When I emerged on the other side of the warphole, the first thing I heard was the clicking of keyboards, high-pitched beeps, and phones ringing somewhere in the distance. I blinked, trying to force my eyes to refocus after being in an intense vortex of light. Slowly, the dots disappeared.
I stopped blinking and opened my eyes. I was in a typical, bland office filled with gray-blue cubicles and computers. The only intriguing aspect was that the room seemed to be mostly empty except for a group standing before me. My eyes swept the mass of people, and a smile spread across my face as I recognized one of them.
David Chena stepped forward, his lips quirking up in a smile. “Odette Dane! It’s a pleasure to see you again. Welcome to Paranormal Intelligence Agency. Why am I not surprised that you’re the first through the warphole? The old-timers tell me that your parents were brave. Must be an inherited trait.”
I grinned. This was our field trip? A tour so we could network and check out our future place of employment? It was right up my alley.
“Honestly, I was the only one who’d never stepped through a warphole, and I just wanted to get it over with,” I said, already feeling comfortable in David’s presence.
“And modest.” He waved me forward. “Step over here. Your classmates will come through soon, and not everyone pops out of a magical force field as gracefully as you managed. We cleared most of the office, just in case someone shot out like a bullet, magic blazing.”
Warmth rose in my cheeks, and I did as he said just in time for Eva to appear. She stumbled her way out of the warphole, and David arched an eyebrow at me.
I shook my head. “Doesn’t count. She’s kinda clumsy all the time.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” He chuckled and then turned to say something to a colleague as Eva approached me.
“I swear, I’ve done that before, but it never goes smoothly. Something about not knowing where I’m gonna step is so freaking awkward! How did you do?”
I shrugged. “Okay.”
She nodded and looked around. “Interesting choice of field trip. My parents always told me about how they went to Wandstown and other historical witching sites around the world. This seems much more third year stuff—more business oriented.”
Now that she mentioned it, I realized that she was right. Why were we at paranormal headquarters? It’s not like any of us were skilled enough in magic or diplomacy to get a job yet. Even Diana, who knew the most about theoretical diplomacy and governments, didn’t ace our exams. And Alex, the all-around best at magic, wasn’t even close to as good as the third years who I’d seen practicing.
“Yeah, you’re right.” I turned to watch our peers as they popped out of the vortex faster and faster. A few minutes later, all of us were present, with Headmistress Wake and Professor Tittelbaum as chaperones.
“Welcome to the PIA,” David said once we’d all gathered around. “We thought you may want to see what your future office looks like. Maybe even meet a couple of skilled colleagues who are in the office today and begin building connections. Who’s up for a tour?”
Hands shot up, and David chuckled. “Follow me.”
While I liked David, I didn’t want to look like a suck-up again, so Eva and I took up the rear of the group. I was surprised that Hunter didn’t join us. That was, until I spotted him near the front, chatting up David.
David led us through the halls of the PIA, pointing out areas of interest along the way. Occasionally, he’d introduce the group to a member of the staff. It seemed to me that they were all human, but I could have been wrong. Discerning power in another magical still wasn’t easy for me. Eva could do it from yards away, but I needed to be close enough to touch them and suss out their energies.
We stopped in front of the cafeteria, and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee tantalized my nostrils. A chorus of sighs flew up from our group, and David quirked an amused eyebrow.
“I take it no one has had their coffee yet?”
Everyone shook their heads.
“Perfect! You can all try our state-of-the-art espresso machine. It just came in from Italy, and I have to say, it makes a stellar latte.”
Headmistress Wake pursed her lips at the sudden detour, but said nothing as David led us into the cafeteria.
Five minutes later, I scooted away from the espresso machine, sipping a delightful americano. That was, until Mina bumped into me and almost made me spill the precious nectar.
“Oh, crap!” Mina’s face scrunched up. “I’m so sorry, Odette! Did it get all over you?”
I shook my head as I wiped a couple splotches off my hand. “You’re all good. It’s a little crowded in here, though. I think I’ll step out into the hallway while everyone else gets their drink.”
Mina gave me another apologetic smile, but I didn’t mind. No harm, no foul, and I did actually need some air. Crowded spaces were not my thing. I exited into the hallway, shut the door to the cafeteria, and immediately, my shoulders loosened a touch. Getting away from the crowd was akin to entering a church after being on a busy road. Kinda blissful.
I heaved a sigh of happiness, only to have my zen shattered a second later by a loud shriek piercing the quiet.
What the—?
I started, spilling coffee on my hand again, as two massive men burst into the hallway and rushed toward me with an old woman between them. She was kicking and screaming like her life depended on it, while the men fought her every step of the way. Clearly she was a handful, because neither man saw me standing there with my mouth hanging open.
