by Imogen Rose
I stared into the blood-red eyes and then noticed the smirk on his lips. I drew back my right arm and punched him in the stomach as hard as I could. He didn’t even flinch. Not until my eyes teared up.
“Cordelia, I’m sorry. I was hoping to surprise you.”
“Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been worried out of my mind.” I shook out of his grip and glared at him.
“Let’s get out of here.” He took my hand and pulled me out to the aquarium gardens. The air was fresh and dewy, and we found shelter in an enclave.
“Explain, Quinn! Where have you been?”
“Cordelia, please don’t be so angry. I had to go. I went on an assignment.”
“And you couldn’t find a minute to tell me about it? Not even text me, or anything? I thought you were dead.”
“I know it seems unreasonable—”
“Unreasonable? Pah!” I stomped around him.
“I wasn’t allowed to contact anyone. Not even you. I’m sorry. Please calm down.”
“Calm down? Really, Quinn? You want me to calm down?”
He sighed. “Okay, okay. If it makes you feel any better, transform and beat the hell out of me.”
I considered it for a few seconds. Then I transformed. His jaw dropped to the floor. I laid into him again and again until I was exhausted. Luckily, he had the sense to transform too; otherwise, I’d have killed him. When I was done, I transformed back to my human form and stomped back into the ball, leaving Quinn outside to recover.
I felt as if I was about to explode again when I spotted Jagger still dancing with Octavia.
“Hey! What’s up? You look like you’ve been in a fight,” Pascal said, sidling up to me.
“Quinn’s back.”
“What? Where?”
“I smacked him around and left him outside.”
He looked at me as though I had gone completely crazy. “You did what? Cordelia?”
“I’m just… I don’t know. I’m losing it. I thought he was dead. Then he just turns up to surprise me. It’s just…unacceptable. He should have let me know he was okay, that he was coming back. I’m so angry.”
“Sheesh, Cordelia. Aren’t you happy to see him?”
“Duh! Of course I am.”
“Give him a break then.”
“Why? He’s fine! Better than fine. But he left me here to worry for months!”
“Look, I’m sure he had his reasons, Sis. Now, take a deep breath. He’s just came back in.”
I looked over at the entrance and spotted Quinn walking toward us with his hands up. “Babe, I’m sorry. I really am.”
Pascal squeezed my hand, and I nodded at Quinn.
“Come on,” Quinn said. “Let’s get out of here and talk. Okay?”
“Quinn!” Jagger said from behind me. “Where have you been? We’ve all been worried about you, especially Cordelia.”
“Yeah, so I hear. We were just about to head off to chat.”
“I’ll come with,” Jagger said evenly. “Everything seems under control here. Octavia and McKenzie will cover for us. Shall we head to the faculty lounge? It should be empty.”
“I’d like to come as well,” Pascal said, “but I guess I should stay and keep an eye on Faustine.”
“Yes, please. And call me if you need me,” I added, before I led the two boys out of the ball to the faculty lounge. I sensed Quinn’s anger at Jagger coming along, but I couldn’t be bothered with it. He deserved to feel bad, angry, or whatever, after everything he’d put me through.
Jagger must have felt my angst. He helped me get my pulse under control by the time we got to the lounge. I sat back in an armchair, letting Jagger beat my heart for me for a few seconds while I tried to push the feelings of frustration out of my system.
“Jagger,” Quinn said, sitting down, “I understand that you, like everyone else, are wondering about me. But to be honest, this is between Cordelia and me. If you could excuse us?”
Even though Jagger’s face remained an inscrutable mask, I could tell that he was furious at being told to leave. However, he stood up and nodded at me meaningfully before heading off.
“Come over here,” Quinn said, patting his knees.
“Quinn, you have to tell me where you went first. I’ve been so worried.”
He nodded. “I went to New York, to Manhattan.”
“Why?”
“Ah, now that I’m not allowed to share with anyone.”
“Says whom?”
“Frau Schmelder.”
“The demonized or undemonized version?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Well?” I pressed.
“What are you talking about, Cordelia?”
I guessed he didn’t know, and I certainly didn’t want to explain it to him right now. I just shrugged. “Have you spoken with her since you got back?” If he had, she should have told him that she didn’t know anything about it.
“Yes, I just saw her.”
I was stumped. “What did she say?”
“She debriefed me, and then told me to get back to my regular schedule.”
Huh? Was it possible she was possessed again? “Quinn, what kind of assignment was it? Can you tell me anything about it at all?”
“I wish I could,” he replied, looking apologetic. “Anyway, what did I miss here?”
“A lot, Quinn. Martha was murdered.”
His face fell. “She was? How? When?”
“Oh, Quinn, I don’t even know where to start. So much has happened.”
He nodded. “I can catch up later. Right now, I just want to cuddle with my girlfriend. I’ve really missed you.”
“I’m too frustrated and have too many questions whirling around in my head to just relax and cuddle.”
He stood, walked over to me, picked me up, and sat in my chair with me in his lap. “Try.”
I felt as though my head was going to explode. But I bit my tongue, lay my head on his shoulder, and let him hug me until he nodded off—all while feeling Jagger’s breath in my ear.
“He’s asleep; I’m going to wander you over to my room,” Jagger whispered once Quinn’s snores were steady.
I closed my eyes and waited for the familiar feeling of being suspended in the air, relieved to get a chance to talk to Jagger.
“I’m guessing you listened in?” I asked once we were on Jagger’s bed, lying in each other’s arms.
“Of course.”
“And?”
“You need to tell him about us. Right away.”
“Yes, but that’s not what I meant. What did you think about what he said about The Smelt?”
“That was weird.”
“Yes. She was definitely possessed when she sent him away. I don’t get how she could have debriefed him. Unless someone has compromised her again. We’ve got to call Faustine’s dad.”
“Let’s do that. It could just be that The Smelt listened to what he had to say and played it by ear to find out what she could.”
“You’re probably right, but let’s call King Sebastian anyway. I want to tell him that Quinn’s back, so he can stop looking for him in Manhattan.”
I slipped my phone out of my pocket and called King Sebastian on Faustine’s private line.
“Faustine?”
“No, sorry. It’s Cordelia. Quinn’s back. I just wanted to let you know.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone. I wondered if we’d been disconnected.
“Your Highness?”
“I’m still here. I’m thinking. You’re sure? Did you actually see him?”
“Yes, I even talked to him. Why?”
“I tracked him down in Manhattan earlier today. We are in the middle of getting a rescue team together to get him.”
“From where?”
“The old lady’s residence. We detected his voice on surveillance recordings this morning.”
“The same old lady from the Waldorf?”
“Yes, the same.”
I
had no idea what was going on, but there was one way to find out. “You know what, why don’t I just ask Quinn what’s going on with that? I’ll call you back later with an update.”
I heard a sharp inhale. “Cordelia, is that wise?”
“Wise? What else can I do? We need to know what he was doing there, right? He’s probably gotten himself involved in something dangerous without even knowing it. We have to warn him.”
“Be careful.”
“There’s no way I’m going to let you go over and see him on your own,” Jagger insisted once I was off the phone.
“You have to. I have to talk to Quinn on my own. I need to find out what he was doing at the old lady’s house in New York. He doesn’t know that she was here at the Academy, that she possessed The Smelt, or about the incident at the Waldorf. I mean, she tried to kill me! I have to warn him.”
“I guess I’ll just watch over you, then.” He frowned.
“Like stalk me? Listen, we have to talk about that. I have a right to privacy. You can’t just check up on me whenever, without my permission. We need to work out some boundaries.”
“Spencer Darley already went through those with me.”
“Which ones? They may not be the same ones I’ll need you to follow.”
We quickly hashed out some rules, knowing full well that I had no way of implementing them, and that at the end of the day, I’d just have to trust him. However, I felt better going through them. Every girl needs privacy. Ryker probably also needed guidelines. Maybe I’d talk to him on Faustine’s behalf. It was a bit creepy thinking that both Jagger and Ryker could watch us whenever.
“Promise you’ll keep to those rules?” I asked.
“Yes, unless I think you’re in danger, then I’ll have to break them.”
“All right, that’s fair. How will I know when you’re with me?”
“I’ll touch your ear.”
“I can live with that.”
“Good. Now back to Quinn…are you going to tell him about us?”
“I guess I have to. It’s time to let him go. It’s going to suck. I’ve never broken up with anyone before.”
“This will be the only time.”
I fell asleep in Jagger’s arms and woke with a start at the crack of dawn. I left Jagger sleeping and made my way back to my room, finding Faustine enjoying her breakfast while watching a Gossip Girl rerun.
“Boy, you’re up early!” I said, picking a piece of meat off her plate and dropping it into my mouth. “Mmm, mmm.”
“Late actually. I just got back from the dance. I’m going to bed in a minute. Where have you been? I didn’t see you there at all.”
“Wow, you must have had a good time. Tell me everything. Sorry I missed it. I got to chatting with Quinn and Jagger.” I yawned.
“Quinn? Is he back?”
“Yes. He’s been working in Manhattan. You can ask him all about it when you see him.”
“So why didn’t he call?”
I shrugged. “No idea. Ask him that as well. I need to get out of this gown and take a shower, but after that, I want you to tell me all about the ball. Okay?”
By the time I came back out of the bathroom, Faustine was fast asleep, curled up in a little ball on her bed. I pulled the comforter over her, tucked her in, and turned off the lights, leaving her snoozing happily.
I went to find Quinn.
Now that he was back, it was time to let him go. That sounded so final. I wanted us to continue being close, but just as friends. Was that even possible? How would I react if the tables were turned? I considered it carefully. What if Quinn had synched with some hot faery girl and decided to dump me? I didn’t feel the slightest twinge of jealousy at the scenario. If anything, I felt a sense of relief because that would have gotten me out of my own predicament. I was slightly surprised. After all that time together with Quinn, I should feel something, but the thought of him with another girl didn’t bother me at all.
However, the thought of him being angry and disappointed in me bothered me a lot. The thought of losing him as a friend—my closest, most loyal friend—made me feel physically ill. I couldn’t let that happen. How was I going to keep my friend while bidding my lover good-bye?
I had always told Quinn everything, discussed every little insignificant aspect of my life and decisions with him. I had to come clean and deal with the consequences—even if it meant Quinn hating me forever.
Unlike my response to imagining Quinn with another girl, the thought of Jagger so much as smiling at another female filled me with uncontrollable rage. Did I need Jagger as a friend? No. I needed him to belong to me. And he did, so there was no rational reason for me to be so insanely jealous. Maybe the jealousy would become less acute once we were officially a couple and all other girls knew to keep their paws off him unless they wanted to mess with me.
I felt sicker and sicker as I walked up the hallway packed with students returning from the ball and the post-ball breakfast. I almost hoped Quinn would be out, that I would be given extra time to prepare for the inevitable.
His door swung open as soon as I tapped on it.
“Hey! Where did you disappear to? I woke up in the faculty lounge, and you were gone.”
“I took a shower and checked in with Faustine.”
“How’s she doing? Did she have a good time at the ball? I meant to hang around and ask her for a dance, but I was exhausted. I still am. You must be as well. Wanna hit the sack with me?”
“I’m okay. I managed to sleep a bit, but I can come back later if you need to sleep.”
“Oh, no! Come on in. I’ve missed you.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me inside, enveloping me in a hug. Then he brushed his lips against mine, kissing me gently.
I hated myself for not being able to reciprocate, for finding his touch almost repugnant. I had loved him so deeply for so long.
He searched my eyes, confusion pouring out of his own, and finally pushed away from me. “Cordelia, I don’t understand. I get that you’re angry at me for taking off like that, but—”
“It’s not that.” I sat in his armchair.
“Then what? I don’t get it.”
I gazed into his hurt eyes, not wanting to destroy him all together. I could feel myself tearing up.
Suddenly, his face clouded over. “Someone else?” His voice was full of scorn. “The faery?” he spat in disgust.
“Quinn, we synched. We can’t help—”
“Get out!”
“Quinn, come on. Let’s talk about this.”
He transformed, his demon persona more menacing than I had ever seen it. “Get out,” he bellowed, “before I kill you.”
I fled.
I never did get the chance to ask Quinn about the old lady or anything else surrounding his stay in Manhattan. He seemed to have made it his life’s mission to avoid me. The few times I’d spotted him, he turned around and walked off in the opposite direction. Then, he totally disappeared from the Academy once again, apparently—intel from Colton—after asking to be transferred to off-campus housing nearer the skydiving facility where he seemed to spend all his time.
We were now into Faustine’s second Integration year, with life at the Academy at an unnaturally calm level, with the powers of the shifter and demon students still restricted to their test sessions only. One of the consequences of the ban levied on the use of paranormal powers was that none of the shifters or demons were able to practice what they learned outside class. That meant none of them had graduated within the normal time. It also meant more work for me, with practice sessions added to my schedule to allow the students time to hone their skills in a protected environment. And this was in addition to the new intake of Initiates. Plus I had to work hard at my specialized classes.
I understood that part of that responsibility was to stay on at the school and work under Professor Bern. Knowing that, I had felt bad accepting King Sebastian’s proposal to work for him, especially since I hadn’t even mentioned it to Professo
r Bern. But the more I thought about it, the more right it seemed.
However, I had to push all thoughts of my own future aside and get back to my student sessions.
I was up early, with Faustine still fast asleep. We still had not heard back from the Student Council regarding her case because Asmen was held up in Tokyo, where he was on a special assignment. I had been in contact with him a couple of times since the new school year started. He’d promised to get the council together as soon as he returned to the Academy.
I left Faustine dreaming, secure in the knowledge that Ryker was watching over her, and made my way over to the dOME lab, where Colton was already busy calibrating his equipment.
I threw myself into the armchair, dangling my legs off the armrest. “Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Early to bed and all that.” He came over and sat down on the opposite chair. “Busy night with Jagger?” he teased.
I felt unexpectedly coy, feeling blood rush to my face.
He laughed. “Now that’s funny: a blushing demon.”
“Oh, stop!” I chuckled. “What about you? That redhead not keeping you up?”
“Nope, not anymore. You know us shifters—short attention spans.”
I thumped his chest, glad to have him in my life. We’d forged an easygoing friendship, and I felt I could trust him, as much as I could trust any shifter.
“We’ll have to find you a hot shifter chick when we get to England.” I was pleased that King Sebastian had offered Colton a job as well, so that we would go to London together.
“Hey, I’m an equal opportunity dater. I wouldn’t mind a faery girlfriend. I hear faeries taste good.”
“Okay, okay.” I giggled. “Anyhow, I guess we better get to work. Who’s up this morning? Please don’t let it be one of those annoying trolls.”
“Nope, although Noella is coming in this afternoon.”
I rolled my eyes. “Wonderful.”
“Mason’s due this morning. He should be here any minute. He asked if he could start early. Apparently, Monsieur Drasco is coming over later to take him out for lunch.”
“Okay. Just a training session, right?”
“Sort of. You don’t need to stay if you don’t want to. I can handle it.”
“I’d better, just in case Professor Bern checks in. I’ve missed too many sessions already, studying for the witchcraft classes.”