Her First Mistake

Chapter Forty-Nine: You Just Forged My Signature

    When we returned to the main room, something must have shown on my face that I had gotten what I wanted. One of the women rose to her feet, wary. "What have you done?"

   "I did not agree, because that is the Council's decision," said Mark firmly. "I made it a test. If Roxie can find the team, then she can join them. Because if they are able to be found, then that is a problem. They will need her help if that is the case."

   It was somewhat the truth. Though Mark had given me a route directly to them. I had a good feeling that there was something Mark was hoping I'd solve by being on the team. I folded my arms with a faint smirk. The paper in my pocket crinkled and I saw Tate's head turn ever so slightly. No doubt he'd heard it and knew that Mark had given it to me.

   "You did that without our permission," said another Council member sharply. "We work as a group, Clarence. You seem to forget that."

   Clarence? Oh, right. People with the old family lines hid their names. I looked at Mark with a faint grin. He shook his head at me, almost as if he knew what I was thinking. A Clair with a problem of not working together? Apparently it was a family trait.

   "Anyway," I said loud enough to smother some of the voices. "I'll be going now. I'll find that team soon enough." I winked at Mark. The faint edge of his mouth pulled up. Tate looked bewildered as I opened the door and left the puzzled Council behind. The two Enforcers stepped aside as Tate closed the door. 

   "Did you get what you needed?" asked the neutral.

   "Pretty much," I replied lightly. My feet hopped down the stairs. Tate caught up to me and caught my arm, stopping me on the stairwell. He studied my face. "What happened?"

   "Tell you at the hotel." My head jerked to the side. "Ears." He understood and released my arm. I reached the bottom floor. Lila had jammed AirPods in her ears and was still playing Candy Crush. I quickly walked to the front door and pulled it open, jumping down towards the street. 

   Sure enough, there was a hotel directly across the way. I grinned and spun around to face Tate. He slowed to a stop and smiled oddly at me. "Why are you so happy?"

   I pulled the paper from my pocket and wagged it at him. Tate took it. He examined the signature. "Clarence? The Council member?"

   "Yup." I popped the word. "And we're going to meet that team tomorrow. He got me in."

   "He did?" Tate looked up, excited. "How? And why?"

   I shrugged slyly. "I'm just that convincing."

   "And why don't I believe that?"

   "Probably because I'm lying." I winked again and pointed at the hotel. "He got us hotel rooms, too. We've got to wait until about ten tomorrow morning, when a person on that team will be coming to meet us. This place looks fancy as hell. Come on!" I turned around. Tate abruptly grabbed my hand and I stumbled, looking at him in confusion.

   He didn't return the look, instead pulling me towards the building. "I'm dying to take a shower," he said. "I haven't cleaned up properly in five months." His hand tugged me onto the sidewalk and straight through the doors. I laughed, though I was still a little weirded-out by the way he'd grabbed my hand. And he hadn't let go, either.

   The inside of the hotel was startlingly white. A long, low desk ran across the front of the room and I could see a bar to the left. A sitting area sat behind the desk and the elevators around the corner. The girl behind the desk was absorbed with something on the computer. To my surprise, she looked completely human: thin, brown eyes, and light hair. She looked up as we entered and set down her mug of coffee. "How can I help you two?"