“You know, if we weren’t being paid a bonus per beast we bring in, I wouldn’t bother. These things are heavy,” Sera said as she and Naomi loaded the wolves into the back.

“And their saliva stings,” commented Naomi.

“It’s the fuel that ignites the fire they breath.” Sera pulled out some more bags. “Double-bag them?”

“Yeah,” Naomi agreed. “And pray the van doesn’t get hit by a fireball on the drive back to Mayhem.”

Most people didn’t have to worry about being attacked by fireballs while driving down the highway, but Sera had long since given up hope of being like most people. Her unusual birth had pretty much negated any chance at a normal life.

Sera and Naomi continued loading. By the time Cutler returned with the rest of the beasts, Sera’s muscles were tired. Looking at the huge pile of wolves he’d brought back didn’t just make her body hurt; it made her head hurt too. Math had never been her strong suit, and right now her brain was going dizzy with hopeless calculations.

“How are we ever going to fit all these beasts in the van?” she asked.

CHAPTER NINE

Back to Mayhem

THE ANSWER TO the monster equation was stacking. They laid the bagged wolves out flat and stacked them in the back. Three of the fairies went back there too. The other two sat in the front with Sera and Naomi.

“I’m tempted to snap a photo of this touching moment,” Cutler said from the driver’s seat.

“Just keep your eyes on the road and look out for fireballs,” said Sera.

“Fireballs?”

“The wolves’ spit is flammable,” she told him, adjusting the sleeping fairy on her lap. How did she get herself into these situations?

Their seating arrangement was uncomfortable to say the least. On the other hand, they’d know right away if their prisoners woke up and then Naomi could magic them back to dreamland. Or Sera could just hit them in the head. That worked too.

But there was no need for that. The fairies slept the whole drive back to Mayhem, and none of the beasts spontaneously rose from the dead. That was a win in Sera’s book. Big or small, victories didn’t come easily nowadays, so Sera was going to count every one that she could.

She’d called ahead, so when they drove into Mayhem’s big garage the disposal guys were waiting. They took one look at the pile of monsters in the back, then let out a collective sigh.

“Things were a lot quieter back when Sera was gone,” one of them commented under his breath.

Right, as though it was her fault that crazy fairies had enchanted a pack of monsters to attack humans in the woods.

Naomi wrapped her arm around Sera. “Don’t listen to them. They’re only happy if they’re complaining. They were moaning about how bored they were when you were gone. You bring in the best monsters.”

“Thanks. Uh, I think.”

Naomi chuckled, grabbing the bag of notebooks as Cutler floated the unconscious fairies into one of the cells at the back of the garage.

“How long before the Council picks them up?” Sera asked.

The bars of the cells were made of iron, which bounced magic like nobody’s business. They should be enough to hold the fairies. But Sera still wanted those prisoners out of here as soon as possible. Anyone allied with Alden was bad news, definitely not someone she wanted close by.

“A few hours maybe,” Cutler said.

“That’s absurd.” Naomi’s eyes flashed from blue to gold. “Every minute they are here, they’re putting all of Mayhem in danger.”

Sera nodded in agreement.

Cutler shrugged. “The Council has always been weighed down with bureaucracy, a problem they only exacerbate by continuously taking on more than they can handle.”

They entered the main lobby of Mayhem, which was sizzling with activity today. Mercenaries crossed the glossy marble floor, moving with purpose. Sera beelined for the snack bar in the corner. It was always well-stocked with pastries, fruit, and other delicious treats. She grabbed a muffin from the counter. Technically, the snack corner was for Mayhem’s clients only, but she hadn’t had more than a granola bar for breakfast. Between the fights with the wolves and fairies, and hauling beasts into the van, she was absolutely famished.

Fred, the guy who ran the coffee and snack area, didn’t protest when she swiped a triple chocolate muffin. He just gaped at her in silence. True, she wasn’t a pretty sight at the moment, her clothes drenched in blood and monster goo. Her shirt was also burnt around the edges from the fire the beasts had set off. But Fred had seen her in worse shape over the years. She’d even once come in from a job covered in a slimy layer of blood from head to toe, and he’d just calmly informed her that the hot water was working again in the showers.

But that had been back when he’d thought she was human. Ever since it had come out that she was a mage, he no longer felt that previous sense of unity with her, two humans in a magic-flooded world. He felt betrayed. At least she thought that’s what he felt. She’d had to read between the lines of silence and that pained look on his face he got whenever he saw her. He hadn’t spoken a word to her in months, but his eyes were full of enough accusations to fill the Magic Council’s rulebook.

Naomi grabbed a muffin too and winked at Fred. He blushed. Naomi had a way with people—especially guys. They all doted on her. She had that sweet-on-the-outside-but-spicy-on-the-inside look going on. She didn’t even have to try. She just charmed everyone.