I snorted, before coughing on the tomato I’d just bitten into. “Spy or assassin? Yeah, that’d be a cool story, but nope.”
I was deliberately ignoring the Asher thing, because there was still something disconcerting about that guy. Something that both drew and repelled me. And I’d never even spoken to him, which should have been the biggest worry of all.
Jesse let out a low, growly laugh. “Yeah. Twenty minutes in your company and I can already tell there’s nothing dangerous about you.”
Twenty minutes.I checked my watch, and sure enough, it had been over twenty minutes since he’d sat down. Time was flying and my lunch break would be over before I knew it.
Another large body dropped into the chair next to Jesse and I found myself staring at a familiar supernatural, the one who had been with Calen and Rone yesterday, Mr. Plaid Shirt and silvery eyes.
“Hey,” he said quietly, not questioning why I was at the table. “The others will be here in a minute.” He was looking directly at me as he leaned over the table and held a hand out. “I’m Axl. It’s nice to meet you, Maddison.”
He wasn’t as tall or built as Jesse. If anything, his muscles were long and wiry, like a runner or long-distance swimmer. He had messy auburn waves, and those eyes, which were a beautiful shade between gold and silver.
Grasping his hand, I shook it quickly. No energy hit me and I wondered if he was keeping it locked down. “Nice to meet you as well.”
He sank back into his chair and immediately pulled out a textbook and some notepads.
“Axl is our resident genius,” Jesse said with a smile. “He’s studying the three hardest areas: healing magic, combat magic, and advanced spellcasting. And he’s topping every single class.”
There was a fondness in Jesse’s voice that spoke of a clear and genuine friendship between Axl and him.
Axl shrugged. “What can I say, my brain craves knowledge. It’s never satisfied. I need to know everything, break it down, and then build it up again perfectly. I wouldn’t say I’m a genius though.”
Jesse shot me a knowing look.Genius,he mouthed, and I covered my smile with my hand. Axl continued reading his book, so Jesse reached out and ordered a few more meals, which I assumed were for his friend, because if that boy ate one more thing himself, he’d probably explode.
Realizing that I was still just sitting there at this table with guys I didn’t know and that the rest of them would be there in a minute, I started to rise.
“Wait,” Axl said, and I almost jumped out of the chair because I hadn’t been expecting that. “I haven’t had a chance to ask you anything about your life and energy and future yet. I need to know all about it.”
“Uh,” I started slowly. “I mean, that might take a while, and really, I’m not that interesting.”
Jesse made a rumbly sound that I was certain no human could have done. It was very leonine, starting deep in his chest. “I have to disagree about the not-interesting thing.”
Whatever that meant, I was totally not analyzing it.
“And if you don’t sate his curiosity somewhat,” Jesse continued, “he’ll never stop asking you questions.”
“What about the others?” I asked, trying my best not to look around the table. “I mean, pretty sure after having met me just once, Rone already hates me. Might get a little awkward.”
Jesse and Axl both laughed. “Nah,” the book-smart wizard said, “Rone is just angry a lot. He doesn’t trust easily. He’s had a messed-up life and—”
Jesse cleared his throat, interrupting Axl, who trailed off. “Sorry,” he muttered, “I have a problem with keeping secrets. My natural curiosity means that I’m almost incapable of keeping anything I learn to myself.”
“Honesty is worth a lot to me,” I told him seriously.
Jesse looked wounded. “It’s not that I’m not honest, I am … almost to a fault. It’s just that some secrets are not ours to tell. Rone’s and Asher’s especially. They have a lot of darkness in their past, and it shapes the supernaturals they are today. Something you’ll have to learn on your own.”
Uh, yeah. I doubted that would ever happen.
Axl nodded, and I could tell this was an old conversation they’d had to have a lot with him. Genius he might be, but he was sort of a clueless genius, if that was possible.
Since they thought they could ask me questions, I decided to throw some of my own back at them. “So, it’s just the five of you in this Atlantean club?”
It slipped out before I could think about it, and I wondered if maybe I’d offended them by bringing up their heritage so casually. A relieved sigh left me when neither of them reacted negatively.
“The five of us grew up together,” Jesse said. “Axl, Rone, Asher, Calen, and me. We met in Russia, when our parents were travelling between the prison communities. We’ve stuck together ever since.”
“You don’t sound Russian,” I said, looking between them both. If anything, Axl had almost no accent, and Jesse’s was slightly British.
