Page 201 of Heartless Legacy

From the doorway, Pax answers, “He’s following another lead.”

I sit next as Pax asks, “How did it go on campus?”

“Uneventful. From what I can tell, there’s no league presence on campus.”

“You’re sure?”

“My tour guide was very chatty and thorough. She took me to all the most popular hangout spots and a few unpopular ones, too. There are no tunnels, or markings showing secret access points near the administration buildings or faculty houses.”

Thea says, “That’s good news, but also adds another layer of confusion to this whole thing. Why were the archives here?”

“Location? It’s a cute little town in the middle of nowhere. The people are so wholesome. I doubt there’s anyone here breaking in and stealing information, and anyone from out of town would fall under immediate suspicion, because they’d stick out like a sore thumb.”

Thea jerks her chin towards Pax. “Like him?”

“Yes, Pet. Exactly like the walking art project.”

“Funny.” Pax says, taking a seat and pulling out his phone. “What should we get for dinner?”

“How would I know?” I toss a couch cushion at him. “I don’t actually have parents moving here.”

He says, “You mean your chatty tour guide didn’t give you a list of places the students eat at out in town?”

“She mentioned the club down the highway, and a few bars. One place is hosting karaoke tonight, starting at nine. I told her I might check it out.”

Thea flicks the page in her magazine. “Karaoke, huh? At nine?”

“That’s right.”

“Will she be singing or just sitting in the audience?”

Shrugging, I answer, “I have to show up to find out that answer.”

“Right. Which bar is it?”

Pax grunts, “We’re not going to karaoke, Thea.”

“You don’t have to come. You weren’t even invited.”

He points out, “Neither were you.”

“Finn was.”

“He’s not going either.”

I interrupt their bickering and ask, “Who says I’m not? It sounds like a cool little spot and another opportunity to get information on the town.”

Pax huffs, “Whatever, man. If you’re down for a bar fight, so am I. But if we’re supposed to be keeping a low profile, I don’t think letting Thea get close to the girl who was hitting on you is a good idea.”

“Nobody was hitting on me. I made sure to keep my charm to a minimum.”

“You look like you just stepped off the pages of a Gap ad. You might not have encouraged it or noticed it was happening. But if she went out of her way to tell you about karaoke tonight at nine, she was flirting.”

The magazine pages flip three more times. I think Thea ripped that last page. “Pet. Are you feeling stabby, right now?”

“Nope.”

I can’t control my grin. “You are, and you know that’s a million times more effective at catching my attention than whatever her name’s lame attempt at asking me on a date was. But Pax is right. We can’t get into a bar brawl here.”

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