The Culling Trials 3 (Shadowspell Academy #3)(19)

“I forgot about that,” Pete murmured. “Yeah, Adam is a creepy dude.”

“I didn’t see anything wrong with him,” Orin said.

“Not surprising,” Ethan returned.

“If he’s not the type to settle for second-rate info, that would explain why he was out, trying to find answers. Maybe that’s what he’s been doing all along?” Wally said.

Ethan pushed food into his cheek so he could talk around it. “Maybe he was just getting coffee.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full,” Pete said.

Ethan rolled his eyes and went back to his plate. “Okay, Mom.”

“Besides him,” I cut in, “there is Jared to think about, who was hanging around, despite the fact that he and the director clearly don’t like each other.”

“He thinks she’s soft,” Orin said. “That’s no secret. He wants the job, so whenever she slips up, he lets everyone know. He wants her out. Gone. She’s old.”

“I’ve seen that guy Adam around.” Colt leaned forward, looking between Ethan and me, ignoring everyone else. “The assistant? I saw him yesterday after the trials, walking from the portables to the mansion. He looked pissed.”

“I’m sure he always looks like he’s pissed.” I dropped my napkin onto my plate and stood. “I say we check in on him, see what he’s up to. If he is trying to find out info for the director, great. If not, we might learn something by tailing him.”

“What about Jared?” Wally asked, standing with me. The others followed suit, except for Ethan, who clearly wasn’t going to leave until he’d eaten every scrap off of his plate. “I say we tail him.”

Orin nodded. “Vampires like to have their fingers in everything even though they don’t get involved in much of it. He might know something, even if he hasn’t acted on it.”

“Sounds good. I’ll take Adam. Who’s going with me?” I asked.

“I will.”

“Me.”

“I’ll go.”

“Might as well.”

The chorus died down and everyone exchanged looks.

I stared down at Ethan, the only one who hadn’t piped up. He surely didn’t want to be in my proximity any more than I wanted to be in his, but he also liked to be the center of attention, meaning he could keep eyes off me, and if we got caught, he could also keep me in the school. He’d proven that he would.

“Orin, you take the lead on tailing the vampire,” I said, picking up my plate. “Direct the others on how not to get caught. Keep your eyes open for anything that looks suspicious. Ethan and Colt, you come with me.”

An hour later, I paced the dorm room, anticipation firing through my limbs and impatience dragging down my features. Colt sat on Ethan’s bed, gazing out the window at the grounds below. The others had already taken off to find their mark and hopefully tail him without getting caught. I didn’t have high hopes for either expedition, but at least it was daylight. Following someone around wasn’t against school policy, just social norms.

“Honestly, Ethan, what is taking you so long?” I barked, turning toward the bathroom door for the umpteenth time.

He emerged in a halo of fragrance, with his sweats clinging to his solid frame, his shoulders swaying with his casual yet calculated saunter, and his hair styled just so.

“Are you under the impression we are going to a garden party?” My voice carried a distinct bite to it. “We’re trying not to stand out.”

He flicked his gaze my way, taking in my overall appearance. “You’re still trying to look like a boy even though anyone who matters knows you’re a girl, your sweats have a stain on them from breakfast, and you’re an Amazon woman. We’re going to stand out regardless of what I look like.”

It was annoying that he was probably right.

“Fine. Whatever. Come on, the day is wasting.” I gestured them both toward the door.

Colt stood, just as unhurried as Ethan. I rolled my eyes and pulled the door open. I already regretted bringing them along. But Rory had said not to go alone, and that had been his last piece of advice for me.

“Okay,” I started as we trekked down the hall.

“Your strategic vocabulary is limited,” Ethan said as he kept pace, his demeanor blasé. It was a real skill to move quickly and look slow, I had to hand it to him. He and Colt both had mastered cool.

“I like a good jumping off point. Okay.” I exited into the stairwell. “Let’s see if Adam is at the director’s office where he belongs.”

“He isn’t,” Colt said, slowing my progress. “I saw him walk across the grounds twenty minutes ago.”

I stopped and turned to him with an incredulous expression. “What?”

“I saw him—”

“Yes, I know what you said. Why didn’t you mention it?”

Colt gestured at Ethan. “He wasn’t ready to get going.”

“But you could’ve—” I breathed through my nose, willing patience. “Right. Fine. Okay. Lead the way.”

“You’ll never get accepted into the House of Shade with that attitude,” Ethan said as we turned on the stairs, heading down. “You need to work on being cool and collected.”