junior. Tyler Fertig, who looked angry enough to punch a wall during that graduation. Tyler Fertig. He’s here.
This does more to solidify Annum Guard in my mind than that little stunt back in Boston. If Tyler Fertig is a member, it has to be legit.
Tyler and I lock eyes, and I know he recognizes me. He knows who I am. But then he breaks his gaze and sits down with the others.
Alpha clears his throat, but I hesitate before I turn back around to look at him. I can feel Tyler—Blue—whatever his name is—staring at the back of my head, boring a hole through my skull.
“And you are Iris,” Alpha says.
“Which isn’t a color,” I point out.
“It’s not,” he admits as the man to his right—Zeta, I think?—raises his eyebrows, as if he’s shocked that I just spoke to Alpha that way. “And that’s because you are here on a trial basis.” He clears his throat. “Before we get to that, I think we’d all like to hear a report of how you performed on your first mission. Indigo, we’ll start with you.”
Indigo makes his way to the front of the room. He’s standing off to the side, in between me and the table.
He clasps his hands together in front of his body. “Iris did an admirable job. She used powers of deduction to determine the precise year, and she figured out how to use the Annum watch in record time. I think she’ll make a fine addition to Annum Guard.”
I like Indigo. Not how I like Abe, of course, but I’ll get along with Indigo.
Behind me, someone clears a throat.
“Yellow?” It’s the man on the right. “You disagree?”
I hear her get up behind me. Her dress swishes against the floor as she walks over and stands next to Indigo.
“I absolutely disagree, sir. Iris committed a number of infractions.” She tosses her head back to get the hair off her shoulder and shoots me a dirty look as she does it. “First, she was seen in civilian clothing by several of the historical subjects. Second”—she pauses, and I’m sure it’s for dramatic effect—“she tried to use a cell phone . In 1874.”
Behind me, there’s a soft ripple of laughter.
“I don’t blame her for trying,” Indigo says. “She had no idea where she was, and for all she knew, it might have worked.”
Yellow holds up a hand to silence him. “Third, she made vocal contact with an historical subject.” I want to tell her that I’d like to see her not react when someone tries to rob her, but she’s talking so fast I can’t get a word in. “Finally, she nearly blew the mission by walking around in a torn dress with a modern-day school tie wrapped around her waist.”
I open my mouth to tell her that no one seemed to notice my tie and that I did the best I could with a dress that was clearly too small, but then she’s looking straight at me, one eyebrow raised and a sneer on her face.
She looks me up and down, her gaze lingering on the torn waistline of the dress, and says, “You’re going to need to lose some weight.”
“And you’re going to need to kiss my ass.” The words tumble out of my mouth before my brain can process them. Everyone behind me gasps, but I don’t blink. I jump to my feet, and Yellow crouches down like a trained combatant. So she wants to fight? Well, okay then.
Alpha jumps up and bangs his hand on the table so hard I’m surprised he doesn’t break it. “Everyone, sit down!”
I don’t take my eyes off Yellow as she slinks away and slides back into her seat between Orange and Green. It’s only then that I turn forward, to Alpha’s angry eyes waiting for me.
“I told you to sit!” he barks at me, and I do. “Do you not remember me telling you that you were here on a trial basis?”
“Well, maybe someone should have asked me if I wanted to be here before they plucked me out of school in my junior year, strapped me to a table, implanted a goddamned tracker in my arm, and forced me to join an organization I’ve never heard of.” I’m so angry I don’t care if
This does more to solidify Annum Guard in my mind than that little stunt back in Boston. If Tyler Fertig is a member, it has to be legit.
Tyler and I lock eyes, and I know he recognizes me. He knows who I am. But then he breaks his gaze and sits down with the others.
Alpha clears his throat, but I hesitate before I turn back around to look at him. I can feel Tyler—Blue—whatever his name is—staring at the back of my head, boring a hole through my skull.
“And you are Iris,” Alpha says.
“Which isn’t a color,” I point out.
“It’s not,” he admits as the man to his right—Zeta, I think?—raises his eyebrows, as if he’s shocked that I just spoke to Alpha that way. “And that’s because you are here on a trial basis.” He clears his throat. “Before we get to that, I think we’d all like to hear a report of how you performed on your first mission. Indigo, we’ll start with you.”
Indigo makes his way to the front of the room. He’s standing off to the side, in between me and the table.
He clasps his hands together in front of his body. “Iris did an admirable job. She used powers of deduction to determine the precise year, and she figured out how to use the Annum watch in record time. I think she’ll make a fine addition to Annum Guard.”
I like Indigo. Not how I like Abe, of course, but I’ll get along with Indigo.
Behind me, someone clears a throat.
“Yellow?” It’s the man on the right. “You disagree?”
I hear her get up behind me. Her dress swishes against the floor as she walks over and stands next to Indigo.
“I absolutely disagree, sir. Iris committed a number of infractions.” She tosses her head back to get the hair off her shoulder and shoots me a dirty look as she does it. “First, she was seen in civilian clothing by several of the historical subjects. Second”—she pauses, and I’m sure it’s for dramatic effect—“she tried to use a cell phone . In 1874.”
Behind me, there’s a soft ripple of laughter.
“I don’t blame her for trying,” Indigo says. “She had no idea where she was, and for all she knew, it might have worked.”
Yellow holds up a hand to silence him. “Third, she made vocal contact with an historical subject.” I want to tell her that I’d like to see her not react when someone tries to rob her, but she’s talking so fast I can’t get a word in. “Finally, she nearly blew the mission by walking around in a torn dress with a modern-day school tie wrapped around her waist.”
I open my mouth to tell her that no one seemed to notice my tie and that I did the best I could with a dress that was clearly too small, but then she’s looking straight at me, one eyebrow raised and a sneer on her face.
She looks me up and down, her gaze lingering on the torn waistline of the dress, and says, “You’re going to need to lose some weight.”
“And you’re going to need to kiss my ass.” The words tumble out of my mouth before my brain can process them. Everyone behind me gasps, but I don’t blink. I jump to my feet, and Yellow crouches down like a trained combatant. So she wants to fight? Well, okay then.
Alpha jumps up and bangs his hand on the table so hard I’m surprised he doesn’t break it. “Everyone, sit down!”
I don’t take my eyes off Yellow as she slinks away and slides back into her seat between Orange and Green. It’s only then that I turn forward, to Alpha’s angry eyes waiting for me.
“I told you to sit!” he barks at me, and I do. “Do you not remember me telling you that you were here on a trial basis?”
“Well, maybe someone should have asked me if I wanted to be here before they plucked me out of school in my junior year, strapped me to a table, implanted a goddamned tracker in my arm, and forced me to join an organization I’ve never heard of.” I’m so angry I don’t care if
Similar Books
