“You made it!” Santana greeted me with a smile, then nodded at the empty chair. “Sit, eat, take it easy.”
“Take it easy.” I chuckled softly. “Easier said than done.”
Wade watched me quietly, measuring me from head to toe, most likely assessing his shopping skills on me, the live model. His gaze darkened as it wandered up and down, before he looked right into my eyes for a second. My heart skipped a beat. Without so much as a hello, he shifted his focus back to Astrid.
“Alton said he’ll bring over the assignments this morning,” he told her, while I sat down and chose to focus on his emotions, since everybody else was so freaking loud and everywhere in my soul.
He was tense. His self-control was spectacular, since there was something akin to a storm brewing inside—a raw state that I didn’t recognize. There was a pang in my stomach, which I attributed to hunger, so I mowed through my breakfast and washed it down with coffee.
“Do we know what we’ll be doing first?” Astrid replied, while Santana watched me, amusement twinkling in her brown eyes.
“Probably Park West cleanup. That’s a priority,” Wade replied.
My heart was beating a little faster than usual, but, given the number of people surrounding me, it was becoming difficult to ascertain whether it was my feeling or someone else’s. I’d never been so out of control as an Empath. Nights spent in the casino had taught me to master the self-control part, and yet the coven made it extremely difficult to hold it all together.
Or maybe I was still tired, even overwhelmed by the previous day’s events.
My Daisy…
“So, sleep well?” Santana asked, ignoring the cleanup conversation.
“Like a log,” I replied, then took another sip of coffee. The food was settling nicely in my stomach, but something was still tugging at me on the inside.
That’s not me, for sure.
I looked at Wade, persistently even, but he refused to acknowledge me. Santana was quick to catch on. “Did something happen?” she asked, somewhat amused.
“Nope, all good. Weird good. But good. For the most part, anyway. You know, after we set aside the fact that my car and my place were trashed by—”
“Not another word!” Wade cut in, gritting his teeth and giving me a deadly glare.
Whoa.
“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry.” I remembered the secrecy part about the triple gargoyle incident, as per Tobe’s request.
I didn’t show any remorse, though, not while Wade’s eyes were still on me. There was something a little too sharp, too rough about Wade this morning, something that contradicted the kind (though slightly creepy) gesture of buying me a whole new wardrobe. He clearly had no intention of making a habit of being nice. So, I considered it a slip, and switched back to treating him with the same abrasiveness that he showed toward me.
“Thank you for the lingerie, Wade,” I said, barely recognizing myself.
The man had an ego, and I was ready to take a stab at it. The coffee was kicking in.
Wade’s forehead smoothed, a muscle flexing nervously in his jaw as he continued to glare at me, this time for a much different reason. It was hard to keep a grin from slitting my face in that moment, but I managed nonetheless.
My remark was enough to draw the attention of the entire Rag Team. Astrid chuckled and, for a moment, was the target of Wade’s deadly scowl. She hid her face in her coffee mug in an attempt to stifle her amusement.
“Is that what you meant by ‘weird good’?” Santana grinned. “Wade Crowley buying you intimates? Did he get the bra size right?”
“Santana.” Wade’s tone was flat and filled with warning, but she was anything but bothered. I was in for a treat.
“Wade,” she shot back, mimicking his tone. “Is there something you wish to share with the class?”
“Nope,” he said. It was his turn to hide his face in his coffee mug, but there was no amusement coming from him. Just burning embarrassment. I’d struck a nerve, as he’d probably expected me to stay quiet about the whole lingerie thing. In your dreams, Crowley.
“So, Harley,” Santana said, smiling at me. “Did he get the size right?”
“Santana,” Wade tried again, trying so hard to be polite.
“He did. Perfect fit,” I replied, trying so hard to keep a straight face. Wade’s turmoil was delicious, and it seemed like fair pay for my flustered morning. The intention may have been noble, but, seriously, you don’t just buy a girl that kind of lingerie right after you call her Mediocre. Magical pun intended.
“Don’t be alarmed,” Dylan chimed in, grinning. “Wade’s gift-buying skill is out of this world.”
“Yeah, I told her the same thing,” Astrid added, and Wade seemed to relax a little, while Tatyana and Raffe watched with straight faces. “Nothing to be… you know, creeped out about. Wade just knows us a little too well, without actually knowing us.”
“Has he bought you any black lace lingerie?” I asked Astrid, not ready to let Wade off the hook just yet. I made her blush, as she shook her head. I then looked at Dylan. “Did he get you a perfectly fitted jockstrap, by any chance?”
“Oh, hell, no—" Dylan burst out, then stilled when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Attached to said hand was Alton Waterhouse, freshly shaved and fitted into an elegant, dark gray suit, complete with his dragonhead cufflinks—his Esprit.
Fun’s over.
And just like that, Wade could finally breathe again. I caught a glimpse of Tatyana smiling, and that was a first, given her otherwise icy demeanor. Only then did I realize how hard she was laughing on the inside, as was Raffe.
Good, at least they get some early entertainment before the workday begins.
“Good morning, team,” Alton said, then dropped a file on the table before Wade. “I have your assignments for the day. I kindly ask that you and the investigative team play well together, going forward. You’re all grownups in a magical coven, not raucous children in a schoolyard.”
He looked at me, specifically, as he added weight into that last sentence. My face burned with shame, remembering yesterday’s incident with Finch. But that quickly went away when I caught a glimpse of Finch’s satisfied sneer from where he sat, farther down and across the long table.
“Yes, sir,” Wade replied.
I could feel the glimmer of hope that this was where the conversation ended, as he flipped open the file. Then Garrett decided to rub it in.
“Don’t worry, sir, my team is made up of professional adults. As long as we’re not provoked, it will all work out to the coven’s advantage,” he said.
“Then keep Finch on a leash,” Alton shot back. “I have a low-tolerance policy for bullies.”
Oh, snap!
“She threw me on top of a table,” Finch interjected, narrowing his steely blues at me.
“I’m a late bloomer with no Esprit, so what does that say about you, then?” I replied with a grin.
Alton let out a frustrated sigh. “That’s enough. We have enough on our plates as it is. Petty feuds will not help us redeem this coven’s honor.”
“What honor?” Garrett scoffed.
“Like it or not, Kyteler, you are associated with this coven. Its honor is your honor, too. I suggest you start acting accordingly,” Alton replied, then gave me a brief, encouraging smile. “Good luck today. I’ll be expecting a full report in the evening.”
He then left the table and met with the preceptors, who were waiting for him on the other side of the banquet hall, by the main exit. I turned my attention back to our table, where Wade was busy reading through the folder, while Astrid craned her neck to get a better look at the pages.
“You had better bring that smart mouth with you to our date night, Harley,” Garrett said, then stood up, followed by Finch and the others on his team. “I absolutely love it.”
He gave me another one of those charming winks, complete with a dimpled half-smile. It made Wade boil with anger. Nevertheless, while I understood the animosity between Wade and Garrett, I needed the scoop on the investigative team, and what better source than the leader of said team?
“You’re dating Garrett?” Santana asked, her mouth twisted with disapproval. She didn’t like him much. Actually, she kind of hated him. There was some history between them, I could feel it.
I shrugged, stealing a glance at Wade, whose green eyes were fixed on me. “I never say no to free food.”
A hammer dropped heavy in my stomach. That was Wade. For some reason, I’d hit deep with that one.
“You should be careful with him,” Santana said. There was a hint of sadness in there, tucked away between layers of stifled anger. “He’s charming as hell, but he’s an absolute prick and a sociopath. He will not hesitate to throw you under the bus if it works in his favor.”
“Thanks, but I’ll be okay. I’ve dealt with his kind before. I see it as a good opportunity to play nice with him, and hopefully get some insights into their investigation,” I replied. “You never know, he might let some juicy stuff slip, if he gets comfortable enough.”
“That’s why you agreed to go out with him?” Wade asked, surprised.
“That was the main reason, and it still is. Though, I have to admit, I did enjoy pissing you off a little while I was at it.” I smirked.
He exhaled sharply, once again irritated, but, at the same time, somewhat relieved. What was there to be relieved about, though?
“Look at Harley, all conniving and devious,” Tatyana said appreciatively, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “Watch out, guys, I think we’ve got a champion on our hands. She just needs some good old-fashioned nurturing and guidance.”
“Oh, teach me, master,” I replied, offering an overly reverent nod.
The Rag Team chuckled—with the exception of Wade. All he did was let the corner of his mouth twist a little, enough to show me he was slightly amused. Deep inside, however, there was concern and… something else, an emotion I had a hard time identifying, a feeling that gnawed at my stomach uncomfortably.