All the blood leaves my face.She twists her lips, regretting the news. “He’s sending me today.”“What!?” I gasp, sloshing my coffee onto the floor as I lean forward towards her in shock. “Faiza, no!”“We need the intel, Ari,” she says, holding my eyes and shaking her head sadly at me. “If it were a
Blaze lashes a back-handed fist at me so fast that I barely have time to dodge, stumbling back and raising my right arm to block the blow I know is coming next.But my teacher outwits me, as he so often does. Constantly, if we’re being honest. His left foot lashes out, hooking deftly behind my knee
“Why are you distracted?” he asks, frowning at me.“Faiza,” I say with a sigh, stretching my tired arms up over my head. “She gave me kind of a weird assignment. Fun, but…weird. But I’ll tell you about that next – I kind of want your help with it.”Luca’s face brightens at the prospect, but I just l
Luca’s face bursts into a grin, I think loving the confidence with which I declare that none of our little group are going into battle without the others by our side.“What, you don’t believe me?” I ask, grinning at my mate.“You just…” he shrugs, smiling and shaking his head at me, “have absolutely
Luca and Daphne make appreciative noises as I explain, as fast as I can, Faiza’s plan for me over the next few weeks. That I’m supposed to take time practicing how to control the way I am perceived in a room of strangers. Not only how to draw all attention to me in a room, but also how to disappear
Thirty minutes later, Daphne and I have utterly ignored Luca’s objections and turned me out in what is actually a pretty convincing facsimile of her outfit, hair, and makeup.“I mean, you’re shorter than me,” Daphne says, gnawing on her thumb nail as I slowly turn in a circle for her, letting her ob
“Oh, hey Jess!”Jesse spins towards that voice he’d recognize in his sleep, his jaw dropping. “Wha-“ he sputters, looking between the redhead before him with two bookbags slung over her shoulders and then back out the window at her double – even wearing her clothes – disappearing now into the darkne
Jesse grins at Daphne as they reach his floor. “Good. Do you want to hang out then?”“Of course,” she says, grinning at him and starting towards the familiar Sinclair doorway.But Jesse reaches out a hand and puts it on her shoulder, stopping her. “Actually,” he says, turning his head a little, a sm