Diplomatic Envoy
The words listed were significant. They were the different classifications of the Supernatural Council’s agents. Seeing the titles in the air sent a spark of adrenaline funneling through my veins.
What role would I be assigned?
Drecken let the words fade with a drop of his hand.
“Your mentor will choose who plays which role based on what they have seen here so far today. There’s no right answer in this trial, only execution. Points will be awarded for creativity, teamwork, role effectiveness, and leadership,” Dad finished, stepping back as a large group of mentors walked out from the back of the simulator and stood with their hands behind their backs as if awaiting orders. “You will be grouped by and graded by one of the agent mentors. Go to the mentor who calls your name.”
From left to right, Jesper was first in line, and his presence hit me immediately. Snow-dusted wood and clean ozone clung to his skin. He cleared his throat. “Rune Bloodwyne. Spy.”
I walked over to stand directly in front of Jesper. I’d never given much thought to what type of agent I’d be, but that was for a reason. The academy trained you in everything and placed you in what you were best at. Being a spy would be an interesting career.
His brown eyes felt as if they were scorching me as his lips curled into a slight smile. He dropped it quickly and focused back on the crowd. “Dimitri Nocturnus. Enforcer.”
Glancing back, I noticed the vampire I’d locked eyes with when I got to the academy walk forward until he stood right behind me.
Heat licked up my spine as I turned back to face Jesper. Something about turning my back on him had my face flushed, and I knew it was my instincts screaming at me because of how strong he was.
“Zuko Vyre. Torture Expert,” Jesper called.
“Aw, how’d you know?” Zuko cooed, and Jesper snorted.
“I know your father.”
I tilted my head. Who was Zuko’s dad? Vyre sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why right now.
“Slater Havoc. Arcane specialist,” Jesper continued.
“Yes! I’m on Rune’s squad,” Slater cheered. “You hear that, venom baby? The Fates intervened again!”
My face heated, but I kept my head forward in an attempt to look agent-like.
“Aura Whimzle. Tech specialist,” Jesper called out.
I couldn’t help peeking over my shoulder at the new face. She was super short with blue eyes and a cute blonde pixie cut. My gaze caught the injection marks over her arms and neck, and I frowned. She had very little magical energy radiating from her, and I believed she was an imp, which surprised me. She must’ve had a special power to be attending the academy entrance exam, though. I was curious to see what she was capable of.
“Coralynn Seavryn. Intelligence analyst,” Jesper stated.
A siren with long blonde hair and blue eyes stepped forward with a shy smile on her face and stood behind Aura.
“Koa Ashbourne. Healer,” Jesper said next, and Koa came up to stand in line. “Eleanor Fawnmere. Diplomatic envoy.”
A tall but willowy shifter with brown doe eyes and thin, light brown hair that had white spots throughout it came over and stood behind Koa. She had a sweet smile on her lips as she rubbed a heart tattoo that was over her wrist. She must’ve been a deer shifter from her grassy scent and the way her hair was.
“My squad goes first,” Jesper told us as he led us away from the group, where another mentor started calling off other applicant names. He walked to the entryway of the simulator. “Activate simulation field entrance exam. Squad one.”
The moment he spoke, a thin slit of blue light appeared over Jesper, scanning him before the doorway opened for us to enter.
He entered first, and we followed. It looked just as high-tech as it had when I had the Arcane Exposure Trial just an hour ago with obsidian mirrors and crystalline monitors covering the walls. A holographic control panel hovered in the middle.
Jesper strode over toward the control panel, and my eyes were glued to the way his muscles bulged through the tight black suit.
“You can look at me like that whenever you want,” Slater whispered in my ear. “Imagine me in that suit.”
“Better yet,” Zuko interrupted, smirking over at me. “Imagineherin that suit.”
Slater’s mouth dropped as his red gaze raked over me. “Fates, Zuko, you’re totally going to be my brother-mate.”
