by Nikki Dean
“So I asked Conner about moving the flag out. We ended up coming up with a plan and got the flag put into a tree so the owl could take it. I basically just asked and it agreed, but it's very basic. I don't know if it would have worked if the flag was bigger, or heavier." Again, not entirely the truth, but close enough. He doesn't need to know everything.
“It wouldn't have worked if I'd asked it to keep the flag for longer, though. My powers give me headaches, and I've passed out twice in the last two weeks from overexertion. I can't keep it up for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, usually. Janae was healing me to help."
He did frown at that. “Janae was using her powers on you, so that you could continue to use yours?”
Mallory nodded.
“Don't be mad at her, she was just trying to help. I couldn't have kept the flag away without her."
Professor MacKenna leaned back in his chair. “What would have happened without her?"
Shrugging, Mallory looked down at her fingers for a minute. “The owl most likely would have dropped the flag in the trees somewhere, or landed and tried to eat it. They're not exactly carrier pigeons, so they don't like random things. I probably would have passed out again, and she would've been caught by the black team, instead of helping me find the blue team's flag."
“So you're saying that it was only due to her intervention that you were able to get credit for all three of your flags?" Professor MacKenna asked. His voice was low and tight, bordering on annoyance.
Well, shit. I don't want him mad at me, but I don't want him to pay attention to me either. He already has something going on with Janae, so it wouldn't surprise him to think she's the badass in our class. Sorry, girl. Mallory nodded. “Most likely."
“Do you agree with her assessment, Mr. Crowley?" the professor asked, transferring his gaze to Matt.
Matt gave her a long look, then shook his head.
What the fuck, Matt? Let him think it was all because Janae was healing me. Let him think I'm weak. That's the point, isn't it?
“You disagree, then?" Delight laced MacKenna's voice and she only barely concealed her cringe.
“I do. Miss Serra has an amazing power, and while I think she's telling the truth about her limitations, I also think she may be being modest. I've personally seen her manipulate birds before, and the result is nothing less than astonishing."
“That was only for a second," she protested, but both ignored her.
“I absolutely think that Miss Whitely was an asset, but with more training, Miss Serra should be able to achieve the same effects without her help," Matt finished.
The door opened and closed as someone else slipped inside and took a seat. Mallory glanced back to see that it was another man in a suit and glasses, who gave her a tiny wave and smile before he pulled out a notebook and pen.
“It looks like your next appointment is here," Mallory said.
“Oh, don't worry about him. That's just Mr. Pohler from the captain's office, here to sit in on our meeting," MacKenna answered jovially, as though he had been expecting the newcomer. Matt tensed beside her.
Warning flared out from his mind on her web, telling her to be careful. Whoever this Mr. Pohler was, Matt didn't like that he was here.
He turned in his chair, an easy smile plastered on his face. “Pohler, you made it," Matt said by way of greeting. “Come to check out my newest protege?"
Pohler gave Matt an almost imperceptible sneer, more a cock of his head and wrinkle of his upper lip than anything. Matt's hand clenched into a fist in his lap, out of eyeshot for everyone but Mallory.
“You're welcome to stay, but I've already filed a report with the captain," Matt continued. “Did you read over it?"
Pohler reached down into his briefcase and took out a slender file. Flicking it open, he pulled out a sheaf of papers that had been stapled together. “I did, but I find the details to be a little lacking. Apologies for interrupting your meeting with your professor, Miss," he paused as though he had to find her name, “Serra. Captain Fitzam personally asked that I attend this afternoon, but I was led to believe that the meeting began at 6:30, not 6:00. My mistake."
Matt turned back around without responding, but Mallory could sense the little shot of victory that made his heart pound just a tad bit harder, his blood run a little faster. He told this guy the wrong time on purpose, Mallory realized. Why? And why didn't he tell me that Pohler was coming in the first place? What is he to Matt?
She realized they were all three waiting on her to respond. “It's fine with me. I'm not sure what else there is to talk about, honestly. I'm reading the books that you gave me," she looked back at MacKenna, “and Matt, I mean Mr. Crowley, has agreed to play chess with me a few times a week like you suggested. I'll do my best to keep up, even though I haven't taken any of the prerequisites for your class."
“You want to stay in it then?" Mr. Pohler asked, making a note. “Instead of dropping the class and adding something a little more appropriate to your skillset?"
Matt stiffened again, his temper flaring. Mallory wished that she could kick him, but Pohler would undoubtedly see and have questions.
“Is there something else that I should be taking instead?" Mallory asked, playing dumb. She knew the classes that she should have had before this - Introduction to Strategy 401 and another history class, to say the least. A lot of ground had been covered in the review sections of her textbooks, but Nico had been helping to fill her in. He was useful in more ways than she would have imagined.
“You were assigned to Professor MacKenna’s class for a reason, although I’m not certain what that reason was, without further review,” Pohler mused as he looked down at her file. He looked up and straightened the papers, flipping them back over the stapled corner just to slide them back into his folder. “Perhaps Matt, as you said, would have some insight?”
Matt lounged beside her, seeming for all the world like he didn’t care in the slightest what this Pohler guy thought, but inside, he was a seething mass of anger. Mallory swore to herself that she’d ask him about it later.
“Your latest report on Miss Serra’s abilities is late anyway, Crowley. The captain requested that I bring it back with me this afternoon.”
His report on my abilities? What the fuck? He’s telling Fitzam about my magic, and he never told me? Her knuckles went white as she gripped her own leg, then sat on her hands to hide them. So much for not lying to me, or keeping things from me.
Matt’s anger escalated to outright fury, as well as something else. He’s nervous, because he knows that I know now. I wonder if Nico and the rest do too, or if he’s been keeping it from them as well? If they all know, that means Nico has been in on it, too. These assholes.
“Tell him I’ll email it to him by this evening,” Matt bit out.
Pohler leaned back in his chair a little, sliding his papers out the tiniest bit. He gave that not-smile again, more like a sneer as he regarded Matt with disdain. “Captain Fitzam requested that I bring a copy back with me to file, no matter how long I have to stay. I brought an extra copy of the forms with me, in case you need to write it out now.”
Mallory watched their sniping, just barely holding her tongue. She wanted to scream at Matt, demand why he was keeping tabs on her for the government when he knew how she felt about that shit. The fact that he swore that he was helping her, and worse, that she’d actually believed him, made her want to punch him in the face. And of course, even though she hated herself for it, she had to ask if Nico was in on it, too.
Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she glanced over to see Professor MacKenna staring at the two men with rapt attention, leaning forward over his desk. He didn’t say anything, content to observe while they spoke.
That’s not creepy at all, Mallory thought. MacKenna wants this, for some reason. He’s the one who set it up, after all, so he must have known somehow that this would happen. It’s a small community after all, so I wonder if Matt an
d this smug little shitstain have some kind of history that’s common knowledge? Either way, this needs to end. Janae said not to be too interesting, and I don’t want to be caught up in whatever this pissing match is.
“Is there something I can do to help the report?” Mallory asked, widening her eyes as she shook her head the slightest bit. It was a look that had occasionally served her well in the coffee shop, making her hair bounce around her face as she froze in what she considered her deer-in-the-headlights look.
Matt shot her a look, and then froze.
She gave him what she hoped looked like an innocent smile. He winced.
Damn it, Matt, stop giving me away. He always saw through my ditzy blonde act, even at the beginning. Fuck.
“That would be helpful, Miss Serra. Perhaps we can go to dinner after this and you can answer a few questions for me?” Pohler asked, his eyes lighting up as they darted to her.
“She has homework.” Matt’s voice brooked no argument. “Why don’t we go fill it out now and leave Professor MacKenna and Miss Serra to finish their meeting without us distracting them, so you can go home on time? It is the weekend, after all.”
“Ah, yes, Friday night. I’m certain that you have plans tonight, right, Miss Serra?” Pohler’s voice changed somehow, giving her a creepy vibe.
“Actually, I do. I was planning to go see my old roommates tonight. Eliza has been asking when I’d be back to see her, since we haven’t gotten to spend any time together,” Mallory replied. “We’re close.”
“That sounds nice,” Pohler replied. Matt didn’t move, but she could feel his unease deepening.
“I hope so. I haven’t seen her in two weeks, so she’s upset that I’ve been gone so much, and we haven’t been able to spend any quality time together lately. I’m going to have to make it up to her.”
Mallory widened her web just in time to feel masculine confusion come at her from all three men in the room. She waited, perfectly comfortable letting someone else break the silence. Well, now I’m going to have to actually do it, since I’m sure this twat will be watching me, or at least verify my story later. Hope Eliza and Amy aren’t busy tonight.
“That sounds nice,” Pohler murmured, his mind shifting. He was less confident, something thrown for a loop inside his head. Mallory couldn’t match any thoughts to try to slide into his mind, but she was pretty sure she knew what he was thinking.
He’s trying to pin something on Matt, and assumed we’re fucking. I wonder if Matt has a history of that with his ‘agents’. Looks like we’re going to have a lot to talk about, including why this douchecanoe has it out for him.
“I hope so. I owe her for kind of disappearing like I did. I can only hope that she’s not too mad at me. We’ve been unofficially off and on for a while, so she might be giving up on me with this whole army thing now.” The implication was there, without being too explicit.
Luckily, it was a common cover story that she, Eliza and Amy had used before, so even if someone asked, Eliza would totally back her up. Or at least, Mal hoped she would. I really do need to talk to them, it’s been a while. I haven’t called since I left, and it’s been over two weeks. I’m a crappy friend.
“Professor, is there anything else we need to talk about?” Mallory asked, figuring this was as good of a time as any to try to escape. MacKenna hadn’t said anything in a while, but was avidly paying attention to their exchange.
“No, Mallory, you can go. I’d like to talk to Mr. Crowley before he leaves, though, and Mr. Pohler as well. You and I can talk later if you have any more questions.”
Mallory agreed and grabbed her purse as she stood. She was nearly out the door when Professor MacKenna called her again.
“Oh, and Mallory?”
She turned back, her heart clenching a little in disappointment.
“You did a great job yesterday. You’re absolutely staying in my class, so please don’t worry about the prerequisites any more. I have every confidence that you’ll be able to keep up.”
She gave him an over-bright smile and nodded, then made her escape. She heard Pohler say something else to Matt and felt Matt’s answering flare of irritation, even as his voice remained level. She pulled the door shut and hurried outside to the courtyard, desperate to get away.
The evening air caressed her face as she thought about going back to her spot on the wall to see if she could sense the amaroq, or whatever that was, again, but she decided against it.
Another encounter with the man-eating demon wasn’t really on her list of things to do tonight if she was going to convince some asshole from the Defense Department that she was romantically involved with her friend, instead of Matt or Nico.
That thought in mind, she pulled out her phone with a sigh.
Chapter 16
“I can’t believe you actually came!” Eliza gushed, pulling Mallory in for a hug. The club lights flashed as the bass thumped, vibrating the very air around them. Mallory allowed Eliza to squish her ribs another second before pointing at the bar. Amy nodded, at least, and headed that way.
“Come on! We have a table up here, where it’s a little quieter! You have to tell us everything!” Eliza shouted, pulling Mal behind her toward the stairs. The club was technically a double-decker, the upper story much less busy since the bar up there was closed for remodeling. A few people carried their drinks up with them and claimed spots on the balcony to watch the dancing below.
Or make out. Either way. Mallory and Eliza detoured around one couple doing just that, the guy nearly bending his date backwards over the railing. An unoccupied table sat in the corner and Mal recognized Amy’s purse sitting on top of it.
She just left her stuff her all alone? That’s not like Amy at all. Mallory gave Eliza a questioning look as she pulled a chair out and sat. “She left her purse? Does she need money?”
Eliza looked at the bag and frowned. “Probably. She doesn’t usually bring it, so she probably forgot that it’s up here. I’ll take it down.”
“That’s okay, I’ll do it,” Mallory replied, knowing it would take Eliza forever to find their friend in the crowd downstairs. “I’ll be right back.”
Eliza nodded unhappily, clearly disappointed that Mallory wasn’t staying to talk. Still, she didn’t try to stop her, since they both knew that Amy wouldn’t notice her lack of a wallet until she got all the way up to the bar, ordered and then tried to pay. Which meant she’d have to leave their drinks, come upstairs for money and then wait in line all over again. Plus, the bartender would be pissed, and no one wants to purchase alcohol from a pissed-off bartender.
This was by far the better option.
Mallory bounced down the stairs, crossing her arms over her jiggling tits as she went. Stairs were the worst.
Actually, what waited for her at the bottom of these stairs was worse. Throngs of people had filled the club, enough that they were now lining the steps on either side of the stairwell, shouting to each other as they drank and enjoyed the deafening music.
Or maybe enjoyed wasn’t quite the word for it. Mallory wished she’d taken some pain medicine before she left the dorm at Dark Arts as the never-ending bass kicked off an answering throb in her temples, a sure sign of a killer headache starting. Still, she activated her powers and closed her eyes, trying to see through the crowd with her mind, if not her eyes.
It was immediately too much, the crushing amount of people threatening to overwhelm her inside her head. She toned it down, focusing on just Amy instead, trying to tune everyone else out.
It worked, a little. The sheer amount of people created one blast of light on her web, brighter than she’d ever seen with the animals before, even though they outnumbered humans ten to one. She focused on Amy’s face in her mind, the way her friend sounded, her feeling.
There. Amy was at the far end of the bar, nearly to the counter. Mallory stepped down and began weaving her way through, avoiding dancers and sloshing drink cups, wincing as her shoes occasionally slipped in a puddle.
Or worse, stuck to the floor for an instant.
Eww, party gunk. I forgot how filthy club floors are. Why did I ever think this was fun, again? Even Paul and I used to do this on the weekends and it was better than this. I’d rather be back in my room, watching movies with Matt and Nico. If they’re not just spying on me for their boss, that is.
Not that I really think Nico would do that. I haven’t felt anything at all like that in him, not even a hint of it. Then again, I haven’t sensed it in Matt either, until he was telling me not to hate him this morning. I wonder if he knew that I would find out today?
People bumped into her despite her best efforts to get around them, undeterred by her fuck-off expression or her plain jeans and casual heels. The outfit didn’t scream date attire, but it was all of the effort she was willing to put in after the last few days. At least her hair was done, and she had a full face of makeup, including a killer smoky eyeshadow job. Red lipstick sealed the deal, contracting nicely with her white-blonde hair and pale cheeks.
A guy stepped out in front of her, then grabbed her wrist. Instincts took over and Mallory ripped her hand toward the weak point in his grip - where his thumb wrapped around.
“What are you doing here?” he hissed, his voice barely discernible beneath the loud thump of the dance music.
Something about him was familiar, but she couldn’t place him right away. He looked just like everyone else in the dark, except that he was wearing long sleeves where everyone else had on short. He was bright on her web, but the crowd made pretty much everyone bright.
“Excuse the fuck out of me, but that’s none of your business,” Mallory shot back, shoving him backwards into the crowd. The dance floor swallowed him up before she got a good look at his face, but he was on the smaller side, with dark hair. Mallory gripped Amy’s purse a little tighter and hurried away.