As we entered the room, there was a buzz in the air. There were actually more people than I expected to see, at least twenty or thirty, and a sense of expectation hung heavy around us. I scanned the faces of the attendees, and the common denominator was hope. Hope in their eyes, and a willingness to believe that maybe something might make a difference in their lives. They truly were waiting for something.
“They’ve really hyped this,” I said, keeping my voice low. “Let’s get our seats. I want to be in front, so that we have a clear view of whoever’s leading this shindig.”
Penn nodded, threading her way through the crowd toward the front row of chairs. We chose middle seats with the clearest view of the podium. As we sat there, I kept up my guard, wanting to remain as unassuming as possible.
A few moments past eight, a woman emerged from a door in back of the podium and took her place behind the microphone. She was dressed in a jacket with big shoulder pads, a pencil skirt, and a pair of neutral pumps. Her hair was a mile-high, blonde to the point of platinum and it looked molded into place.
She tapped on the mic, sending a feedback loop through the room, then cleared her throat.
“If you could all take your seats, we’ll get started. Thank you.” She stood back as Penn and I watched her closely. There was something off about her—at first it seemed like a charm of some sort that made me unwilling to look away. But then, I realized it wasn’t that. Penn had Fae glamour, and I could look away from her. Lazenti had vampire glamour, and I could resist him. So this had to be something different.
The crowd quieted down almost immediately as everybody scrambled for seats. The woman glanced around the room and, after another moment, cleared her throat again.
“I’m Analee Thomas, and I’m going to be introducing your speaker for the evening. But first, I want to tell you a story. Some years ago, I was sitting right where you are. I was lonely, and felt like the only thing I had going for me was the fact that I made it through each day without melting down. I was in a dead-end job. I had no one in my life who gave a damn about me. My friends were all moving on in life and I was stuck in a rut. I didn’t feel good, but the doctor just said it was just anxiety. That stress was wearing me down. So you know what happened?”
She waited until several members of the audience called out “What?” and “Tell us!”
“One night, I left work and I happened to see a signboard advertising a meeting for those seeking comfort and calmness in their lives. Just like the advertisements that brought you here. And for some reason, even though I’d tried everything, I decided to attend the meeting. That ushered in the biggest change I’ve ever had in my life. Now, I have a fulfilling job. I’m happily married. I have meaning and purpose in my life, and I get to help others the way I was given help.” She paused, smiling, as though waiting for someone to cheer her on.
An excited murmur ran through the crowds and she got the applause she was waiting for. Penn and I clapped along, not wanting to stand out.
A moment later, Analee tapped the mic again. “Now, with your permission, I’d like to introduce our guest speaker for the evening. May I present Dr. Erik Stengale, the founding father of the Tetrachordian Temple.” She began vigorously clapping as she stepped away from the podium.
I noticed a massive rock on her left ring finger. Were they married? For sure, she reminded me of some evangelical preacher’s wife, with the big hair, spider-leg eyelashes, and way too much rouge. But she didn’t mention him being her husband, and he didn’t give her more than an approving nod.
The man who took her place struck me as odd, even more than Analee. Dr. Erik Stengale was tall and blonde, with piercing hazel eyes. He was tanned, as though he spent a lot of time on a beach in the tropics, or he had a close relationship with a tanning salon. Instantly, I distrusted him.
Penn poked me in the arm and leaned close. “He’s a snake.”
“Literally?” Given the deflated body of Mark Ryles, anything referring to snakes or the snake family pinged an alarm.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so… But it’s the same feeling I get around snakes. There’s something alien about him.” Penn froze, staring at the speaker. “He’s under a glamour, but I can’t see beneath the illusion.”
I nodded, filing it away. “All right, see if you can suss out anything else. And we’d better hush. Analee is looking at us.”
I glanced over at the woman, who was sitting to the side of the podium, her gaze fastened on us. I met her eyes. After a moment, she blinked and looked away.
Turning back to Erik, I tried to focus on what he was saying, but the words sounded oddly jumbled to me, and try as I might, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what he was trying to say. It was as though the words coming out of his mouth were in English, but by the time they landed in my ears, they sounded like another language. I glanced at Penn.
She frowned, tilting her head to the side. After a moment, she met my gaze. I gave her a little shrug, which she repeated back. We both turned back to Erik, who was rattling away as though nothing was off. I surreptitiously cast a glance around the rest of the audience. Some looked bewildered, but a few were crying.
“Am I missing something?” Penn whispered, but Analee stood and headed our way.
She leaned over. “Please refrain from talking during the presentation,” she said, a stern look on her face.
“I’m sorry,” Penn said, ducking her head.
Analee narrowed her eyes, shooting me a glance that told me I wasn’t welcome. The next moment, I almost jumped as a nictating membrane swept across her eye and opened again. I said nothing as she returned her seat. I nudged Penn with my elbow and she shivered. We kept quiet the rest of the presentation, which took about thirty minutes.
At the end, everybody clapped and then, Analee took the podium again. “We’ll be serving refreshments, and if you’re interested in our next meeting, please talk to one of our members—you’ll recognize them by their name tags—or sign up at the refreshment desk. Thank you for coming.”
Penn and I clapped again, then stood and stretched. Everybody was mingling by the reception table. Penn headed toward the food.
I grabbed her by the arm. “You aren’t going to actually eat anything from here, are you?” I hissed, keeping my voice low.
She rolled her eyes. “I thought I’d grab a few things to test. Go talk to Erik, while I sneak some cookies and dip into my purse.” As she headed off to pinch some food, I looked around for Erik. I saw him, surrounded by starry-eyed women. I wasn’t good enough as an actress to mimic them, so I slowly approached from the side, easing into the circle.
“Oh, trust me, we understand,” Erik was saying to one of the women. “We can definitely help with that.” Suddenly, he paused and looked at me. His nostrils flared, as though he’d just smelled something rank.
