Page 83 of Failed State

Unfortunately, that adjustment is required on the heels of a lot of other jarring changes in her world and it’s very stressful. Centuries of evaluating warriors and comrades tells me she will rise above it all and that Sydney is going to be extremely powerful. So I am doing my best to balance the scales as our team becomes a unit—genuine leaders know when to step back and let their soldiers make decisions they can learn from. That’s my goal in placating both sides until we’re copacetic, and I will continue until it no longer works.

“This class is going to be a snooze fest again,” the mage says loudly. “I don’t see the point of it. They can lecture us on this stuff, but with so many people in one room, the message gets lost.”

My lips curve as I wait for someone to correct him. I know why they are holding this class in the fashion they chose, but I want to see if any of the others have figured it out.

Sydney coughs, then replies, “Uh, I think… Someone tell me if I’m off-base, but I think they’re only pretending to teach this stuff in the lecture. I think it’s actually a lab.”

The bear makes a confused sound and I grin quietly. “A lab? Like in high school when we had the lecture part and then we had labs to do the actual experiments live to test things?”

“Yep,” the little rebel says, her voice getting firmer as she goes on. “I think this is like a… psychological lab? And they’re lecturing about similar stuff to what we learn in stupid Chantelle’s class, but they want us touseit when we’re all in forced proximity with the other teams. You know, to prepare for what we’ll have to do in social situations when this bullshit starts.”

Bingo, little rebel.

“Sweet pea, that’s downright devious,” the demon says. His voice breaks the silence that followed her statement, and I’m pleased that he’s the one who gave credence to her theory. Sydney will listen to him more easily than she will the vampire or mage, and if she is to be our center, we need her to be confident in leading.

“I agree,” Sebastian says, and I hear one of the showers shut off. “It is a practical application of many of our sessions, and they cloak that intent by lecturing. What they really want is for us to gather as much information about how the various teams and their members behave as we can.”

Thad sighs and I know the big shifter is probably frustrated. He doesn’t have a disingenuous bone in his body, but our current circumstances are forcing him to learn that as much as they are making Sydney find her way. “I will not be useful for that. I just don’t see that shit the way some of you guys do. Butif you’re all right, then we need someone to help build profiles of the teams and players as we find things out.”

Ah, very true. More strategic than I would have expected from him.

“We should have some of us watching and taking notes and others in charge of building that into a database outside of the session.” My statement is firm, but with just enough flexibility that it doesn’t sound like an order. That will make it easier for the more aggressive members to get behind.

I hear softer steps leave the tiled area, and I know Sydney has completed her routine. “I think Elias’s idea is good. Who wants to do what? We all need to learn the ‘watch and dissect thing’, but I’m not sure this is the best place for someone who isn’t good at being in charge.”

“Does that mean we should have people who read others well watching others and the others collating data?” Rory asks, as his spray shuts off next to me.

He’s the second one to finish, and I believe Huckleberry was the first. They’re good choices to face the little rebel first as we head to the class; it won’t bring up the memory of her blood being scented last time. The rest of us cannot pretend we didn’t know simply by virtue of our biology and she knows it. It’s a delicate balance, helping her move past the minor issues that she runs into because her neglectful father and the humans taught her absolutely nothing about life.

Turning off my spray, I make certain to be loud enough when I move that Sydney knows what’s coming. Then I say, “We should have Rory and Sebastian watch people. Perhaps Huck as well. Then the bear, the little rebel, and I can put it all together for us.”

When no one argues, I smile to myself, pleased that I am successfully using my skills as a Prince once more.

“The best way to infiltrate a group is to make yourself indispensable to them.”

I arch a brow at the coach for the all magic user team skeptically. Perhaps that works if you have things the targets will need—influence, materials, wealth—but it will not work with those you cannot service. There are always people you need that do not need you, and often, they are the ones who will benefit you the most if you can turn them. It’s simple asset evaluation, and the handler for the spell jockeys is ignoring a very important subset in his statement.

Sighing, I look over at the vampire and he, too, looks irritated with the claim. His kind definitely know how to influence others, even without using their given powers. I have never met a bloodsucker who wasn’t extremely skilled at manipulation, both verbally and non-verbally. Obviously, having the ability to use compulsion helps, but I believe they often grow bored with the lack of challenges that skill provides.

His voice is low as he murmurs, “That is one way, but there are many others. Infiltration is an art, and it has as many techniques as there are beings on the planet. This joker is explaining it from a very human perspective and we should remember that we arenothuman.”

“Gee, I hadn’t noticed,” Sydney cracks and I grin.

The demon pats her hand, leaning back in his chair as he scans the room surreptitiously. “You can tell the supes in here that are closer to that line than others. They all nodded eagerly at that little gem o’ knowledge while the less human-adjacent folks looked a bit huffy.”

“They should,” Thad says as he carefully prints notes with his stylus pen. “Even I’m aware that was, at best, misleading. Getting into a group has to do with emotions and using them to evoke reactions. Once they’ve labeled you as one of them, keep pushing that button.”

That came out of nowhere, but it is very astute.

“How do you know that, Calvin?” the vampire asks curiously as he continues eying a group of demons and shifters at the front of the room.

Thad shrugs as he continues writing things down. “There are not enough bears in Tempest Seven for individual sleuths by actual type. The alpha that runs ours has to use some of this stuff to help integrate different bear species into one group. We’re all very different, especially the lesser known kinds, so….”

Sydney looks surprised, frowning at him briefly. “You never told me that.”

“Well, you didn’t have a group except for Huck and me. It always seemed to make you sad, but you didn’t want to talk about it. So I tried not to discuss political stuff, you know?”

Her expression is shocked, then sad as she sighs. “Okay, yeah. I get that. You guys were doing the whole ‘protective’ thing, and I was too caught up in my shit. I’m going to feel like a real idiot as this stuff keeps getting revealed to me, but… don’t stop telling me, okay?”

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