Page 36 of Real

“I’ve never been inside the Den, but I was able to get some intel on it.” He pulls out a worn notebook and turns to one of the last pages. “The good news is, I think Buddy will be perfectly safe.”

It isn’t like Manny to dismiss danger so flippantly.

I sit next to him. “The best Illusors in the world work in that den. Our perception of reality will be completely at their mercy there. It’s dangerous.”

Manny leans back in his chair. “That’s exactly right. New York City is the only place in the United States where Illusors can apply for a license to sell their illusions legally. Every Illusor in that den had to compete with thousands of people for their job. And if they don’t make the cut, there are very few employment options available to them. Most people won’t hire Illusors, even for menial jobs. They usually make minimum wage doing back-breaking work no one else wants. They aren’t going to risk their dream job to hurt Buddy.”

I hadn’t thought about it like that. Most Illusors live in New Mexico, so I haven’t even met one before.

“I heard they trick people,” I say. Everyone knows Illusors are pickpockets. Their illegal illusion circuses in New Mexico are notorious for robbing people blind—literally.

“They might. Honestly, I don’t know any Illusors personally. But the Den of Dreams is very popular with the blue bloods in the area. Think about it. Would they go there if it wasn’t safe?”

Blue bloods is a colloquial term for the rich ice dragon shifters who live in New York. Manny is right. Blue bloods are paranoid about personal safety and maintaining their wealth.

“I understand why you’re concerned,” Manny says. “Buddy is clearly in questionable legal territory here, and that makes him vulnerable. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be cautious, but as long as we stick to my plan, I think Buddy will be okay.” He gets out a pencil and draws two boxes.

I hold back a smile. Manny and his diagrams. Back when we were all sharing an apartment, it was Manny who made the color-coded chore charts and grocery lists. He was also the one who figured out who would need to get what degree to run a halfway house for other displaced red wolf shifters, and how to get grant money for everyone’s education.

If he has a plan he thinks will work, I trust him.

“The den has ten floors. The puppet show is on the second floor. That’s where they negotiate private illusions with clients before they take them to the upper levels. The puppet show provides entertainment to clients while they wait.”

Manny draws a square within the second square and labels it “Puppet show.”

“How did you get this intel?” I ask, sitting next to him at the table.

“Like I said, the Den is popular with the blue bloods in the area.”

I’m not supposed to know that Manny is working for the ice dragon shifter who saved us from the pits. Officially, I’m not supposed to know he’s rescuing kids at all. I think most of the work he does is vigilante stuff he could get arrested for. That’s why Manny never tells me anything about the “nieces” or “nephews” he brings to my apartment who need a place to stay for a day or two before he figures out a legal way to get them to the sanctuary.

The kids often draw pictures of a blue dragon with a scar in the same place as the one who rescued me.

“If the Illusors are anticipating Buddy’s arrival, they may lead you up to the second floor without any trouble, but it would be a convenient time for them to isolate Buddy if that’s their plan. The staircase to the second floor isn’t even visible much of the time. The bottom floor is completely immersed in illusion while the Den is open. They only let you see the staircase if they want you to.”

Buddy sits in the seat next to me. “What do you mean ‘isolate me?’”

“They may try to separate you from H, and not just for malicious purposes. If the information they’re trying to give you is sensitive, they likely won’t want to get other people involved. I’m assuming you want H to be the one to go with you. I’d be willing if you’d prefer.”

Buddy shakes his head. A part of me is relieved, even though I’m sure Manny would be a better companion for something like this. I want to keep Buddy safe myself.

“I think H is a great fit for something like this. You’re… well, bigger. I think we should use you as a tether to keep Buddy anchored. I have a few ideas for that.”

At least my heft is good for something.

Manny writes a list of numbers next to his second box. “There are five senses. Sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Luckily for us, light magic can only manipulate one of them. Sight.” He writes the list of senses next to the numbers. “As you know, the Illusors are legally mandated to wear a tracker on their right leg that rings like a bell every time they take a step. For Illusors, the bells are meant as a warning to everyone around them that what they’re seeing may not be real. For this reason, the Den uses loud sound effects to mask the sound of their trackers. So we won’t be able to use sound to keep track of Buddy either.”

Manny takes out a roll of duct tape. “Touch is probably the most useful sense in this case. I can duct tape your hands and ankles together. You’ll have to move like you’re in a three-legged race, but it will clearly communicate to the Illusors that you won’t let him go. If we tape you tight enough, it will be impossible for them to swap someone else out without you noticing.”

Next Manny takes out a bottle of citronella oil.

“Why do you have that?” I haven’t taken my wolf form since I got my teeth implants twelve years ago, but I’m a still a wolf shifter. Citronella oil is repulsive to me.

“If Buddy wears this oil, you’ll be able to pick him out of a crowd, even without your eyesight. You’re a wolf shifter. Your sense of smell is an asset.”

I guess Manny is right. I’ll be able to smell that citronella from a mile away. I hate it when people spray it on their plants to keep mosquitos away. It’s incredibly distracting.

“The last sense is taste. Which I wasn’t sure how to use at first. But the taste of citrus is potent. If we dab Buddy’s forearms, neck, and cheeks with orange juice or lemon juice, you should be able to check that it’s him.”

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