Page 65 of Misfit Monsters
Throughout Jonah’s report, the tiger shifter and his colleagues have been lobbing questions at us like balls in a batting cage. I swallow thickly, afraid they’ve somehow figured out that I lost control again even though we avoided mentioning that one fact.
It’s Toni who speaks up, in a more even tone than Gnash’s. “They were on the verge of banishment. They haven’t proven that they can mingle with their classmates safely, even if they’ve survived the last few days without killing each other.”
Hail makes a sour face as if he thinks he should get top marks just for refraining from murdering us, but Rollick hums. “A fair point. We have an obvious short-term solution. Jonah, perhaps you could give a sorcerous command to each of our delinquents to ensure they don’t do anything harmful with their powers over the next forty-eight hours?”
My pulse hitches at the thought of more sorcery wriggling into my brain. I smile to cover my urge to protest.
I’d rather be brainwashed than hurt even more beings.
Jonah hesitates before answering. “I’ll have to give the exact command some thought to make sure it works properly, and I’d probably need to repeat the commands tomorrow to ensure they hold.” He glances at the rest of us. “As long as my team will accept that?”
Mirage pipes up first with an energetic shrug. “Better than being stuffed in a cage!”
Raze grunts and nods in agreement, though he’s scowling.
Hail lets out a long-suffering sigh, but I can tell from the tart prickle of emotion wafting off him that he’s more uneasythan resigned. “Whatever you feel you need to do before we continue this charade.”
All the gazes at the table shift to me.
I push my smile wider. “Of course. It’ll be easier for me to concentrate if I know my powers shouldn’t go haywire.”
Rollick claps his hands. “It’s settled. Once you’ve gotten Jonah’s orders, the five of you can resume your normal class schedule. I’ll see you off again in two days.”
A coupleof hours later with a new sorcerous command buzzing around my brain, I head into the cafeteria for lunch and get two slim arms flung around me.
“You’re back!” Fen hugs me tightly and steps back as quickly as she leapt in. “I didn’t even realize. Are you okay? Is the special assignment over?”
We’re not supposed to talk about our investigations in any detail, but I can answer vaguely. “Not yet. We did find out a little, but not everything Rollick wants to know. How have you been doing?”
Fen ushers me to a temporary counter at one end of the room, where various other beings are lining up to request their food. The bright colors and plasticky furnishings remind me of the fast food restaurants I’ve flitted through in the human world. The air smells of greasy, salty goodness.
My friend peers at the list of meal options hanging over the counter and then turns back to me with a smile. “It hasn’t been as fun without you to talk to, but I’ve been all right. I made it through a whole day without dribbling any water at all.”
A chilly voice speaks up from behind us. “Suchan accomplishment. The drip managed not to piddle.”
Fen cringes. As if on cue, a few droplets patter off her fingers onto the floor.
I turn around to face Gloss and her friends as they break into tinkling laughter. No emotions drift off the elegant being at all—it means nothing to her to deal out casual cruelty.
Gloss won't care about my opinions on her attitude, so I aim for peace. "Why don't we all focus on getting some tasty food? It looks like there’s plenty of it.”
At my hopeful smile, Gloss's friends snicker harder. She shakes her head. "Yes, I can see why you'd want to avoid anyone focusing onyou. What on earth are you wearing now? You look like a human gangster reject."
My skin prickles with self-consciousness. I hadn't even thought about my change in clothing—I'm wearing the leather jacket and ripped jeans that I switched to while on the mission.
It seems pointless to swap them for my old dress and track jacket combo now that Gloss has already seen me. That'll only make her feel she was right.
I'm about to turn around and simply ignore her when another cool voice carries from farther down the line.
"You should give the cream puff a little credit, Gloss. She's trying to broaden her horizons rather than sticking to the same old, same old."
My gaze snaps to Hail's dark eyes where the lean, pale fae has ambled over behind Gloss's pack. His mouth is set in a slanted smile; I can't tell whether he was mocking her or me.
Maybe both?
Whatever the case, Gloss obviously takes it as a personal criticism. Her jaw tightens, but she manages to return his smile. "I suppose even hopeless cases should get points for trying."
I turn back toward the counter. Fen raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't remark on Hail's intervention in front of his usual fan club.
