Masked

Chapter Thirteen

        My legs carried me far from the academy. I didn't know where I was going, but when I arrived right back in front of the umbrella marked doors, I realized I had walked in a circle. Technically a square, but that didn't matter. Happy I didn't get lost but disappointed that I was where I had started, I crossed the street to the next block. I decided that I was in the mood for lunch, but had no money on me. A sigh passed through my lips. Klaus was broke half the time what would he do?

        He might steal, like the other day, pawn some useless junk, or do whatever he wanted to do and run away when questioned about his form of payment. None of those were things I would do, well except for steal, but Luther's cash was in his room, and I wasn't stepping foot into that building until I felt better about myself, and more importantly Diego. I spent the next hour picking change up off the street until a woman in front of me dropped her wallet.

        Reaching down, my hands delicately picked it up. Internally, I was at war with myself, debating whether or not I wanted a meal that was better than some cheap fast food. The change in my pockets totaled to a mere seven dollars, impressive, but the wallet I held had much more. Klaus' voice in my mind told me to keep it for myself. I told him to shut up. By the time I came to the conclusion of giving the woman her money back, just twenty dollars short of its original amount, she was gone.

        I looked to my right to see the donut shop that had been shot up the night I first met my siblings. It seemed to be back in business, and though it wasn't that much better than fast food, a coffee, and sugary goodness didn't sound that bad. Looking both ways, I made sure it was safe for me to cross; getting hit by a car was not on my bucket list. As I opened the door, a chime sounded alerting the woman at the counter of my presence.

        "Oh," she exclaimed, I recognized her as Agnes. "You're the buddy of that detective."

        I chuckled. "Yeah, that's me. My name's Cassie."

        "Agnes."

        "I remembered."

        Eyes wide, I gazed at the multitude of flavors decorating the shelves behind her. There were vanilla frosted, glazed, double chocolate, ones with sprinkles, ones with jelly; it was overwhelming. I popped my lips repeatedly in thought. Agnes pulled out a notepad and flipped to a fresh page.

        She uncapped her pen. "What can I getcha?"

        "How about. . ." I took one last look at my options. "A vanilla frosted with sprinkles, and a glazed. Oo, and a latte, please. Can that be iced?"

        "Sure honey," Agnes smiled. "I'll be right back."

        She turned from me to grab my donuts and coffee. As the beans roasted, the aroma reached me, and I grinned — nothing like an underrated drug to bring me to my senses. Thinking of drugs, I wondered where Klaus was as I hadn't seen him last night or this morning. I tensed as an idea came to my mind, but quickly relaxed casting the thought aside. Agnes came back with my order, and I paid for my meal with the money from the wallet.

        I went for the glazed first and felt my fears and sorrows slip away as the sugar reached my tongue. It didn't take long for the plate in front of me to become covered in only crumbs, and the mug beside it to be void of all liquid. Bidding Agnes farewell, I made sure I still had the wallet on me and left it on the ground near the shop for some other passerby to find. Someone else would need it more than me. As I headed back towards the academy, I heard sirens blaring and followed them to the source, oblivious to the two well-dressed assassins entering Griddy's behind me.

•~•

        The sirens lead me to Meritech, where I'd been posing as Five's mom just a day ago. Instead of being pristine and orderly, it was now covered in ash and flame. Windows shattered where it seemed an explosion had gone off. Guess we wouldn't be finding the owner of the eye anytime soon, not with the records burnt to a crisp. I wondered if Five knew what had happened, but knowing his apocalyptic addiction, my curiosity faded. Police cars had raced to the scene bringing fire trucks along with them. Water pounded against the building, dulling the flames.