*****
The Cadet’s lounge, located at the centre of the Academy, was the only facility where any attempt had been made to create a homey atmosphere. But since this was in the form of exhausted looking pot plants, plastic tables, and a jukebox so ashamed of its poor music selection it hid dejectedly in a corner, the place never did much business.
I entered and spotted Benny Kingston at the bar, currently engaged in intimate conversation with a sparkly eyed young redheaded cadet. The way in which she giggled told me his Junior Enforcer medals were once again working their dubious magic.
“Oh my God,” I muttered to myself, having a fondness for redheads and never approving of their traumatising.
Benny looked up at my approach and grinned at full Cheshire cat level, as he always did in the presence of a victim.
“Ah, Jet,” he said brightly, “Allow me to introduce Brenda.”
He gestured to the redhead and she stood to curtsey.
“So you’re Jet Clarence,” she said, semi-fascinated.
“So I am,” I admitted, shaking her hand.
“I’ve heard rumours. True or false; you’re Class 5?”
“True.”
“What’s that like?”
“Overrated. Useful only as a conversation starter.”
“Ah. And humble,” she giggled, “Say, did you just come from Defence and Countermeasures? I heard Delaney made a guy piss his pants or something.”
My cheeks flushed. “There was no actual urine, but I’d say it was close. Demonstrating some Body Horror spell.”
“Body Horror. Wow, sounds crazy.”
“Ah, Delaney, I remember him,” Benny jumped in, “His disposition has not improved with age, then?”
“So it seems,” I muttered, shooting him a ‘we need to talk’ expression.
“I see. It seems young Jet here requires mentoring, Brenda.”
“Oh, I understand,” the girl said playfully, “I guess I can look the other direction and ignore blatant Academy favouritism.”
He laughed. “My favouritism is indiscriminate. A mentor without loyalties, you might say.” A number was scribbled on a napkin and handed to her. “Just let me know and I’ll come running.”
“I might just do that,” she replied, folding the napkin and slipping it into a pocket. “Well, I’ll leave you boys to it. I have an appointment in the Self Deceit hall. Later.”
He grinned, watching her exit with the pride of conquest.
“You’re an asshole,” I declared once she was beyond earshot.
“It won’t happen this time!’
“Not the girl!” I glanced around and lowered my voice, though the canteen was empty but for a small group of Cadets at a corner table. “You didn’t think it was a little excessive giving me straight distinctions on my entrance exam? Delaney pulled my application.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“He’s on to me, Benny.”
“Now hang on a second, buddy. First of all, I didn’t exactly get to specify the grades you’d be passing with. It was a little out of my hands.”
“Well your contact is an asshole, whoever he was.”
“And secondly, that was no small favour I called in, okay? The entrance exam was difficult, but getting you released from Hazard Rehabilitation was a nightmare. I’m very seriously in debt from that little sleight of hand.”
I sighed and raked fingers back through my hair. “My basics are a week and a half away and this shit happens.”
“Relax. It’s not time to hit the self destruct button. Why did he pull the application?”
“Someone tipped him off, apparently.”
“Who the hell would do that?”
I threw my hands up. “You’re asking me?!”
“Look, it doesn’t matter, Jet. The paperwork is completely legal on the surface. He’d have to do some serious investigating to find real proof that warranted a full scale investigation. And any trainer doing a decent job in this Academy hardly has the time or energy.”
“I hope so. Either way, he’s going to thrash me in evaluations.”
“Delaney said that?”
“It was strongly implied.”
“Christ, what a vindictive son of a bitch.” He paused and frowned, drumming fingers on the bar counter. “Way I see it, Jet, by the time he can get an investigation of any kind off its feet, at least one that bears actual fruit, you’d be evaluated and probably half way to being a veteran Enforcer.”
“Fair point.”
“So all you really have to do is not let him disable you in that evaluation. There’s not much I can suggest beyond that.”
“He had me believing my hands were melting five minute ago.”
“Body Horror. Yes, it’s ugly, but not different from defending against any other attack. Brush up on your technique. And, forgive me for saying so, you might as well consider this justified initiation into the Department Of Magic. Trust me when I say the average perpetrator on the street won’t be taking it easy on you.”
“Excellent. Thank you.”
“You’re qualifying for your Active status…?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Then focus on that. One thing at a time.”
We drifted into silence.
“You’re also an asshole for the girl,” I muttered.
“It won’t happen this time.”
“You know it will.”
“I’m telling you it won’t. I have it under control.”
“You do? Please tell.”
I looked around and spotted the barman strolling in from the bathroom. I caught his eye and I raised a finger.
“Well,” Benny replied curtly, extracting a pouch of tobacco from his blazer and proceeding with the cigarette rolling ritual, “I would go into the details of my love life, but you’ll just have to trust me I have it under control. We have a more pressing issue to discuss.”
“We do?”
The barman placed a coffee in front of me. “Coffee for Mister Clarence, I believe.”
I took a sip and grimaced in agony.
“Sorry,” the barman said, “No good?’
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“It’s about Selena,” Benny continued as the barman drifted off.
My head snapped round. “What about Selena?”
“There was an incident with a person who fits her description at a hotel earlier today, other side of the city. The Enforcer dispatched to investigate was met with hostility. Badly injured, he’s getting patched up. It’s got the Department frothing at the mouth a little.”
I paused, thinking.
“Mistaken identity,” I suggested hopefully, “I mean, not a glimpse of her and then she’s tearing up Enforcers across town? Doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Not sure, couldn’t tell you what goes on in her brain,” he admitted, pushing the rolled cigarette between his lips, “But I’ll be keeping my eye on it, see if the Enforcer gives a positive ID. Not much point worrying about it till then.”
“Okay.”
He pinched the thumb and forefinger of his left hand and lit the cigarette, gaze drifting over my shoulder. “Hey, who’s that little creature?”
I turned and spotted a female Cadet seated alone at a corner table; a tiny girl in her early twenties. From the waves of blonde hair to the subtle application of makeup, one would expect her to be selling overpriced fragrances to upmarket housewives. She sipped tea and made an effort to ignore us.
“Seen her in class a few times,” I replied, “couldn’t tell you her name.”
“Well, get to know her and introduce me,” Benny said, stubbing out the virtually un-smoked cigarette.
“Holy shit, could you maybe keep your traumatising of Cadets to one at a time? Just for the sake of being polite?”
“I told you, I’m in control.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Fifty.”
“Done.”
Easiest fifty I ever made.
Balance - Book 2 Page 5