and obsessive.\u201d She mouthed another \u201csorry.\u201d \u201cHe even gave me a \u2018bodyguard,\u2019 who I think is probably here to watch me, not protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blayde made a thoughtful noise. \u201cI\u2019ve had to do that to Julia a time or two. When you earn his trust, he might remove them. Though, he might have these pathways under surveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pathways, formerly radio waves that carried signals between cellular towers, had been replaced by the Astrals by harnessing the natural flow of energy and magic in the air. No new towers would be erected; no more forests cut down, no more need for electric machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So many improvements and there was her brother, vehemently opposing them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich is why I\u2019m calling you from his private office,\u201d she explained. \u201cI have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She ended the call and faced Hobb and Marcaeus, a strange pang of guilt in her stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoes he speak to you that way all the time?\u201d Marcaeus asked quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His pity was unbearable. \u201cDoes it matter? The call went exactly the way you wanted it to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt matters.\u201d He paused thoughtfully. \u201cIt helps me understand what kind of man he is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou already know what kind of man he is. And if you couldn\u2019t tell from the phone call or the fact that he blackmailed his own sister into corporate espionage, you\u2019re just not a good judge of character.\u201d It wasn\u2019t her job to teach Marcaeus how to be one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s keep this on topic,\u201d Hobb said, quiet and firm. \u201cTell us what you can about the defense contract.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBrimstone,\u201d she blurted, and a sharp pain lanced through her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mark,\u201d Hobb noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s working with the demon because\u2014\u201d she gasped at the pain, then realized she could push through it. Whatever they had done to the demon mark, they\u2019d weakened it enough to release secrets she couldn\u2019t have revealed before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secrets she hadn’t even considered revealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s hurting her,\u201d Marcaeus said with a grunt of frustration. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to tell us, Fiona.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d She took a deep breath and found her memory returning to her like puzzle pieces falling into gaps she hadn\u2019t even been aware of. \u201cAll I know is, when Julia wins her senate seat next month, Trasket Holdings is going to sign with the U.S. Navy to supply brimstone-powered warships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marcaeus scoffed in fury. \u201cWar! They plan war while we work to heal the scars they\u2019ve already inflicted on the earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBrimstone isn\u2019t an ecologically sound solution to anything,\u201d Hobb noted. \u201cIt produces sulfur dioxide when it burns. It will kill vegetation on a mass scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt will never pass the requirements of the pact.\u201d Marcaeus shook his head as if trying to convince himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut the pact won\u2019t be an issue if the Dominion Party has anything to say about it.\u201d The party\u2019s brief rise to power in the 2020s had been responsible for widespread famine, enslavement, genocide, and environmental destruction on a never-before-seen scale. Their reckless, gleeful cruelty had ultimately caused the astrals to intervene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now, they wanted to return to those dark times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “How can they persist in their own destruction?” Marcaeus raged. “Where will they spend their fortunes when the planet is no longer habitable?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Hell\u2026\u201d She didn\u2019t want to suggest such a thing, but it seemed too obvious to ignore. \u201cMaybe that’s part of the deal. Maybe they’ll get their own little paradise in Hell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They had believed stranger things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHobb,\u201d Marcaeus said, gesturing across his own holopad. \u201cThe gods need this information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhich ones, sir?\u201d Hobb asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChiron can be the judge of that. Draft a message for me. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll use fewer expletives.\u201d He ran a hand through his hair and scraped a hoof against the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re not supposed to meddle in elections,\u201d I remind them both. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the pact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no intention of breaking the pact.\u201d Marcaeus\u2019s mouth turned down in disgust. \u201cWe aren\u2019t like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The words stung her heart, spreading truth-tinged venom through every burning vein. Tears sprang to her eyes and she turned away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have no pact with Hell,\u201d Marcaeus said to Hobb. \u201cKeep the message in line with our principles. I will not give the humans further ammunition for their bizarre conspiracies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d Hobb left; Fiona could tell by the tap-tap-tap of his hoofsteps but she couldn\u2019t bring herself to let Marcaeus see her tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He lingered in the room, and Fiona wished he would just go. Once again, she\u2019d offended him. Once again, she\u2019d put her stupid, human foot in her mouth. It was no wonder he didn\u2019t appreciate her piping up to remind him things he already knew. Why wouldn\u2019t he be familiar with the pact? And why would she assume he\u2019d forget to, what, be ethical?<\/p>\n\n\n\n She wanted to crawl under the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A sharp intake of breath broke the silence before Marcaeus said, \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have said that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, you were right.\u201d Miraculously, she didn\u2019t sound like a person who\u2019d just burst into tears. \u201cAll I\u2019ve done is lie to you since we\u2019ve met, and I have the audacity to be like, \u2018don\u2019t forget the rules?\u2019 I would have snapped at me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re under a lot of strain,\u201d he noted. Chairs at the conference table shifted as he bumped them, moving closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That made her smile a little, despite the gravity of the moment. No one could comfortably walk around a conference table ringed in swivel chairs. Not even if they were graceful beings of myth and magic. Not even in the chairs were sleek and expensive, which these were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If that turned out to be the equal footing between humans and astrals, it would prove Larkin\u2019s theory that the entire universe was a simulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He put a hand on Fiona’s shoulder and gave a friendly squeeze. \u201cI don\u2019t understand humans. I won\u2019t pretend to. But despite your deception and your misplaced priorities, I do believe you\u2019re trying to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks.\u201d She chuckled in dismay and turned to him. \u201cI know you don\u2019t know how harsh that sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His eyebrows scrunched a little. \u201cNo. I\u2019m aware.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh.\u201d Well, that just made everything uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to work in opposition,\u201d he went on. \u201cI know you don\u2019t, either. But a word of advice?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She picked up her hands and dropped them to her sides. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou need to learn to separate your emotions from your sense of wrong and right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her mouth dropped open, and a small, outraged noise squeaked out before she silenced her instant defensiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you can tell the difference between what feels<\/em> right and what is<\/em> right, you\u2019ll save yourself a lot of heartache.\u201d He cleared his throat as if to wash away the regret in his words. \u201cThank you, though. For calling your brother and providing us with what we needed to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to help. Anything that can take him down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marcaeus nodded, his face taking on a grave cast. \u201cFiona\u2026 this isn\u2019t a personal vendetta against your brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know,\u201d she squeaked, her throat suddenly dry under Marcaeus\u2019s intense gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His hand fell on her shoulder again, but not in the same friendly pat. It was a light caress that stroked down her arm to her elbow. \u201cBut after what I heard on that call\u2026 it almost became one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shivered and swayed on her feet. The silence was far too heavy. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t tell you before. About the brimstone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mark prevented you. It\u2019s not your fault.\u201d He dismissed her apology easily and moved away, the moment thankfully broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe there hadn\u2019t been a moment at all. It wasn\u2019t outside the realm of possibility that she could be imagining tension where there wasn\u2019t any. She\u2019d always been the most sentimental one in the family. They\u2019d certainly mocked her for it enough. Maybe the astral marriage had wormed its way into her subconscious and dug up goofy notions of romance she\u2019d associated with weddings when she was a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or maybe it was the invisible tattoo that she somehow still knew was on her skin. \u201cHey, did I hallucinate, or did we have matching tattoos when we went to bed last night?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He confirmed her suspicions. \u201cWe still do. Don\u2019t worry; they\u2019ll only be visible in moments when the bond is strong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike, if we were in love?\u201d she asked, and her voice squeaked on the most inopportune word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If he noticed, he let it pass without adding to the awkwardness. \u201cIf we were feeling particularly fond of each other, yes. Occasionally, I\u2019ll see Chiron\u2019s appear and know it\u2019s because Chariclo is thinking of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She held out her arm and examined it, a little disappointed. It had been a really pretty tattoo. It was a shame she\u2019d never see it again. \u201cThat\u2019s really sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI suppose it would be,\u201d Marcaeus said with disinterest. \u201cThere are other times it might be visible. Stages of the moon, things of that nature\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His sentence died off, and she wasn\u2019t sure how to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, I suppose we need to get you moved in properly.\u201d He gestured to her, and she looked down at her clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry, it\u2019s all I could find to wear,\u201d she began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo apology necessary. I didn\u2019t have the forethought to provide for you.\u201d He snapped his fingers. \u201cWe\u2019ll also need a glamour to match how you looked when you were first hired. I don\u2019t mind you wearing your usual form around my home, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut no one can see Fiona Trasket hanging out with you.\u201d She wasn\u2019t totally clueless. \u201cFlicka Starr, all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll send someone to help you choose Flicka\u2019s wardrobe.\u201d He stressed the name, and Fiona understood. Her style would not be Flicka\u2019s style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was kind of exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll need a dress for the gala.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With all her worries about Larkin and espionage and sudden trips to other realms, Fiona had forgotten the anniversary of the Great Reversal. The night when everyone in high society met and mingled and pretended to put aside their differences for a few hours to celebrate the \u201cmiraculous\u201d day that the Earth\u2019s temperature had finally dropped below the threshold of crisis. It was supposed to be a non-partisan celebration, but with an extremely vocal minority still insisting the planet had never been in danger, to begin with, the parties seemed hollow and pointless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially now that Fiona knew what could become of all that progress if her brother got his way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blayde would destroy the planet rather than admit defeat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Need to catch up? What is\u00a0The Business Centaur\u2019s Virgin Temp?\u00a0 The Business Centaur\u2019s Virgin Temp: Prologue The Business Centaur\u2019s Virgin Temp: Chapter One The Business<\/p>\n