All I could do was feel the weight of their worry as the entire coven feared for their standing in the magical world, their funding, and their safety, as well as that of the billions of humans who stood to suffer and die if the Bestiary was ever set loose.
Chapter Thirteen
The crowd grew noisy around me, their restlessness bursting through me with knee-shattering vertigo and way too much anxiety for me to handle. Wade seemed to notice, and discreetly wrapped his fingers around my forearm, squeezing gently, while Alton raised his voice to calm everybody down.
“Take it easy,” Wade said, his voice low and strangely soothing.
“Everybody, please be quiet,” Alton shouted. “There is no reason to worry, or to panic! We’ll simply have to take additional measures so we can keep everything under control, that’s all.”
“How do you propose we do that?” one of the magicals asked, her sultry tone echoing from the other end of the assembly hall.
“Focus on Alton,” Wade whispered in my ear. My skin tickled, and instead of doing as he suggested, I instinctively focused on him. Right then, he was radiating calmness and reassurance. He was the closest thing I had to an anchor that could keep me from spiraling into panic.
“We’ll put together two teams,” Alton explained, then moved toward the edge of the podium. “One to further investigate the Bestiary, and one to do an extensive follow-up cleaning in the affected areas of the city, particularly where the gargoyle was active. Like I said, chances are there might be some monster activity wherever the creature left energy residue. The investigation team will work closely with Preceptor Nomura and Tobe to look into the Bestiary and check every single glass box, every charm, every spell, and every lock in that place. If needed, Preceptor Bellmore will be more than happy to assist.”
Judging by the look on Sloane’s face, she wasn’t all that happy, probably because she didn’t like people, in general. My kindred spirit. Wade sensed my gradual relaxation and let go of my arm. I was thankful that the crowd’s emotions came in waves—or maybe my body had some kind of defense mechanism, automatically shutting them out, just to give me a few minutes’ worth of breathing room. I wasn’t sure how to control my Empath skills within big crowds just yet. Sweat trickled down my temples and neck as I inhaled deeply and regained my composure.
“If you’re a good girl, I might even recommend you for the investigative team,” Wade muttered, and I noticed a smirk stretching his lips. “Given your newbie status, Alton will want you on the cleanup team, to start you off easy. But that’s lower-level stuff, for Mediocres and below.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I am a Mediocre.”
“And you’re just going to be okay with that?” he asked.
He had a point. Being labeled a Mediocre didn’t mean I couldn’t try to do better.
“So, what, does that mean you get the lead in the investigative team, and I’m supposed to be nice to you if I want to get in, too?” I replied.
“That’s the way the cookie crumbles, Harley,” Wade said. “I’m the best at what I do. Of course I’ll lead.”
“Garrett Kyteler, I’ll give you a shot at leading the investigative team,” Alton said. I glanced behind me and saw Garrett beaming with satisfaction, then giving Wade one of the most arrogant smirks I’d ever witnessed. Cute, but damn, gives me the urge to punch him. “It’s time you make something of yourself in this place.”
“Wait, what?” Wade blurted, his eyes wide as the shock settled on his face. “How… Why him? He’s an arrogant idiot with no respect for authority and something bad to say about absolutely everything and everyone!”
“And does your offensive description of a fellow magical make you worthier of the position?” Alton replied, pursing his lips. “Besides, Garrett is an exceptional warlock, with great intuition and a set of skills that will most certainly come in handy in this endeavor. And it’s time for him to shine. I believe he’s already paid his dues for his bad mouth in previous covens, despite his earlier slip-ups. He deserves a chance.”
Wade blinked several times, struggling to find the right words to express his outrage. I could barely stifle a chuckle at the sight of his dismay. “It’s not fair! I’m far more equipped, and I’m an actual professional, unlike him! I don’t care what his skills are. He’s done nothing but piss you off since he first set foot in this coven!”
“And right now, you’re the one pissing me off,” Alton retorted. “I’m putting you in charge of cleanup, then.”
Wade gasped, his mouth wide open. He would probably have an aneurysm if someone handed him a broom in that moment. I instinctively looked around for one, just to mess with him, until I realized that my chances of getting onto the investigative team had dropped below zero, without Wade’s recommendation.
But do I really want that? Do I even want to be involved?
I kind of did. There was nothing good about monsters being let loose in the city. It put Ryann and her parents at risk, not to mention Father Thomas, from the orphanage, and Malcolm, and another handful of people I didn’t completely dislike. Innocent lives were at risk, and, for the first time, I felt like I could actually do something about that.
“Hah, Crowley’s got the Rag Team.” Garrett chuckled, then walked toward the podium, the crowd parting before him. He passed by us, and gave me a brief sideways glance and a wink—what was that about? It looked flirtatious, but I wasn’t getting any emotions from him. I now counted five people I couldn’t read: Garrett, O’Halloran, Bellmore, the platinum-haired guy, and Imogene Whitehall. As I scanned the crowd, I noticed there were others whom I couldn’t feel. Not many, but still, enough to confirm that my Empathy didn’t work with absolutely everyone. I saved the question of why for later.
“What can I say, Crowley? I really am very good at what I do, and, as much as it probably kills you to admit it, you know it, too, deep down. Despite my premature departure from my previous covens, I was the top scorer there,” Garrett added, mocking Wade. “You should stick to what you’re good at. You know, lighting up candles and being the rule-abiding goodie two-shoes nobody likes. It suits you better.”
Based on the confidence exuding from his tone, and the frustration boiling through Wade, Garrett was telling the truth. His verbal stings were just a façade for his grand warlock skills. Several warlocks and witches chuckled, including the platinum-haired guy, whose eyes glimmered with blue, hateful fires. He definitely didn’t like Wade. The brief glance he gave me announced that he wasn’t too fond of me, either.
“I suggest you tone it down, Kyteler,” Alton interjected, prompting Garrett to abandon that smug grin. “I’m giving you a chance here. Don’t blow it. Focus on your talents, not your personal dislike of certain highly skilled magicals in this coven. Now, get your team in place. I trust you’ll pick capable people to work with.”
“Oh, yeah, absolutely. My apologies, Director Waterhouse.” Garrett nodded, then pointed at the platinum-haired guy. “Finch Anker, you’re with me.”
I had a name for the guy, at last. He was pleased with the nomination, smiling as he advanced through the crowd and joined Garrett, Alton, and Tobe on the podium. Garrett then pointed at five more magicals behind us, inviting them onto his team. “Rowena Sparks, Lincoln Mont-Noir, Poe Dexter, Ruby Presley, and Niklas Jones. Time to show whoever’s messing with our Bestiary what we’re made of,” Garrett announced.
“I do appreciate the enthusiasm, but you’re investigating the Bestiary, not leading an assault on the ancient Kingdom of Troy,” Alton said, smiling. “However, you’ve done well with your choice of teammates. Thank you for not making me already regret this decision.” He chuckled, then switched back to his more serious self. “You’ll now be liaising with Nomura and Tobe on the next steps, and you’ll be reporting to me on a daily basis. Are we clear?”
They all nodded while doing secret high fives. They were all young, in their twenties, with a shared taste for smart jackets and starchy cream pants—like snotty Ivy League undergrads with magical abilities. Briefly reminded of the obnoxious characters I’d dealt with back in prep school, I shifted my focus back to Wade, who was watching the whole scene unfold like a horror movie. He seemed seconds away from a heartfelt bellow of pure rage. A feeling of helplessness poisoned me—it was Wade’s, as he watched what I assumed to be a coveted position get occupied by someone whom he considered unworthy.
It’ll be a constant battle of the egos in this place.
“As for the cleanup team—”
“You mean the Rag Team,” Garrett interrupted Alton, who rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Garrett’s lips were forcibly pressed into a thin line, his eyes nearly popping out from shock. He tried to open his mouth, but couldn’t. Alton had magically shut him up.
“As for the cleanup team, Wade, come up here and choose the people you want to work with,” Alton continued, undisturbed, while Garrett boiled at his side.
Wade let out a sigh, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Alton quickly spotted my reaction and raised an eyebrow in response, as Wade joined him on the podium with a defeated look on his face.
“Congratulations, Wade, I just found you your first team member,” Alton announced, patting Wade on the shoulder. “Harley Smith, come up here. It’s time to start your practical induction.”
Ah, crap.
All eyes were on me, a flurry of emotions pummeling me again. After a couple of deep breaths, I slowly made my way up onto the podium, focusing on counting my steps, in a desperate attempt not to let myself be overrun by the feelings of two hundred magicals. Amusement flickered in most of them, as I was another example of how karma worked—you only get as good as you give. I shouldn’t have taken such amusement in Wade’s misery.
“Deep breaths,” Wade whispered, then searched the crowd for certain faces.