Night Witch (Book 1) ✔️

29 - The Smell of Smoke

I'm in an understandably horrible mood when I stalk back to my desk. Luke and Worthingham both stand hands on hips waiting for me, Luke's foot giving away his anxiety with it's subtle tap, tap, tapping. Worthingham doesn't give it away, but there's something about the way he's tensing his jaw that convinces me neither of them thought I was going to walk out of that room. Nova's nasty habit of burning people alive is aparently well known.

I just cross my arms and level a glare at both of them, leaving Luke as the one to finally break the silence. "So I take it you two know each other."

I snort. "That obvious, huh?"

They both wait. And I realize they're actually expecting me to answer the implied question.

"For the Gods' sake, how we met is none of your business." I storm past them to shuffle papers on my desk. I have no idea what papers I'm shuffling but it seems to be imperative.

"She looked like she hated your guts. You sure you don't want to say anything?" I'm surprised when the question comes from Worthingham, who's modus operandi seems to be being uninvolved but knowing everything.

I look up and carefully make eye contact with both of them. "We met when she was a kid, we worked together, I left without saying goodbye. She doesn't know anything about my life and I intend to keep it that way." I hope they understand what I'm really trying to say.

They both nod slowly and I take that as agreement no word of Kit shall pass their lips. Before either of then can start to question my cryptic answer, Benedict storms up.

"If you are so indispensable, you should never have left!" His hissing words are easily heard through the entire floor and by the time he finishes you could hear a pin drop.

I whirl to face him since I'm the only one he seems to talk to in that manner. "Excuse me?"

"You," he points a finger violently at my chest, "have been called to the Downwind for the second time in two days. Yet you can't seem to be bothered to do your work here and you drag one of my useful detectives off along with you."

I really want to point out he's the one who assigned Luke to me, that the only reason Luke has to come is because Benedict made him, so really this is all his own fault but I let it go since he's still on a roll.

"If they're going to keep making demands maybe you should just go back! You're clearly more use there than you are here." He slams a piece of paper on my desk and storms back to his office.

I carefully pick it up and curse as I crumple it to shove in a pocket, grabbing my jacket and jogging to the stairs. No use leaving dangerous info like that laying around. Luke jolts into action belatedly and is on my heels by the time we make it to the stairwell.

"Making a mess and twisting men around your little finger everywhere you go, I see. Be careful, Cassandra, one of these days the mess will be too big, even for you." Nova's voice lilts across the empty space, the quiet amplifying her words.

I flip a pinky at her over my shoulder as I take the corner to the stairwell. Today was really not going my way.

"What the hell, Cassie? What's going on?" Luke huffs as we practically run down the stairs.

I toss him the wadded up paper and he nearly trips down a flight of stairs as he tries to get it open and read it. I burst out the lobby door and when it shuts behind me I realize I've lost Luke. I quickly poke my head back in to find him staring at the paper, mesmerized.

"Is this real? You're really going... There? This says the ward is near critical." He looks something between nervous and uncertain when he finally drags his eyes up to meet my gaze.