Chapter 4
A NATURAL BORN SPY… OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT
MORGAN
“Dun, dun, dun-dun. Dun, dun, dun-dun,” I hummed as I guided my rental vehicle toward the front doors of the expensive hotel.
Timberview Resort was everything you could want for a picturesque alpine escape. I’d been vibrating in my seat as soon as it’d come into view. With its snow-capped roofs and thick spirals of smoke curling above the chimneys, it was every wonderful, winterish stereotype rolled into one.
The massive rough-cut timbers and the dark gray limestone finishes oozed rugged charm. The website promised the rustic and untamed aesthetic was limited to the outside, and a much more civilized and luxurious experience awaited me inside. I couldn’t wait to find out if that was true.
Just call me Cinderfella. Because after all the shit I’d endured for the last few years, I deserved a little luxury, right?
Oops… I’d promised myself I wasn’t going to think about “all the shit”. It’d just upset me, and that was the last thing I needed at the start of my mission. It was better to pretend everything was glitter and rainbows, at least until I found what I needed to find.
Everything would be better after that. I knew it would.
I only wished I was here for some Hallmark-worthy experiences, too.
Those would really take my mind off bad things, because I didn’t care what Violet said, I would be brilliant at skiing or snowboarding or making snow angels.
And it’d be awesome to find a sexy small-town lumberjack to check out my wood.
I snickered.
“Maybe you shouldn’t sing the Mission: Impossible theme song when you get out of the car,” Violet’s voice blasted into my ear.
“Ouch!” I winced. These earbud things were wickedly powerful, like me—at least that’s what I told myself in the mirror every morning.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. And it’s not a car. It’s a sport utility vehicle. Now, hush,” I whispered. “The valet is coming over, and the way he’s moving I bet he’s a wolf.” With super-duper hearing was left unsaid, you know, in case the wolf with the super-duper hearing heard it.
Besides, Violet wasn’t supposed to talk to me when I was on a mission, mostly because I had a devil of a time not replying to her.
And I was already going to draw enough attention in my costume.
No, Violet said I shouldn’t call it a costume.
It was a disguise, like Sherlock Holmes wore when he was investigating.
The little communications thingamabob was discreetly tucked into my ear, so if someone saw me talking, they’d think I was talking to myself. I didn’t see the problem with that, because didn’t everyone talk to themselves? But apparently that was a no-no.
I sighed. Why did people have so many weird rules to follow?
Besides, wasn’t this weekend supposed to be filled with rule-breakers? You know, the kind of people who dabbled in a few too many black magic spells. Why would talking to myself be seen as stranger than that? You’d think I’d fit in if I was a little odd too.
They didn’t need to know I was like this naturally and had never worked a spell in my life.
Evidently evil people couldn’t be too obviously eccentric, and Violet thought I was already edging up to too eccentric without appearing to monologue too.
I doubted the supes at these events would care either way.
But Violet was bossy, and sometimes it was easier just to do as she suggested rather than try to change her mind.
Speaking of Violet, why hadn’t she replied? I patted my ear. Uh oh. Had I lost the connection? Or was she doing as I asked? She hummed softly, as if reading my mind.
Phew. She was still there.
“Show time,” I whispered under my breath as I opened the door.
The SUV was a lot higher from the ground than Violet’s old compact hatchback, which is what I usually drove, but that was part of the show. Big-supe energy needed a big black SUV. Sadly.
It was just so sad that all these dangerous and scary types favored so much black.
If they were as mighty as they pretended, they could do anything and wear anything, and yet they still always picked blah and boring black.
Why couldn’t they like lemon yellow? Or lilac purple? Or anything really, other than black.
I managed to step out of the ridiculously high vehicle without falling.
I adjusted my cloak with a snap of fabric.
It was a bit like a superhero’s cape, and I was thrilled with it.
Then I tossed my keys to the valet, just like Violet and I had practiced.
So much practice. I was not athletic. At all.
I almost hooted in victory when the keys shot through the air in a perfect arc and landed in the guy’s hand.
“My bags are in the back,” I said, mentally adding the word please. I couldn’t say it aloud, though. That wouldn’t fit my fake-o persona of being a badass mage.
“Of course, sir,” the valet said.
I was killing this.
I marched into the lobby with efficient and practical steps. Yes, yes. All steps were practical because they moved you from Point A to Point B, but just like the black SUV, these steps were all part of the show. No bounces. No butt wiggles. No extra movements at all.
It wasn’t all bad, though. My steady steps made my cloak sway nicely. But wouldn’t it be amazing to see it flare out? The massive lobby was empty enough that if I twirled in here, my cloak wouldn’t hit anyone.
But that would be fun, and fun was forbidden. A sigh was a breath away from escaping. I smothered it. Ha! Look at me being all ruthless!
The woman at the reception desk raised her eyebrows when she saw me. Her eyes bulged ever so slightly as she admired me from top to bottom. I was impressive, so I was glad she noticed. She plastered a smile on her face.
“Hello, sir,” she said. “How can I help you? Are you checking in?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Name?”
“Rudy Tada.” I didn’t say it was my name, so I wasn’t technically lying. I hated lying. It always gave me an ugly, bumpy red rash.
“Of course, Mr. Tada.” Her fingers danced across her keyboard. “Here it is. We have you staying for three nights, is that correct?”
“Yes.” I clenched my teeth to stop myself from saying anything more.
Violet and I had practiced that too, because I tended to talk when I was nervous and when I wasn’t nervous too. Really, I just liked talking and dancing and all the fun things. But I couldn’t mess this up.
Even now, the back of my neck tingled, so someone must be watching. Violet had warned me the event organizers would have lots of security people milling about, and that some of them would be dressed like normal, regular people. That was super sneaky of them.
“Perfect. Now I need a credit card and a piece of ID to finish up.”
Wordlessly, I passed over my fake credentials. Again, I didn’t say they were mine, and she didn’t ask for my information. But the whole transaction was making me a touch itchy. Then again, that might be my wig.
Would the cards hold up? None of the other markets I’d attended had required us to produce identification, so this would be the first real test.
She swiped my cards off the counter and typed the information into her computer.
When she passed them back, she was still smiling.
Either she was excellent at hiding her emotions—which, based on the face she’d made when she first saw me and my magnificence, I doubted—or everything was going according to plan. Excellent.
I almost rubbed my hands together and cackled.
I didn’t, though. Violet would have my hide if I did that.
A bellhop pushed a shiny golden luggage cart up beside me.
My brand-new, expensive, and drearily black luggage was all neatly arranged on it.
Well, there were only two pieces, but they still looked tidy sitting beside one another.
The man gave my parking information to the desk clerk and passed me a chit.
Before I knew it, the bellhop and I were on our way to my room on the third floor.
I’d wanted a room on the main floor or at most the second floor, but it turned out the guest rooms didn’t start until the third floor, so that’s what I’d been given.
If I had to make a hasty escape, I doubted I could jump from that height and walk away unscathed.
So, I’d need to find other escape routes. And didn’t that sound terribly tedious?
With some difficulty, I ignored the bellhop while we rode up in the elevator.
I didn’t talk to him as he unloaded the cart either.
Man, it was hard to be so rude. I merely tucked a few dollars into his hand before he left.
Had I given him enough? I had no idea. He didn’t pout or hold out his hand for more, so I took that as a promising sign.
As soon as the door was shut, closing me in my room, I shimmied until my cape bounced.
“Yes! I’m so absolutely amazing at this,” I said.
I punched the air, then I sashayed over to the window to take in the view. It didn’t disappoint. Mountains surrounded us, so I doubted there was a bad view in the whole place.
There was a lot more snow here than at home, but I guessed that’s what happened in the mountains.
The sparkly white fluff made everything look like a winter wonderland.
The only thing that could have improved the view was a bit of sunshine, instead of the dull gray clouds blotting out the sky.
The weather app on my phone had been predicting a blizzard for the last few days, but it hadn’t come yet.
I wondered if those clouds meant it was finally hitting today.
“V?” I asked when my cousin didn’t say anything. “Did you hear all that? I was amazing, right?”
“You did good, Mo-Mo,” Violet said. “Keep it up all weekend, and you’ll be golden.”
“I’m a natural. It’ll be as easy as walking and talking.”
“You are not a natural. And walking and talking are the problems.”
“Pshaw,” I said. “Okay. I’m going to go check out the place. See if everything matches the information we found online.”
“Be careful. And check your wig and makeup before you leave your room.”
“Oh, right,” I said, scurrying over to the massive mirror hanging over the dresser.
I didn’t see anything amiss, but I pulled the hood of my cloak over my head anyway, just in case. I looked so freaking badass. I held up my hands like claws and bared my teeth at my reflection.
Awesomely ferocious.
See? Even a unicorn could be a monster sometimes.
“Everything is where it’s supposed to be,” I told her. “So, I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Morgan.” That was her I’m-being-serious tone. “We’re doing this together, remember? Now, quit scratching your head before you wreck your wig.”
I reluctantly pulled my hands away from my head. How had she known? “You don’t have to do this, V. I can do a little recon on my own.”
Violet snorted. “You didn’t even know what recon was until I explained it to you.”
I grinned. “But I’m a fast learner.”
“You’re something, all right,” she muttered.
“I’ll at least stay with you while you walk the halls, in case you get lost. But remember, you’re only going to find what you need and get out of there.
No dawdling or getting distracted. I’ve booked you a dinner reservation at the hotel restaurant.
You’re going to eat and leave. Got it? Don’t stay out of your room for too long tonight.
We both need our beauty sleep, and you need to charge your earbuds. ”
“I won’t,” I promised.
“Ready?”
I made my hands into little guns and pointed them at the mirror. I was so totally mission ready, it wasn’t even funny.
Then I spun in a circle until my cloak flew out around me. I grabbed the corners of the cape and flapped my arms like wings. Look at me. I’m Pegasus.
Little bubbles of happiness exploded through me, but I didn’t let any escape. I had such an amazing feeling about this. It was going to be spectacular. I did one last shimmy before letting my cloak settle back into place again.
I grinned, feeling better by the moment. If I scheduled regular shimmy breaks, I would be fine. I didn’t know what Violet was worried about.
“Dun, dun, dun-dun. Dun, dun, dun-dun.”
“We talked about this, Mo-Mo. Silence is your friend,” she scolded.
I ignored her as I reached for the door.