Page 67 of Failed State

“Oh, I’m so sorry you have to deal with someone who repulses you.” The little rebel snarls into her cup, her brows furrowed as she makes sure not to meet anyone’s eyes. Her posture changes ever-so-slightly and I realize that reading her isn’t just about watching her face. She learned to control the amount of emotion shown there, but her body is full of clues if watched closely enough.

We’ll need to work on that, and I may be the one person who can teach her about it.

“Welcome to Social Media Savvy, team!”

The chipper human in charge of our team makes my teeth grind, but you’d never know it. I find the ones that pretend everything here is completely normal and not a horror show of the worst behavior in any species’ history to be the most egregious. At least the overtly evil guards who relish using cattle prods or the creepy types that Stormbringer likely serviced wear their lack of humanity on their sleeves. People like Krista are vacant automatons that accept the awful deeds of their kind because their own lives are more comfortable with it.

I want them to suffer even more than the others, because their apathy helped enslave every race that wasn’t theirs with a wink and smile.

Sydney bristles a little, I can tell, because her spine stiffens at the woman’s tone. Hiding the curl of my lips as I lean back and stack my head behind my hands, I clock the reaction of my other team members. The vampire is sneering—not at all unusual, so he’s off the hook to maintain deception in irritating environments. Thad looks bored as he, too, adjusts his bulk to fit into these stupidly small desk things. His indifference isn’t perfect, but easily honed. Stormbringer is flashing her his megawatt smile as a distraction, but I bet his eyes give him away. Of course, the demon is the very picture of relaxed, uncaring, good old boy lassitude.

Two skilled liars out of five aren’t unworkable. I’ll have to work with the ones who aren’t used to keeping things buttoned up, even while being physically harmed, like I am. Being inthe ‘lockdown’ quadrants of every camp I’ve been in makes me an expert on that, especially because the humans who chose not to hide their cruelty loved to focus their efforts on anyone with lineage in leadership. They believed it would keep us from rising up when it only encouraged a simmering hatred that lay dormant, waiting for a time like now.

Hence why I’m perfectly willing to be part of this miniature resistance, even if we are all destroyed by it.

“As we discussed in the last, more informal session, you are being groomed by your full slate of professors and techs to fit images that will allow you to gain as many raving fans as possible in the quickest time you can. Those numbers—both individually and as a team—will be important for many reasons. You have to be obsessed with them in order to succeed; there is no other way to climb the ladder in this situation.”

“That sounds… healthy,” Sydney remarks wryly.

Krista frowns for a second, then continues. “Your focus, when not on camera, needs to be nurturing, maintaining, and cultivating those fans so thoroughly that they will do anything, say anything, and give anything for your attentions, even from afar.”

Rory chuckles as he runs a hand through his hair, rumpling it perfectly. “You want us to create followings that would literally go to war for us if anyone were to attack, yes?”

Cute, mage. That smartass remark was awfully close to the fucking line.

“Yes!” Krista claps her hands with an excited expression. “We want you to whip them into such a froth that they will even go afterothercompetitor’s fans if theydareto speak ill of you. The crazier they are, the more likely they are to believe everything you say and do—without question. We don’t even want them tothinkabout it, only echo your every word.”

I watch the vampire pinch the bridge of his nose as the cheery woman describes the brainwashing Taterman used to get all the scared and dissatisfied humans to support his rise to dictatorship. Sebastian knows how easily led unhappy people are, especially when people perceived to be powerful pay attention to them. That’s the blood bag vamps don’t even have to use their mojo on.

“Isn’t that dangerous, darlin’?” Huck drawls as he stretches his legs out in front of him. “Whippin’ people into that level of obsession always gets the truly deranged on board. I assume we won’t always be in this camp as we’re promoting this little venture.”

Good fucking question, demon.

“It’s true that there may be off-campus events at some point, but there’s no way any of your devotees will get into the camps, the competition arenas, or slip past the military escorts you’d have for any non-camp based events. President Taterman, in his infinite wisdom, has decreed that all the players in the games will always be protected by both human and contracted magical means as they honor their species in competition.”

I want to snarl in frustration. Monroe was definitely testing the boundaries of our confinement and the possibility of slipping communication out of the dragnet. Krista’s eagerness to show that we’ll be ‘safe’ from any of the mouth-foaming loonies we’re supposed to court also illustrated how difficult it will be to get the true message into the world. Whoever they have planning their strategy for this is smarter than anyone in the administration has been before.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

SYDNEY

Nothingabout this training is making me feel any less apprehensive about the assholes in charge. It’s laughable that they’re sharing their fucking playbook for taking over America with those they put under their boot, but I’ve never assumed the people at the top had any self-awareness. In fact, I question that most of them even have a goddamn clue what most of these words mean. No, this strategy was developed by educated, slick puppet masters, especially since it was used to fool leaders of species that should have damn well known better.

I guess even supernaturals can have a blind spot with dangerous idealism.

“Syd, you okay?” Thad murmurs as we head for the next session. “Lunch is coming soon, if that’s what’s eating you.”

Arching a brow, I give him a stern look. “I’m not hangry—well, notjusthangry. This manipulation stuff makes my skin crawl.”

“Prefer the blunt ‘in your face’ honesty approach, mm?” Sebastian smirks at me knowingly. “That will work well in some situations, but a lot of this will be very Machiavellian. If the Games were simply ‘to the death’ fighting, it wouldn’t matter.But adding in this popularity aspect makes everything much more difficult. They’re giving us just enough training to get through the first round, I’d say. After that? We’re probably on our own.”

Huck nods as he lopes alongside me. “Reckon I agree with the mosquito. They won’t bother giving much in the way of training once the shitshow is up and running, sweet pea. That will leave us to fend for ourselves—total Darwinism in every aspect.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I sigh. “I know, guys. I’m not naïve enough to believe these dickheads are going to be helpful. In fact, I assume they’ll do all sorts of dirty shit to sway opinions in the direction they choose. I’m just adjusting my entire worldview to include everything I’ve learned since we were tapped.”

“Let her have the time to process when we are not in front of them.”

Turning to look at Elias over my shoulder, I give him a small, grateful smile. The dragon often interjects when the others are being too overbearing or too demanding. I didn’t expect it, but I appreciate it more than I can say out loud. “Exactly. I’m sure I’ll get my shit together soon, but I have to let this stuff simmer until it’s cooked.”

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