AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And yet, Demons feared Divine magic just the same. Even though Mom had been more understanding, she didn’t like that an entire race was capable of manipulating the natural world.
I asked, “What about Sydni? Have you met her?”
Quinn frowned and played with her auburn hair, looking thoughtful. “Not really. Though she has started alleged fights on campus before, she’s never been reported. Other than that, she’s a good student. She doesn’t seem to take her legacy status for granted. Always going the extra mile, according to her transcripts and what her teachers have said. And Nathaniel is much the same, since he is one of Sydni’s friends. But with less of the alleged fighting and partying.”
“What about Benjamin?”
This time, Quinn’s eyes drooped into true grief. “Benjamin was everyone’s friend. Everyone’s advocate. He cared about others, you know? He remembered people’s names and went out of his way to say hello. Every academic club fought to recruit him, and even if he couldn’t join, he’d make sure to support them. I heard that he’d become stressed sometimes with how much he’d taken on, but for the most part, he was a bright star in the school.”
Her hand inched to a ceramic coin holder with the initials Q.U. on it, and beneath that, an inscribed birthday message.
She was definitely close with that guy. But let’s see if she’s holding anything back.
Keeping a sympathetic smile on my face, I asked, “Is there anything else I should know?”
My magic unfurled and sank into Quinn. Her thoughtful expression turned serious as she met my eyes.
Shit. She just noticed, didn’t she?
I had to backtrack and pretend like I hadn’t just severely violated—
“Sydni was keeping secrets,” Quinn answered in a flat voice.
Elation replaced my panic, fluttering my chest like a hopeful bird. “Explain.”
“She was doing well in school as it was. Last year, she began doing better.”
“And that was suspicious?”
Quinn nodded with a faraway look. “I think she was cheating, though I don’t know why, considering her preexisting decent grades.”
“Do you have any evidence?”
She shook her head. “Just a hunch. And a few comments from two of her teachers. Nothing to prove it, but I believe she was.”
Okay, that’s enough for now. I can’t push her too far.
Reeling my magic in, I leaned back in my chair, assuming as casual a position as possible. A fake yawn couldn’t hurt either. Anything to pretend like nothing had been out of the ordinary. “Thanks for helping, Quinn. Knowing who these kids were is seriously going to help me with my job. You’re amazing.”
Finally, I looked at her.
She blinked and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Yeah, of course.” The frown softened, and her eyes warmed with affection. “It’s good that you asked me. Though I wasn’t planning on sharing so much. Having a bias with these students beforehand isn’t always helpful. But maybe I was wrong.”
Relieved and victorious, I said, “You can trust me with anything, Quinn.”
This was the reality of my power. The one I had to keep hidden. The one that was too dangerous for me to use.
I could track people and things using personal belongings.
My intuition magic led me to the things and places I needed.
And finally, I could force people to tell the truth. Things they wanted to say, and things they didn’t.
A pure Demonic power. One that controlled other people. The exact type of thing that the Divine feared and detested.
“See you later,” I said, and walked to my office, taking the stairs. I wanted my thighs to burn. Needed to put that adrenaline to good use.
My intuition and tracking gifts were easy to camouflage. Dad wasn’t sure where I’d gotten those powers, since they weren’t quite Divine or Demonic, and I’d never told him about the truth magic. But the truth-seeking power was overtly Demonic, and if anyone noticed me using it or realized I’d been manipulating them, that would be the end for me.
