Nemesis (36 page)

“I wish I could see inside your head,” I said. “Then I’d know what the hell to say to that.”
Smooth, Ada.

“Ada… that isn’t a place you want to be. Trust me.”

“I trust you.” And it was true, despite everything. “Do you trust
me?”

Shouldn’t have asked. My heart dropped several notches as he met my eyes, the answer clear on his face. I’d seen that look before. On people who’d been betrayed too many times. And I knew it went far deeper than us.

My heart sank into the carpet, right down to the entrance hall.

“What are you two doing?” The frowning face of Ms Weston appeared around the corner.

“Just talking,” said Kay. “I’m on my way out now.”

“Good. I need to talk to Ada.”

I groaned inwardly. Guess it was time to give my own version of yesterday’s events. As Ms Weston withdrew, I caught Kay’s arm as he walked past.

“Wait,” I said, in a low voice. “I’m not picking my family over you. I’m on your team, and I told you I’m sticking around.” I gave him a small smile, and headed to Ms Weston’s office before he could reply.

***

“What’s up?” Jeth asked, as we walked down the road to our house. “You’re being quiet.”

I shrugged. “Just worried about Alber.”

“Yeah. Nell said she’s calling a family meeting, by the way.”

Dammit. “I’ve had enough meetings today,” I muttered. Kay hadn’t come back to Central, so I assumed he’d already given Ms Weston an explanation that satisfied her without giving anything away about the magic source on Aglaia. She knew something was off, but she hadn’t pushed me.

“Ada, what you did was incredible. I don’t know how you held it together. When I heard… I couldn’t have done it. Gone after Alber, and then fought a battle. No way.”

I let out a shuddering breath. “I was just so
angry.
They had no right to hurt us.” Too angry to be afraid, maybe.

I turned my key in the lock and jumped as Nell’s face loomed from the shadow of the hallway. “We’re moving.”

“We are?” I supposed I should have expected it.

“Yes. Tomorrow, actually. I’ve found us a smaller house, since we don’t need the upstairs flat anymore now we’re not running the shelter from here.”

“Oh,” I said, unable to think of a more adequate response. Tomorrow?

Jeth closed the door behind us. “That was fast. Whereabouts?”

“Other side of the river. Closer to your workplace.”

I blinked. “You’re really okay with it? The money’s not an issue? I’ll pay my own rent.”

“We’re opening our business. Legally. With Alliance approval.”

“Wait, you sorted it out today?”

“It’s been in the works for a while, but given the circumstances…”

“Wow,” I said. “I’m up for that. Except I’m gonna need to pack.”

“Get a move on, then,” she said, half stern, half affectionate.

I grinned at Jeth. “How about that?”

“I can work with it,” he said.

“Yeah.” Alber appeared in the doorway. He had a cut across his forehead, but bruised ribs were the worst of the injuries. On the surface, at least.

“Right,” I said. “Guess I’d better pack.”

Or try to. My room was especially chaotic lately because I hadn’t been around often enough to keep it clean. I grabbed a large bag and started snatching up things at random, predictably sending a stack of books toppling down the back of my bedside table. I shifted the table out of the way and found a treasure trove of objects I’d lost under the bed, including a Valerian puzzle game Delta had once given me. I glared at it and tossed it into the bag.

A buzzing sensation made the hairs on my arms stand on end. I spun around, startled.
Did the magic level just go up?
That wasn’t supposed to happen on Earth.

The buzzing faded. I stayed still for a moment, then, when it didn’t come back, returned to packing. Maybe I’d imagined it. Or I was extra-sensitive to every magic-related change now?

My communicator lit up.

“Kay?” I switched on the speaker-phone.

“Hey, Ada. This a bad time?”

“Eh. Never really a good time these days, to be honest.”

“Your brother?” He didn’t ask
is he okay?
He knew better, I supposed.

I exhaled. “Coping. I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. Did you just feel that? I swear the magic level just went up.”

“No, but I’m on Valeria. Are you sure?”

“I think so… I don’t know.” It had faded by now. “That was weird.”

“Well, never mind it. We can’t deal with every magic-related problem. If there’s an issue, leave it to the Alliance.”

“Until it hits me in the face.” I’d had more than enough of magic-related problems for the moment. For a lifetime, even.

“I have a question.”

“What?” I said warily, annoyed when my heart rate automatically sped up.

“How do you and Alber feel about hover bikes?”

“Uh. Why?”

“Because I’m in Neo Greyle’s hover-port right now, and I have two hover bike hire tickets in my hand.”

Holy crap. “Two?”

“Yeah. Thing is, I already own a hover bike. So…”

“Oh my God,” I said. “I’ll ask Alber. But you get a hell, yes from me.”

“Good. This weekend okay?”

I almost said,
it’s a date.
Except it wasn’t. He just… felt sorry for me? “Sure,” I said, trying to inject enthusiasm into my voice. “I’ll tell him.”

“I can promise there won’t be any goblins this time.”

I laughed. “With you? I wouldn’t count on it.”

Maybe just friends was okay. He hadn’t
said
he didn’t like me in that way… which was a start.

“Hey, Al.” I pushed open my door and called down the corridor, “Guess who got us a free hover bike ride?”

Thank you for reading!

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Nemesis.
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Nemesis.

Want to find out what really happened to Kay and Simon at the Academy two years ago?
Delinquent: An Alliance Novella
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The Alliance Series
Adamant (Alliance #1)

Nemesis (Alliance #2)

Delinquent: An Alliance Novella

Collision (Alliance, #3) - November 2015

Find all of my books here.

About the Author
Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing speculative fiction with magic and monsters. She lives in the middle of England, but dreams of exploring the Multiverse. When she’s not immersed in her own fictional worlds, Emma works as a freelance editor and proofreader and reads an improbable number of books.

Emma is the author of various fantasy novels, including the universe-hopping urban fantasy Alliance series and the YA paranormal Darkworld series.

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As always, thank you to my friends, family and Jed, for putting up with this insanity. :P

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Every single one of you. :)