“So let me get this straight,” sixteen-year-old Felicity Chambers started as she stood at the edge of an old roadside motel parking lot somewhere in southern Wyoming, near the border with Colorado, “the whole plan to actually get me recruited by Crossroads is to make them jealous that some other group might recruit me instead?”

Her head shifted a little, as Tabbris, who was already inside her, took over briefly. “Yeah, that sort of makes it sound like Crossroads and Eden’s Garden are rival teenagers or something. ‘Meh, I don’t wanna date her, but I want you to date her even less! So she’s mine, all mine!’ I think there’s a movie like that.”

Her head straightened, Flick speaking once more. “I think there’s eighty-four movies like that. At least. But you know, we could put a more interesting spin on it.”

With a snort, Charmeine, or Aunt Charming as Flick and Tabbris had taken to calling her, lightly cuffed the girl upside the head. “Something like that. And both of you need to stop watching shitty Earth high school films. The point is, Ruthers and his ilk don’t want you anywhere near Crossroads. And Manakel isn’t exactly eager for that either. But they'll want Eden's Garden to have you even less than that. So, given the choice, they'll stake their claim. We just need to give Garden an excuse to recruit you that looks completely natural and unforced.”

“Which is where I come in.” That was twelve-year-old Casey Dunne, a recent Eden’s Garden recruit who was secretly a Natural Reaper Heretic (it was a long story). She and Charmeine had apparently become acquainted when both were attempting to kill the same target. Charmeine had promised to teach Casey everything she knew about being a ‘ninja’ as the girl put it, while Casey herself helped them get the attention of Eden’s Garden so they would try to recruit Flick. Since there was absolutely no connection (as far as any of the Boschers or other Seosten besides Charmeine knew) between Casey and Flick, it would look as natural as possible. Sure, some would be suspicious of any interaction with Joselyn Atherby’s daughter, but the point was to raise just enough reasonable doubt. Besides, if they were suspicious, it wouldn’t be of Casey herself. They’d think Flick and/or her missing mother had manufactured the meeting. Which would probably just help convince Ruthers and his people that they should bring her to Crossroads to keep a better eye on her anyway. At least, that was the idea.

“And you’re ready for this?” Charmeine prompted, giving the young girl an appraising look. “You’re not leaving it to the last second or anything, are you?”

Casey’s head shook. “It’s already done. At dawn, our teacher’s gonna bring me and my class one mile west, right over there. They’re supposed to show us how to catch a herd of Meshtertaek. But I tampered with the spells they put down to contain them to that area. So they’ll get out and start running wild.”

“And I have this.” Flick held up what looked like a piece of beef jerky, only it was a light blue color. “They’ll smell it from that far away and stampede over here. I’ll play the helpless victim who’s just here on a trip with the rest of my high school class.” She nodded toward the yellow buses on the opposite side of the lot. Her ordinary Bystander classmates were already asleep in their rented rooms, waiting to visit a bottling plant the next day. “The Eden’s Garden Heretics see me about to be trampled and swoop in to save me, but oh no, I’ve already got some of the Meshtertaek blood on me. Whoops, I’m a Natural Heretic. Bystander Effect is broken, and I can fake any of the abilities the Meshtertaek was supposed to give with the Seosten boost.” She gave a quick wink toward Charmeine herself then, considering the other woman was the source of those abilities. She was a Natural Charmeine Heretic, after all.

“Anyway, I do just enough to convince these Garden people I’d be a good recruit. All before they have any idea who I actually am. I mean, who my mom is.”

“And I’ll push them along,” Casey put in with a small smile that showed her teeth. “Hype up how cool you were under pressure, how useful you could be, and how I totally want credit for helping them find a new recruit. And since there’s no way to link me to you or your mom, it all looks natural. I mean, obviously suspicious people are gonna be suspicious, but it doesn’t give them much to work with.”

“Good,” Charmeine pronounced, “you’ve all got the general idea. Then Crossroads finds out Garden wants to pull you in, that you’re a Natural Heretic, and stake their original claim instead. Once you’ve been recruited and you’re part of the school, we’ll go from there. Well, once we’re sure the Committee and my own people aren’t watching too closely. That might take a few months. So be patient.”

Once again, Flick’s head turned a bit to the side as Tabbris took over to put in, “And then we move on to the next phase of Project Saving Mama! Err, I mean Mamas!”

A brief look of mixed pride and worry crossed Charmeine’s face then, as she firmly replied, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. We’re going to save them, I promise. Both of them. But we have to be careful. You can’t let them know you exist, kid. It… it wouldn’t go well for you. Either of you. Stay quiet, stay hidden. Don’t get in a rush. We take this whole thing one step at a time. First we have to make Crossroads recruit you. Then there’s several more steps before you actually get to where Sariel is. But yeah, we’re getting closer.

“And before you know it, those ‘steps’ we’re taking will be me putting my foot into Kushiel’s face over and over again.”

*****

“This is amazing.” Adopting an expression of mixed wonder, awe, and curiosity, Flick turned in a slow circle to take in the entirety of the Crossroads school grounds laid out in front of her. “We were just in Wyoming and now we’re… we’re… on an island?” A laugh of delight and disbelief escaped her. She didn’t even really need to fake it that much. “You weren’t kidding about that whole magic thing, were you?”

Standing a few feet back, Professor Dare offered a faint smile. “I truly was not. And this is only the beginning, Felicity. There’s quite a bit more to see, if you’re ready?” After a brief pause, she offered a hand to the young woman.

Some part of Flick wondered if there was some sort of test involved here. Surely Professor Dare didn’t literally hold the hand of every student she brought to this place and escorted around. But then, she was hardly an ordinary student, was she? Even less so than they thought, but even by their standards she was different. The Committee-- specifically Ruthers and his allies-- would be watching everything she did for awhile. They would probably expect her to try contacting her mother. So she was going to have to be careful. She had to look like an ordinary, clueless student for as long as possible. Only once those people stopped paying so much attention would they actually be able to start doing what they’d come here for.

So, she sent inwardly to her little sister/partner, I guess we go play tourist for awhile, huh? Think they’d laugh if I start taking pictures, or throw me in the brig because they think I’m planning some sort of invasion? While thinking all that, Flick accepted Dare’s offered hand and began to walk with her across the grounds. She made sure to let her mouth hang open in awe while looking around at everything. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. Aunt Charming had described this place many times, but seeing it was another thing entirely. Or maybe the fact that they’d heard so many stories made witnessing it in person even more awe-inspiring. Either way, it was incredible to be here.

We’re supposed to blend in, Tabbris reminded her. I mean, you are. They don’t know anything about me. I was thinking of finding some old white robes that’ll flutter in the wind really good and using a float spell to hover in front of peoples’ windows in the middle of the night just long enough for them to notice, then disappearing by recalling to you. I can be the Ghost of Crossroads! Oooohh woooooooh oooooh!

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Suppressing the urge to snicker, Flick chided her sister that they were both supposed to do everything they could not to draw attention. Then she followed Dare all the way to the lighthouse. It really was just like Aunt Charming had described so many times. This whole place was, really. She had made them go through every detail about the ground, the buildings, and the surrounding beach and jungle. Which included making them memorize the locations and trigger commands for no less than nine emergency evacuation spells scattered across the island. Those were spells the Seosten had put in place back when this school was first being set up to ensure they would always have a way out if things went wrong. In fact, there was one inside the very building they were walking inside of right then.

Doing her best not to even glance in the direction of the area under the stairs where that teleportation spell was hidden, Flick tilted her head to look up the way they were heading. “Uh, are there people up there? I hear voices.”

With a soft chuckle, Dare urged her onward. “Yes, that would be some of your new classmates. And I believe they’ve been anxiously waiting long enough.” Then she muttered something about the Committee and their voting taking too long under her breath before speaking up once more. “I apologize for not taking the time to better prepare you for today, Felicity. You should have been contacted months ago, and briefed over the summer so you’d know what was coming. But this is--well, there were extenuating circumstances. And the headmistress believes you can rise to the occasion, despite the less than ideal recruitment.”

Flick would’ve said something to that, particularly questioning the ‘extenuating circumstances’ (just because she wanted to know how much the woman would actually explain), or why the headmistress would have any opinion on her personally. But before she could, they reached the top of the stairs and she found herself facing a little over a dozen other teenagers who had all clearly been waiting for some time. As soon as Dare appeared, they started blurting out questions about whether it was finally time, how long was this going to take, could they take pictures of the ocean and send them home because the view from the lighthouse was amazing, and so on.

Dare, for her part, silenced them with a single raised hand. Then she asked a single, simple question. “Where is your guide? Tell me he didn’t wander off.”

“Oh, right here, Professor,” came the response from the lanky, dark-haired young man with olive-toned skin who stepped out of the crowd and into view. “Sorry, I was showing them how cool the jungle looks from up here.”

“That’s quite alright, Miles,” Dare assured him. “It is a rather spectacular view. But now that everyone’s here, let’s move on.

“It’s time to introduce all of you to the Heretical Edge.”

*******************

So, now she was a Boscher on top of being a Natural Charmeine Heretic. This part was actually pretty exciting. Yes, she was here on a mission. They had very important jobs to do while they were at Crossroads, and yet that didn’t take away from the sheer awe of the situation. She had been hearing all about what Boschers could do for so long. Granted, it was while Aunt Charming had been trying to drill the idea of how bad this could be if they fucked up into their heads, but she still managed to impress upon Flick and Tabbris that Boscher Heretics were incredibly dangerous. Which meant Flick herself was now dangerous. Well, even more dangerous than she had already been after several years of training.

Heh, yeah, dangerous. In some ways, Flick knew, she was as dangerous to herself as she was to anyone else. Because there were people and things out there that could squish her like a bug. So now really wasn’t the time to get cocky. Even if she did feel like they could take on the world right then. The giddiness of finally being here, of finally reaching the next step in a plan that had been going on for so long, it made her feel like they could take on anything and anyone. She was going to have to be careful about that, especially without Charmeine here to remind her about the dangers.

Don’t worry, Tabbris silently assured her as they walked through the crowd of other students excitedly checking out their own dorms, if you forget, I’ll help remind you. And if it makes you feel better, I can say, thirty push-ups for lip, Chambers! Her mental voice approximated Aunt Charming’s almost disturbingly well.

By that point, they had reached the door to what would be their home for the next… however long this took. Flick was still snickering at her little sister’s teasing as she reached out to check the knob. Sure enough, the heavy, ruby-colored key in her pocket did the trick and unlocked the room just by being near it. Just in case anyone was actually paying attention, she made sure to gasp a bit, reaching down to feel the key there. She even played it up a bit by walking a few feet away, setting the key down on the floor, then went back to try the door again. Yeah, it was locked. While others were already moving into their rooms and calling back and forth to each other about how cool they were, Flick took a moment to test just how close the key had to be to the door to make it unlock. It felt like something she would do if all of this really was brand new to her.

Finally satisfied that anyone spying on her would believe she didn’t know anything about this stuff, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, eyes scanning for a roommate. It wouldn’t be one of the other Bystander-kin, they’d put her and all the so-called Silverstones (because Clueless, hardy har har) with someone who actually knew things and could help ease them into this sort of life.

And yet, the room appeared to be void of anyone else. There was no one standing around waiting for her, though one of the beds had obviously been claimed considering the suitcase sitting on it. So, Flick just moved to sit on the other one and made herself take a few deep breaths as she allowed the realization that this was finally real wash over her. There were no more drills, no more practice runs, she was here. They were here. If they screwed this up, it was over. They wouldn’t get another shot at this. Even if they escaped, everything would be so much harder. But they weren't going to screw up. They were going to do their job, and find and save both of their mothers. Charmeine didn’t know what had happened to Joselyn Chambers any more than Flick or her father did. But she did know who Joselyn had been before, and why she was there in Laramie Falls living a seemingly ordinary life. If someone from Crossroads, or from the old Rebellion, was responsible for making her disappear again, this was the best place to start in finding out. Especially considering the people who would be paying attention to Flick now. They would be spying on her, and she could, in turn, spy on them. At least, that was the idea.

And if it turned out that no one connected to Crossroads had any idea where her mother was… well, she’d figure out what to do from there. Besides, getting strong enough to actually do what needed to be done to save both of their mothers was the next real step. And now that she was a Boscher, getting stronger was just a matter of time. All she had to do was breathe, not let herself get overwhelmed, and remember that she wasn’t alone. No matter what happened, she had her partner.

Right, Tabs? she sent inwardly, needing that reassuring presence.

Uh huh! came the instant reply. We’ll find our mamas and save them, and anybody who gets in the way can just--

In that moment, the door opened once more, as the girl who was obviously Flick’s new roommate stepped inside. She was carrying a glass of ice water in each hand, and held one out that way. “Oh hey, you made it. I just thought you might need a drink after going through the Edge. I know it made me thirsty before.”

For just a moment, Flick took in the sight of the girl she would be sharing a room with for however long this mission lasted. She was a couple inches shorter, a pretty girl with short black hair, wearing the pants version of the Crossroads school uniform, with the red trim signifying her as part of the Explorers track.

Not that Flick was supposed to know that yet, she reminded herself.

Taking the offered water, she gulped some down while gesturing to the other bed. “Guess you’re my roomie, huh? I didn’t know we were supposed to bring luggage. Then again, I didn’t know this place existed until… uhh, a couple hours ago?”

“Wow, you’re Felicity Chambers, huh?” the other girl realized. “I heard they were doing a whole vote to see if you should even attend, but not really any details. What was all that about?”

Was she fishing, or was this just ordinary curiosity? Flick wasn’t sure, especially with so much of Charmeine’s paranoia running through her mind in that moment. So, she simply shrugged. “I dunno, they didn’t tell me anything. I guess some of them really didn’t want me around? Maybe they talked to some of my old teachers first?” After a brief pause, she shook her head. “Nah, then none of them would’ve voted to let me come. I asked Professor Dare, but she just said it was some sort of formality. Like maybe they almost took in too many students?”

“Huh,” her new roommate murmured. “Maybe. Anyway, welcome to Crossroads.” She extended her free hand with an easy smile. “You’re gonna like it here, trust me. If you’ve got any questions, and you absolutely will because this place is insane, just ask.”

“Thanks.” Taking the offered handshake, Flick asked, “What was your name again?”

The other girl blushed. “Oh, right, duh. Sorry, guess that’s kinda important too. And a little different. See, I’ve been going by Jenna around here.

“But the truth is, my name is Denuvus.”