Dr. Thornwick adjusted his enormous glasses. "Actually, the text mentions a 'Crystal of Harmonic Resonance' as the second trial, but we haven't decoded its location yet."
I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. "Of course it does."
"We should leave immediately," Fenric was already typing on his tablet. "I've assembled a detailed itinerary for the excursion, including optimal traffic routes."
"Hold up," Zane interrupted. "We can't just waltz into Sunset Meadows. They have strict visitor protocols."
"You've been there before?" I looked at the ex-demon bounty hunter in surprise.
Zane nodded. "I teach a senior yoga class there once a month. Trust me, those old-timers are powerful and particular about who enters their domain."
"So what do we do?" I picked up my coffee again and took a sip.
"We blend in," Zane grinned, a mischievous glint in his mismatched eyes. "I'll make a call."
Three hours later,I found myself walking through the immaculately landscaped grounds of Sunset Meadows Magical Retirement Community, trying not to gawk at my surroundings.
The place was beautiful with sprawling gardens filled with flowers that changed colors as you passed, fountains where the water flowed upward instead of down, and elegant buildings that seemed larger on the inside than physically possible. But what caught my attention were the residents.
An elderly centaur trotted slowly along a path, his white beard reaching almost to his hooves. A group of witches, their faces lined with wrinkles and their eyes bright with ancient power, played what looked like magical chess with pieces that argued about their moves. In a gazebo, a wizened old man with blue skin and gills was teaching what appeared to be water magic to a cluster of attentive goldfish.
Woah. This place was old people on crack.
"Remember," Fenric murmured beside me, dressed in a tweed jacket with elbow patches that made him look like a stuffy professor, "we're here to conduct a cultural enrichment program for the residents. That's our cover."
"Yeah, I got the memo," I wanted to flip him off but I didn't. The Bureau had hastily assembled disguises for all of us. I was wearing a "Magical Wellness Specialist" badge that kept changing its font every few minutes.
"Alright, team," Zane gathered us near a rose garden. He looked absurdly comfortable (and to be honest, adorable) in a bright orange visor and a polo shirt with the Sunset Meadows logo. "According to my contact, the Feather of Eternal Discord belongs to a resident named Wadsworth."
"Wadsworth?" Milo repeated, adjusting the fake mustache that was part of his "activities coordinator" disguise. "What kind of being is he?"
"A goose," Zane replied with a straight face.
I blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say a goose?"
Did he just say goose?!
"Not just any goose," Zane lowered his voice. "Wadsworth is a primordial chaos entity who's taken the form of a goose for the last few centuries. He's ancient, powerful, and by all accounts, an absolute jerk."
"Great," I sighed and rubbed my temples. "So we're here to steal a feather from an immortalchaos godwho happens to be a cranky goose?"
"We're not stealing it," Fenric looked horrified at the suggestion. "That would violate at least seventeen Bureau regulations. We're going to respectfully request it."
Oh. That would be so easy.
"And if he says no?" Rook looked supremely uncomfortable in his "maintenance staff" uniform, complete with a name tag that read "Bob."
"Then we go to Plan B," Zane shrugged.
"Which is?" I could feel my right eye twitching.
"No idea," he grinned. "But we'll figure it out when we get there."
"Excuse me," a quavering voice interrupted our huddle. We turned to find an elderly woman with silver hair and pointed ears regarding us with suspicion. "Are you the new activities people? You're standing on my prize-winning enchanted roses."
Fenric immediately stepped off the flowerbed, apologizing profusely. The roses hissed at him.
"Yes, ma'am," Zane smoothly took over. "I'm Zane, the yoga instructor. You might remember me from last month's 'Downward Facing Dragon' class?"
