Page 34 of Archenemies

“You are afraid…,” Phobia rasped. “Afraid to feel too deeply, afraid that the truth will—”

“Okay,” Nova interrupted, almost shouting. “Don’t need the evaluation right now, thank you.”

“Is there a problem?” asked Leroy. “You’re not fighting with your team, are you?”

She shook her head. “No, everything’s fine. We’ve just been busy with patrols, and I… I’m so focused on finding the helmet, and uncovering the Council’s weaknesses, and… lots of other really important reconnaissance-type things.”

“Ah, but, child,” said Ace, “we already know one of the Council’s greatest weaknesses.” He chuckled, and the sound made Nova squirm. “You have befriended the son of our enemies. Do not squander this gift. Earn his trust. Earn his respect.” He paused, before adding, “Earn his affection.And when the time is right, we will use him to considerable advantage indeed.”

Nova’s skin prickled at the thought of earning Adrian’saffection, but she forced herself to nod. “Of course. I’ll do my best.”

Her best. To find the helmet. To learn more about Agent N. To get close to Adrian Everhart. Her chest squeezed under the weight of their growing expectations.

Shewasdoing her best, but at the moment, she was doing her best not to let her escalating panic show.

She could do this. She would not fail.

“I know, little Nightmare,” said Ace. “I have faith in you. And when you succeed, we will rise again. We will all rise again.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

NOVA STEPPED OFFthe elevator onto the fourteenth floor of headquarters. She had expected a space as modern and chic as the main lobby downstairs, or the Council’s offices on the top floor, or the training halls in the sublevels. She’d expected glossy white furniture and industrial fixtures. She’d expected an elaborate request-and-retrieve system, automated with computers and machinery. She’d expected a bustling laboratory, where weapons were inspected and relics were preserved. Having worked in the weapons-cataloging system, she knew how expansive the collection was, and she’d imagined the actual storage facility would be as elaborate and heavily monitored as the research and development division, or the virtual-reality training rooms.

And so, from the moment she stepped onto the floor housing the weapons and artifacts storerooms, she found her lip curling with surprise—and disappointment.

The small reception area was unassuming in every way. Two mismatched wooden desks greeted her, though there was no one behind either desk. One held nothing but a computer, a jar ofpens, and a clipboard. The second desk, on the other hand, was cluttered with snow globes and elephant figurines and an unhappy ivy plant in a garishly painted ceramic pot. A day-by-day paper calendar was almost a week behind schedule. A Blacklight-branded coffee mug held an array of scissors, hole punchers, and candy sticks, along with a variety of pens that sprouted fake flowers from their ends.

A small plaque read:

TINALAWRENCE

“SNAPSHOT”

DIRECTOR, WEAPONS ANDARTIFACTS

Someone had drawn a smiley face next to Tina Lawrence’s name in glittery ink.

The two desks were hemmed in by walls on all sides, though a large door stood cracked open to Nova’s right, from which Nova heard upbeat whistling. She approached the door and nudged it open farther. The room beyond was filled with filing cabinets. A woman who must have been close to seventy was bent over a drawer, riffling through the files. She had a fringe of stark-white hair and spectacles with purple cat-eye frames. She paused at a file and dropped a small plastic baggie full of tiny stones into the folder, then slammed the drawer shut. She grabbed a clipboard from the top of the cabinet, checked something off, and turned.

Spotting Nova, she cried out in surprise and nearly toppled over, clutching the clipboard to her chest.

“Sorry,” said Nova. “I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you. I’m—”

“Nova McLain, yes, yes, of course,” said the woman, sheepishly taking off her reading glasses and setting them on top of her head. “Is it ten o’clock already?”

“Not quite. I’m early.” Nova glanced at the bin of plastic bags thewoman had been sorting, but couldn’t see what was inside them. “Should I come back?”

“Oh no, you’re fine.” The woman strode toward her and offered a hand. “I’m Tina.”

Nova accepted the handshake. Though the offer of skin-to-skin contact had struck her as remarkably trusting when she first joined the Renegades, she’d gotten used to it. It was a small reminder that no one knew who she really was.

“Snapshot, right?” she said, withdrawing her hand. “I was curious about the alias.”

Tina tapped a finger against her temple. “I can tell by inspecting an object whether or not it’s been imbued with extraordinary powers. When my eyes land on a prodigious object, it is as though a shutter on a camera closes on my vision, forever storing that object in my memory. It’s handy in my line of work here, but not much else.”

Nova searched her tone for resentment, but couldn’t find any.

Tina brushed past her into the small reception area. “Let’s get you set up. You can start familiarizing yourself with the system. Callum will be in soon and he can show you around.” She dropped her clipboard on the cluttered desk and walked behind the desk that was mostly empty. “He’s in charge of stocking and maintenance. Once you’re familiar with the system, we are going to need a lot of help back in the vault.”

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