by Nikki Dean
Calm down, Mallory, he just mistook me for someone else. Probably is drunk and thought I was his girlfriend or something. Still, something about the interaction was causing her internal alarms to go off, even though she wasn’t entirely sure what it was.
Accessing her web again, she zeroed in on Amy and made her way through the thick crowd at the bar. She arrived just in time to find her friend pushing drinks back across the counter with an apology that she didn’t have her wallet on her.
“I got it!” Mal called out, just as someone else did the same. She looked over in surprise to find a handsome guy at Amy’s side, slipping his arm around her shoulder as he offered to buy her a drink.
Amy stiffened, shaking her head. He pulled her closer, shaking her in that overly friendly, overly exuberant way that all drunks seem to instinctively do, as though manhandling someone would get them on the same playing field.
Mallory reached out and grabbed Amy around the waist, pulling her friend from the stranger’s grip as she pushed him away with the other hand.
“You hitting on my girl?” Mallory yelled into his ear with a glare.
“What? Naw, I was just trying to buy her a drink,” he slurred back. His unfocused eyes slid over Mallory, then Amy as he grinned. “I can buy you both drinks, if you want.”
“We’re good,” Mallory said, shaking her head. She pressed Amy’s clutch into her hands and stood between her and the guy. “I think your friends are waving at you,” she said, pointing to a few guys that had been leering at them. They flared a little with elation as she pointed to them, verifying that they did, indeed, know this asshole.
“Yeah, I’m getting us drinks. Want to do a shot?” he shouted in her ear, staggering against her as someone pushed against him from behind.
“No.”
“Sure you do! Two pretty girls like you need shots!” He began chanting the last word over and over in her ear, his voice somehow more annoying than the loud-ass music.
Mallory glanced over at Amy, who shrugged with a roll of her eyes.
What the hell, we’re going back up to the balcony anyway, and we can lose them in the crowd. It would be better to take a shot to get him to shut up and then leave.
“Fine. One shot,” she shouted back. “Then we’re going to dance. Get the rest of your drinks and find us out there.”
He whooped in victory as his whole face lit up. Mallory felt an answering tinge of interest from Amy, who she pinched as she shook her head.
“I said one shot. You have terrible taste in men, so control yourself,” Mallory hissed into Amy’s ear, earning a laugh and a shrug.
“I know.”
“Pour us some Firecrackers!” Drunky McDrunkerson demanded from the girl behind the bar.
She nodded without looking up and mixed the cinnamon concoction, then poured it into three large shot glasses. She held her hand out for payment and counted the bills he slapped over quickly, then shoved the extra dollar into the tip jar.
He protested and she leveled him with an eat-shit-and-die stare. He trailed off into a mumble, saying something about how she could have it this time. Mallory was impressed.
“That’s the kind of resting bitch face I need in my life,” she said in Amy’s ear. “This girl could give lessons.”
Amy nodded and picked up her glass, knocking it against Mallory’s with a little plink before they both tossed them back.
“Hey, I wasn’t ready!” Drunky protested again, fumbling with his glass to catch up. He hit it against their empties and drank, spilling some of it down the side of his mouth.
“Gross,” Amy muttered, turning to walk away.
Mallory grabbed their last drink, only turning back to yell, “You should have been quicker! Thanks for the shot, see you out there!”
They didn’t wait for a response, instead hurrying through the crowd to the stairwell. They made it back upstairs without any more issues and plopped their drinks down on the table in front of Eliza.
“I was wondering what happened to you guys!” she exclaimed, putting her phone down. “Some guy came up here looking for you, Mal. You didn’t mention meeting anyone else here.”
Her forehead wrinkling in confusion, Mallory tilted her head as she looked at Eliza. “For me? Are you sure?”
Eliza nodded as she took a sip of her Mai Tai. “Said your name and everything.”
“That’s weird. I didn’t tell anyone else I was coming here, except my weird-ass fucking handler and my professor. Oh, and some government guy that crashed my meeting with my professor today. He was trying to insinuate that I’m fucking the handler, so I told him we’re dating, E. Hope you don’t mind.”
Eliza blew her a kiss. “We’re totally seeing each other. In fact, you’re planning to propose with my grandma’s ring next summer when we visit Bay Nation, right?”
Mal winked. “Anything for you, Sugar Tits.”
“That’s why you wanted to meet up tonight, isn’t it?” Amy interjected. She sat back in her seat, a look of annoyance on her pretty face. “You didn’t call because you missed us. You only called because you needed a good cover. So, are you fucking him then? The handler?”
Mallory inhaled part of her drink, then choked on it. “Of course I missed you! I’m happy to see you guys! Would I be here in this bullshit club if I didn’t want to hang out?”
Amy shook her head. “You hate clubs. But you suggested this one. Why? Are you being monitored?”
“Not that I know of,” Mal replied uneasily. “Don’t be ridiculous, Amy. I’m sorry that I haven’t called, but I do miss you.”
“What about that guy that came up here looking for you?” Eliza cut in. “He said your name. You had to have told someone.”
Is Pohler seriously following me? That would be insane. “I swear I didn’t. What’d he look like?”
“Dark hair, glasses, white guy. About your height, maybe a little taller. He didn’t say his name,” Eliza said.
I have no idea how tall Pohler was, but the glasses sounds right. I wouldn’t have called his hair dark though, just brown. “I swear I don’t know. Maybe it was one of Paul’s old friends, and he recognized me? We used to come here sometimes.”
They both gave her looks of patent disbelief. “Seriously?” Amy asked. “Paul’s friend? You said he hasn’t left Winn in, like, four years.”
“I just have no idea who else it could be. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming, I swear.”
“Except Matt. The handler you’re maybe fucking, since you didn’t answer that question?”
“No, I’m not sleeping with my handler. I’m sleeping with my TA,” Mallory muttered, then took a long drink. The fruity flavors of mango and pineapple were delicious, and she was already thinking about getting another one. Too bad none of the waitresses ever made it upstairs, and the bar was full of creeps downstairs.
“Your TA?!” Eliza burst out in shock. “Mallory Serra, you slut! Tell me everything!”
Even Amy smiled and leaned forward a little, excited to hear the juicy details.
“Well, he’s not really my TA yet, but he will be next semester. He’s friends with two of mine, and he knows Matt. It’s still pretty new, but I like him a lot.”
“It would have to be pretty new, you’ve only been there two weeks,” Amy scoffed. “How does he know your handler? That seems weird.”
“The Academy is pretty small, and everyone knows each other in the magic community. It’s a little bizarre,” Mal replied, glad that she’d successfully distracted them. Still the idea that someone was here, looking for her, was unsettling. She opened her web and sent out feelers, looking for anyone familiar in the room downstairs.
It was getting easier.
However, it was useless. The crowd had only gotten thicker as they spoke, and Mal recalled seeing signs for a band playing in thirty minutes.
“So you’re not sleeping with your handler, you’re sleeping with his friend?” Eliza said. “But you lied to some government guy in front of the han
dler and said you’re sleeping with me? Does he know that you’re fucking his friend?”
“Yes, Matt knows about Nico and I.” And he wants in on it. She didn’t say that last part out loud, fully aware of how crazy it sounded.
“Why does it feel like you’re living in a soap opera now? You go to that academy for a little while, and all of a sudden you’re in the middle of a drama triangle, dating your TA while your government handler gets accused of fucking around and you have to lie to avoid getting Nico in trouble, too,” Eliza broke it down. “I guess I’ll text you relationship-type stuff every so often if you want me to. That way it’ll at least seem like you’re not lying.”
“Aww, you’re the best. I don’t deserve you,” Mallory said as she made a kissing face at her friend.
“Damn right you don’t. I expect you to call us more often and come out sometimes if you’re gonna fake-date Eliza,” Amy grumbled. “Shit, say you’re dating us both so your stalker doesn’t wonder why it’s always the three of us together.”
“Actually, since you mention it...” Mallory trailed off, unsure of what to tell them. The details about Matt and his flirting, plus Nico’s approval of all of the weirdness were on the tip of her tongue. She only held back because it sounded insane, even to her.
“Yesss?” Eliza drew the last sound out impatiently. “You can’t say something like that, then leave us hanging.”
Mal took another gulp of liquid courage. “Matt wants me to date him and Nico. At the same time.” She took a deep breath. “And Nico’s okay with it. Into it, even.”
“What?!” Eliza hissed. “How do I get magic powers? I’m coming to this damn Academy of Witchy Dick and getting me two boyfriends, too.”
“So you are fucking the handler?” Amy asked. “I’m confused.”
Mal laughed as she shook her head. The Academy of Witchy Dick. I’m telling the guys about that. “Nope, especially not after tonight. I didn’t know what to do, so I was saying no, then tonight I found out that Matt is apparently doing reports on me to his bosses, and he didn’t even mention it.”
“So what?” Eliza burst out. “He’s a handler, he’s handling something. I’m sure they want to know what you’re doing at school, besides seducing the teachers. Do you like him?”
Mallory nodded. “I mean, it’s different than how I like Nico, but yeah. Yeah, I think I do. He’s funny and sweet and thoughtful.”
“And he’s into you dating his friend at the same time,” Eliza interrupted. “He sounds perfect. Is he hideous, or something? Why’s he single?”
“Probably because he wants to watch someone get railed by his friend,” Amy said with a roll of her eyes. “That’s weird, Mal. Are they bisexual?”
“No, they’re not bi. I asked if they were dating, and they both seemed surprised that it even crossed my mind,” Mallory replied, then took another sip of her drink. “They don’t seem to be into each other at all, but they both come over to my dorm room all the time, and they both cuddle with me.”
“They even cuddle? Bitch, we’re coming over the next time we all hang out,” Eliza grumbled. “Drinks will be at your new place and hopefully your boyfriends come over so we can check them out.”
“You’re welcome any time, but you can’t mention any of this. I doubt they’d do it in front of anyone else, but they both have a lot to lose if we got caught.”
“So why are you talking about them with two girls they don’t know, much less in public?” a male voice cut in.
Mallory whirled around in her chair to find Everett standing behind her. He looked furious, his body so tense he was nearly vibrating with it.
Chapter 17
“I told them not to trust you,” he continued. “Looks like I was right, and they’ll have to listen to me now.”
“Hi, Everett. Why don’t you pull up a chair and join us, instead of listening to our conversation like some kind of fucking creep? Or is that pretty much all you’re good at? Judging me and then leaving?” Mallory shot back. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
He glared at her. “Nico was worried.”
“Mal, that’s the guy,” Eliza hissed. “The one who was asking about you.”
“So he sent you to find me?” She shook her head. “Also fucking creepy. Are all of you spying on me now, instead of just Matt?”
“You really are delusional, aren’t you?” Everett spat.
“He already admitted that he’s been filling out reports on me and submitting them to work,” Mallory said as she sat back in her chair. She’d almost said to Fitzam’s office, but remembered in time that that information was classified, and she couldn’t say it in front of Amy and Eliza, no matter how much she trusted them. “Don’t try to cover for him.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Eliza and Amy stayed quiet, watching Mallory and Everett. Well, Amy did, but Eliza’s eyes pretty much stayed on Everett. His baby blue long-sleeved tee and dark jeans contrasted nicely, pulling the focus from his muscled shoulders down to his flat belly, hinting at the form beneath his clothes. Even Mal would have admitted that he looked damn good with his dark hair falling in loose curls over his forehead if he wasn’t such a dick.
She blinked as she realized that it had been him downstairs, too. He’d grabbed her in the crowd, but she hadn’t recognized him in the dim lighting, much less with the glasses on, and pushed him away. Oops.
“I don’t care if you believe me or not. Ask him yourself. He’s out to dinner with some guy named Pohler right now, who is forcing him to complete his last report before he goes back to Kinsolving tonight.”
“Pohler? You’re sure?”
Mallory cocked her head at his change in tone. “Yeah. Why does that matter?”
Everett ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I thought you don’t keep secrets from each other?”
He sighed. “Me too, Party Girl. Enjoy your night.”
“What, that’s all? You came up here to chew my ass just for talking about my feelings for your friends, who are really confusing by the way, and now you’re going to leave? I thought you hated touching people, so why are you in a dance club?”
“Looking for you.”
“How did you know she was here?” Eliza ventured. “What?” she asked as they both looked at her. “It’s a valid question. Did you tell anyone where we were going tonight, Mal? You haven’t been on your phone at all.”
“No, actually, I didn’t. Nico didn’t ask, and I haven’t spoken to Matt at all since the meeting this afternoon. How did you know, Everett?”
He gave her a rueful grin. “Magic.”
“Don’t give me that shit, they already told me how your powers work, and you’re the absolute opposite of a social butterfly. What are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He turned to go.
He came for me. Nico probably asked him to, but why him? Alec or Damon would have been the better choice. They all keep defending Everett, so maybe Nico wants me to get to know him on his own? That sounds insane, but why else would he be here?
“You’re really going to walk back down through all of those people? Why not stay, have a drink? Maybe even pretend not to be a total asshole for a little while.”
Everett stood there for a second, suspicion radiating from him without even using her web. “Why?”
“Because it’s good to get out. Meet new people. Hang out with cool chicks. Lose yourself in the truly painful music downstairs. I don’t know, fuck. Take your pick,” she muttered, throwing back the last of her cocktail. “Sit with my friends and I’ll go get us another round.”
“You’d buy me a drink?” He sounded confused.
“Consider it my good deed for the day.” Mallory stood and patted her pockets to make sure she had her credit card and ID. “At least let the crowd die down.”
“Why do you care?”
“Is he always this stubborn?” Amy asked with a roll of her eyes. “I mean, shit, i
f he doesn’t want to stay, he doesn’t want to stay. There’s no point trying to force it, especially since we haven’t seen you in so long.”
Everett swayed backward a little as he crossed his arms in front of him. “Exactly. I’ll see you around.”
“You’re a dick, but I’ll walk you out. We need new drinks anyway.”
Amy and Eliza exchanged looks, then glanced at their half-full glasses. Only Mallory’s was empty.
Everett didn’t respond, but he didn’t take off, either.
“I’ll be right back,” Mal said. Her friends nodded.
“Why are you doing this?” Everett asked.
“Told you, need another round.” And if touching people is even half as overwhelming as my web, you’ll never make it out of here alive. She went in front of him, pushing her way through the crowd on the stairs. People were slow to get out of the way, but they moved when she touched their shoulders, making way for her and Everett, who was right behind her.
The crowd below was even thicker, people pressed shoulder to shoulder all over the dance floor, where the DJ had set up. People danced where they stood, bumping and grinding in time to the music. Some guy she’d never met grabbed Mallory’s waist and tried to pull her against him.
Everett was faster. He reached around her and grabbed the offender’s bare wrist, jerking his hand off of Mallory. She heard his sharp intake of breath as his magic engaged, pulling part of the stranger’s mind into his own.
Mallory did the only thing she could think of, knocking the other guy away and grabbing Everett’s hand in her own. Someone yelled at them and she linked her fingers with his as she pulled him along. She connected to him on her web and pictured a blank wall circling his light, much like it had felt when he shielded her in the courtyard. If anything, maybe it would help to keep him shielded from her, at least.
Everett tensed, but didn’t pull away. Mal let go and tugged his long sleeve over his palm, then grabbed him again. The fabric kept their skin separated as she made for the door, unapologetically shoving people out of her way.