Outrun

by Annabel Chase

  “Good idea.” Silent was always the best option for me. “But I’m tasting the crab first.” I grabbed a crab roll from the table and hurried away. I should’ve realized it wouldn’t be easy to eat with fangs. I practically swallowed it whole as I maneuvered through the parade of vampires to reach the silent auction displays. Part of me hoped I wasn’t the one to see Percy first. I only wanted to be a shadow, just like the assignment described. I was good at shadowing—being invisible was second nature to me, especially when my best friends were all shining supernovas. Not that I begrudged them their awesomeness, of course. I was comfortable as a lurker.

  Sometimes I wondered how I ended up in such a powerful quartet—Bryn possessed the blood magic of her father, the notorious Volans Moldark; Dani was descended from a long line of powerful witches and wizards; and Cerys could wield a sword as easily as she commanded nature. The trio had proven themselves during our first three years at Spellslingers. Their respective AMF quadrants couldn’t wait to welcome them. Yet here I was in our fourth and final year, having to jump through extra hoops to make sure I was Keeper of the North, Class B material. That was the price of invisibility. No one had a sense of me or my accomplishments.

  “Planning to bid on that demon mask?” a deep voice asked. “Because I was thinking it would look perfect mounted on my library wall.”

  I whipped around and looked straight into a broad chest. The chest wore a metallic dark brown leather military-style trench coat. An interesting look for a swanky event like this one. My gaze traveled higher until I reached his strong jaw and chiseled features. His light blond hair was cut short on the sides and a little longer on the top. Whatever look he was going for, it was working. I was fairly certain I squeaked.

  “Uh, no,” I said, recovering. “Just browsing.”

  “Hmm, not bidding on anything at all?” he asked.

  “I haven’t decided,” I said. “Nothing’s caught my eye yet.”

  “That’s too bad,” he said, “because something’s certainly caught mine.”

  I couldn’t tell if it was the crab roll or his compliment, but my stomach was about to revolt. I wasn’t used to anyone noticing me, certainly not extremely hot guys in absurdly sexy brown leather coats. I had no idea how to respond.

  “Not drinking tonight either?” he inquired.

  “No, afraid not,” I said. “I have an early day tomorrow.” That was the line the agents had advised me to use. Nick, too. Lucille was the only one able to indulge.

  Brown Coat smiled and my insides melted. His green eyes seemed to be drinking me in. “Does that mean you’ll be leaving before the party really gets started?”

  “That depends,” I said. “When does that happen?”

  He winked. “You’d have to stay late enough to find out.”

  I moved over to admire the next item in the auction. It was a small painting of a blood-red sunset over the sea.

  “Very pretty,” he remarked. I assumed he meant the painting. “What’s your name?”

  I hesitated. “Mia,” I said. “It’s actually short for Amelia, but I never tell anyone that.” And yet I just told a complete stranger at an event where I was meant to be incognito. Another excellent choice, Mia. I was beginning to understand the chancellor’s decision.

  Brown Coat’s mouth twitched. “It’ll be our little secret. Promise.” He pressed a hand against his broad chest and I averted my gaze. Why did that chest have to be positioned directly in my line of vision? “Have you attended many Vampire Alliance events?”

  “This is my first one,” I said. “I’m glad I decided to come because this place is incredible.”

  His gaze swept the room. “Nonesuch is rather inspiring.” He stuck out his tongue and caught a snowflake on it. “They spared no expense.”

  “Takes money to make money,” I said. That was my dad’s motto anyway.

  A woman sashayed over to us with an empty drink in her hand. Bright red curls were piled on her head and secured with a golden tiara and she possessed the flawless porcelain skin of her kind.

  “Welcome to Nonesuch,” she said. “I’m Sela, your hostess. I hope you find the silent auction items to your liking. It’s a most worthy cause, I assure you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Sela,” I said.

  “I have my eye on that mask,” Brown Coat said. “Unless the young lady outbids me. She seems like she might be a wily one.”

  “Bid away,” Sela said. “All the money raised this evening will support vampires’ special interests in the Western Quadrant.” A server came by and she placed her empty glass on the tray. “If you have questions about anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She reached out and touched my hair. “The snow looks stunning on you, darling. Like diamonds in your hair.” Her gaze darted to Brown Coat. “So much beauty in this room tonight. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely,” Brown Coat replied.

  “I’ve made it my goal to meet every single attendee tonight,” Sela said. “The personal is political, after all.” She gave a wave over her shoulder and carried on to the next guests.

  Brown Coat continued to track Sela with his eyes and I felt myself fading into the background. Oh, well. What else was new?

  “I have eyes on Percy.” Lucille’s voice echoed in my head and my whole body stiffened. The AMF had set up a psychic communications system so that we could mentally switch on a group channel when needed. It was something I’d never seen in action before. When I’d told my roommates about it, they immediately began to worry about the ramifications. What if I’m thinking about how hungry I am in the middle of a mission? What if I think my partner isn’t up to my standards?

  “Are you okay, Mia?” Brown Coat asked. He seemed to notice my reaction to Lucille’s voice.

  I offered a bright smile. “Yes, sorry. I remembered something I was meant to do before I went out.”

  “You left the iron on, didn’t you?” he teased.

  Percy is on the move, Lucille said. Heading to the gallery.

  The gallery? Which room was that?

  I think the exchange is about to take place, Lucille said.

  Mia, meet me at the entrance to the ballroom, Nick said. You need to stay close. If you see Percy on your own, do not engage.

  Got it, I said. I glanced up at Brown Coat. “Good luck with the bidding. I hope you get what you want.”

  Whatever his response was, I didn’t hear it. I was already moving swiftly through the crowd of vampires. I spotted Nick at the ballroom entrance. His demeanor was impressively cool. If you didn’t know any better, he was waiting for a friend, not preparing to chase down a wanted criminal.

  “Wand at the ready,” he said in a low voice.

  “It’s within reach,” I replied. The agency stylist had sewn a special pocket into my gown to accommodate my wand. They seemed to think of everything.

  Nick gave me a gruff nod before proceeding. We ventured into the long corridor with the portraits.

  “Oh, this is the gallery,” I said.

  He looked at me askance. “I thought they took trainees on field trips at your school.”

  “They do,” I said. “But not fancy ones.”

  “They should probably start,” he remarked. “We often end up rubbing elbows with wealthy paranormals. You should learn the lingo.”

  “I’ll pass along your helpful tip to Chancellor Tilkin,” I said. We hurried quietly past the oil paintings with the demon and Odin.

  Nick smiled wryly. “A little sarcasm from you. Good job.”

  “You want me to be sarcastic?” I asked.

  “I want you to relax,” he replied. “You look like an elf at a fairy convention half the time, like you know you don’t belong. You need to shake off that imposter syndrome.”

  I snapped my fake fangs. “Probably not the best time for that.” I paused. “Which room?” Lucille had fallen silent since we left the ballroom.

  Nick sniffed the air. “This way.” We turned down another c
orridor that we’d passed on the way to the ballroom. “I smell her in here.” Werejaguars were excellent trackers and, after four years as partners, Nick undoubtedly knew Lucille’s scent well.

  We opened a door and slipped into another large room. This one housed a swimming pool set in a black marble floor. My first thought wasn’t the striking appearance of the black marble—it was that Cerys would warn everyone to towel off because marble was far too slippery for wet feet.

  Lucille stood at the far end of the room, her legs planted in an offensive stance. Then I spotted Percy plastered against the wall, up toward the ceiling. His file mentioned that his specialty was acrobatics. Vampires were stronger and faster than most other paranormals, but Percy apparently had taken his skills to another level.

  “We want the sundial, Percy,” Lucille said. “Hand it over.”

  “I don’t have it,” he yelled from on high. “I already handed it over. That was the deal.”

  “To who?” Lucille demanded.

  “To whom,” Nick corrected her.

  Lucille glared at him. “Is now really the time for a grammar lesson?”

  “Anytime is good for a grammar lesson,” Nick replied. “It’s how we improve.”

  Percy glanced from Lucille to Nick. “Can I go?”

  “No,” they shouted in unison. The sound reverberated in the mostly empty room.

  “Answer the question, Percy,” Lucille said. “To whom did you deliver the sundial?”

  “I can’t tell you,” he said. “Honor code.” He inched further toward the ceiling like a spider. I noticed another door on the opposite wall. He’d never make it unless he could fly, which vampires couldn’t.

  “Percy, you can either tell us right here, or you can tell us at AMF headquarters from your own private prison cell. Either way, we’re getting the answer.”

  Percy shrugged. “Either way, you’d have to catch me first.” He leaped from his place on the wall and sailed over the pool. Well, he couldn’t fly, but apparently he could jump really, really far.

  I acted quickly, calling to the wind and whipping it in a circular motion over the pool. A cone of water rose from its depths and sucked Percy straight out of the air and into its center.

  Nick grinned his approval. “Nice reaction time, Holmes.”

  I calmed the wind and the water settled as quickly as it had risen. A soaking wet vampire climbed out of the pool where Lucille and Nick waited to apprehend him. I felt a surge of pride knowing that I’d helped, although I was disappointed we didn’t manage to recover the sundial. Not yet anyway.

  We brought Percy into custody and I arrived back at my room, as predicted, close to three in the morning. My roommates were sound asleep, but I knew they’d be up bright and early to pepper me with questions.

  It didn’t occur to me until I slipped into that gap between awake and asleep that Brown Coat wasn’t what he seemed. In my mind’s eye, I saw what had been missing from that gorgeous face.

  Fangs.

  Whatever he was—whoever he was—Brown Coat wasn’t a vampire.

  Chapter Three

  “You met a mysterious hot guy and that’s your nickname for him?” Bryn asked. As I anticipated, my roommates woke me before I was ready, eager to hear the details of my assignment.

  “Sure,” I said. “What’s wrong with Brown Coat?”

  “I don’t know,” Bryn said. “Sounds like you’re telling us the British are coming.”

  “Those were Red Coats,” Dani said.

  “Ooh, someone knows her American history,” Bryn shot back.

  “He’s not British,” I said. “At least, he doesn’t seem to have the accent.”

  “Too bad,” Dani said. “That accent is sexy.”

  “He’s sexy enough without the accent,” I said.

  “Shouldn't you be researching the sundial at AMF headquarters?” Dani asked. “They’ll have the better library.”

  “I’ll be heading over there again tomorrow,” I told her, “but I want to show them what I'm capable of. I figure if I research today, then I can impress them tomorrow when I show up with a list of theories.”

  Dani pointed her wand at me. “I like your attitude, future Keeper of the North.”

  I sank against my pillow. “From your lips to the gods’ ears.”

  Cerys swatted my leg. “What are you talking about, Mia Holmes? You don’t need the gods. You've got this.”

  “Only if I don't screw up the very first assignment I've been given,” I said.

  “What makes you think you’re going to screw it up?” Bryn asked. “It sounds like the mission was almost a success. The fact that Percy had already handed off the sundial isn't your fault.”

  While I knew she was right, I still felt responsible. I was a member of that team. I should have noticed Percy earlier. Instead, I let myself get distracted by a handsome stranger.

  “It's a shame you weren't able to find out Brown Coat’s name before you left,” Bryn said. “It could’ve been a personal success story if not a professional one.”

  “Are you sure he wasn’t a vampire?” Cerys asked. “Maybe his fangs were short.”

  “No,” I said. “I’m certain.” I smiled at Bryn. “I mean, we can't all date sexy vampires, can we?”

  A dreamy expression passed over her face. “Gray is pretty sexy, isn't he?”

  “I heard Warden Armitage mention that Gray needs another partner,” Dani said.

  “Yeah, his current one is moving to the Pacific coast,” Bryn said. “He’s pretty bummed.”

  I understood why that was a big deal for the vampire. Gray's first partner had been killed on assignment years ago and he’d left the AMF, withdrawing from mainstream society. He finally returned to the fold after meeting Bryn and avenging his partner’s death by killing the demon responsible.

  “You must be looking forward to moving in together after graduation,” Cerys said.

  Bryn produced a granola bar from her pocket and began eating hungrily. “Yes and no. I can’t wait to spend more time with him, but Spellslingers has been my home for almost four years. I’ve never lived anywhere that long before.” Her expression grew wistful. “It’s been really great.” Bryn’s childhood was spent moving from place to place so that she and her mother could stay off her father’s radar. They continued moving even after he was no longer a threat, not realizing that he was dead.

  “Come on, it’s too early in the day to make me cry,” Cerys complained, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

  “Then I won’t comment on that shirt you’re wearing,” Bryn said, and I caught the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

  Cerys laughed. “I won’t miss the constant critiques.”

  “What about you, Dani?” I asked. “Is Peter still willing to relocate to the Southern Quadrant?” Peter Zilla had been a smuggler when he and Dani first met. These days, he tried to keep his business legitimate by running an import/export company.

  “Peter can take his business anywhere,” Dani said. “That's the beauty of being your own boss. I'll obviously be traveling quite a bit for work, so as long as we have a place of our own to meet up when we can, we'll be okay.”

  “Did you hear that Priscilla isn’t being offered a Class A position?” Cerys asked. “I heard it from Oliver. He saw her in the armory, taking her rage out on innocent dummies. You’d think it was the end of the world.”

  “What happened?” I asked. “I thought she was doing well.”

  “Only because that's what she wants everyone to think,” Dani said.

  I suddenly felt better about my own situation. Here I thought I was at the bottom of the class, but the agency must have felt confident that I could perform, otherwise, they wouldn’t have granted me this opportunity.

  Cerys removed a duffel bag from the closet and began to place carefully folded clothing inside.

  Bryn groaned. “Are you going to stay with Callan again?”

  Cerys frowned. “What? You're the only one allowed to spend qualit
y time with her boyfriend? I can't help it if Callan lives in Terrene.”

  “It’s only morning,” Dani said. “Can’t you go later?”

  “He has off today,” Cerys said. “I want to get there before lunch.” She zipped up the bag with gusto. “I can do independent study from his place.”

  “If you’re studying when you’re there, you’re doing the whole boyfriend thing wrong,” Bryn said.

  I moved my legs into a folded position. “I’m glad you don't all decide to visit your boyfriends at once. I’d be lonely in this big room by myself.”

  Bryn laughed. “First of all, this room is ridiculously cramped. How they managed to squeeze four beds in here is a work of magic all by itself. Second of all, don't you dare start feeling sorry for yourself, Mia Holmes. We’re going to spend as much time together as we can before graduation. In fact, you’re going to spend so much time with us that you’re going to beg for solitary confinement.”

  I couldn't help but smile. Bryn had a way of making me feel better about myself, like I was one of them. I wished I could carry her around in my pocket for times when I questioned myself.

  “I’ll see you witches tomorrow,” Cerys said. She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.

  “Wait up,” Bryn said, tossing her granola wrapper into the bin. “We’ll walk you out. We’re headed that way anyway.”

  Dani scrunched her perfect nose. “We are?”

  “We’re going to help Mia in the library,” Bryn explained. “We want her to impress those AMF agents, don’t we?”

  “You don’t need to do that,” I said. “You have your own independent study projects to work on.”

  Bryn grabbed my ankle and tugged me off the bed. “You’re our independent project today, Mia Holmes. Let’s get to it. It’s all about sundials today, no matter how boring the topic is.”

  “Sundials are fascinating,” Dani said, and Bryn pretended to snore in response.

  “Let me at least run a brush through my hair,” I said. As tired as I was, I had no interest in putting up a fight. Time with my friends was limited. Less than one year and we’d be parting ways, possibly for the rest of our lives. It was a harsh reality, but I knew I had to begin to accept it. Like Cerys kept telling me, I would make new friends in the Northern Quadrant. She said there was no reason my life there couldn't be every bit as fulfilling as it was here. For my sake, I hoped she was right.