I nodded. That fit what I’d heard others say about my parents, and I didn’t doubt it. Everyone in Hollywood loved them too. “Well, part of it is that my parents didn’t want me to come here.”
David’s eyebrows shot up, and I rushed to explain.
“I’m their only kid, and Spellcasters isolates us so much. Plus . . . ” My cheeks warmed, and although I wasn’t sure if it was smart to reveal this next bit of information to my future employer, David had been honest with me about his life at the agency, so I’d be honest with him. “They think it’s too dangerous. Or that I can’t hack it. And to be honest, after this week, I’m not sure they’re wrong. I’m behind in all the classes where we work magic.”
From the other side of David, I could hear Alex snort, and my face became even hotter. But David didn’t seem to register Alex’s annoyance as he leaned forward and took my hand.
I felt eyes watching all around the long table, but David’s gaze bore into me with such insistence, I couldn’t look away.
“Odette.” He spoke in a low tone so that only I could hear. “I can understand your parents’ fears. Being a spyisdangerous. And we don’t get to live a normal life, or see the people we love often. They would know firsthand.” His grip squeezed mine tighter.
I pressed my lips together as a spurt of emotion shot through me. Even though we’d only been at school a week, I missed them and had been trying to avoid thinking about them.
“But, there’s also great satisfaction and reward in what we do. We make a difference in the lives of many. You, as a witch, can do far more than me.”
After a week of failures, I couldn’t help that his compliment brought tears to my eyes.
David’s hands released mine, and his lips formed a soft smile. “I can’t speak to magic, as I’m not a wizard, but from what I’ve learned of you today, I bet you just need more time to adjust. Knowing your pedigree, I’d be surprised if you weren’t in the running for spymaster before you hit thirty.”
My lips parted, but my surprise lasted only until Alex shot out of his seat and stormed out of the room.
My heartbeat kicked up as I watched him go. Alex’s jaw was clenched almost as tight as his fists. Clearly he was livid and didn’t believe that I belonged at Spellcasters.
But I’d finally received the tiniest shred of the validation I’d been seeking. And now that I’d had a taste of success, I wanted nothing more than to prove Alex wrong.
Chapter Ten
Later that afternoon, I was walking on air.
After a week of being the worst student in every class, I’dfinallyfound something I excelled at—getting people to tell their stories. Spymaster Chena had actually suggested that if the rest of my class needed pointers on how to make small talk and get information out of others, they should ask me.
Me!
I twirled and leapt to one side of the wide hallway, landing beside a painting of Merlin. His blue-green eyes twinkled, and I grinned. “You seem pretty crafty, but I bet I could teach you a thing or two.”
I bopped Merlin on the nose and strutted a few more paces down the hall. My gaze caught on two other paintings. One was of a beautiful witch who I didn’t recognize. I moved closer and read the plaque beneath her likeness.
“Morgan Le Fay.”
A shiver ran up my spine as I took in the artwork. Morgan’s fire red hair, full lips pulled up in a mischievous smile, and bright eyes called to me in a way a painting never had before. And her dress of cornflower blue, exquisite taste in jewelry, and confident pose made me feel connected to her.
“Girl, you’ve got it goingon. No lessons for you!”
I moved on to the third painting, one of a very dour-looking Nicolas Flamel, and shook my head. “But you need all the help you can get. Start by smiling more, and try to wash your clothes. I’ll check back next week to see how you’ve progressed. Maybe Morgan can help too!” I winked and chuckled at my wit as I continued on to the Physical Training Facility.
Most of my classmates were already there, along with many of the second and third years, who were sweating so much, I’d have thought they’d been there for hours. After five days of working out more than I did in a typical year, my muscles were beyond sore, so I made my way past the treadmills and weight machines to the separate room in the back reserved for magical training.
When I opened the door to the warded space, Hunter Wardwell smiled at me from behind a shimmering green force field. I balked and shook my head in disbelief. My classmate was hovering a couple of inches above the ground, a difficult skill to master.
Hunter floated to the ground, released his shield, and sauntered my way. “What? You’ve never seen someone levitate before?”
“Actually, no.”
He kicked his swagger up a notch as he joined me. “Mr. Chena seemed very impressed with you this morning. Do you accept students?”
“Like you need help. You held your own at breakfast, and no surprise there, you’re charming . . . maybetoocharming for your own good.” I quirked an eyebrow and injected some sass into my tone. I didn’t need Hunter thinking I would fawn over him like every other girl in our year.
Hunter chuckled. “I’ve heard that once or—”
