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The second agent is more reverent than the Association member when he touches it, reassuring me that going with Fielding quietly is the right thing to do.
The three of us march through the Association headquarters, drawing attention to everyone we pass. I hold my head up high, daring anyone to stop Fielding from taking me out of here.
As soon as we step outside, some of the tension within me releases. I may be under arrest, but I'm out of the prison that could have truly destroyed my life, especially when what I'm being charged with is clearly a bogus offence.
Fielding manoeuvres me into the car without saying a word. I don't mind. I'm sure I'll get an explanation once we arrive at the station.
And I hope more than anything that it's not going to be that I'm really under arrest.
13
Fielding slips a small key into the handcuffs and twists. "There you go," she says.
I rub my wrists, more because it's what I've seen people on TV do when theirs are removed rather than them actually being painful.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"I'll debrief you in a moment, but first, there are some people in my office that I think will want to say hello first." She gestures towards it as if I haven't been there before.
I frown. "Am I under arrest or not?" I ask, wanting to be sure about that before anything else happens.
Fielding chuckles. "Not."
"Oh."
"Office," she insists. "I have some paperwork I need to sort out while you do that."
I nod and head in the direction she's indicated. Despite being reasonably sure about who is waiting for me, a small part of me worries that it's going to the Leader gloating that I can't escape from him.
I glance towards the station exit, wondering if it's worth trying to make a break for it.
But no. That's not a good idea. Running away from the Shadow Association is one thing. Being a fugitive from the Supernatural Retrieval Agency is another, especially with no pre-planning or any kind of preparation.
I sigh and make my way towards Fielding's office.
The moment the door opens, tears spring to the corners of my eyes and I launch myself into Mathias' arms.
He hugs me tightly, not saying anything. My relief at seeing him overshadows all of the bitter feelings I've had towards him over the past couple of days. I'm just glad to see him.
I pull back, only to be pulled into another hug by Juliet.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispers.
"What h
appened? How are you here? What day is it?" I ask, my gaze flitting between the two of them.
A small smile twists at Mathias' lips. He's probably amused by my barrage of questions, but all of them are important to me right now.
"It's only been a day and a half," he says. "When you didn't show up for class, we were worried. I went to your room, but no one was there..."
"For good reason," I point out.
"I suppose you can call getting kidnapped a good reason."
I wince. "Can we not use that word?"
"What do you want us to use instead?" Juliet asks. "The only thing I can think of is forcibly taken and I don't think that's much better."
