She motions me away from Maurice with a sterner air than I’m used to. “I think we’d better talk a little now, in private.”
My teeth set on edge, but I allow her to usher me into the shadows of the garage. As soon as the door has shut behind us with the flare of the automatic lights above us, she turns to me.
She speaks under her breath but still firm. “What’s really going on, Elodie?”
I fold my arms over my chest, shoring up my resolve. “My matches and I have a plan to bring the right people to justice. It could all be over tonight.”
Her face pales. “You’re going out there right now to tackle the people who want you dead?”
“It’s better than waiting around for them to kill me.”
“You can’t—going off into that much danger alone— We’ll come up with a better plan. I’m sure I can help you sort things out.”
A fire kindles deep in my chest, anger spurring on my determination. “Youcouldhave helped me sort things out, maybe, if you’d been here before. But while you were off doing Tiamat knows what, I had to deal with this mess myself. But notbymyself. I’m not alone. All four of my matches will be with me tonight.”
Aunt Daphne grasps my arm. “Just tell me what you’re going to do, and we’ll figure out the safest way?—”
I yank away from her. “There is no ‘safe.’ You’d know that if you’d been here. We’ve figured out lots just the five of us, and I don’t have time to hash it out with you without ruining what we’ve already set up. So you’ll just have to wait.”
Like I’ve been waiting for her for the past two weeks.
I don’t say that part, just push out of the garage and hustle back to the car. I didn’t realize just how upset I was with her until the words came out of my mouth.
She dragged me into this totally different reality for her own purposes… and then she left me stranded with barely any guidance.
Where the fuck does she get off trying to take charge of my life now?
Daphne bursts out of the garage after me but stops when she sees me ducking into the back seat. Her hands ball into fists at her sides.
She must know there’s some truth to what I said, because she doesn’t barge in to stop me. A moment later, she’s dwindling in the rearview mirror.
I check my phone. I only lost a few minutes, and I wasn’t cutting the timethatclose. I should still get to the park on schedule.
Before I can put the device away, a message from Cole pops up with a faint vibration.
Have completed circuit of the park. Some odd metal storage containers near the west end that clearly had magic embedded but ephemera was muddled. Nothing else unusual. I’m staying in view of those and will warn if I see any threat.
My mind shifts from family issues to the unknowns ahead of us.
Metal storage containers. Could they hold military equipment like the machines Captain Ross brought to other training sessions?
Do they factor into my instructors’ intentions toward me?
I guess I’ll find out once I’m in the thick of it. At least we have Cole keeping an eye on them.
By the time Maurice lets me out at the northeast corner of the park, my pulse is pounding again, hard enough to drown out the rumble of passing traffic. Girding myself, I head down the path through the trees to the cleared picnic area where we’re meant to meet up.
A dozen figures are already standing around the wooden picnic tables in the glow of a security lamp and a couple of electric lanterns. The tingle of my bond tells me they include my other three matches before I spot Byron, Salvatore, and Asher scattered through the growing crowd.
I pretend not to pay any attention to them and come to a stop next to Stella, who’s also shown up promptly. She tucks her arms tighter around her chest over her chunky sweater. “I don’t know what we did to deserve this.”
From her tone, she’s framing tonight’s session as a punishment. I restrain a snort. “No kidding.”
Captain Ross and Professor Jovak stand in the middle of the cluster of tables, talking to each other in low voices. I can’t tell if they’ve noted my arrival, even though theoretically they should have been waiting for it.
But then, they must be good actors. I had no idea Jovak disliked me, let alone wanted me dead.
More students arrive, drifting along the fringes of the clearing. Cadance strikes a haughty pose at the other side of the group from Stella and me.
