Page 49 of Bonds of Magic
As I watched, Valeria said something to the threesome, then darted a glance around the refectory before leaving. I had the oddest sense that she was trying to be subtle. As subtle as a six-foot-tall Amazon could be.
Sean and the others seemed locked in an argument now. Or, rather, Sean and Tim were arguing with Rekha. That was odd too. Aside from that night in the library when they were looking at maps of Vesperwood, I’d never seen them so much as bicker.
But now, Tim and Sean were standing shoulder to shoulder, looming over Rekha. She didn’t look the least bit intimidated. She pointed a finger at them and whispered furiously. And then, as one, they all turned and looked directly at me.
I was so surprised, I didn’t even look away. I stared back, and it was Sean who averted his gaze first. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said he looked abashed. But Ididknow better, so I tossed that possibility out immediately.
He hadn’t looked in my direction once since that night in the showers, and he’d made an effort to keep out of my way. Which was about the best I could hope for, I supposed, since I’d asked Noah not to do anything more drastic. I didn’t want Sean kicked out. Not for that night, at least. But I never wanted to interact with him again.
And yet, here he was, darting glances in my direction. He wasn’t ashamed, but he wassomething. Furtive, maybe. Rekha was back to shaking her finger at the other two, and after a moment, she threw her hands up and stalked out of the room.
Nice to know I wasn’t the only person in the world she was annoyed with.
“What do you think that was about?” I asked, turning back to my friends.
“What was what about?” Ash said absently.
He didn’t look up from his plate, where he was sculpting the remains of his dinner roll into a miniature elephant. At least, I thought it was an elephant, but squished dough wasn’t the greatest medium for artistic clarity.
“Sean and Tim,” I said, glancing back at them. They were still talking on the far side of the room. Was it just me, or did they looktoocasual now? “Their argument with Rekha?”
“Argument?” Felix looked up. He’d gone back to reading his book and had clearly missed everything that had happened.
“The three of them were fighting about something. And then Rekha stalked off.”
I turned my head the teeniest bit, so I could watch them walk out of the refectory with studied innocence. No doubt about it, they were up to something. And I wanted to find out what.
I turned back to Ash, a plan forming in my mind.
9
CORY
“Can you glamor me?” I asked Ash. “So I can follow them?”
“What?” He finally looked up from his doughlephant and stared at me. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I hissed. “And you have to hurry. I want to see where they’re going.”
Sean and Tim had disappeared through the doors by now. Every moment counted. I stood up and grabbed Ash’s hand, pulling him away from the table, while nodding at Felix.
“Come on, we don’t have much time.”
Felix shot me a confused look.
Ash shrugged. “Apparently, the role of Jessica Fletcher will be played by Cory tonight.”
“Who’s Jessica Fletcher?” I asked.
He gasped. “Do not tell me you haven’t seenMurder, She Wrote.”
I stared blankly.
“Cory, you uncultured swine. Next, you’re going to tell me you’ve never seen theGolden Girls.”
“No, I’m going to tell you to hurry up.”
Felix closed his book and stood, but he looked doubtful. “Are we really doing this?”
