9

“That was the best magic show ever,” Jo gushed to Calder as we followed him down a winding hallway. “And you get to see this every day! Lucky you.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Meh, it’s a job.”

I didn’t hear the rest of Calder’s reply. I was still in a daze. My brain slowly churned, working to figure out what had happened. One moment we were on stage in a pitch-black theater with sirens blaring, the next I was flying through the air, and then somehow sitting back in my seat.

I’d been so stunned I had barely noticed when Zac had taken the stage. It was all a blur. Val and Tristan had placed heavy chains around Zac, and then he’d climbed into a metal container, Val flicking her wrists and setting the box ablaze. Then came Zac’s stunning escape when he’d flown out of the box wearing wings of fire.

It had all looked so real. But in the darkened theater with dozens of lights swirling and flashing and smoke rolling across the stage, I couldn’t tell what was real or what was an illusion anymore.

“Excuse me a moment,” Calder said, holding up a hand. I stumbled to a stop, almost running into his back. He tilted his head, pressing a finger to the earpiece of his headset. “Are you sure? . . . What about Remi? Won’t he . . . yes, my lor—I mean, yes, sir. Right away.”

Calder turned to us looking bewildered.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, wondering why he suddenly appeared nervous.

“Uh, yeah. Just a slight change of plans. We need to go this way.” He led us back to a set of doors we’d just passed a moment ago.

“What was I saying?” he continued in an oddly bright voice as we climbed down a set of stairs. “Right, tonight was different from other nights. We usually stick to what we rehearse. Tristan, what he did . . . well, it was . . . different.”

“Really? What was different about it?” Jo nudged me with her elbow.

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t understand why she refused to see through Tristan’s act.

“Lovely ladies, like yourselves, are always preselected. Tristan has always had his choice.”

I gave Jo my I-told-you-so look. She frowned.

“But I always escort them offstage and straight to the VIP guest lounge after his card trick act. What he did with you”—Calder looked at me uneasily—“that was the first time I’ve seen him do that.”

“What did he do exactly? How did he get us back to our seats so fast?” I asked.

He paused, his eyes darting from me to Jo.

“Aw, come on. You can tell us. We won’t tell anyone. Promise.” Jo batted her lashes.

He smiled, flashing his dimples. “As hard as it is to say no to a gorgeous woman like you, I can’t. A magician never reveals his secrets. What I can say is that you must’ve really impressed Tristan. I was instructed to take you to the green room. Right through here.”

He opened a pair of red double doors and stood aside, motioning us to go in.

The moment we stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I’d expected to see a bevy of beauties lounging on red-velvet sofas, drinking Champagne and rubbing their hands across Tristan’s chest. Instead, we stepped into a large open space.

To the far right were three red doors with gold nameplates. A jumbo flat screen hung on the opposite side, nearly taking up the entire wall. A couple of plush sofas and chairs circled the front of the screen. To the left was an elaborate buffet. Tables packed with chafing dishes lined the wall. Peeking inside several, my stomach rumbled in hunger at the sight of the brisket, ribs, and steak. The dessert table was even larger.

Jo was speechless. I wasn’t sure what she was drooling over more, the food or the guys sitting at the tables chowing down.

The security guards sat around several tables in the center of the room, eating and talking amongst themselves. Under the bright fluorescents, I could see them more clearly, and they were stunning. They all had an unearthly look about them. It was like they were all part of the same family. When my eyes rested on the elderly homeless man, I blinked in surprise. He was the only person who was not an employee.

I grabbed Jo’s hand, stopping her from taking a plate. “Where are the other girls?”

I bit my lip as the room grew silent and the guards turned to look at us in surprise. One of the guards sitting on the sofa jumped to his feet. He looked like a charging bull with his dark-blond buzz cut and flaring nostrils.

“Are you insane? You brought the humans here?”

Panic flashed across Calder’s face. His eyes darted to Jo and me before he hurried to the guard. He held up his hand, signaling him to stop talking.

“Wait, Ian. Everything’s fine. Tristan requested it.”

The guard, Ian, stopped cold at the sound of Tristan’s name. He looked at me curiously. Then lowering his voice, he said, “We already have one here.”

“We can leave,” I said, ready to bolt out the door with Jo whether she wanted to leave or not. This was getting too weird.

“Don’t mind, Ian. He didn’t know there was a change in location and that you are the VIPs. Let me do the honor of serving you tonight. Here, have a seat next to Gus.” Flustered, Calder rushed back over to us, doing whatever he could to make us feel welcome.

It was clear the others didn’t want us here. Ian sulked on his way over to one of the tables, clenching his jaw as he sat. The guards returned to their conversation, stabbing at their food between low grumbles.

“Jo, Karenna, this is our good friend, Gus,” Calder said, pulling out a couple of chairs near the elderly man.

“Thank you. I’m famished, and the food smells so good. Hi, Gus.” Jo plopped down next to Gus and looked at me expectantly.

“I don’t know,” I said hesitatingly as Calder hurried to the buffet table and started piling food onto two plates.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all night,” Jo whispered under her breath.

“I have a strange feeling,” I whispered.

“It’s called hunger pangs. Sit down and have something. You’ll feel better.”

“No tengas miedo.” The elderly man patted my hand. “Don’t be afraid. Mis angelitos are good.”

Did he call them his little angels?

Why would he call them that?

“Your angels?”

“Sí. Tristan, Val, and Zac.”

A plate crashed on the floor, shattering.

“Oops! It slipped. Um, this is yours.” Calder rushed over to Jo, looking nervous as he set the food in front of her, and then hurried back to clean up the mess. “I’ll get you another plate, Karenna. Hey, Gus, why don’t you tell them that joke you were telling us earlier. You know, the one about the telemarketer and lawyer in a bar.”

The guards at the table closest to Calder glared. Not one of them bothered to help. I felt sorry for the guy. He was obviously stuck between following orders that weren’t popular with his coworkers and meeting the demands of whoever was giving those orders.

“Let me help.” I knelt down by his side, ignoring the intense glares of the guards.

“No, no, you’re a guest. Please, I’ll . . . not again. Give me a break.” He groaned, standing back up.

I tensed, wondering what I’d done wrong. I was just trying to help.

His eyes widened. “I, no, not you. It’s . . . ” He pointed to his ear. A small light blinked from his headset. “Sorry.”

He frantically rushed around the area, his eyes darting to Jo as he cleaned and took the pieces of the plate and food I’d collected. “I have to go and help with crowd control. The limo with Tristan’s lookalike decoy is getting mobbed. Feel free to look around. Tristan will be out in a minute. Tell Jo—”

“Get out here. Now!” a voice boomed through the headset.

Calder winced. “So sorry. I have to go.”

He glanced at Jo one last time before rushing out the door.

I wandered to the back of the room, pretending to be engrossed in what was showing on the television screen. As I passed a table, I got a closer look at the tattoo on their forearms. Some of the men had the same tattoo as Calder, a dog paw with wings. The guard with the buzz cut and others sitting with him had a similar design, except theirs had a sword instead of a dog paw.

I rolled my shoulders as the dull ache near my shoulder blades returned. I wasn’t surprised given the tension in the room.

It didn’t seem to bother Jo. I wasn’t sure if she even noticed. Always happiest with a fork in her hand, she alternated between moaning over the chocolate cake and talking with Gus and the two other guards who’d decided to join them. They watched her carefully, as if waiting for something.

For what?

For her to shove a steak in her purse and make a mad dash for the door?

Whatever it was, the guards’ grim expressions didn’t faze her at all. She simply made herself at home. Knowing her, she’d probably have them eating out of the palm of her hand in a few minutes.

I eyed the closed doors with Zac and Val’s nameplates, wondering if they knew Tristan had brought us back here. I could imagine what Val would have to say about it. Maybe that was why she hadn’t come out yet.

Four stations played on the large TV screen, each from a different country. On one section of the screen, a Japanese newscaster was reporting something, a frightened expression on her face. I didn’t understand a word she was saying, but the tremble in her voice was obvious. Something really bad was happening in their country.

“You crossed the line, Tristan! What were you thinking? We could’ve gotten caught. You’re supposed to stick to the script,” Val’s voice growled.

“So I went a little off script. Big deal,” Tristan replied nonchalantly.

My eyes flicked to the corner of the room. The door with Tristan’s name stood partially ajar. I could only see half of Tristan as he leaned against a vanity table with lights around the mirror. Val came in and out of view, as she must’ve been pacing back and forth across the room, her arms waving in exaggerated annoyance.

“It is a big deal! You know how much danger you put us all in? And for what? A little side action?”

“It never bothered you before. Besides, I’m doing Blaze a favor, remember? You agreed.”

“Of course I remember, you moron. It was this morning. And he didn’t mean for you to strip half naked and grope her.” She punched his arm.

“Ouch. I wasn’t groping. Tell her, Zac.”

“Keep me out of this one,” Zac’s voice come from somewhere in the room.

“Look, I don’t care what you do with the others,” she said. “Just not with her.”

“Jealous?” His voice teased flirtatiously.

“Of her? Please!”

“Then what’s the problem?”

There was silence.

I held my breath, waiting for Val’s answer.

She had nothing to worry about. I had no interest in Tristan. Well, yes, he was drop dead gorgeous, and a woman would be crazy to not be attracted to him, but she must be used to that. Besides, I thought they were just friends.

I dared to inch closer to the door. All I could hear now was a reporter speaking with an Australian accent reporting an earthquake with a magnitude of nine point five in a small town in New Zealand. The devastation in the surrounding area was huge. I stepped away, not caring anymore about what Val thought. Those poor people. I made a mental note to talk to Aunt Marmie about it. She was always doing fundraising for those who needed help. Together, we could figure out some way to help the people in that small town.

“Why should I tell you?” Val yelled over the sound of the television. “You’re the one that doesn’t want anything to do with the Watchers.”

Tristan stood abruptly. “She’s one of them?”

“No.”

“One of us?”

“No.”

“So it shouldn’t matter.” He leaned back again, relaxing. “You and Zac need to chill. Enjoy the fan love. I told you my father was all talk. There’s nothing to watch out for.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this! Are you blind?”

“Nope, perfect vision.”

“Ugh!”

There was a squeaking of feet, and the door suddenly swung open. I froze, not knowing whether to run back to the table or sit on the sofa and pretend I was watching television and not eavesdropping.

Val charged out, her hand clamped on Tristan’s arm, dragging him with her as she headed straight for the television screen.

I quickly flopped myself down on the far corner of the couch. She was so furious she didn’t even see me.

“It’s happening now!” She planted him in front of the section of the screen showing the Australian reporter.

“It’s an earthquake. That’s nothing new. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for them. Maybe we can help them. I’ll get Calder on it.”

Before I could sneak away, Zac stepped out. His eyes widened with surprise when he spotted me.

“Uh, Val.”

“No, Zac. He needs to know.” She waved him away as she continued arguing with Tristan. “You’re not paying attention, Tristan. It’s getting worse. I can’t believe you can’t—”

Val’s nostrils flared as her amber eyes caught mine. “What are you doing here?”