Page 5 of Quiet Burn

Kit gives me an amused look. “You’re talking to her like I do. I can’t really decide if she understands everything or not.”

“Either way, I hope I got the message across.” Rising to my feet, I wait for him to hook his bag over his neck and hold my arm out for the rodent. “Let’s get this show on the road, folks.”

“Okay,” Kit sighs as he grabs my bicep. I tuck it close to my side, smiling when he doesn’t shrink away. “Time to face the executioners.”

Guiding him out the door, I grin. “I like music as a metaphor better, Kit Kat. None of us want to kill you, you know.”

“Speak for yourself, panda,” Jasper grumbles. “I’ll definitely want to murder him if this shit goes sideways.”

“Shut up, Prince.”

Kit snickers at Slash’s irritated grunt as we all fill the elevator. The big guy is showing up for him in the best way possible since the incident, so I’m inclined to let him into the inner circle with X and Oriel. Everyone else is close to joining, except the grouchy dragon who simply refuses to admit to himself what we all know.

Well, everyone but Kit, but that’s no surprise.

“So tell me what I should expect this time.” We all look down at Kit—except Zav—as he demands our attention. “If I can prepare, I’ll handle it better.”

“We’re going to sell the idea that you’re dating us, one by one. It won’t all be at breakfast, but it's a good place to start,” Oriel says softly. “Salem is already close, so if he behaves like he is now but amps it up a bit, it will get tongues wagging.”

Zavida pushes his glasses up, flushing a bit. “Then Slash can take him to the first class and it will reinforce it, right?”

“Yes.”

Grinning a little, Kit looks over at the shark shifter. “You’re not going to force feed me, right, big guy? I promise Salem sent me food I’ll eat at the table.”

Jasper arches a brow at his second, who pointedly ignores him for our charge. The shark rumbles a bit, studying him for a second. “I’ll get fresh coffee, then.”

“Lillith’s dirty thongs,” Jasper mutters as he stares at the ceiling. “This is going to be interminable.”

His grunt tells me someone socked him in the side or gut, and I’m strangely pleased with that. “That works, Slash. We’ll start with those two hints, then Kit Kat goes to History on his own. Who’s got him after that?”

“I’mnota football you can pass around the field.”

“Nope, but you are someone we want to ensure stays in one piece,” Zavida says shyly. “So Oriel should join you and you can head to theTricliniumfor lunch, right? You’ll meet Jasper and me there, but by the end, Anton should be there, too.”

Anton nods, watching Kit digest the information carefully. “Correct. I can drop him at Lineage afterward.”

Fuck. That’s another class he’s got on his own.

“O and I have Lit after that, so we’ll get him then,” I muse. “I wonder what these assholes are going to do since they’re canceling all the damn extracurriculars? Think they’ll tell us in class or…?”

“No. I think they’ll tell us in theTriclinium,” Jasper says as the doors pop open. “Hurry up so we don’t miss anything. I don’t like how quiet it’s been since the announcement.”

That’s our leader—missing the forest for the fucking trees. He’s so intent onnotletting anyone know how worried he is about Kit after the attack that he’s gone full scale laser focus on the games. His ability to narrow the field is great when it’s helping develop strategy, but it’s shit when it makes people feel like they don’t matter.

I look down at Kit, hoping the dragon hasn’t upset him again. Luckily, he’s too busy chewing his lip and mouthing something to himself as he holds onto my arm. He doesn’t seem to be going into one of his episodes, so I don’t interfere.

Maybe he just needs to get in the right mindset.

After all, this is going to put an even bigger target on his back, but it’s the only plan we’ve got. Nothing else will keep all the lower level idiots off his case. And Satan forbid, when the admin figures out which damn demons are missing from their crispy end this weekend, it will keep eyes from turning to the new kid—hopefully.

We march up to the double doors of the cafeteria and Jasper looks at the entire caliphate seriously. “This is it, gentleman. The curtain is going up, and we have to make sure everyone believes the show. There’s no room for error, or the newbie could get killed.”

“Thanks for the inspiring speech,” Kit grumbles. “Can we go in and get caffeine now? I can’t take anymore of your bullshit without an injection into my veins.”

Damn, he’s fun; I’m going to enjoy this.

Somebody’s Watching Me

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