his stride, turning to look at her in obvious surprise. “You’ll forgive me if I’m not exactly forthcoming with information on that topic,” he said dryly. “I take it you weren’t fond of the compulsion, eh?”
“What a shame,” said Cassie in mock-disappointment. “I was beginning to think you knew everything.”
Chapter Ten
Serenus made up some ridiculous story about being an uncle from out of town who had swooped in to see his favorite niece for an hour in between business meetings. It didn’t sound very credible to Cassie, but somehow, Serenus charmed the ladies in the attendance office into believing it. Whether that charm was regular garden variety, or some form of demon magic she wasn’t sure; Serenus had said he had very little power, but “very little” wasn’t the same as none. Now that she was getting to know the man, she wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that he downplayed the extent of his own abilities to give people a false sense of safety.
In any case, she wouldn’t have two period cuts on her school record, something that would have been a pain to explain to her parents.
Unfortunately, she normally saw both Mike and Jay at lunch, and she wasted most of the class before just staring at the unfinished collage in front of her, wondering what she would tell Mike. She decided to go with the story Serenus had invented-- he wouldn’t believe it, but she couldn’t think of anything else. There was no earthly reason why she would run out of class like her butt was on fire.
Jay and Mike had gym together fourth period, so she knew Jay would probably already be tipped off about her disappearing act. Great; now in addition to worrying what she was going to tell Mike, she had to worry about whatever Jay might have already said.
Jay caught up with her first on the way to the cafeteria. He pulled her aside into an alcove near the lockers, and looked from side to side theatrically, to see if anyone was listening. If it were anyone else, she would have thought he was hamming it up, but that was just how Jay was.
“Mike’s in the bathroom, so before he gets here- - today? First period? Was that a demon-related thing?” whispered Jay.
“Yes, it was a demon-related thing,” said Cassie. It wasn’t hard to sound pissed off while you were whispering, she noticed.
Jay smiled. “I knew it. Sam SUMMONED you!” he said, and Cassie gaped at him. “He called you to him, right? Usually in the books it’s vampires that do that, but--“
“Shut up!” she yelled, not caring that she was being loud. “Jay, you have no freakin’ idea what it’s like, okay, so don’t talk about it like you know!” She turned away from him and stomped towards the cafeteria; sugar would not solve her problems, but at the very least, it might help.
Mike caught up to them by the time they were at their regular table in the courtyard outside with their sloppy joes. He dropped his brown bag on the table and swung his legs over the picnic table bench, fixing them both with a serious look that Cassie was sure bode ill for her.
“So, have you two had a chance to compare notes?” he said, taking his usual peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich out of his bag slowly. Cassie paused with her sandwich halfway to her mouth before she caught herself and resumed eating.
“What do you mean?” she said, trying to sound casual around her mouthful.
Mike took an apple out of his bag and placed it in front of him, still with that same deliberate slowness. “I’ll level with you: I didn’t go to the bathroom. I was going to follow Jay and listen to the two of you talk to find out what the hell happened first period, only Beckett stopped me in the hall and I missed my chance. So much for my diabolical plan,” he said with mock malevolence. “So, why don’t we screw that and you both tell me what’s going on.”
Cassie looked down at her sandwich; of course Mike was already clued in. When Mike had told Jay about her
“What a shame,” said Cassie in mock-disappointment. “I was beginning to think you knew everything.”
Chapter Ten
Serenus made up some ridiculous story about being an uncle from out of town who had swooped in to see his favorite niece for an hour in between business meetings. It didn’t sound very credible to Cassie, but somehow, Serenus charmed the ladies in the attendance office into believing it. Whether that charm was regular garden variety, or some form of demon magic she wasn’t sure; Serenus had said he had very little power, but “very little” wasn’t the same as none. Now that she was getting to know the man, she wouldn’t be at all surprised to find out that he downplayed the extent of his own abilities to give people a false sense of safety.
In any case, she wouldn’t have two period cuts on her school record, something that would have been a pain to explain to her parents.
Unfortunately, she normally saw both Mike and Jay at lunch, and she wasted most of the class before just staring at the unfinished collage in front of her, wondering what she would tell Mike. She decided to go with the story Serenus had invented-- he wouldn’t believe it, but she couldn’t think of anything else. There was no earthly reason why she would run out of class like her butt was on fire.
Jay and Mike had gym together fourth period, so she knew Jay would probably already be tipped off about her disappearing act. Great; now in addition to worrying what she was going to tell Mike, she had to worry about whatever Jay might have already said.
Jay caught up with her first on the way to the cafeteria. He pulled her aside into an alcove near the lockers, and looked from side to side theatrically, to see if anyone was listening. If it were anyone else, she would have thought he was hamming it up, but that was just how Jay was.
“Mike’s in the bathroom, so before he gets here- - today? First period? Was that a demon-related thing?” whispered Jay.
“Yes, it was a demon-related thing,” said Cassie. It wasn’t hard to sound pissed off while you were whispering, she noticed.
Jay smiled. “I knew it. Sam SUMMONED you!” he said, and Cassie gaped at him. “He called you to him, right? Usually in the books it’s vampires that do that, but--“
“Shut up!” she yelled, not caring that she was being loud. “Jay, you have no freakin’ idea what it’s like, okay, so don’t talk about it like you know!” She turned away from him and stomped towards the cafeteria; sugar would not solve her problems, but at the very least, it might help.
Mike caught up to them by the time they were at their regular table in the courtyard outside with their sloppy joes. He dropped his brown bag on the table and swung his legs over the picnic table bench, fixing them both with a serious look that Cassie was sure bode ill for her.
“So, have you two had a chance to compare notes?” he said, taking his usual peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich out of his bag slowly. Cassie paused with her sandwich halfway to her mouth before she caught herself and resumed eating.
“What do you mean?” she said, trying to sound casual around her mouthful.
Mike took an apple out of his bag and placed it in front of him, still with that same deliberate slowness. “I’ll level with you: I didn’t go to the bathroom. I was going to follow Jay and listen to the two of you talk to find out what the hell happened first period, only Beckett stopped me in the hall and I missed my chance. So much for my diabolical plan,” he said with mock malevolence. “So, why don’t we screw that and you both tell me what’s going on.”
Cassie looked down at her sandwich; of course Mike was already clued in. When Mike had told Jay about her
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