“Mom’s home!” A loud banging erupted outside the bedroom door, startling Demetrius who’d been perched atop Jamie’s study table while she did their French homework. “Jamie! Jamie, come on! Mom’s home!” The banging continued for another moment before a set of excited footsteps disappeared down the hall. Jamie was slower on the take. She completed the final sentence in both his and her workbook before closing them and rising from her seat. “Are you coming?” She asked. Demetrius hopped from the table and made for the door, waiting for her to open it. The extra week of waiting had been excruciating and a part of him feared her mother would run into another excuse that kept her out on business. His report was coming up due and he’d so far had nothing of importance to turn in. Rather…he was unwilling to turn in certain pieces of information and was willing to wait for his main target’s return. Demetrius padded his way down the stair

“You wanted to see me, sir?” Demetrius walked into the classroom with a defiant look in his eyes. Under any other circumstance, he would’ve ignored the order entirely but the boy couldn’t shake the growing connection this man was attempting to cultivate with Jamie. There was a plan brewing below the surface, one that threatened to spiral uncontrollably if he couldn’t gain a firm grasp on it and it wasn’t a risk he was willing to ignore. “Ah, Finley. Nice of you to join me,” Carlton said, remaining at his desk. “Get to the point; why are you here?” In the absence of his classmates, it became easier to catch the man’s scent. Demetrius bristled at the familiar scent of clandestyne, seeing now that his scepticism had been warranted. “Is that any way to speak to a superior officer?” The man reached into his pocket, pulling out a badge that he tossed onto the desk. “Take it, then address me again.” Demetrius hesitated before reaching for th

It happened quickly. Without Myles and Ephraim to restrain her, Cassidy shot to her feet. Zane didn’t flinch, not daring to drop his attentive stance while the woman was amongst them. His sister rushed forward but was quickly caught by the neck. An invisible hand held her, squeezing until she began to choke. Cassidy struggled against the unseen force until her body went limp and she slumped to the ground.No one said a word.Head Guardian, Wynona Hawthorne, made her way across the room with deliberately slow steps, looking them each in the face as she moved by them. The only one who didn’t receive her sharp eyes was the one now slumped on the ground having been strangled by her magic.Demetrius’ jaw set, his teeth clenching painfully in his attempt to remain where he was. It was unheard of to get in the way of the woman and her discipline, especially when the person receiving her wrath deserved it. Cassidy may have been out of her mind, but a c

They had all taken the day. With one or two missing, Demetrius stood a good chance of continuing the ruse that Jamie had only hallucinated the mayhem that took place during the previous day’s math class. When they’d all collectively decided to remain home to heal their welts, it made the task…difficult.Distraction and redirection were his only recourse and even they paled in comparison to a lie that was backed by action.“What kept you? We thought you’d miss lunch,” Sarah said as Jamie sank into the seat next to her.“Mr. Carlton,” Jamie mumbled.Demetrius lifted his head from the table at once, growing alert at the mention of the man. “What did he want?”“To talk with my mother; he says I failed his French test.”“That’s not possible,” Megan said. “I completely flaked on studying, copied off your paper and got a 96%.”“What?” Jamie asked.“I’m inclined to agree,” Demetrius said. “You netted me a solid 100%.” The perks of impeccable eyesight.Jamie looked between the two, nearly as a

Samuel pulled away from Sarah’s neck, his mouth stained with the innocent blood he’d shed. The colour in his eyes began to ripple, changing from chocolate brown to a striking red. The man snarled at Demetrius, a warning for him to keep his distance. Without backup and a girl he needed to protect the boy was inclined to do just that.That said, Samuel Hansley had been wanted for over three decades. Having him slip away again would be a blow to the guardians and there was no telling where he would go or whose problem he would become.There was a smaller, more carnal part of him that considered the reinstated honour he would receive for bringing in such a prize after having his last big case taken from him. In fact, if he spun it well enough, he could insist it had been his plan all along and the reason he’d gone against every order he had received along the way. Escape wouldn’t be an option for the man; there was too much at stake.Sarah we