CHAPTER 1
FIVE YEARS EARLIER…
This entire summer camp business, Conleth was increasingly convinced, was doomed before it had even started.
“Thank you, we’ll be in touch.” He maintained his professional smile until the web meeting disconnected. Then he closed the app, dropped his head into his hands, and let fly a long, heartfelt stream of curses.
“I take it that’s a no, then,” Zephyr said from the doorway.
“Completely unsuitable.” Conleth picked up a pen, crossing out the last name on his list. “When I asked him how he would structure a multichannel seasonal marketing campaign to appeal to each of our core user personas, he gaped at me as though I’d asked him to construct a working nuclear fusion reactor out of tinfoil and marshmallows.”
One of Zephyr’s dark eyebrows quirked. “Do I need a camp manager who can structure a multichannel seasonal marketing campaign?”
“What you need is an entire admin team, including a personal assistant, accountant, and HR manager, plus a marketing division and an experienced business director in charge of overall strategy. Unfortunately, what you can affordis a single person.” He opened his email, scrolling through messages in the vain hope that the perfect candidate might have miraculously dropped into his inbox within the past two minutes. “One who is willing to do five different jobs in a sweltering log cabin square in the middle of nowhere, for slightly less pay than they could get as a shift manager at the average McDonald’s. It’s proving somewhat challenging to fill the position.”
Zephyr entered the office, taking care not to touch the paint still drying on the doorframe. “I wouldn’t dream of questioning your expertise, and of course I’m grateful for your guidance. But that’s the seventh candidate you’ve rejected. I can’t help wondering if you’re setting the job requirements a little too high.”
“If anything, I’m setting them too low,” Conleth retorted. “At this point, I’d settle for anyone who’s both a shifter and not actively incompetent.”
“What about that fox shifter who applied last week? I know he didn’t have much relevant experience, but he seemed enthusiastic. He made a point of mentioning how much he loved going to camp when he was a kid.”
Conleth gave him a withering stare over the top of his laptop screen. “Zephyr, your future camp manager has to be enthusiastic about profit margins, not singing songs around the campfire.”
“Can’t I have someone who’s both?”
“At this rate, you’ll be lucky to have anyone at all.” Conleth returned his attention to his computer. “If this place is going to last longer than five minutes, you’re going to need support. Which I would be able to find a lot more efficiently if you’d stop hovering over me. Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“Yes.” Zephyr reached over, closing Conleth’s laptop. “And so do you. You’re missing the party.”
Conleth flipped the screen back up. “I don’t have time for parties. Someone has to do some work around here.”
“You’ve already done far too much work.” Zephyr pushed the laptop closed again, keeping his hand flat on the top. “When I asked for your advice on how to start a business, I expected you to share a few tips over coffee sometime. Not to drop everything and devote every waking hour to turning my vision into concrete reality.”
“Your business plan was written on the back of a napkin. Leaving you to your own devices would have been like abandoning a tiny puppy in the middle of a freeway. And anyway, I needed a vacation.”
“Which for most people would mean a week in the Bahamas, not eighteen months spending every waking hour wrangling permits and sweet-talking investors.” Zephyr pulled the laptop out of his reach. “You’ve put more work into this camp than the rest of us combined. As the camp director, I amorderingyou to come to the party.”
“You don’t have any authority over me,” Conleth grumbled, but pushed back his chair. Zephyr was mostly a mild-mannered sort of person, but there was no arguing with him when he was set on something. “I’m your informal business advisor, not an employee.”
“Exactly.” Zephyr herded him in the direction of the door. “And since you won’t accept any form of payment, the least you can do is allow me to convey my heartfelt thanks in a public speech.”
“I thought you were grateful for my assistance, not holding a deep personal grudge. What have I done to deserve this punishment?”
“Everything.” Zephyr clamped a hand onto his shoulder. “So I’m afraid that despite your best efforts to hide, Iamgoing to hideously embarrass you in front of all our friends. Sorry.”
At least Zephyr hadn’t worked out the real reason he’d claimed to be too busy to attend. With a sigh of resignation, Conleth allowed the director to steer him out of the office.
They stepped out into what would one day—hopefully—be the heart of a thriving summer camp. There was still a lot of finishing and landscaping to be done, but at least the major structural work had been completed.
Hence the reason for this cursed party. Zephyr must have invited every shifter in Montana. People strolled about the central area, avoiding piles of construction materials as they admired the new buildings.
At least, Conleth hoped they were admiring them. Many of the shifters exploring the site were parents. On opening day, their kids would be the first batch of campers… assuming that the campcouldopen.
Conleth frowned at a bare patch of dirt that should have been a large fire pit surrounded by rustic (and therefore cheap) log benches. “I need to call the contractors. They’re falling behind schedule again.”
“Oh no. I’m not letting you escape that easily.” Zephyr looked past him, a hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. “And I don’t thinktheyare, either.”
As a pegasus shifter, Conleth could detect nearby living creatures, though it was by no means his primary talent. That sixth sense gave him enough warning to brace himself before?—
