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“There’s only one way to find out.”
There were some situations in which it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission, but I was new to this department, and I didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot—or wing—with Sam by going rogue. We went outside and found him on the awning, where he kept an eye on the street outside. Trish and I outlined our idea and our proposed plan.
“I doubt it’s too risky,” I concluded. “After all, they’re after magic users, and we’re not magical. They don’t seem to be into physical violence, and there have been no signs that they’ve made anyone disappear.”
“And how do you propose to go about infiltrating this organization?” he asked.
“There was an e-mail address on the card. I can try that.”
He flapped and refolded his wings. “Lemme run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes.”
“Seriously, Sam? What’s the risk?” I asked.
“That you could be traced to this company. Which, so far, no one seems to know about. You’d think if they knew there was a massive magical corporation, that would have shown up in their writings. If you get caught and exposed, your employer may be, too.”
“Surely it’s not that easy,” I argued. “I have that fake employer name to put on things like credit applications. I hope our front is strong enough to survive a check.”
“As I said, I’ll see what the boss has to say.”
“And by boss, you mean Merlin, not Owen, right?”
“Palmer’s not in the chain of command on this one.”
“Good.” Owen had a lot of faith in my abilities, but after my last undercover assignment, I suspected he’d be perfectly happy for me to never leave my office. He was one to talk, considering the danger he’d been in so many times since I’d known him. I was more likely to be rescuing him than the other way around.
“What do you think the boss will say?” Trish asked as we returned to the security office.
“I have no idea. I don’t get the impression that Sam is going to be much of an advocate.”
Much to my surprise, I got the green light. Now I just had to think of a way to meet up with these people in person. I sent an e-mail—under a fake identity—to the address on the business card the woman at the bridal sale had given me. I used that same identity to post a few comments on the blog, along the lines of, “Hey, I’ve seen something like that happening. Didn’t realize it was magic. That expla
ins so much!”
Owen and I went out to dinner that night. I hadn’t yet told him about my assignment, and it was the sort of thing that was difficult to discuss in public. Still, he knew something was up. “You’re awfully excited.”
“Let’s just say I got an interesting new task at work.”
“It’s not what I think it is, is it?”
“No, I’m not redecorating the ladies’ restrooms,” I teased with a grin.
“You’re dealing with those people?”
“Not yet, but I may try to. Trish, too. We have a theory that the person behind all this might be like us, just needing some validation, or to feel sane again, and if we can deal with that, if there is someone out there taking advantage of that for their own agenda, that may foil their plan. And don’t tell me to be careful. That makes it sound like you don’t have any faith in me.”
“I’ll have to remember that the next time you tell me to be careful.”
“With me, it’s more about talking to strangers. With you, it tends to be possibly blowing up the city.”
“Speaking of which, did you have any thoughts on wedding party favors?”
“I don’t really see what that has to do with blowing up the city. And, wow, a groom who’s actually interested in wedding plans. You really are a unicorn, aren’t you?”
He turned slightly pink, but shrugged and said, “More like I don’t want to be nagged mercilessly by your roommate who has appointed herself our wedding planner.”
Talking about party favors was far safer public discourse than magic was, and although I’d teased Owen, I was apparently interested enough that I didn’t even think about my new assignment until I neared the subway station the next morning and ran into someone handing out fliers.
While most New Yorkers had developed techniques for avoiding those things, I generally liked taking them. Most of them were for bargain shoe sales or comedy shows, but you never knew what you’d get. In my first year or so in the city, I’d managed to have something resembling a social life outside my apartment just through discounts and coupons from fliers. Besides, I felt kind of sorry for the people trying to hand them out. They needed a moment or two of success every so often.
