Page 2 of Moon Tamed

Sila meant well, however, even when she drove me mad.

My friend rubbed her hands together. “They’re pretty nice to work for. While most of them are predatory shifters, they’re respectful of time and energy. It helps they can smell fatigue and frustration. They understand a happy worker is a better worker. They stop problems before they become problems as a general rule. The male temps get the short straw, as they get into pissing contests with the Hunters. Us women? We already know how to avoid the pissing contests. We win when we don’t play the game.”

When Sila began spouting sexist nonsense, it often sourced from an unpleasant evening with her latest suitor. “Did you have a bad date last night?”

“It was horrible. Who knew a Legacy researcher could be so clueless? I educated him, but there won’t be a second date. He was so dry I thought about asking him to do my laundry.”

The few times I’d dated a Legacy member, I’d emerged better educated but lacking in the basic relationship department. Members of Legacy lived for the pursuit of old knowledge. Intellectual company appealed to me, but I also longed for the other facets of a good relationship, including physical affection, sweet nothings, and someone I could be around in safety and comfort.

Still, Legacy members could be taught, and I’d met more than a few who were kind to a fault but oblivious. “Maybe you should give him a second try, Sila. You bothered to educate him. Why not benefit from your tutoring? Is he nice?”

“He is disturbingly nice,” she complained.

Well, some problems had simple solutions. “Teach him to get a little rough with you, then.”

“I might. He texted me this morning. I replied that I was getting my work assignment. You think I should try him again?”

“He’s nice and can be taught, Sila. Find out if he cooks and cleans. If so, he might be the perfect man.”

“You make a good point.” Sila sighed, dug out her phone, and tapped at the screen. Once finished, she said, “There. I told him that, assignment allowing, I’m free most nights this week if he’d like to get together. This might be for the best. I was about to hit up someone from Moonward.”

I winced. Of Moonriver’s factions, Moonward attracted ambitious men and women with an interest in magic. Witches made up most of the membership, but they accepted all types. “Dangerous dates are not wise, Sila.”

“I’m looking for love. That is the definition of dangerous.”

No kidding. Before I could reply, our manager rang his little silver bell so he could deliver the news—and reveal who would be assisting the Hunters. “I’ll keep this as short as possible, as we have a busy day. I already drew the name for the Hunters contract while you gossips talked up a storm.”

When Almon Friarin went the route of serious efficiency, we had a significantly higher than normal number of jobs on our plate.

“Today is going to be fun,” Sila predicted.

I huffed but refrained from cursing. “Sure. It’s going to be about as fun as a lobotomy.”

Before I could make further commentary, our boss said, “Line up for your assignment. You’ll just have to accept I won’t be turning our job into a circus today. Maybe tomorrow. The Hunters of Moonriver have asked for discretion.”

“Well, this sucks,” Sila muttered. “He lured us all here so nobody would skip out on a crazy day.”

“You’re probably right.” My fellow co-workers queued up to receive their assignments, and I joined the line, dragging Sila with me. “Be grateful it’s not a parade. Or worse, a positive reinforcement day.”

“Good point. There is only so much public praise I can handle a year. A ten-minute lecture on how good I am at following basic instructions might break me today.” Sila made a show of shuddering. “Last week, one of the clients sent him a photo of my work along with praise. I almost perished.”

I needed to derail my friend before she delved deeper into the dark waters of self-inflicted stress. “Did you get a raise?”

“I received an extra ten cents an hour for accomplishing perfection.”

Well, that had backfired in a painful fashion. “I’ve never gotten a raise for perfection,” I informed her.

“I asked for it. Did you?”

The next time I got pulled into our boss’s office, I would make a point of asking. “Will the ten cents an hour actually help your budget?”

One of the distinct disadvantages of remaining unaffiliated was our compensation; the factions made a point of paying their members competitive rates for their work. We lacked a faction to go to bat for us. Migrant workers made up the majority of the unaffiliated, who had limited power to bring change to how we were paid. As a rare holdout, I accepted lower pay and less say in the governing of Moonriver in exchange for flexibility and freedom.

“Every penny counts except when it doesn’t.” Sila shrugged. “Not really, but I will hoard those extra pennies. Why didn’t you put the Hunters on your approval list?”

“What would I even do for them? I do most of my hunting at the grocery store. I have no desire to howl at the moon. The Hunters only send their best through the portals—and I’m not interested in any of the other expeditions to Earth. If you’re lucky, you’ll survive the trip. If you survive, you’re stuck there for ten years.” In truth, I hunted rabbits for free food, requested a hunting license every time enrollment opened, and I had learned to skin my rabbits to make extra cash on the side. I’d gotten good enough I sold the best fur to the artisan factions and spent my earnings on books.

I made a point of making certain nobody outside of my family and the artisan buyers learned about my rabbit hunting.

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