by Cherie Marks
While we waited, she pulled out a nail file and began working on her long-ass fingernails, ignoring Mav and the others. It only took about five minutes, though, until she raised her free hand and snapped her fingers.
Mav blinked his eyes a few times and shook his head to clear the disorientation. Yet, when everything came into focus, he saw that they were standing before the swirling blue portal without a guard in sight.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Zuul the gatekeeper? Get through the damn portal. I’ve got a hair appointment in like two minutes.”
“Will this take us to Linwyn?”
She rolled her eyes. “Where else would it take you, genius?”
He spoke through his teeth. “I just meant that there was some question as to whether Linwyn was still a possible destination or not.”
Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment before she nodded and said, “Okay, maybe you were right this time. Bound to happen occasionally but don’t make a habit of correcting me, warlock. The good news is that it’s fixed now, so stop your blabbering and get through that portal.”
Without hesitating any longer, Kylie and Gaston stepped through the bright blue mass of glowing air.
“Oh, and Mav, before you go, you should know one thing.”
He stared at her expectantly, and when she didn’t immediately explain, he asked, “What?”
Her eyes filled with humor as she said, “It’s futile to resist Gemma. Just let it happen.”
Mav had so many more questions, but he felt a hard shove at his back, propelling him toward the portal. Unable to stop, he held his breath and dove headfirst through, unsure what new insanity to expect on the other side.
Chapter 13
Being back inside the walls of the Assassin’s Academy felt like putting on a striped, wool sweater from your childhood. It was itchy and uncomfortable, yet familiar and definitely where some very awkward moments took place. And, yes, there was photographic evidence. Yet, Gemma had perspective now that only came from leaving behind unhealthy people and places. As she slipped through the shadows of the building, passing places where she’d lived, fought, and cried, she felt the sting of the memories, but she knew they couldn’t harm her any longer. Not unless she let them.
Peto’s betrayal hadn’t ended with the capture the flag drill. He had revealed so much more to the other students. Confidences she’d told him in secret with the idea that he was her friend and wouldn’t hurt her. Unfortunately, she hadn’t realized the truth until it was too late. Peto was training to be an assassin, and he wanted to be the best. The minute Gemma started showing promise, Peto had befriended her. However, it wasn’t out of the goodness of his heart. It was so that he could keep his competition close, gather intelligence on her, and then use it to rise above her.
The reality had nearly broken her spirit, but she’d managed not to let it show. Nevertheless, she withdrew from all activities other than her academics and learned not to trust anyone but herself. Now, as she eased around the corridors, Jeff at her side, she stealthily made her way to her old dorm room. Though, she wasn’t entirely certain she was on the right path, her mother’s note had said she would find what she was looking for where her new life began. Her new life had to be the day she was sent to the Academy. Everything changed then. She only saw her parents on holidays, and she never felt safe. Her first day as an assassin had been the worst day of her young life and not too many more good ones followed after that.
Outside of her dorm room, she paused, hand on the doorknob. This was her one sanctuary in the entire school. She hoped the book was here, and the room saved her once more.
“I don’t know quite why we’re just standing here. Do you plan to go inside anytime soon?”
She glared down at Jeff’s scrunched-up face. She could tell he was proud of his smartassery. She wanted to conjure a mass of fleas for him to wear from now until eternity, but she stuck out her tongue at him and twisted the doorknob instead. She had expected it to be locked from the inside, but, surprisingly, it opened immediately. As a student, she’d been sure to lock her door every night. The consequence, otherwise, was usually a late-night prank by the other students.
Yet, as she slowly peeked through the crack in the door, she realized why the door had been unsecured. The room was empty. As she swung the door wide, she saw a skeletal layout of furniture—two unmade beds, two desks, two dressers, and one bedside table. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered, but the room was a blank canvas just waiting for students to arrive. It was a stroke of good luck that they were here between terms, but Gemma didn’t waste any time congratulating herself for catching a break. Instead, she began opening drawers and closet doors, hoping to find the book left forgotten and unused. The odds of that, though, were not good.
“I don’t even know where to look for it.” She sighed. “It wasn’t anything I remember seeing when I was a student here.”
“What a cruel trick it would be if you’d lived here for years with the answer to your problems right under your nose, and you never knew about it.”
“Yeah, that would be viciously ironic.”
“Who had the room before you?”
She had lived in this room all her years at the Academy, since she was five years old, only going home for holiday breaks and summer. It had never occurred to her that anyone would have lived in the room before her. Of course, there had to be another occupant before her. Yet, she’d never had any inclination to find out who it would have been.
“I really don’t know.”
“Let’s see. The witches and warlocks who have come out of this academy who would have not only been good assassins but also good spellcasters narrows it down to two possible candidates who would be at the right age. It was either Scowler the Salty or Kracter the Crafty. I know them both well.”
Jeff skulked around the room, sniffing and rubbing against the furniture, stopping occasionally to lick his fur before moving on to the next item. He paused and said, “Scowler the Salty isn’t well known for relying on his blending skills. He sticks out like a sore thumb, as do all of his assassinations. He mostly kills witches and warlocks who’ve pissed him off. However, Kracter is different. He often hides in plain sight before he strikes. He’s so well camouflaged, it’s near to impossible to see him coming before it’s too late. I think he would have hidden his stuff the same way.”
“You think Kracter the Crafty stayed in this room before me?”
Jeff nodded. “And I think he hid the book in plain sight. We are just overlooking it.”
Gemma traced the wall, knocking lightly on the surface and listening for an unexpected sound. Yet, nothing sounded out of the ordinary. She searched the bedframe and ripped open the mattresses. With precision, she went over every inch of the tile floor, but, once again, nothing about any of the places she looked were significant.
She sat back on her haunches and looked up at the ceiling, hoping she wouldn’t have to try to climb up there to search. The wording in her mother’s letter kept playing through her head. Where your new life began.
Were the words talking about the day she came into this room or the day she left it forever? She couldn’t definitively say one way or the other. Then, it hit her. A new life begins at the door. Whether going in or out in this case, it started a new facet of her life.
She ran to the door, and swung it open again, running her hands along the doorframe, searching for any small break in the framing. When she found it, she nearly danced, but something about being in the Assassin’s Academy once more brought back her strict training and sent her emotions into a deep, dark hole.
Her hand found the handle of her dagger, and she pulled it from the sheath. She used the sharply curved edge of the blade to begin carving out the outline of the spine of the book, rolling it back and forth over the exposed crack.
“I think you’re on to something, you little whippersnapper.”
It took her nearly an hour to get the book free, but once
she held it in her hands, she dusted the excess plaster off it and lovingly stroked the answer to all that was wrong with her world.
“I can’t believe you found it.”
“I wouldn’t have without your help, Jeff. Thank you.”
“Stop it. You’re going to make me blush.”
Both wore grins as they stared at each other. Gemma had never experienced a cat grinning. It was slightly creepy. She’d also never had a moment quite like this. Clearly, there was a connection between Jeff and her, and for the first time, she understood why witches took familiars. It was strange, and Gemma wasn’t quite sure what to do with the realization just yet. One thing she knew though, she didn’t have time to analyze the tentative relationship. They needed to get out of the Academy before anyone realized they were there.
Before the moment got any more awkward, Gemma sheathed her dagger and placed the book in her backpack. She stood and found a shadow in the hallway where she could slowly make her way back to the window that she’d crawled through to get inside. Though Jeff’s plan hadn’t been anything more than sneaking into an open window, he had found the perfect one. He’d lived a long time getting into and out of places, and this particular one was in an area without surveillance.
It was an easy trek back to her mode of escape. Too easy. She began to wonder if she might be missing something.
Where was everyone? Why hadn’t anyone tried to stop her even once?
As she dropped from the second-story window, she suddenly understood why. As Jeff dropped to the ground beside her, he said, “Uh-oh, spaghettio. We’re in deep doo-doo, kiddo.”
Gemma spun around just as a blinding light the size of an industrial-sized barrel flicked on, causing instant pain in her eyes and a complete loss of sight.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Princess Gemma. I thought you were gone or dead or both. This is rather unexpected.”
Using her arms to try to block out the intense spotlight, Gemma tried to confirm what she suspected. She couldn’t see more than a short silhouette behind the spotlight, but something about the way the speaker sounded was recognizable. The voice was deeper and, perhaps, sharper, but the intonations were exactly the same as they had been when they were students here.
“Isn’t this the night of the five-year reunion, Peto? I thought there’d be a little more fanfare. Where is everyone?”
His laugh held no humor. “It’s Mr. Shmeto now. I’m a tenured professor at the Academy now, and I’ll thank you for giving me the respect I deserve. I think I’ve earned it.”
Gemma couldn’t hold back the chuckle that escaped her lips. She couldn’t help when it turned into a full-on laugh, or even when tears were streaming down her cheeks at the uncontrollable mirth.
“What’s so funny, Gemma?”
“Sorry...I just forgot...that your name is...Peto Shmeto. It really is...an unfortunate name.” She grabbed her stomach as her laughter began to make her muscles ache there. Even Jeff dropped to his side, rolling in the grass, making noises like cat-laughter. It only made her laugh that much harder.
“Shut up! My parents were wannabe poets. It’s no big deal. Lots of people have weird names. I know a girl named Ginger Snapp. There’s another guy named Richard Hertz. People call him Dick. It’s not that strange of a name. It could be worse, right?”
Her laughter finally began to die down as she wiped her face and said, “You’re probably right. It just struck me as funny. It’s just that you were talking about giving you respect, but your name sounds like someone mocking you. Oh, nevermind. I’m sure you get the irony.”
“This is ridiculous! I don’t want to talk about my name anymore. You have something I want.”
This sobered her quickly. She straightened as she asked, “What could I possibly have of yours?”
“Tonight, you took something from your old dorm room. Give it to me.”
He wanted the book? No way was she giving that up now. “I didn’t find anything. It was empty.”
“You found Kracter the Crafty’s spell book. Hand it over, and I’ll let you live...for now.”
How did he even know about the book? If it weren’t for her father, she wouldn’t have known about it. She’d been researching time spells for a long time. “What if I don’t want to give you the book? What if you haven’t earned it?”
“Then, I’ll kill you and your familiar, and the book will be mine anyway.”
“Come on, Peto. I could defeat you any day of the week. I’d just like to see you try to take it from me.”
Yet, as his small army of followers spread out beside him, she could make out about twenty or so people who didn’t look like spectators. They were cracking knuckles and maybe even growling. Really? Who growls? The light made it impossible to see how many she was actually up against, and her heart began to race.
From the ground, Jeff said, “You can’t give him the book.”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“That’s the spirit.” She hated his smarmy tone. She wanted to knock the words right out of his mouth, but instead, she reached for her backpack, setting it on the ground as she unzipped it. She stuck her hand inside and fiddled around for a moment before pulling a red-covered book from her bag. She laid it carefully on the concrete of the parking lot where they stood and with a hard shove using the toe of her boot, pushed it across the ground to his feet.
From the lowered position, the light no longer blinded her completely, and she could see the wide-eyed grin he wore as he stared at the book on the ground. The look said it all. He’d won.
Or, at least, he thought he had.
Gemma zipped up her backpack and stood up slowly just as Peto picked up the book.
“You said you’d let us live.”
“Sure. Go. It doesn’t matter. The Protectorate will find you soon enough. You’re already a dead witch walking.”
With his assurance, Gemma took off for the tall, metal gates standing slightly open at the end of the long driveway. Jeff was fast on her heels.
She heard Peto’s infuriated yell just as she wrapped a hand around the cool metal of the gate. She looked back once to watch him transform. He gave several loud honks, to which his small army seemed to think meant they should run into each other and fall down several times before turning toward her and giving chase.
“Shit! Looks like Peto Shmeto the Unfriendly Goose has fairly predictable orders. We got to jet.”
She ran, Jeff sprinting along side her, keeping pace, though she knew he could easily outrun her. As she looked back, she realized the flaw in her plan. Assassins were not long-distance runners by nature. They were stealth-hunters. She wasn’t going to be able to get away like this.
“Gemma! Over here!”
With a quick glance to her right, she caught sight of Maverick behind some low bushes. She wasn’t quite sure why she did it, other than the alternative was Peto’s crew, but she turned toward Mav, hoping he was the better alternative.
As soon as she ran into Mav’s open arms, she felt like she’d made the right decision. Jeff jumped onto her leg, and Mav spanned away, leaving Peto Shmeto as a freaking goose and his army chasing no one.
Chapter 14
Unable to believe Gemma had trusted him enough to go with him, Maverick spanned them to his own quarters. Yet, even after they’d landed, he just stood still, holding her trembling body. She was the strongest woman he knew, yet in that moment, she seemed so vulnerable. For just a moment she wasn’t a fugitive, and he wasn’t a hunter who owed the King his life. She was someone who needed him, and he wanted to stay in this moment for as long as they could. It made him feel worth something more than just a glorified bounty hunter.
She pulled away enough to look up at him, and he met her gaze until he focused on her lips. The kiss they’d shared invaded his mind like it had thousands of times since the night before last. He hadn’t been able to forget it, and he doubted he ever would.
His heart pounded in his chest as he lowered his head
and brushed his mouth across her lips. He was holding back, unsure how she would react, but his breathing made his chest rise and fall rapidly, and he felt every second without her kiss. Goddess, he wanted her.
“Something wrong with your arms, sonny?”
Mav stepped back, reluctantly releasing his hold on Gemma, and looked down to the spot from which the voice had come. At Gemma’s feet, he saw a cat with fur of midnight black, except for a streak of gray right at the top of its head. Two glowing green eyes stared back at him. Somehow, the cat kind of reminded him of an old man.
“Okay. This is new.”
Gemma gave an enthusiastic smile. It was brilliant and made Mav’s heart skip a beat. “This is my familiar. He and I met in the cave as soon as I crossed the portal into Linwyn.”
“My name is Jeff.” The cat gave his name as if he were an animated character, but Mav nodded in greeting.
“Crazy thing is, he says someone sent him. I’ve never had a familiar before, and I didn’t ask for one, but apparently, someone is watching out for me.”
“Someone sent him?” He crossed his arms and focused his attention on Jeff. “Who sent you? How do I know we can trust them? Or you, for that matter?”
The cat actually laughed before saying, “Oh, that’s rich coming from you, fartknocker.”
“Who’s a fartknocker? That’s just ridiculous. Who calls someone a fartknocker?”
He caught Gemma’s wink at Jeff and couldn’t believe they were already conspiring against him. How long could they have even known each other?
Gemma shrugged and said, “I’ve heard it used before.”
“Look, I’m not having this conversation. You can’t trust him.”
“Oh, and I should trust you? The hunter sent to bring me back to Linwyn. Well, I’m back. Your job is done.”
“Yes, you should trust me. There’s a good chance the Protectorate already knows you are here, and they’re probably searching for you right this minute. You need me to negotiate for you. Maybe we can just get you life in prison instead of an execution.”