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“Excellent,” she replied, sounding like she truly meant it. “We look forward to having you in the office. Take care.”
“Bye!”
I sent Azra a general I’m alive text message and then went to the administrative building. Quinn was on the phone, but she smiled and handed me the key. I headed home and packed up everything that I might need and put it in the car.
A few hours later, I settled fully into the room. One shower and takeout meal later, the gravity of my decision finally fell on me.
After over a decade of hiding from angels and keeping a low profile, I was working with them. For them. I sank into the pillow-soft sofa beneath me. The new space was comfortable but cold. Not mine. A stranger’s place.
And then, someone knocked…
On the balcony door.
I ninja-rolled to the kitchen, snatched a knife, and crept toward the door. The curtains shielded me from whoever was trying to break in. Would they smash the glass and rage forth, magic blazing through my new home?
Slowly, cautiously, I peeked outside, astonished by what I found.
“Files?” I asked aloud. A stack of them sat on the ground with a folded note on top. Carrying the heavy pile inside and unfolding the paper, I read:
Welcome, Detective! Here are the files I promised. You’ll find Clave’s gift in here too. Enjoy!
-R
“Razai,” I sighed. “You’re going to be the death of me if I don’t kill you first.” But sometimes, a girl was just too tired to commit homicide. So, I kicked my feet up, opened the first file, and got to work.
* * *
The sun streamed between the curtains and shone in my eyes. My body ached like it was bruised.
I cracked my swollen lids open and stared at the strange room in confusion before remembering where I was.
Right. I’d taken a suicidal job like a dumbass.
Papers covered the coffee table in my personal brand of organized chaos. Nathanial Harlock on the right. Sydni Valinas on the left. Yariel Stone was spread out on the other couch cushions beside me, and Benjamin Castile took up the small dining table.
Once I’d organized the papers last night, I’d realized there wasn’t much. Copies of grade transcripts, lists of classes and teachers by semester, official school records of them, and recommendation letters were all included. Sydni and Nathaniel had taken a general studies English class together, but that was the only overlap I’d been able to find between the four of them.
I’d also gotten more robust reports on the crimes themselves. It was safe to say I had a lot of questions. Nothing added up. Each report of the attack was like a gutted fish caught in a current—it all appeared alive and whole at first glance, but upon further inspection, it was missing half its parts.
So much for all those ‘secrets’ and ‘inside reports’ Razai had promised, the bullshitter.
After peeling myself off the couch and sanitizing in the shower, I pulled my thick hair up into a high ponytail and shoved my legs through some black slacks. My oversized white button-up at least matched the white sneakers.
Not exactly the picture of professionalism, but what were they going to do? Fire me for not wearing Chanel?
At nine, I trekked up the pathway toward campus behind a few other faculty. The morning air was cooler than normal. Still muggy as fuck, but at least I wasn’t already sweating. In the distance, thick thunderclouds loomed. I hiked past Betty, directing a very respectful salute at her impressive obstacles, and entered the campus.
It was… well, alive.
Flying zone laws didn’t matter here, apparently, since angels sped between buildings and above the trees. Winged fae carried themselves along with the breeze, some alone and others in clusters of friends.
The high fae flaunted colorful skin tones, feathers and wings, pupilless eyes, or scales. The angels and shifters on the ground were, for the most part, looking like any other human with their characteristics hidden.
Not that they looked truly human. No one would mistake them for human.
Quinn greeted me in the administrative office. She was in the middle of directing streams of water into the potted plants, her pointer finger extended as a guide. Her pink sundress swirled as she turned and laid eyes on me. “Oh! Isra! Welcome.”
Everything about Quinn exuded warmth. Her auburn hair and the bronzed glow of her skin reminded me of vacation. Finally, her caramel-colored eyes burned with genuine kindness.
