Page 9 of Minnie: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

What if Amber fires me and stops watching Natty? What if she stops being my friend?

It’s bad enough being stuck in Silver Springs for the rest of my life. Being stuck here and being hated by literally everyone would be a whole lot worse.

Which is why I hear myself saying, “Fine. Natty and I will come. Even if cruises are totally lame.” And then, I dig my own grave, because if there’s one thing Formula M cares about it’s appearances. “Pick the best rooms and send me the deets. Money is no object.”

Amber lets out a happy squeal, and I wish the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

Chapter 5

Ashok

Silver Springs is even more fascinating than vampire DNA, and as a scientist, I don’t say that lightly.

I pick up Helix, my pet fuzzy, and the two of us gape out the tinted limo window as we pull into town. The streets are packed with supernatural creatures of all sorts, walking—or in some cases flying—right out in the open. A pixie flits past. A brunette in overalls who looks distinctly human wiggles her fingers and makes a mop and bucket levitate. A cop walks by wearing gloves, a ski mask, sunglasses, and gloves, which tells me he’s likely a vampire just like me.

An entire supernatural world hidden right out in the open, the human population none the wiser.

“It’s a supernatural paradise,” I tell the two secret agents occupying the limo. They’re both in their fifties, and look more like high school teachers than bodyguards, even though I’ve been told they’ll keep me safe if things go south. Not that I’m convinced, since apparently they’re both raccoon shifters, but the agency insisted they’re the right shifters for the job.

John leans across the limo and pats my shoulder. “Welcome to Silver Springs, Dr. Reddy.”

It’s the most he’s said to me since we got into the limo, and the other agent, Barb, hasn’t said a word since we were first introduced in Toronto yesterday at sunset. Granted, she dozed off as soon as we crossed the border from Canada into New York State, but she’s been up for at least a full half hour, all of which has been spent in silence.

To be fair, this is the first time I’ve said a word myself, but I never know what to say to people. I settle Helix on my lap and wrack my brain for a conversation starter. Luckily, an opportunity presents itself just down the street. “Is that a gorgon?”

John nods. Barb grunts. Conversation non grata.

The gorgon has black sunglasses, a white cane that he taps before him as he walks, and a group of snakes peeking out from beneath his black hat.

I look away, my gaze drifting across the street, and I gasp when I spot the exact same gorgon inside the cafe. “Did he just teleport?”

John answers that one without even looking. “Probably.”

I guess in Silver Springs, teleporting is a common occurrence. Wish I had that power. Then I wouldn’t have spent all night on the road, bored out of my mind. Being a vampire really sucks… literally. Just an endless thirst for blood, and no cool superpowers like levitation, teleportation, or invisibility.

The teleporting gorgon lounges back in a chair inside the cafe and scrolls through his phone, like he was always there. I glance back across the street, to the spot where he used to be… and he’s still there, talking to his snakes. They shift around on his head, and he pats one. It rubs affectionately against his palm in response.

What the hell?

I turn back toward the cafe, where an identical gorgon still sits. His snakes look almost limp in comparison. Maybe all gorgons look alike… and dress in identical clothes?

A flash of orange catches my attention as a cat races past and shifts into a man with a mop of red hair. He waves at a man who sneezes and shifts into a winged white horse. A hairy yeti wearing a hockey jersey nearly barrels into him, laughs, waves, and keeps walking. Like all of this is normal. Except that in Silver Springs, apparently it is.

I thread my fingers through Helix’s soft fur. “This place is insane.”

“You get used to it, Dr. Reddy.” John pulls out his phone. “It looks like we’re on schedule and your lab is all set up.”

I switch into work mode. “The fuzzies?”

“All fifty have been relocated. They’ve been fed and groomed. And the beaver is waiting for you.” He turns the phone and shows me the live footage from the security camera. I don’t like seeing rows of cages—even if they are a luxury edition, with soft beds and TVs to keep the fuzzies entertained—but until all of them are adopted, they’re safer locked up. “We’ve got state-of-the-art security. Anyone tries to break in, and we’ll have them on their way to Silver Springs Penitentiary in minutes.”

“I know the agency will do whatever it takes to keep the fuzzies safe.”

John nods. “We’ve notified the local police force, so they’re expecting trouble once we make our announcement.”

“When will we be doing that?”

“The campaign will launch tonight at sunset, since that’s the preferred time for our target demographic.” As in other bloodsuckers like me. “Your presentation is scheduled on Friday night. Also at sunset.”