Never in my life could I have guessed that I’d be sitting across from Annabeth of all people, in a fast-food pce at almost midnight, on a sort of date. At least we’re tucked away in a corner far away from the few other patrons. The idea was ughable, at least before the Gravesend Ball. Now? Things are different now, in a lot of ways. Writing secret letters to each other is just the most rewarding.

  Making the letter boxes was a fun challenge that didn’t take long at all. I’ve been debating moving mine from my office to my bedroom, but in the office, I can have stronger protections in pce. Especially against people without magic: if someone breaks into my office again, like Madison did, and tries to take something, they’ll regret it. At home, I would need to worry about my parents finding it and getting hurt.

  I really need my own pce.

  How is it that Annabeth is my current least problematic crush?

  I mean, sure, the list isn’t long, Rosaria is at the top, and Madison is in the mix somewhere. I don’t bother counting Galina or Attie; those aren’t exactly crushes. Pretty women are just pretty, and that leaves Annabeth.

  The disguises are for both of our benefits, and right now, I’m the one benefiting. That wig is awful. I have to bite my lip to keep from bursting out in giggles.

  It’s so awful.

  Thankfully, my own disguise was a lot less work; a fairly simple gmour, but one tied to my compact. A mirror reflects what is, and right now, that image is from a magazine, a pretty goth girl overyed with one of my own photos. It’s a near-perfect disguise; any magic someone can feel from me will hopefully just make them think I’m a weak practitioner, and not that it’s leakage from my gmour. Which is why I’m Mallory tonight; a disguise without a fake name is worthless.

  Annabeth clears her throat and gives my untouched food a pointed look, okay, okay, geeze. I was going to eat it eventually, and I guess she wants to make sure I do. Something about that makes me feel pleasantly warm. As I eat a couple of French fries and then a few more, her expression lightens up.

  “Happy?”

  Her hand reaches across the table and grips mine tightly. “Improving, but we’re here about you. I heard about Greece. How are you handling it?”

  Poorly, but she already knew that. We both muffled our conversation as soon as we sat down, so I’m free to answer honestly.

  “I’m a ball of stress. I skipped school today, there’s the internship, and Rosaria got me to agree to a date.” Annabeth’s expression changes instantly, and I wave my hand to cut off the reprimand I know is coming. “She literally has me in a box, and with how Mads is involved, it’s a total fucking mess.”

  Catching Annabeth up doesn’t take long; the past few days have been hectic, and they don’t show any signs of stopping.

  “I’ll begrudgingly admit that letting Rosaria handle the estate is a good call. Keeping it in-house, so to speak, will soothe all the feathers you ruffled.” In-house, what is she talking about? My confusion must have been clear, because Annabeth continues, “Leon was under Rosaria’s banner; it isn’t just mortals who get scooped p. A new party taking control of an estate the size of Leon’s makes people nervous; it almost never happens. Rosaria holding the reins makes things simpler.”

  “What?”

  Leon was immortal; it’s mind-boggling that he worked for Rosaria, but maybe that’s just my naivety? I was a little intimidated by him because I’ve heard about his exploits. Rosaria caught me entirely off guard, and to her, Leon was probably as much of a child as I was to him.

  The tray with my burger on it is gently but firmly slid closer to me, and Annabeth stares at me until I take a bite. “As you recently found out, you can kill someone and inherit their estate and holdings. It’s also a taboo, thankfully.” Annabeth grins. “You were attacked, and Rosaria was there on your side, so other than some mild disapproval, you’re fine.” Her grin fades slightly. “You’re also not going to like this next part.”

  Rosaria, it all comes back to her—the good and the bad—and it’s pretty easy for me to figure out what Annabeth is about to say. “People aren’t nervous because they already see me as Rosaria’s human pet.”

  “Exactly, Mom is thrilled and a bit furious, to be honest. She had this whole obnoxious pn about getting into your good graces with the ball, and letting you get friendly with us over time, and Rosaria stomped all over it. I keep having to hide how funny I find it.”

  Especially since I’m here, having a secret date with Morrigan’s daughter; if Rosaria weren’t in the picture, this would suit her goals. Part of me wonders if Annabeth is pying both sides, and she probably is, but her concern is genuine; I can tell that much.

  Having a friend who knows about magic and is an actual practitioner has been amazing.

  “Speaking of, I do still pn to attend the next ball.” Assuming nothing else happens between now and then. I have to muffle a ugh, or maybe a sob; I’m genuinely not sure. “Hopefully, anyway.” As Deliah Drake, paranormal detective, not Rosaria’s pet.

  “Your blood sugar is improving, but you really should finish the burger while it’s hot.”

  I roll my eyes, vampires. Plus, annoyingly, she’s right; it will be better when it’s hot. Fine, another bite or two. The stupid burger is actually making me feel better.

  “I’m not actually upset about killing Leon. It sucks, and I hate that it happened, but he was there with ten people to ensve me, so I’m learning to deal with it.” Mostly by ignoring it, but it isn’t like I can really talk to anyone about this. A therapist would think that I’m crazy on a good day; I don’t want to imagine what would happen on a bad one.

  “That’s probably healthy, at least long term.” Annabeth pauses before she smiles at me. “So, this is completely unreted, but it’s been on my mind. The letters are cute, but why aren’t you just DM’ing me?”

  “Phones aren’t secure.” I pause for a second. “At least not mine.”

  “Thought so.” There’s another amused grin on Annabeth’s lips. For more than a few seconds, I think about leaning across the table and kissing her, just to get rid of the grin, not because I like her or anything. She’s just a good kisser. “Here.” Annabeth reaches into her purse and passes over a small case, the cover’s clear, and I see what looks like two micro SIM cards. “For the undernet.”

  “It’s real?” What the fuck!

  “Deliah, did you think it was a trick pyed on newbies?” Forget amused, Annabeth is a second away from giggling.

  “If I say no, will you believe me?” She won’t, I wouldn’t in her pce, but a trick made sense! Magic users having technology was something I dismissed as rumours, and I’ve been too prideful to ask anyone recently.

  “Not a chance, I’ll tease you about it ter, but there are instructions inside. Texting is secure, and a lot less noticeable than a letter in this day and age.” Annabeth pauses as she gnces away from me for a moment, but I can see her cheeks turning red. “I like the letters a lot; they’re special, but being able to reach you immediately would be nice.”

  Business first, because that’s a lot easier to focus on than the heat rushing into my face. “Any tricks to worry about?”

  “The terms and conditions, you’ll want to read them in full.”

  Contracts—someone has figured out how to magically enforce contracts in terms and conditions, which is both brilliant and terrifying. Everyone I know just clicks through them as fast as possible.

  They must be weaker or something than physical contracts; otherwise, the entire pnet would be under contract.

  Something Annabeth said earlier fshes in my mind. “Why is your Mom thrilled about this?” Especially if she was interested in me herself.

  “She hated Leon, called him an upstart more than once, but really, we’re allies of Rosaria’s. Mom obviously has a pn in the works that involves you, whether you’re a free agent or with one of them; she thinks she can get her way.”

  That makes sense. Unfortunately, I have fees. It would have been easy for Morrigan to hire me for a job. If I’m under someone’s banner, it’s just as easy to bribe them into sending me to complete whatever task they want done.

  I gnce around the restaurant, not a single ping; that’s good, that means that there’s no magic users in the room other than us, at least in theory. Blocking my senses wouldn’t be impossible, and having a human agent watching us is just as likely.

  Sure, I’d love it if Morrigan and Rosaria were clueless about our rendezvous, but I’m not an idiot either. Two teenagers aren’t going to be able to keep this kind of thing secret; too many people are watching us.

  “Anyone you recognise in here tonight?”

  Annabeth doesn’t turn around; instead, she very casually picks up her drink. Once it’s held in front of her lips, she says. “Third booth by the door, and fifth from the right side of the counter.”

  I can’t exactly look, well, not without giving anything away, especially with my back facing most of the room. Letting Annabeth watch my back was a compromise, and a begrudging one, but right now, she has more enemies than I do. I’ll be fine, assuming my disguise holds up.

  “No gnces at me?”

  She ughs a lot. “Oh, plenty of gnces, you look hot like that. My minders just think I’m hunting you. The normal you is way better, to be clear.”

  “Are you hunting me, that is?” I toss my head slightly, gradually exposing my neck, before I burst into giggles. There’s no harm in pying things up a little. Especially since my food is almost gone, we’ll need to head out before long, and as nice as this little break has been, the real world isn’t going to wait for me to be ready.

  “I wouldn’t mind a taste, if you’re offering.” A hint of Annabeth’s fangs pokes out from behind her lips, just for a second before retracting.

  “You’ve tasted plenty.” Never my blood, I’m not that stupid, but we’ve definitely done some exploring, and I’ve been tempted more than once. There’s no way Annabeth hasn’t been tempted either. All the more reason to deny her, because once I say yes, it will get easier and easier for one of us to say yes, until neither one of us wants to say no.

  “You were very sweet, but I should get you home. Raincheck?”

  Unfortunately, she has a point. I need more sleep, but I needed this date more. Just some pretty casual, rexing time for a little bit; being able to vent to Annabeth helped a lot. She always does.

  “If you’re good, and if we’re both lucky.”

  I deliberately stumble into Annabeth as we stand from the booth, and giggle as her arms wrap around me, and we walk out to her car. Our watchers don’t move to follow, and once we pull away from the curb, I drop the act.

  “You’re getting good at that, Deliah.”

  “Meridia taught me more than she probably wanted at the ball; your thrall and hers aren’t all that different when it gets down to fundamentals.” To make prey more pliable, even Rosaria has her own way to emute the effect. It’s why I’m so drawn to her, despite knowing it’s a bad idea. Like she said, Rosaria’s in my heart.

  “You’re a fast learner. Once I drop you off, I need to swing by a blood bank. Mom will know if I haven’t fed and will ask uncomfortable questions.”

  It would look odd to have Annabeth thrall someone and not drink from them, so that’s absolutely fair.

  “Message me when you get home?” I have a cell phone I can use for the Undernet that doesn’t have any of my personal information on it. I trust Annabeth, but only to a certain extent. After Rosaria and, more importantly, Madison, I’ve become less trusting. It fucking sucks.

  “Will do, talk soon.”

  I cast my senses out, and thankfully, there’s no one near the house that I can detect with my magic. Luckily enough, my shimmer recharged over dinner, which means I can zip directly from the car to my front door.

  Okay, gmour dismissed, just to be safe, the st thing I need is for one of my parents to be awake and see a stranger coming into their house in the middle of the night.

  A knot of tension leaves my back as I walk through the front door, and my shields wrap around my body.

  It’s ter than I wanted, but I can still squeeze in a few hours of sleep before school. I’ll read the note my echo left before I leave in the morning.

  ***

  According to my echo, nothing happened on Wednesday, or yesterday, for that matter, which is great because it means there’s one less thing on my pte. I’ve been off all week, and people can tell; half of my teammates are staring at me, let alone the other students in the halls.

  It sucks; I’m the captain, and everyone needs to see me as reliable, but I’m not, not right now, at least. There are too many things going on; too many responsibilities are stacking up. Csses are almost out for the day, and I need to head to my internship and then my date with Rosaria tomorrow.

  Annabeth’s gift, access to the Undernet, was a lifesaver. I have a few locations in mind for my part of the date, mostly because I’m still not entirely sure what Rosaria has pnned. That’s fine, as long as my part is sorted, I’ve done what I agreed to.

  Besides, tomorrow can be a practice run for a real date, with someone like Annabeth as a nonspecific example. A person I’m there with because I want to be, and who’s there with me for the same reasons.

  No stress, no commitments, no magic fuckery, and all the other bullshit that’s been piling up in my life tely.

  Two more csses, and it’s time for my internship, yay. I should be excited, but I’m not. Annabeth’s gifts have come in handy, sure, carrying a second cell phone is a little awkward, mostly if people notice, but the Undernet is incredible. Worst case, I guess I can bme it on my internship? Yeah, that should work.

  I would have killed for access back when I was starting out. It’s useful now. It would have been life-changing back then.

  “Could Deliah Drake please come to the principal’s office?”

  Every single person in css turns to look at me; okay, I guess I’m leaving. Ms. White hands me a hall pass as I walk past her desk and out of her css.

  Now, what could the office want?

  Fundraising seems the most likely option, or someone might want a tour. Hopefully, whatever it is, it won’t take too long.

  I don’t mind being out of css; at this point, I’m mostly here to socialise and maintain my schorships, while staying on the team. Actually, being in css is a waste of time.

  Besides, I’m really familiar with everyone who works in the office. “Hey, Carrie, what’s up?” Her pretty bck hair is up in a bun today, which is a shame. I know she pns to leave as soon as she finishes her own degree.

  “Stacey asked to see you, but she has guests; they looked fancy. You can go right in.”

  Fancy, huh? Must be alumni-reted, then, sports or boosters, probably. Hopefully, whatever they want won’t take up too many hours, or if I’m fortunate, I can pass this task off to someone else.

  “Thanks, Carrie. Hope csses are going well.”

  “Up and down, you know how it is. You should head in.” I sure do.

  Almost as soon as I start to knock, Principal Diaz’s voice immediately comes through. “Come in.”

  “You asked to see me?”

  Principal Diaz is fifty, but I only know that because I spotted a birthday card on Carrie’s desk for her st year. Now, who’s here with her?

  My backpack doesn’t quite drop to the floor, but it’s a close call when I see Galina and Rosaria waiting for me,

  What the hell are they doing here?

  “Yes, Miss Drake. You are, of course, familiar with our guests.”

  Smile, Deliah.

  “Of course, what a surprise to see you both here.” And why? I’m supposed to leave css, head home to change, and then go to my internship. I really don’t like them showing up here at all. School is my space, even more than my parents’ house.

  “You’re excused from your afternoon csses, Miss Drake. Your parents already approved it since it’s for your internship, I’m not worried that it will impact your studies.”

  “How wonderful.” My smile only flickers for a minute, but based on how Galina’s hand just twitched, she must have noticed. “It’s lovely to see you both again.”

  They’re not supposed to be here!

  Galina steps towards me slightly. “We apologise for coming by so unexpectedly, Deliah; however, something came up this morning, and we need you a bit early.”

  I’m watching Rosaria out of the corner of my eye; she hasn’t said a word, and that’s weird to me, but then, I’m used to interacting with her as a fellow magic user, not as a CEO in the mortal world.

  “That’s quite all right, I’m looking forward to the internship. Do we have enough time for me to run home first?”

  We don’t. Whatever’s going on, Rosaria and Galina wouldn’t be here if we had more time. I just hope it’s nothing bad.

  “We picked up your clothes already.” Even as I smile at Galina, I’m biting my tongue. That means she was in my room again. Whenever I get home tonight, I’ll have to do a security check of the entire house, magically and otherwise.

  Sleep has never felt so far away.

  “That’s so kind of you both!” I turn and smile at Principal Diaz. “Thank you for letting us use your office for this.”

  “Happy to, Miss Drake. Please don’t let me keep you. If your teachers assign any homework, I’ll ensure it’s sent to your student account.”

  Rosaria smiles at me, but it has a sharp edge, before she turns directly to Principal Diaz. “Yes, thank you. We’ll be in touch.” In touch? Oh no, she’s going to get involved in my school life too. “Come, Galina, Deliah.” Part of me wants to linger, to interrogate Principal Diaz, but I also know better than to get on Rosaria’s bad side, so I reluctantly follow behind her, out to the waiting car, and into the backseat as Galina climbs into the driver’s seat.

  The car’s barely pulled away from the curb when I feel the familiar snap of Rosaria’s fingers. Then we both appear in the suite at the Atntis Grande, thankfully, on a couch.

  “Darling,” the familiar tingle washes over me, and my breath catches almost immediately. “How wonderful to see you. It’s been far too long.” Yeah, two whole days, practically an eternity.

  "Hi, Rosaria. So what couldn’t wait a few hours?” What went catastrophically wrong that you pulled me out of css?

  “Danger, nothing more than a rumour, but we thought it would be prudent to get you away from other mortals.”

  “Meridia?” That’s as good a guess as any. Before the Gravesend ball, Leon was the closest thing to an enemy I had, and that was the magical equivalent of a schoolyard disagreement. Now, there’s danger lurking all around me, and it’s almost completely unknown.

  “Perhaps, I am reluctant to bme her without evidence, but it seems likely, however.”

  I barely stop myself from sighing. So, there is a possible danger from someone, maybe. Sure, that’s definitely worth pulling me out of css for.

  “Did Galina actually grab my clothes?”

  “She purchased repcements for you.”

  “Thank you, and her as well, but I’ll do that when she arrives with the car.” One less thing to worry about, if Galina wasn’t at my house, that makes things a lot easier. I take a deep breath and then another. “Circumstances being what they are, should I expect to head home tonight? My clothes for tomorrow are there.” I already know the answer: Rosaria is going to keep me where she can see me. The danger is just an excuse, especially with our date tomorrow.

  “You would be safer here.” That isn’t a command; Rosaria isn’t demanding I stay, at least not yet, but I really don’t know if I can push back either. Maybe I should see how tonight goes and make a decision ter. “As for our date, we will work something out.”

  How can I gauge the situation here? Just how dangerous does Rosaria think things are right now? Well, there’s one way. “Are you thinking about deying?”

  “If necessary, yes. I’d prefer not to, of course.” Rosaria crosses the distance between us in a moment, and as her fingers weave through my hair, she says. “Your safety, my darling, is essential.”

  My reactions to Rosaria are never just because of her magic; even if I strip all that away, she’s still a beautiful woman who’s caressing me. Things would be easier if I could bme my shortness of breath, my racing heart, and the heat rushing into my face on magic, if it were all artificial, but I can’t.

  I should just ask Annabeth to fuck me against a wall until I can’t walk. It might not make things easier with Rosaria, but either way, I’d have fun, and maybe it would help.

  It’s worth a shot.

  “Rosaria...”

  From the way her lips curl upward, she knows exactly what she’s doing to me, and she’s taking no small amount of delight from it. “Business before pleasure, Deliah. We’ll have all day for that tomorrow. Galina would be quite put out with me if I interfered with your orientation.”

  That bitch. She did this on purpose! I don’t actually want to have sex with Rosaria; things are too complicated already, but she can’t just tease me like this either!

  “Once she arrives, I’d like to take a shower and get ready, unless the clothes she bought are already here?”

  “So eager to be away from me?”

  “I don’t want to disappoint her, or you. Today’s important, and the st thing I want to do is give the staff at your company the wrong impression.” The boss is fucking the new intern. It wouldn’t be accurate, close calls notwithstanding, but Rosaria’s not only shown interest, but she’s staked a cim.

  “The office will be strictly professional, no worries there, Deliah. I have an image to uphold. That’s not to say that we can’t have some fun, of course. We’ll just need to be discreet.”

  Wait, my internship time will be free of ‘darling’? What an unexpected surprise, but a welcome one. My knees buckle slightly as I think, ‘Darling, the effect is getting worse.’ Thankfully, so far, anyway, only the two of us trigger it.

  Rosaria’s fingers tighten in my hair for an instant before she helps me onto the couch. “Still so sensitive.” Wait, how did she know what I was thinking? “Deliah, we’re connected, whether I say it aloud or if you think the word, I know. Your magic rattles.”

  “I want it to stop.” My core, whatever magic Rosaria wove on me, is a deep viotion, and I hate it.

  The look Rosaria gives me contains volumes. “No, you don’t. You crave my attention even now. Things really would be easier if you stopped fighting against your desires.”

  I don’t quite manage to stop myself before I say, “Easier for who?”

  “Both of us, of course. Though I’ll admit that the chase has been delightful.”

  “For all this talk of the hunt, I thought Artemis was someone else.”

  “So very clever, Deliah, she was and is, for that matter.” Well, that didn’t exactly crify anything, but Rosaria made her connection to Greece clear during our dinner there. Whoever history remembers her as, I haven’t been able to find a firm connection yet. A Goddess is likely, but so is one of the Titans or Monsters of legend and myth. I’d believe Rosaria was any number of them at one time or another.

  “So if I can’t shower yet, what are our pns for the next few hours?”

  “You could shower, though, without clothes to change into, you’d be rather naked until then, unless you’d like some company?”

  Yeah, that’s about what I expected from her: flirtatious, outright propositioning me, and absolutely trying to get a rise out of me. Rosaria knows exactly what she’s doing to me, every single time, and she’s amused by it.

  Oh, she’s serious. If I consented or asked, Rosaria would have her hands all over me in an instant.

  “I thought you weren’t supposed to wear me out?”

  Rosaria gnces towards where the front entrance to the suite is, before she grins at me. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” I roll my eyes at her. Either Galina would hear us, or come into the bathroom to see for herself; she isn’t stupid, and neither am I.

  “No thanks, especially not tonight! I need to be perfect, and I’m not going to walk off the shame from here to your office. People would notice.” Freshly fucked isn’t a subtle look, even with a shower. “Galina would notice.” And disappointing her is at the bottom of my to-do list.

  I’m not surprised when she ughs. “That she would, and I would get an absolute earful from her.” A thoughtful look crosses Rosaria’s face. “There’s always tomorrow, I suppose.”

  Twelve hours together, and if the past few minutes are any indication, Rosaria’s going to be utterly relentless. I’d say that I need to py it smart tomorrow, but agreeing to the date in the first pce is the opposite of smart. I was just out of options, which admittedly is what Rosaria wanted.

  It’s tempting to use a spell, turn off my libido, or something, but that kind of magic is dangerous. Bodies are a delicate bance of hormones and chemicals. Messing with them would have consequences, whether immediately or ter. A cold shower in the morning will have to do.

  What I need is a change in topic, but something less dangerous to me. I’m feeling a little hot under the colr, and I need a break. “If there’s elevated danger tonight, will we be okay tomorrow?”

  “I have people working on it.” Rosaria moves over and wraps me in a gentle, but tight hug; it’s comforting, not sexual, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. “There will not be a repeat of Greece, Deliah. Tomorrow will be just us, without undue interruptions. You have my word.”

  Her word?

  A being like Rosaria doesn’t give her word lightly, especially if there’s a chance it would be vioted. Where is she pnning on taking me, that she can guarantee something like that? Especially considering she doesn’t know my contribution yet.

  The front door to the suite swings open, and Galina smiles at us as she walks through the door. “Traffic was a nightmare, Deliah. Your clothes for tonight are in your bedroom. They’re new, of course, but I’m sure that doesn’t bother you.”

  It doesn’t. Galina has excellent taste. “Thanks, Galina, that helps a lot. I appreciate you doing all this for me.” And for Rosaria, and RSI for that matter, as of today, I officially represent RSI, and my appearance and performance will reflect on them, both the good and the bad.

  “With traffic as bad as it is, we’ll need to leave in two and a half hours. Deliah, you’ll be entering with us via the car park. Once we arrive, please make your way to the lobby and head to reception. Darleen will page me to come meet you.”

  That seems convoluted, but arriving with the CEO and her assistant, especially on my first day, would look weird, and I’m going to attract too much attention as is.

  “I’ll take a shower in thirty minutes then, to make sure I’m ready in time.” Rosaria hasn’t loosened her grip on me, and the hug is nice. “Galina, do you mind showing me how you both take your coffee? I’m dying for a cup, and I want to get a jump on things for tonight.”

  Regardless of how I feel about the circumstances, RSI really is too good an opportunity to mess up. Even if Leon’s resources render a lot of my other problems moot, I haven’t actually been accepted to a college or university yet. The internship will really open doors for me.

  The good thing is that once I reach those doors, it will be my choice and mine alone if I open them.

  “You seem a little occupied at the moment, Deliah.” Galina’s grin is utterly shameless; I really don’t know how to feel about her bsé acceptance of Rosaria’s pursuit of me. Sure, I’m annoyed by it, but there’s something nice in her casual acceptance of just how weird my life is.

  “So I am, Rosaria, if you would?”

  Whatever I expected, it genuinely wasn’t for Rosaria to say. “No, I don’t believe I will, this is quite nice.” Admittedly, this is a nice hug, but really?

  “I’ll get you both coffee while you sort yourselves out,” Galina says. I can hear the amusement in her voice before she turns and heads to the kitchen.

  Geeze, thanks.

  Rosaria sounds oddly vulnerable when she says, “A few moments longer, Deliah. I’ll need to be aloof at RSI; our moments like this will be few and far between.”

  It’s a little strange knowing that being at RSI, working directly under, for, I amend not under, Rosaria, will be the few moments when I’ll have a reprieve from her pursuit.

  Being in her arms like this, it’s tender, everything I was imagining at the ball, and I need to be careful, because until the moment Rosaria was being possessive of me, I was having the night of my life.

  I could find a home with her, here in her arms, so easily, but it would be a trap. Whatever metaphor I try to use, a cat brought inside, or a bird pced in a cage, none of them quite fit, but they’re all right in some way.

  My life wouldn’t be my own, even if in some ways it would be without question better, but that’s so subjective.

  Giving up my ability to choose my path, my way forward, isn’t something I can ever agree to.

  The clink of gss pulls me out of my thoughts, and the first thing I notice is Galina setting two coffees down on coasters; she catches my eye and grins. “Here’s your coffee, Deliah. If Rosaria needs to hold you up, you clearly need it.”

  That bitch.

  Well, if that’s how Galina wants to py it.

  There’s a trick for dealing with PTA moms, and I might as well use it now. Sure, the circumstances are different, but it’s close enough. Focus on their generosity, emphasising my initial request, and make them feel valued.

  “Kind of you to ask after me, Galina, but coffee sounds amazing, thank you. If Rosaria would be so kind as to release me.”

  There’s a noticeable pause before she drops her arms and steps back. “Very well.”

  Okay, I’ll have coffee, and then I need to get ready. It will be weird, setting aside my normal roles to be an intern; hopefully, I don’t struggle with it too much. Interns are as low as someone can get in corporate culture, and I’m more accustomed to being at the top.

  As I slip onto the couch and pick up my coffee, Rosaria joins me, and then Galina a moment ter. “You didn’t get anything for yourself?”

  “I limit how much coffee I have in a day. If I have a cup right now, I won’t sleep ter tonight.” Galina sleeps? Who knew! “Don’t worry, even without having you fetch me coffee ter, you’ll be busy.”

  Fair enough, I can burn off caffeine to fuel my magic if I really need to, just one of the many benefits of magic, to bance out all the many, many problems.

  “My day’s barely half over, I may need more than just this cup.” I really haven’t been getting enough sleep, and my increased stress levels aren’t helping. I just need a few calm days to recharge; if only it were as easy as opening myself up to the stars to recharge my magic.

  Rosaria reaches out and takes my left hand in her right. “Worry not, Deliah. We’ll ensure you’re awake both tonight and tomorrow.” Since my left hand is occupied, I use my right to take a sip of the coffee, after a gentle tap and confirmation that it’s not drugged or dosed in any way.

  Perfect, as always. If Galina ever needs another job, I would hire her in a heartbeat. Sure, I can’t match RSI, but Leon’s estate at least means I could be in the running.

  I’m not sure how she’s going to guarantee that, but sure, why not?

  “Thanks, genuinely to you both.” Okay, let’s see, another ten to fifteen minutes, and then I need to get changed and get going. I can work with that.

  ***

  This afternoon was weird, calm in a way my life hasn’t been in weeks. The three of us just sit around sometimes chatting about nothing, other times in silence. If my coffee was emptied, it was refilled, without a word from Galina, until I asked her to stop.

  I feel more rexed, it’s kind of amazing.

  Of course, that’s offset by how nervous I currently feel. The elevator should be stopping in the lobby any second, and then it’s show time. Intern Deliah, normal gal, or something like that, no magic, nothing supernatural: at least I hope not.

  Ding.

  Okay, time to go.

  The lobby is controlled chaos, that’s obvious from my first gnce. People are moving to and fro without even a gnce at anyone else. As I step out of the elevator, I’m swept up in it until I reach the front desk, which is thankfully occupied and without a line.

  “Good afternoon, welcome to RSI. How can I assist you?”

  This must be Darleen, a quick flick of my eyes at the desk confirms it, or at least the nametag does, and I force myself to smile as I step forward. Darleen looks over my clothes and, after a moment, appears satisfied, not that I had any doubts. The office wear Galina bought is gorgeous.

  “Good afternoon, Darleen. My name is Deliah Drake. I have a four-thirty with Miss Galina to start my internship.”

  Her eyes flicker down to her PC, and I can hear some typing before she nods at me. “ID, please.” I’m ready for this, Galina reminded me in the car, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. So thankfully, I don’t need to fumble with my wallet, and I very smoothly pass over my license.

  There’s an almost immediate beep before my ID, and a nyard is passed over. “Welcome to RSI, Deliah. I hope you have a good internship. Just one moment while I let them know you’ve arrived.” The nyard has my photo, sourced from somewhere—maybe my student account? That top looks familiar.

  All this pageantry is honestly amusing. I came in a car with Galina and Rosaria, and there’s decent to good odds that I’m going back to the hotel with them tonight. Rosaria hasn’t pushed yet, but I definitely felt someone probing the shields around the hotel room earlier, and those are a lot stronger than the ones I have in my office or at home.

  The problem is that I wouldn’t put it past Rosaria to use this as an excuse to keep me with her a bit longer; it would only help tie me to her. I literally can’t trust anything when it comes to her, and that really fucking sucks.

  “Thank you.”

  I look around the lobby again as Darleen picks up her phone and calls Galina, who is either still in the parking garage or waiting in the elevator for the call. I didn’t ask, and she didn’t tell me exactly what her pn was; I just don’t think that she went all the way upstairs only to ride the elevator back down immediately.

  My eyes lock on Galina as she walks out of the elevator. She was on the first floor, waiting for the call, so there’s no way she could have gotten here so quickly otherwise.

  “Ah, Miss Drake, it’s wonderful to see you again.” Galina’s tone is so perfectly mild, I have to hold back a ugh. Yes, as the new intern, I might have met her once before, but no one here knows just how familiar we are with one another, and I hope it stays that way.

  “Miss Vasiliou, a pleasure. As per your instructions, I’ve checked in with Darleen, and she’s provided my nyard.”

  “Wonderful, please follow me. Thank you, Darleen.” As Galina walks off, I pause for a single minute to wave, and then follow behind her. We’re not quite the centre of attention as we make our way through the lobby, but we’re getting more than what I would consider normal.

  It’s fine; I’m used to being looked at, and besides, I look incredible.

  As we step onto the elevator, the theatre continues. “We’ll mostly be working out of the thirty-third floor. A work area has been set up for you across from my desk.” I mostly settle for nodding along. IT will be coming to set up some equipment; it needs to stay in the office unless I’m specifically told otherwise. No personal calls while on the clock, altogether nothing unexpected, especially after the paperwork I signed.

  “Do you understand, Miss Drake?”

  “Yes, thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

  Galina motions to the left as the elevator opens, and I step out after her. After a short walk down a hallway, we stop at a door with both her and Rosaria’s names.

  Okay, here we are.

  My workstation isn’t anything fancy, but it’s nicer than I expected. A solid desk, and two monitors, there’s what looks like a ptop dock, so I assume that’s what I’m getting. No keyboard or mouse either, but those are probably coming with IT.

  “The boss wants to get your measure firsthand; resumes and essays only show so much of a person.”

  I’m not sure what game Rosaria is pying right now, but it would probably look weird if I didn’t go meet her, so I can at least py along a little.

  “What’s she like in person?”

  “Persuasive, please follow me.” That’s certainly one word she could use. I’d probably go with relentless.

  Rosaria’s office is only a few feet away, but after a quick knock, we’re walking towards her desk.

  “I have Miss Drake for you, Ma’am.”

  “Wonderful, Galina, thank you. Please give us a few minutes alone.”

  What?

  Galina raises her left eyebrow but nods and walks out of the office, leaving me alone with Rosaria, who grins at me the moment the office door closes behind Galina.

  “We can speak freely in here, my Deliah.” It isn’t dar—the D word, but it sounds just as possessive. “Come here.” She even crooks her fingers; someone’s ying it on a bit thick.

  Fine, I might as well indulge her; it isn’t like she can cause a scene in her office. People would notice.

  I’m feeling trapped in several ways with this internship. Rosaria mentioned earlier that she needs to be aloof when I’m here, but it’s barely been any time, and we’re back to square one.

  That just means it’s up to me to keep things professional. I walk forward and stop on Rosaria’s side of the desk. “How can I help you, Ma’am?”

  Rosaria gives me a long, searching look before she says, “Deliah, Deliah, Deliah, this game is less fun than I imagined. I wanted to keep you close, but Galina really will be upset if I ravage you in my office.” She sighs. “I can’t even address you properly without giving the game away, how awful.”

  This internship might not be too bad, since the only one bothered by it right now is Rosaria.

  “IT should be here soon. I really can’t linger.” That seems like a good excuse to get out of here.

  Unfortunately, Rosaria makes a noise that reminds me of a scoff before her arms dart out and pull me onto her p. I barely keep myself from squealing in surprise. “Let them wait, Galina and I may need to reevaluate your internship next week, at least the details. I...”

  The office door doesn’t quite bounce off the walls when it suddenly flings open. Still, it’s a close call, before it sms closed, and then Galina is standing by the desk with her hands on her hips, looking really annoyed. “We had one rule for this internship, Rosaria. It’s been five minutes; if you wanted to py these kinds of games, you should have done it more at the hotel. Deliah?” There’s a softness to her tone. Does she think I’m out of it? Probably. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

  Thankfully, at least right now, I have my wits. “Hey, Galina, sorry. I was telling her I need to get back.” I had pnned to be more forceful about it.

  “Deliah, Oscar will be here in two minutes. Get out to your desk.” She pauses when Rosaria’s arms stay wrapped around me. “Rosaria, you promised me.”

  That did the trick, because the arms around me unlock, and I slip back onto my feet, and without waiting to think about it, I hurry out of the office. I don’t know if that’s going to be an argument or what, but that isn’t something I want to be involved in any more than I already am.

  Sometimes, it feels like Rosaria’s testing me, putting me off bance, then letting me get comfortable before it starts over again. There’s a steaming cup of coffee sitting on my desk that wasn’t there when I went into Rosaria’s office. I shake my head slightly in amusement. I did say I needed more coffee, but Galina shouldn’t be making me coffee at work. Especially since she’s my boss for the duration of this internship, though, with how the past few minutes have gone, that might be ending sooner than I expected.

  Rosaria’s a creature of her passions, and she’s never hidden that from me. All of our interactions have been within our respective roles; my internship is theatre, and she seems to be struggling with it.

  It’s actually really interesting. A reflection of Rosaria’s nature?

  A male voice pulls me out of my thoughts. “You must be Deliah.”

  “That makes you Oscar then.” He’s handsome in a way that the girls at school would swoon over, but it’s all abstract for me. I was expecting a geek, but then, that wouldn’t really fit RSI’s image. Besides, the most important thing is that Oscar doesn’t have magic, which means this can just be a normal meeting. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’ll need access to your desk for a few minutes while I get you set up. It’s mostly plug and py, but there are a few accounts I need to load.”

  “Totally, let me get me and my coffee out of your way.” Plus, picking up my coffee lets me confirm that once again the coffee is clear of any contamination. I’m starting to think checking my drinks is a waste of time, which is why I need to be even more careful. Rosaria was at the cafe when Madison and I discussed the contaminated drinks. I’m sure Galina knows about it, too; they’ll both notice the minute I stop checking my food and drinks around them.

  At this point, I’m unsure if they would exploit that kind of oversight, but I’m not willing to risk it. That might be the entire point; if I’m starting to trust them like that, it means they’re winning me over.

  I don’t hear any yelling from Rosaria’s office. Still, if anywhere has soundproofing, it’s there, if only as an excuse for her using magic. Right now, I’m sure there’s yelling, probably a lot of it. The real question is who wins and what the outcome is.

  The internship is probably safe, at least in theory. Frankly, RSI could keep me on the books and have me show up. Still, Rosaria could easily teleport me somewhere else if it really becomes a problem. Right now, that’s my preferred option. No actual work, and I won’t need to worry about my parents or Willow.

  Somehow, I don’t think that I’m that lucky, and things will continue on as they have, with Rosaria needing constant reminders of the boundaries that exist between us. I’ll ask Galina for advice once we’re alone; she’s bound to have thoughts.

  “All set, I have your credentials on this post-it.” Which he immediately hands over as if it were a precious thing made of gss. “The system will prompt you to change it during login. I know it’s tempting, but please don’t write it down anywhere.”

  “Sure thing, that won’t be a problem.” I came up with a password the other day, something I’ll remember but completely disconnected from anything I normally use.

  Better safe than sorry, and frankly, RSI and Rosaria are monitoring me enough; I don’t need to do something stupid like reuse a password.

  “IT is number one on the speed dial in case you get locked out or something.”

  “Does that happen a lot?”

  “Less often than cables get dislodged.”

  Oscar isn’t looking at me right now, so I roll my eyes. It’s a decent bet people unplug cables to get him to come visit them.

  “That won’t be a problem, I have a simir set-up at home.” A little too simir now that I’m looking. Everything’s mirrored exactly, but did that come from Galina or my parents? Because yeah, that’s my preferred mouse and keyboard, and those aren’t standard.

  “Less work for me, call if you have problems.” And then Oscar leaves. Good, I have work to do, or I can at least look busy now.

  The system’s responsive, a lot nicer than my ptop at home, which’s something I should change soon. With my new finances, a high-end computer is pocket change.

  Let’s see, I’ve been copied on a few emails, and I have a few internal messages from other assistants welcoming me, which is really nice of them. The good lucks with eye roll emojis make me ugh. What else is there? A shared calendar. My intern hours are blocked out for the next month, neatly scheduled around school and practice, too neatly, but if I obsess over things like that too much, I’ll scream.

  Rosaria’s office door swings open, and Galina catches my eye before motioning me in. Coffee down, and my ptop locked before I walk towards Galina.

  I’m feeling nervous, and I’m not totally sure why. I haven’t done anything wrong, but it definitely feels like I could have handled things differently, such as not standing so close to Rosaria.

  Just be smarter.

  The door closes behind me with a heavy thump almost immediately, before Galina all but drags me over to the desk.

  “Deliah, we’ve established some ground rules. At no time during your regur internship hours are you to be alone with Rosaria, do you understand?”

  In theory, sure, it’s actually a really good outcome for me. All my time will be with Galina, and that’s fine with me. Assuming things actually happen the way she is describing. Frankly, I have my doubts.

  “I’ll be glued to your side.” But that was also only one rule, so what else is coming?

  Whatever I expected the follow-up to be, it wasn’t for Galina to nudge me around the desk and back onto Rosaria’s p. “She needs to get it out of her system. I’ll be back in an hour.”

  What?

  Rosaria’s arms wrap around me immediately, and I can only watch helplessly as Galina leaves me alone with Rosaria. That wasn’t the deal at all!

  “My darling.” She croons in my ear, and like every other time, I feel it wash over me, through me, and I sag in her arms, and everything feels sluggish. The effect is getting worse, at least at close range. “This is so much better, isn’t it? Having you so close, but unable to touch you, was torture.”

  Shaking off the fog from her words takes more than a few seconds. “Rosaria.”

  “Hush, darling.” I shake my head to try to ward off the fog, but unfortunately, it doesn’t help. Everything feels so far away. “We’re going to sit like this for a while, rex.”

  Thump.

  My eyes flutter closed.

  Thump.

  Rosaria’s arms tighten around me.

  Thump.

  Everything fades away.

  ***

  The smell of coffee rouses me from a peaceful sleep, and I look around in confusion. Where am I?

  “Back with us?”

  Who?

  “Galina?” She’s standing directly in my blind spot, which expins the coffee smell, but it doesn’t tell me where I am.

  Wait.

  This is Rosaria’s office. The st thing I remember is being in her p, but I’m definitely in her chair, and she’s nowhere in sight.

  “That’s me, I have coffee for you.”

  “I need it, thanks. It feels like I’ve slept for a thousand years.” Rosaria’s close enough to our legends about the fae that it even fits. “Sorry, still booting. What time is it?”

  “A quarter to six, I left you with Rosaria for an hour, and then woke you.”

  In that short a time? I feel incredibly rested. It’s weird, but being awake and having my brain work are two entirely different things. I take one sip and then another of the coffee while I try to organise my thoughts. “Sorry about tonight.” Sure, it was entirely Rosaria’s doing, but I really need to be smarter than this.

  Galina ughs. “I expected it to be honest, that’s why your first day was on a Friday. Rosaria is more settled now, so next week we’ll be able to actually work.”

  “You could have told me.” Warned me, something.

  “Sure.” She shrugs. “But it wouldn’t have changed the outcome; you would have just stressed about it to your detriment. I like you, Deliah, but my priorities are RSI and Rosaria in that order. Drink your coffee; once you can stand, I’ll show you the kitchenette I used to make it.”

  Maybe, but that isn’t all of it. I’ve only seen Rosaria even close to this kind of behaviour once, and that was at the Gravesend Ball, when she noticed all the attention on me and was worried. Tonight, she seemed unbanced, needing to be distant from me, but she never acted like that at either the hotel or in Greece.

  So, the real question becomes why?

  Something in her nature? I’m still not entirely sure what species Rosaria even is, not a dragon, even if there’s some overp, and not a fae, which, while both were good to eliminate from the list of possibilities, doesn’t actually help me figure things out.

  This office is Rosaria’s space, as much or maybe even more than the suite at the Atntis Grande. She’s possessive of me; maybe it’s territorial?

  Coffee now, and I’ll attempt to puzzle all this out ter. After a few more long sips, I feel competent enough to stand, but I’ll give it another few minutes.

  “Where’s Rosaria now?” The fact that she isn’t here surprises me. I’m shocked that she would let me out of her sight.

  “Meeting with one of our development teams. We’ll be departing in two and a half hours to return to the Atntis Grande.”

  “I never agreed to that,” I promised Rosaria twelve hours tomorrow, but even earlier today, I pnned on returning home, even if I had considered going back to the hotel. Unless... “Has the earlier danger solidified?”

  “Nothing tangible; we have people working on it, but Rosaria would prefer to keep you close.”

  “And I would prefer to sleep in my own bed, on top of which, my date clothes for tomorrow are at home. I can hardly go back with you to the hotel and have them.”

  “We’ve already thought of that. We can either acquire new clothes this evening, or Madison has already agreed to retrieve your existing clothes.”

  “Absolutely not, if it’s too dangerous for me to go home, I don’t want Madison to go there; someone might mistake her for me.” Sure, it wouldn’t be anyone who knows what I look like, but since far too many people have only heard of Deliah Drake, and if they know where my house is, it’s a fair guess that the girl my age going in is me.

  “It’s up to you to convince Rosaria, and to cut off your next point, Madison already agreed to tell your parents that you’re with her.” It wouldn’t even be the first time Madison covered for me, or any of the girls on the team. We look out for each other, and sometimes teenagers need space from their parents. As long as we check in with one another, everyone can be safe. Especially since I subtly monitor the girls when they go out to make sure of it.

  I drain the rest of the coffee and gnce up at Galina. “So all this nonsense aside, and it really is nonsense, and frankly, what I was afraid of when Rosaria first mentioned the internship. What is the pn for the rest of tonight?”

  “More coffee, for both of us, and a brief tour. Some of the other assistants want to meet you.” There’s a light grin on Galina’s lips, and I have to wonder why, until I think back to the messages I still need to respond to.

  “So who has the reputation here, you or Rosaria?” Right now, my money is on Galina. I’m not technically employed here, and she’s run roughshod over me more than once, and I’m not on the payroll. Wait, actually I am, huh; somehow that makes it worse.

  “You already know the answer to that question. Are you able to stand?”

  “I think so, I feel more alert, thanks again for the coffee.” Getting to my feet is easier than I expected, and Galina had her hands ready to help me if I stumbled. How comfortable is this chair that I’m not even stiff? “So, is anyone going to think it’s weird that I was in here for over an hour?”

  “There aren’t any cameras, so no.” Galina gives me a serious look. “We seriously can’t have a repeat of tonight, though. I’m trusting you to keep to our agreement.”

  Our agreement, are you fucking kidding me?

  I don’t quite growl at Galina, but it’s a close thing, and I let the anger I’m feeling seep into my voice. “Seriously? I wouldn’t be anywhere near Rosaria if it were up to me. You don’t want me alone with her? Good, actually, help me do that. I’m having enough trouble keeping my head above water right now, I don’t need you pushing my head under.”

  Every step I take is in Rosaria’s shadow; she’s inserting herself into my personal life, my home life, and now my school life, at least through the internship. The conversation earlier with Principal Diaz was brief, but how else is Rosaria pnning on interfering with my life?

  “Cws in, kitten.” Kitten! “Seriously, Deliah, you’re overthinking this entire thing. You’re human; your nature is much more fluid than hers. Rosaria literally can’t help herself. She’ll push, prod, and wheedle to get her way. Keep me between you, and you won’t have anything to worry about.”

  I arch my right eyebrow at her. “And should I expect you to escort me back to her p, or bed?”

  “You can find your way there quite well on your own.”

  “I’m trying to avoid that; once I give in to her, it’s forever.” Potentially, actually forever. I need to take some time to review all of Leon’s resources and see what he has that might be interesting to pick up. Spellbooks are my priority, but he was after the Twilight Star. Do his former effects have something else compatible with the Aegis?

  That’s something I’d rather find out sooner rather than ter, especially with how my life is going. Anything that can add to my defences would be welcome.

  Whatever I expected from Galina, it wasn’t for her to start ughing. This is serious!

  “Deliah, you’re so precious. You’ve had sex before, right?”

  “Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?”

  “I just wanted to make sure you know that you can’t fall in love with the first person you have sex with.”

  Galina isn’t taking this seriously. “I’m not worried about that, I’m worried that saying yes, even once, means I’ll be more inclined to say yes ter. I’m not blind, Galina; Rosaria is inserting herself into every single facet of my life. She’s getting me used to following her orders and spending time with her. The fact that I have a designated room in the suite made that clear.”

  “You missed the vish presents and trips,” Galina says with a wry tone. Yes, our dates, the suite itself, and the clothes that keep appearing are also factors.

  Don’t grind your teeth, Deliah, it’s expensive to repair. “You’re not helping.” I wave Galina off. “Yes, I know you’re genuinely not trying to, at least not the way I want to be helped. Priorities and all that, your stance is pretty clear.”

  “I’m gd for that, because your motivations, Deliah, are almost transparent. You’re absolutely the kind of girl who would cut off your own nose to spite your face. Rosaria can see it too, which is why she’s being pushy without being forceful. I do have some advice for you if you’re interested.”

  It can’t hurt, probably. “Go for it.”

  “Rosaria is currently being respectful of your time, infringing on it certainly, but not to an overwhelming degree. You may wish to consider your upcoming school breaks and this summer, at a minimum.”

  My time away from school? What… Fuck.

  Right now, my days are pretty full: school, practice, and family time. The internship not only restricts my time but also keeps me out of my office. Annabeth’s gift, access to the Undernet, is going to be a lifesaver, maybe literally. Clients can contact me without needing a physical meeting, and I can advertise digitally now, too.

  When school’s closed for the winter holidays, or spring break, or even summer vacation, I’ll have weeks or months free of commitments. Galina is right to point out that Rosaria will absolutely take advantage of my extra avaibility.

  Why hasn’t that occurred to me before now? Because it’s obvious.

  I need to pn, but first, I need to get through this weekend. So, in the short term, I need to get through tonight and tomorrow. Sunday has to be for me, I have a lot to review, and Leon’s trove of artefacts is at the top of my list.

  The Aegis hums on my wrist. Is that a hint? Because right now I could use a little luck. It doesn’t answer, not in any tangible way, but the Twilight Star glows for a single moment.