by Nikki Dean
“Healers usually are. Could you sense it?” Nico asked.
“Why did their plan fall apart?” Matt asked at the same time, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His eyes sparkled, like he was honestly excited to hear about how their plan had failed.
“Yeah. It’s like her magic links her energy with someone else’s, then she gives them some of hers. It changes somehow to become like theirs, filling in the gaps where they’re missing it due to injuries. She’s healed a headache for me, and kept my migraines from flaring up and making me pass out during the simulation.” She looked at Matt. “Their plan failed when we got overwhelmed at the red team outpost and Conner refused to move our flag, so I kind of had to rescue it myself.”
“Why didn’t he want to move it?” Nico asked.
“He thought one student would be too easily tracked and defeated, and we didn’t have the people to send anyone else with me. Two of our guys were busy trading spells with three people from the blue team, Conner was keeping the outpost shielded with his invisibility spell, trying to confuse them, and Janae was already exhausted. She seemed tired before we even started, honestly.”
“Why would he keep it shielded instead of going with you? That doesn’t make any sense,” Matt muttered, frowning. “It’s a strategy class. He’s going to fail.”
Nico laughed.
“I mean, it was a terrible plan. He said it was to make them wonder if the flag was actually there or not. I had a squirrel come get it, then an owl take it from there and fly it around above the forest. It was too high for them to see, but I made sure it stayed within the boundaries. No one said that going up was against the rules, just out.”
“That’s clever. I’m proud of you, Mal,” Matt said with a grin. “But you’ve basically fucked yourself on staying inconspicuous. You realize that, right?”
“Why?!” Mallory threw her hands into the air in exasperation. “That’s what Nico said too, but I don’t see why. Any of them could have kept the flag safe if they’d just thought about it, except maybe Janae. All Conner had to do was take it out, hide it and attach some kind of invisibility spell to it, or just keep it himself. The other two, Gavin and Alfred, probably would have had a harder time due to their talents, but it doesn’t take a genius to dig a hole or hide something in a tree.”
“Any sensory spells would have picked those up,” Matt replied with a shake of his head. “Higher level students are taught spells that detect magic. So Conner’s invisibility spell would have been detected, and it would have been found in a tree, because the flag itself is slightly magic.”
“The flag? Why?” Mal asked.
“To make the game harder and prevent exactly what you just said,” Nico replied.
“I guess that makes sense. But why didn’t anyone find my owl then?” She leaned against Nico a little, looking up at him. “I wouldn’t have asked it for help if I knew I was putting it into danger.”
“Pretty much everything is dangerous around here, babe, in one way or another,” Matt joked.
Nico’s eyes narrowed a little and Mal had the feeling that they were somehow communicating silently again. She checked her web and didn’t see anything weird, even if she would have bet otherwise.
“It’s not any more dangerous than anywhere else,” Nico said. “They didn’t detect the flag on your owl because it was too high up. It didn’t trip the wards set up to prevent the flags from leaving the forest, but taking them up or down within the boundaries is fair game.”
“Well, good. I guess I’ll have to keep that in mind,” Mallory said with a yawn. She checked her watch. Thirty-five minutes until my next class, so I can nap for twenty and still make it on time. “I’m exhausted. I want to nap after all of that, so someone call me and make sure I get my ass up in twenty minutes for my next class. I’ll set an alarm but I don’t want to sleep through it. Damon would never let me live it down.”
“Are we still on for tomorrow at six?” Matt asked as he stood. “I got an email from MacKenna adding a meeting to my calendar. What’s that about?”
“He was originally going to talk to you about my prerequisites and that I’m completely unprepared for this class, but now he’s apparently cool with me taking it. I told him that I didn’t even know how to play chess and he seemed unhappy about that.” She squinted up at him, thinking. “He suggested that I talk to you about it, actually.”
Matt blossomed. It was the only word for it. His entire body relaxed into something of a lounge, even though he hadn’t actually moved. His face lost its tension and a wide smile broke over it, reminding her suddenly of the first time she’d seen Nico smile like that, too.
No dimples, though. Damn, I guess you can’t have everything. Still, it was surprising how much something so simple changed him. His eyes crinkled around the edges as the lids fell down a little, almost like he was smirking. A happy smirk, if such a thing existed.
“You need me, huh? None of the rest can help you with this?” he asked, just to rub it in.
“Jesus, are you really going to make me say it?” Mallory demanded. “Does your ego really need to be stroked that badly?”
“For starters.”
Her jaw dropped open as Nico stifled a laugh. “I feel like you’ve had your hands full taking care of that yourself,” she replied.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he replied.
“No. No, absolutely no one wants to know that,” Mallory retorted. “If you’re going to make innuendos all day, I’ll just teach myself how to play from a book. I’ve got a whole stack of them.”
“I can teach you things that no book ever has a hope of telling you,” Matt promised. Even Nico rolled his eyes.
“Clearly, we don’t read the same books then,” Mallory replied, pursing her lips as she feigned concern. “You’ll have to move up from the back of a cereal box for that.”
He grabbed at his chest as though wounded, but she could see the crinkle of amusement around his eyes.
“You might be surprised, Miss Magic.”
“I doubt it, but you’re welcome to try,” she shot back.
“Oh, I plan to,” Matt said as he sauntered to the door. “Nico, be warned. It’s on.”
With that, he let himself out and closed the door, leaving her looking to Nico for an explanation. “It’s on? What, he thinks I’m some kind of door prize?”
“Nah, he knows better than that. He’s not dumb, no matter how much he pretends to be.” Nico lay down on her bed, nudging her over until she had to put her head on his shoulder. “Go to sleep. I’ll make sure you’re up in time for weapons class.”
“Now that I have,” she checked her watch, “ten minutes before I need to leave. I’m going to have to hit Jitters on my way.”
“I’ll get you there on time,” he promised. “Coffee included. Just rest.”
“Hmm, maybe dating a speedster has its perks,” she mused as she snuggled in and closed her eyes.
Chapter 10
True to his word, Nico got her to class on time, even if it was just barely. The gym was closed due to the amaroq invasion last night, and her class was redirected to a room down the hall. She had hardly stumbled through the door when Nico was gone again, and suddenly a bottle of cold mocha coffee appeared in her hand.
Mallory blinked. These are some serious perks. She cracked the seal and drank half of it while Damon’s eyes shifted over each student, counting down the roll in his head. His gaze lingered on her for an extra moment and she raised her eyebrows in challenge.
He left her alone, much to her surprise. Huh. Maybe he’s still mad at me for that argument last night.
Whatever it was, it lasted. Alec gave them some cursory excuse as to why the gym was closed, something about a pipe bursting in there overnight, and said they would be watching a film over the development of several ancient weapons instead.
Well, shit, how am I going to stay awake during this? Mallory wondered as Damon hit the lights. She was seated near the back of th
e room, with an empty desk to her left, and another behind her. She tensed as Alec and Damon chose them.
Of course they just have to sit right here. Probably to make sure I don’t go to sleep or something. Jerks.
A sharp poke between her shoulder blades made her jump and turn, leveling Alec with a glare. He grinned, unrepentant as he handed her a note.
Seriously? Are we ten? Why doesn’t he just text me?
“No phones. I’m taking it if I see a screen light up, people. Watch the movie, as this information will be covered on a quiz eventually,” Damon barked. Mallory turned back around in her seat.
“I heard about your simulation. Way to go, Bunny,” Alec had written on the note. She tilted her head back until she was looking at him upside down, her hair pooling across his outstretched forearm and silently mouthed thanks.
Damon’s hand slammed down onto the desk in front of her and she jumped, jerking back upright.
“And no notes, or I confiscate them, too,” he growled, crumpling the paper in his fist. A few snickers met his proclamation and Mallory scowled at him. He pointed to his eyes, then the movie at the front of the class.
She got the point. Settling back in her seat, Mallory watched. If she occasionally felt little brushes against the back of her hair, like Alec was playing with it behind her, she didn’t give any indication.
Matt was waiting for her when she got back to her room. “Don’t you have a job? I swear people usually work on Thursdays.”
He paused, his light going a little darker on her web than usual.
“I was just kidding,” she said as she unlocked her door. “I don’t care about your job, or whatever. Where’s Nico? I thought you guys were basically stuck together all the time.”
“He’s upstairs with Alec, I think. I told him I need to talk to you. You should care about my job,” he muttered. “Since you’re pretty much it right now.”
“You mean since you’re my handler?” she asked as she tossed her backpack into the wooden desk chair and sat on her bed to take off her shoes. “Your job is babysitting a grown-ass adult. Really putting that Academy degree to good use, I see. Your mother must be so proud.”
“More or less.” He pulled up the other wooden chair and sat in it. “What do you think that means?”
“Disappointing your mother, or being a handler? Handling people?” she scrunched up her face a little, trying to figure out the correct wording. “Don’t get any ideas on that one.”
He didn’t take the bait and she sighed. This must be serious, then. “I don’t really know. I pretty much just thought I should call you if I have any problems here at school with registration or student aid, or whatever else. No one at Fitzam’s office was very clear about that, or what exactly we’re supposed to be doing together. I was honestly just following your lead.”
“Most handler and agent relationships aren’t like ours.”
“I’m an agent now, huh? Sounds official. So you don’t kiss all of them, is what you’re telling me?” Mal couldn’t resist.
He blushed and looked away.
Ha! He really is going to be weird about it. Maybe this will be fun, after all.
“No. No, we aren’t supposed to kiss. I’d actually get into a lot of trouble if that ever got out, so do me a favor and try not to mention it to anyone.”
“Who the fuck would I tell? And why did you insist on carrying me to my room last night if you knew you could get into trouble for getting too personal?”
He glanced back up, his deep brown eyes meeting hers. “Because sometimes life gives you a break, and I’m not dumb enough to refuse that one.”
The burning honesty that flared out from his spot on her web made her pause. Oh. He really means it. It’s not just a fleeting crush for him, or a competition with his friend for me. He really likes me.
“You’re just lucky I didn’t break your nose for kissing me while I have a boyfriend. Especially since that boyfriend is your best friend. I don’t cheat and I don’t keep secrets.”
“Except your magic,” he replied with a huff. “You sure tried to keep that a secret.”
“That’s different. It doesn’t hurt anyone, and kept me at home.”
“Except all of the people you could have been helping,” he said under his breath.
“Are you serious right now? My powers aren’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, and even if they were, isn’t it my choice whether or not I’m going to use them?” She shot back, her voice sharper than usual. “I get that this Academy is good for some people, like Alec, but I never wanted to come. I’m making the best of it like an adult now that I’m here, but this wasn’t my choice.”
“You’ve made your aversion pretty clear, you know. I’m sorry that you didn’t want to come, but I can’t say that I’m not glad you were caught. You’ve already proven several times that you belong here, and the guys never would have met you if you were still pretending to be a civilian.” He paused a second, so long that Mal almost thought he was done. “I never would have met you.”
“I almost got you all killed last night, according to Damon. And I could still get you in trouble if anyone notices ‘our relationship’, as you put it.”
“Nah. The amaroq wouldn’t have stood a chance, not really. It wouldn’t have even been an issue if we hadn’t been in the gym. Just bad luck, not anything to do with you.”
“So you’re just going to ignore the fact that hitting on me could destroy your career?” Mallory lifted her eyebrows with blatant skepticism. “Okay then. Back to the monster in the room then. I would have thought that it was after me in specific, with the way it was focusing on you and me, and Nico. Maybe I did piss it off more by using my powers, but the anger festering inside that thing is unreal. I wonder why.”
“You could feel all of that? It focusing on you?” Matt asked, surprised.
“Yeah, even if it wasn’t on my web. It’s a predator. I’ve been inside their heads enough to know what they want, and seeing it focus on me wasn’t that different from feeling it. I haven’t ever seen anything so furious in my life, though. Animals aren’t usually like that, unless they’ve been really, really hurt. Even then, it’s usually pain and self-preservation, not anger.”
He didn’t answer.
“So, why were you lurking outside my door if you’re not supposed to get close to me?” she finally asked. “Wouldn’t an email be less risky?”
“Yeah, but like I said, sometimes life gives you chances, and I didn’t want to waste mine with you. I actually came to apologize, and offer my services.”
“For what?”
“Chess, like you mentioned. MacKenna thinks it builds patience and is one of the foundations for his class. Chess requires a certain mindset that’s hard to duplicate with anything else, unless you’re actively making strategies.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
He tilted his head, his face strangely somber for someone usually cracking jokes. “Everything. I’m sorry that you think it’s my fault that you’re here, and I’m sorry for pressuring you last night in the gym. Hell, I pretty much set you and Nico up last week, which was a little manipulative.”
She snorted. “How was that manipulative?”
“I knew you were feeling him more than me, and I didn’t want you to meet someone else the farther you get in your classes. If it can’t be me, then I at least want you to pick my friends.”
“One friend. I’m only dating Nico. Not Damon, or Alec, or you. I’m a one-man kind of girl.”
“Which is why you were so turned on kissing me while Nico held you against my leg?”
“You don’t know that.”
“The hell I don’t. I can see the future, Mal. Every possibility for the next thirty minutes, and you didn’t say no to having us both in any of them.”
Her jaw dropped. “Wow. I’ve met some entitled assholes, but literally none of them have ever said anything like that. In every possibility, you say. But did it happen? No. Because of a fu
ture that you didn’t see coming when a demon nearly dropped right onto our heads. Why didn’t you see that possibility?”
“There’s no way I could have. It’s immune to magic.” He stood and began pacing, still wearing his gray sweats from the night before. “I don’t mean to sound entitled. I just want you to admit what you feel for me. I need to know.”
“You don’t need to know shit, Matt. I appreciate you coming here to help me with this chess nonsense, but I don’t have to tell you how I feel about anything. I haven’t even had this talk with Nico, and I’d say he’s a lot closer to a heart-to-heart than you and I.”
His shoulders tensed and he turned toward the door, but not before she’d seen his face. His eyes had tightened around the edges, and his full lips thinned as her rejection cut through him.
It was almost enough to make her feel bad about it. Almost.
“What’s with you guys anyway?” she asked, even though she wasn’t sure why. He was clearly intending to leave, and her bed was looking more and more inviting by the second. Bone-deep exhaustion had set in during the movie in weapons class, emphasizing how little sleep she’d really had over the last few days, and how much energy she used during the battle simulation.
“We’re friends.”
“Well, yeah, I know that, but why are you so invested in me dating him, instead of someone else? I asked him if you guys are dating, but he said no.”
Matt sputtered, then laughed. “What the fuck, Miss Magic?”
The sound of his humor warmed something deep within her, set it at ease as his black mood lifted a little. The bad mood that he hadn’t had this afternoon, before she went to weapons class. Is he really that nervous about talking to me? Why, though? What am I missing?
“Well, you both seemed inappropriately invested in the other getting together with me, and like you said, you want your friend to have me if you can’t. That’s not really normal, Matt.”
“Well, we aren’t really a normal bunch of guys.”
“Ha, you can say that again,” she huffed. “Why did you actually come here today, Matt? It wasn’t to tell me that you were sure I was three seconds from dropping my panties in the gym, or to offer to play chess with me. So what are you doing here?”