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Must remain in faculty housing during the week but will not be barred from leaving on weekends or for short outings during the week. This is to maintain the illusion of being a true staff member.
Complete access to student files granted.
Must report directly to Razai Karah at the end of each day or when new pertinent information is found.
The contract was fair. It placed emphasis on solving the crime before the first of the next month but would last up to three if needed. After that, both parties could renegotiate or end the contract. The pay was…
I swallowed hard.
The pay was more than I’d ever seen in my entire life. Just three months of work would cover an entire year’s worth of rent and utilities.
Razai noticed where I was reading and added, “Oh, yes. That would be on top of your community coordinator pay as well. But we can review that on the second contract.”
“This is absurd,” I said with a horrified exhale.
“If it’s not enough, I’m sure the old man would pay you more.” He leaned an elbow on the table and rested a cheek on his fist. His silvery hair flopped to one side and hung across his forehead. The wide-eyed look he gave me was so boyish, so playful, that I found myself staring again.
Are all archangels like this? I thought they were all stuffy, threatening, and highbrow. Not enigmatic fuckboys
Snapping out of my daze, I looked down. No, I wouldn’t demand more money from the president even if he was willing to give it. I wasn’t the kind of person to take advantage of a parent grieving their child.
I skirted his comment and asked instead, “Why me? Why can’t anyone else help?”
Razai let out a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his face, a sliver of fatigue drooping his expression. “Because there’s no one else, Gray. The families have hired teams. The school has hired all the private professional help they can. All of them have either been fired or have resigned. In failure, obviously.”
“What about the city police? What about the archangels in D.C.?” They’re the ones running the Divine Territories, after all.
Razai’s laugh was cold. Disbelieving. “You really live under a rock. We’ve already hired the best of the best, Gray. Not even the city could afford them. And all D.C. will do is throw money at it and hold press conferences. Castile will be forced to work with D.C. since it’s escalated to murder, but it’ll take months for the investigation to move forward. Fucking bureaucrats. No offense to your charitable savior.”
“None taken,” I replied, mulling over his words and brushing past the callback to my supposed archangel sponsor. Then, tapping the contract, I asked, “Will D.C. know about this secret hunt?”
“No way in hell.” He was back to tapping his chin with that spoon.
Good. That meant Dad wouldn’t know.
This leap would be dangerous. I was toeing the edge of the cliff. That feeling in my gut urging me to jump into the nothingness below. The thrill of it made my head spin.
The contract was… agreeable. Strangely enough. There wasn’t anything in it that didn’t make logical sense or cross any personal limits. It gave me the space, time, and resources to search.
It’s like this job is made for me.
That thought alone should have given me pause, but for some reason, I only felt anticipation. Eagerness. I could be on the scene of the crimes, sensing my way toward a culprit intent on taking another life in one month’s time. It didn’t matter that it was archangels in danger.
Everyone had the right to live and live safely.
Razai shifted forward, eyes flicking across my face as if sensing the change and looking for confirmation in my expression.
I planted my hands on the table and faced him fully. “I’ll consider your offer. On one condition. Non-negotiable.”
Razai’s grin was blinding. “Do tell.”
I pointed to my fuming friend, still sitting on the bench. Keeping watch. “Apologize to her and make her believe it. If you can do that, then I’ll work for you.”
I expected some kind of a stare-down. Some kind of protest. Surely, he could see just how fucking difficult that would be.
Razai surged forward. His hand went in my hair and around the back of my neck and, suddenly, I found myself pulled into a completely unwelcome hug.
He smiled down, holding me like I was the finest crystal while I stared blankly up, my mouth slack like a moron.
