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“Ezra.” The waitress sets a coffee in front of Nessa and she shoots her a grin of thanks and leans back in her seat.
“I’m assuming you’re in a secure location?” he inquires and I nod even though he can’t see me.
“Yes I am. Cloaked and have a sound barrier up.” Ezra is perfectly aware of my gifts, so he knows what I mean when I say cloaked.
“Good. What’s going on?” His voice has relaxed and the familiar creak of his old vinyl chair echoes through the line. He’s in his office. And presumably alone.
I clear my throat, tongue darting out to wet my lips. “I’m requesting that you keep this conversation between us for now please, Sir?”
I’ve spent enough time with him that I can practically picture him as he considers my request. The man may not appear or sound any older than me, but I know that’s not the case. You’d have to be stupid not to recognise his age by his strength and the power that practically freaking wafts off of him. Not all that different to Nessa actually, though she’s younger than me and decades younger than Ezra. My eyes narrow, but I file that away for later. So many questions, the list keeps growing.
“Understood. I’m alone and providing this isn’t about a potential danger that my superiors need to know about, I’m happy for this matter to remain confidential.”
I let out a slow breath, eyes still focused on Nessa. I’m about to speak, then change my mind at the last minute, cocking my head to the side. “Is there any chance I could speak with you about this matter in person?”
It’s a little risky, with Kristen being so close, but Ezra is perfectly capable of cloaking himself and his magical signature. I need to be able to see his expressions while I tell him about Nessa, and this works perfectly because he can see her in action. “It is unlike you to make such a request, so I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’ll be cloaked.”
There’s a beep as he hangs up and I tug my phone away from my ear, shutting it off and shoving it back in my pocket. Fingers crossed this isn’t a bad idea.
Ezra takes more than five minutes, and my eyes scan over him with curiosity. He’s usually quite put together when I see him in the office, dressed in a tailored suit, slacks and unscuffed shiny black shoes. He’s a lot less put together right now.
He lets out a huff as he approaches me, brushing at his torn andsmoulderingsuit jacket. His albino white hair is all over the place, and his purple eyes glint with mild irritation. “My apologies for being late, something came up.”
I nod, but don’t question him; it is none of my business. He takes a minute or so to get himself together, eventually deciding to shuck off his jacket and shove it into his spelled pocket. I’m sure if he were in his office he’d just magic it back to its original glory, but Kristen might pick up on something like that here. “Alright, so what did you want to speak with me about?” He scans the area as he speaks, eyes narrowing when they land on Kristen. He’s aware of all the Drákon members in the area, especially Kristen. She’s a fucking monster at heart—morally, not by her supernatural race.
“You are aware of the incident that happened with Ethan at the end of last term?” I confirm.
Ezra nods, expression tightening at whatever emotions are swirling through me. Empaths are rather annoying in that sense. “I read your report, yes.”
I lick my lips and avert my eyes from his to check in on Nessa. She’s still reading her book, casual and calm as ever. A low strangled sound comes from Ezra and my eyes snap to him. He’s watching me incredulously, eyebrows practically touching his hairline. “You found your mate?”
I swallow as I nod. Here is where it gets tricky. “I kept her out of the report. She was in no way working with him or part of the Drákon group, I’m almost positive. But some information about her has come to light recently and I’ve been considering bringing her to your attention as a potential recruit for a while now.”
Ezra’s face is now worryingly blank and I straighten up, ready for a tongue lashing, but he’s calm when he speaks. “I can understand why you kept her out of it, though I’m not happy about it. Mates are the exception, but leave something like that out on me again, and you’ll be pulled. Understand?”
I dip my head and nod. “Yes Sir.”
“Now, fill me in,” he orders, eyes studying Nessa. It would send me feral if it were anything other than a completely neutral assessment of her weapons, stature and other information he can garner by looking at her.
“She was gathering information on Ethan before we knew of his true identity, trying to catch him. Lexi, the supernatural woman we recovered from him, is her best friend. It was a taunt, and a threat to Nessa for looking into him. From what I have observed, she is fluent in most weapons and fighting styles. She has at least moderate computer skills and is very well-versed in the theory side of most forms of magic. To give you an example of this, she taught herself how to open her own portals to get on and off of the Academy grounds. She only came into her magic’s full potential during this year’s first term, but she is a natural and focused on learning control. Her primary gift is very… unique, and to my knowledge we don’t have anyone on our side who can do what she can. She is also being courted by two other males at the Academy. They would both be valuable members. I realise they wouldn’t be able to become full members until they have graduated, but I’m worried that she’s going to get herself killed if she isn’t brought into the fold.” I watch his expression closely, unsure how he feels about the subject.
“I’m assuming the unnamed men who were present in the fight are the men courting her?” he finally asks.
“Yes.”
“I’m going to also assume your worry has to do with her being here right now. And Kristen.”
I dip my head in a nod, clasping my hands together behind my back as I stand beside Ezra. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Alright, here is what we’re going to do. You are going to tell me everything you know. Then, if I think they sound like they can handle it, I’m going to set up a test for them. Depending on how they perform, I’ll make my decision on recruiting them. I’ll also be keeping an eye on all of you.”
My eyebrows draw down and I go to open my mouth to question him—stupid on my part, really—but he cuts me off. “No, I will not be recognizable to her, her suitors or you. You forget that I have many aliases,” Ezra says, a mild censure to his tone.
I swallow hard, but nod then I proceed to fill him in and after I’m finished, a slow smile creeps onto his lips. The first one I’ve seen from him today. He pats me on the shoulder with a chuckle, shaking his head. “She sounds perfect for you. Congratulations, Corin. You deserve to find your people, and it seems like you have. I can’t wait to meet her properly, have a good night.” He gives me one last smile before tucking his hands in his pockets and strolling down the street.
The second he is out of sight, I bend over, sucking in hard breaths, hands braced on my knees.Goddess, for a moment there I was worried I’d gotten Nessa in trouble and pissed off Ezra. He’s a fucking scary bastard when he’s pissed. I’ve only seen it happen once and I hope to never witness it again—and it wasn’t even aimed at me.
Shaking my head, I settle in to keep watching Nessa. My mind is stuck on the new knowledge of this test. I have no doubt that they’ll pass it, but I have no idea how I’m going to explain it to her afterwards. It went unsaid that I can’t disclose anything to her about this until the test is done and Ezra either calls her in for a meeting or not. He didn’t give me a time frame either. Shit. She’s going to threaten to take my balls. Possibly try to actually chop them off. I flop back with a groan, though amusement wars with my stress.
I never expected to find my mate while I was working this job, and even though it makes things a lot more complicated, I definitely wouldn’t change it.
