A Farewell to Charms (4 page)

“Where they didn’t forbid our friendship.” Actually, the word was “relationship,” but I wasn’t going to use that.

“But they weren’t going to encourage it. Yeah, something like that.” Reed fiddled with the buttons on his manual. “So I’ve been thinking about this since the other night. Here’s my solution: the agency knows we’re friends, and they knew that before we even figured out the magic thing. And we’re just talking about work—same thing you do in the sub chat rooms, but in person. That note is really just their way of telling us that they aren’t going to make us best-friend bracelets, but it’s fine. Let’s just not start a mutiny.” He laughed.

I swallowed. Mutiny. Meredith once told me, right before my hearing with the Court of Royal Appeals, that there were all sorts of punishments Façade enforced in the past for employees who made mistakes. Those mistakes weren’t always big—Façade did not mess around.

But I didn’t want a mutiny—I just wanted to fix the sub-sanitizing part. Façade did so much good. Subbing for princesses gave me a chance to make an impact in their lives, and the lives of the people they touched. Happy royals equals happy subjects, even if royalty didn’t directly rule people like they used to. In short, I was still helping someone, and making a load of money doing it. And there was the glamour and mystery and luxury and fun of working for Façade. And tiaras! Dang it, I STILL WANTED MY OWN TIARA.

“A mutiny. Yeah, right.” I laughed with him. “Why would we want to do that? Façade is so magical and…hey.” I paused, like the thought had just occurred to me, but inside my heart was racing. “Speaking of, have you ever wondered where they get their magic?”

“From the earth,” Reed said matter-of-factly. “That’s part of what my parents do—they identify magical organisms, but also store some of their magic for Façade.”

“They steal it?” I asked. What was Façade doing sucking power out of people when they had the whole earth?

“No, they just take a bit. The process doesn’t affect the organism—it’s like taking sap from a tree or wool from a sheep. Nature’s MP isn’t as strong as human MP, but there’s plenty out there. And more than anything, Façade recognizes the importance of keeping that resource healthy.”

Okay, what? Façade had an alternative power source, and they were still taking magic from unknowing humans, and using that magic ONLY on royals? Think of what they could do if they let those sub hopefuls keep their magic and use it to help everyday people instead.

“You’ll learn about all of this during training, if you ever make it to Level Three,” Reed said.

“I already did.”

“Already what? Learned about magic?”

“No, I made Level Three. I mean, I don’t know who I’ll Match for or anything yet. I just found out I was moving up last week. Right before the play.”

Reed looked confused. “But you said you just started working for the agency this summer.”

“Yeah.”

“People sub for years and years before they’re able to Match. Some people never even move up to Level Two.” Reed shook his head. “So how did you…but that’s impossible.”

“Unlikely, but not impossible.” I shrugged. “I guess I just got lucky.”

Lucky, or the advancement was a bribe. Genevieve could have just erased my memory when I found out about the stolen magic, but my empathy was a very useful commodity for Façade. They wanted to keep me happy. Still, I was sure that they wouldn’t hesitate to sanitize me if I went too far.

And I was planning on going too far.

“So you haven’t had Level Three training yet?” he asked.

“Not exactly.” I glanced up at the clock. Meredith would be here any minute. What if she was close enough to hear, or could override Reed’s manual trick, or…read lips! If she knew, or anyone at Façade knew, what I was about to say, then my friendship with Reed
would
be forbidden. Telling him this put him in so much danger, I couldn’t even pretend to know what might happen.

But I
needed
to tell him. Reed thought everything was wonderful. He’d spent his whole life training to be in this magical world. I had to tell him. HAD TO.

“Reed, listen—”

“Hey, I’m going to run to the bathroom before we have to leave—”

“No! Stop!” I stood up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt so he was right in my face, so close I could count his eyelashes. He blinked at me, his smile amused but unsure. I sucked in a breath and let out the words I’d been holding in for too long. “You-should-know-that-Façade-also-takes-magic-from-subs-that-don’t-make-it-past-the-trial-gig. They-don’t-just-wash-their-memory-they-also-take-their-magic-and-store-it-and-use-the-magic-to-runFaçade-and…and…” I gulped in another breath.

“Andthepeopleneverrememberthatithappened. They…have no choice.”

I let go of his collar. The material was stretched where I’d pulled.

“No, I told you,” Reed said. “My parents research this stuff for a living. Just last week we found a species of flower that has magical petals. And there’s this tree, they’ve been researching it for years—”

“I’m sure that’s all true, but so is this. And what they do to humans is not a sheep shearing. It’s a violation.”

I put my hands on my knees, still out of breath. Reed led me over to the table and crouched down so we were face to face. His eyes were closed, like he needed to shut down to digest what I’d just said. I closed my eyes too, still overwhelmed with the magic and adrenaline and excitement from finally sharing the truth.

“See?” said a voice from the doorway. “This is exactly what I was talking about. You start comparing experiences, and next thing you know, you’re sitting by a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”

I opened my eyes and let out a sigh. “Welcome back, Meredith.”

M
eredith emerged from the shadows. Her outfit was classic Meredith—a sharp black business suit, her green hair in a tight bun. It had only been two weeks since I’d last seen her, but her petite frame looked even thinner, her eyes hollow despite the well-applied makeup.

“Another unexpected entrance,” I said.

Reed hopped up. “Is this your agent?”

Meredith stretched out her hand. “Meredith Pouffinski, princess agent extraordinaire—”

“Or so she’s been told,” I finished.

“And you’re Reed Pearson.” Meredith gave Reed the once-over. “I worked with your mom for a bit, before she went over to Organic Magic. Lovely woman.”

“Thank you. Nice to meet you.” Reed wouldn’t make eye contact with me. “I’m guessing Sergei will be here soon.”

A dark blue bubble formed behind Reed, and out barged a middle-aged man. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt, motorcycle boots, and a leather jacket with an eagle on the front. He also sported a fabulous orange-and-red-streaked Mohawk. All the agents and counsel members at Façade colored their hair as a sort of status symbol, but I had a feeling Sergei would have colored his hair regardless.

“I am right here,” Sergei boomed in a startling Russian accent. “And you should not delay. Royals are not of the patient type.”

Reed slapped him on the back. “Serg, what’s with the message? Are we in trouble? You haven’t picked me up in your bubble since Level Two.”

“I saw Meredith leaving the Façade, so I thought I would pick you up for your next position. For sake of old times.” He winked at Meredith. “We do not have much opportunity to, how you say,
mingle
at work.”

Meredith swallowed. I think she was trying not to throw up. Sergei was handsome enough, in his own gruff, biker way, but he wasn’t Meredith’s prince. “Yes, I’m very busy at work. Too busy for any extracurricular activity, I’m afraid.”

“There is always time for fun.” Sergei drew out the last word to hold significance. Meredith merely blinked.

Sergei shook his head. “But where are the manners? Reed, will you not introduce me to this girl?”

“I’m Desi,” I said.

“Yes, I know.” Sergei rubbed his nose. “You are a bit of celebrity to Façade now, Miss Bascomb. You have risen to great heights in very short time.”

“Yes, she’s a star,” Meredith said. “I can’t take all the credit for that. But I certainly take most.” Meredith glanced down at her watch. “And now that we are all acquainted, we must rush to Façade. Perhaps we’ll see you boys again?”

“That is my hope.” Sergei punched Reed on the shoulder. “And I will scold my client about this date.”

“Date?”

“It is not good to mix business with too much pleasure. A little mixing…That is all right.”

Reed’s face reddened. “We were just talking. You said it was allowed. Or is that forbidden now, too?”

“What is of more interest is why I could not hear your words when I turned on your surveillance,” Sergei said.

I faked a frown. “Maybe it’s broken? We were just talking about this stupid rumor that’s going around the school. Oh, and the Winter Ball. I told Reed I’d help him set up some of the ice-skating stuff. If you guys get a chance, you should totally check out the sleigh rides—”

“I’ll mark my calendar.” Meredith yawned. “I’m sure whatever you two were talking about was far less important than what’s happening right now at Façade.”

I stole a glance at Reed. I couldn’t get him to look at me.

“Sergei, it’s been a, er…delight. As always,” Meredith said.

“My delight, of course. Would be more delightful if you would let me take you on a date, yes?”

“Such a charmer.” Meredith coughed. “And I do so love that jacket. Now, ta-ta!”

Sergei bowed before disappearing. Meredith pointed at me. “You have one minute. And no k-i-s-s-i—”

“I got it,” I said.

She slipped inside her bubble.

“Wow, Sergei has himself a crush,” I said. “That was so cute that he came here just to see more of Meredith—”

“Are you telling me the truth?” Reed cut me off. His voice came out broken. He still wasn’t looking at me.

I nodded solemnly. “Yeah. It’d be better if I wasn’t, but…yeah. All of it is true.”

Without saying anything else, Reed stumbled into his bubble. I wish I could have figured out an easier way to talk to him about sub-sanitation. I wish we had more time to discuss it—maybe he would think of it as a necessary evil like Meredith and Genevieve did. Maybe I was just being dramatic.

Or maybe I was totally right, and Reed and I needed to get our own bubble and go save the subbing world
stat.

“So, what are you doing here?” I asked, once I’d joined Meredith in the bubble.

Meredith took some hand lotion out of her desk and rubbed it into her fingers. “Every time I visit Dubai, my hands dry out. Granted, I adore Princess Alice and Princess Lucy, but the least they could do is offer some moisturizer.”

“Mer? Hello?”

“You have work, of course. Now, sit.” She motioned to the plush black leather chair in her front waiting area. “And for the millionth time, don’t call me Mer.” She got busy making herself a coffee and me a hot chocolate. She even plopped in marshmallows. I loved how well she knew me, loved our little bubble office briefings. And honestly, I loved this job. If I didn’t know what I knew, I could sub forever with Meredith, and be perfectly happy.

But marshmallows or not, I did know, and there was no turning back.

“I am so slammed right now.” Meredith downed her coffee in two quick gulps. “They’re hosting a celebration today for my promotion, but since no one but Genevieve knows I’ve been promoted, my workload is still ridiculous.”

“So, that promotion?” I set my mug down on her glass coffee table. “You really got it?”

A slow grin spread across her face. “Yes. It’ll be official today. I’m the youngest council member at twenty-nine.”

“You’re twenty-nine?” Meredith was young, but not that young.

“Ish. Thirty-two. Thirty-five, tops. But still the youngest. It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s for sure.” Meredith lifted up my mug and wiped away the condensation mark. I looked at her hands, so tiny and graceful and…ringless.

I don’t know why this surprised me, but it did. Back when Meredith was a sub, she’d fallen in a love with a prince. As far as Façade’s rules went, this one was The Grand Master Broken Rule. Another agent, Lilith—my Level One trainer and Meredith’s enemy—spilled the beans on the secret relationship, and Meredith almost lost her job. She broke up with her prince, but they had recently gotten back together. Right after she’d gotten the big promotion, he’d sent her a text saying, marry me. Hey, not the most romantic proposal, but it’s not like he could drop by in a hot-air balloon when they had to keep it all hush-hush. I didn’t know how Meredith answered him—if she was secretly engaged now, or if they’d broken up because of the promotion.

“So, speaking of biggest things that ever happened to you, any other news?” I asked.

Meredith narrowed her eyes. “You know about my promotion. Pay increase of thirty percent.”

“Right, but is your status in any other area changing? Like, relationships?” I pointed discreetly at her finger. She slipped her hand into her suit pocket.

“My credit card company just upgraded me to platinum,” she said icily. “That’s about it.”

So that would either be a
no
or an
I’m not telling you.
And the snippiness was undoubtedly because she knew what my opinion would be on the matter—take the prince, drop Façade. But for Meredith, her job came before everything, even a proposal from a prince.

“We’re almost at Façade. You might as well read about your assignment. I just have to check on something at the agency, and then we’ll get you going.” Meredith slipped into her office, probably to get away from my questions. I still didn’t know what “work” was ahead of me.

I thumbed through my manual. The princess’s profile was up already. I’d spent months preparing for my first Level Two job, which ended up being one night at an art gallery. And now, here I was at Level Three, with “Build up tolerance to pain” promising who-knows-what horrors, and I had only watched some TV and plucked some nose hairs. I wasn’t ready for this.

I really wasn’t.

PRINCESS VANNA

Age:
16

Hometown:
Kamigano in the Far East

Favorite Color:
Black

Favorite Book:
The Bourne Identity

Favorite Food:
Food is fuel

Family Background:
My father is the crown prince of Kamigano. This means he is next to rule, after my grandparents, the emperor and empress. After him? My baby brother, Kaito, who turns one next month. Yes, in Kamigano, the youngest male heir still rules over the oldest girl. I don’t fault the baby for that. What I
do
hate is how my parents, not to mention the entire country, are so enraptured by this baby cooing or spitting up peas on the latest news segment that
actual
news is going unnoticed. Attention, viewers! Sorry to interrupt coverage on a recent natural disaster. We’ll get to that in the second half of the news program. Right now—the Prince of Peas!

Truly, it’s not like we
rule
anything. I would like to feel like I could make more of a difference, and I’m not talking about giving hugs to schoolchildren at media events. I want to be more than the face of the government, I want to be
part
of the government. That’s why I’m leaving. To prove I can be more by doing more. I know my parents have different expectations, but I need to break out.

Cultural Traditions:
Our family is revered by our people. There are special prayers said daily for the royal family. Because we are such a vital representation of this country, my father wants me to be as regal and groomed as possible. He encourages my talents in sculpture, gymnastics, fencing, and I dabble a bit in the martial arts. Janin, my assistant, will tell you where you need to be and when. She’s a bit of a bore, but she gets the job done. My maid, Sora, also helps with some…special skills on the side. Purely for recreation.

My family and I are kept very well guarded at the castle, but you will, of course, be expected to attend meetings and events. During my absence, I’ve ensured that my schedule is light.

Anything Else We Should Know:
You’re a stand-in, so please don’t offer opinions. I’ve had subs in the past act strange, and my family was suspicious. I usually keep to myself, except with Sora, and my parents really don’t notice me much lately, so I doubt they’d pick up on odd behavior. But do make sure every member of my family and everyone on the staff sees you regularly. Sees you, but doesn’t hear you. Always keep track of where you have been and where you are. Don’t trust anyone outside of family and Sora—in fact, sleep with one eye open. Stay on your toes. And, of course, stay alive.

Um.

Uh.

Er.

So.

Okay?
Stay alive?
I had a feeling watching a million kung fu movies was not going to prepare me for this gig.

I had an awful thought. Was Façade trying to get rid of me? Because, sorry, most princesses talked about bullies or crushes. They didn’t foreshadow
mortal danger.

I pounded on Meredith’s wall. Her door flew open. “You look green.”

“You’re one to talk.”

“Why, thank you. I had a dye touch-up before the meeting.” Meredith patted her chartreuse hair. “Why are you pounding? What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

“What, no. I’m fabulous.” I jabbed Meredith with my manual. “I just love profiles that tell me to sleep with one eye open. Cozies me up like a nice security blanket.”

“You’re worried?” she asked, although her voice really said,
I can’t believe you’re worried or complaining.
Which, actually, is always what her voice sounded like. “You have nothing to worry about. She’s just being funny.”

“About death.”

“Death. Please. Genevieve obviously doesn’t think you need any more preparation. This job will be your chance to prove your worth, ensuring you’re Matched to a very desirable royal.”

“Wow. I feel much better about the whole I’m-going-to-die thing.” I gave Meredith an exaggerated thumbs-up. “Why don’t you drop me off right now?”

“About that.” Meredith braced herself against the doorway as her bubble landed. I pitched forward, but caught myself on her arm.

“We’re here,” I said.

“Maybe not the here you think. We’re at Façade. You’re not going to your next job in my bubble. You’re going in yours.”

“But I don’t have a bubble.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Your deductive reasoning really astounds me.”

“You mean…I get my own bubble?”

Meredith led me out of the entryway and into the Façade lobby. “Yes. Welcome to Level Three.”