Breed of Envy (The Breed Chronicles, #02) (32 page)

Mr. Connor shoved Peter aside and let Mr. Elliot stand at the podium. Mr. Elliot was still chuckling but managed to keep a straight face. “As with your Combat class, your Weapons class will also have a side exam. Unlike Combat, however, none of the agents volunteered to stand in, not with real weapons involved,” he said with a quick grin. “So, you’ll be stuck with me, replica weapons, and the unlucky CMs. Assuming you have to use your weapons on the C&C, you’ll be exempt from taking the exam, etcetera, etcetera.”

Greene nodded to the teachers as he took Mr. Elliot’s place and faced the crowd again. “This is, as I’m sure you’re all aware, a very serious assignment. Not everyone will be going, though I’m sure the majority of you wish to. The teachers, along with Peter and Adam, will be making the decisions, and those decisions will be final.”

“Is there some kind of criteria?” a P3 girl asked.

Greene nodded again. “There is. Prospects who are known to follow instructions, do well in their classes, and have proven themselves will be amongst those to go.”

The girl frowned. “So if we don’t do so great in our classes, we won’t be able to go?”

“Not necessarily. Your grades do help, but it is not the final, deciding factor. There will be more than one way to participate, as I believe the hunters and agents are trying to make sure everyone will be included in a C&C in one form or another.”

“So we won’t all be going on an actual C&C?” Eric asked. Considering he’d tried cheating last Phase—or tried to try to cheat?—I wasn’t sure if that’d keep him from going, and he was probably thinking the same thing. He always seemed to be in some form of trouble, though it seemed to be mostly outside of classes.

“As I said before, no. They will be involved, so at least one of your class exams will revolve around the C&C. A select few will be, at the very least, exempt from at least two.” When someone raised his hand, Greene held up his own. “Let me make this perfectly clear. I’m sure many of you are assuming the C&C will be easier than a normal exam, but it will not be. If that is the only reason you’re hoping to go, then I hope you’ll excuse yourself. The teachers will be taking names of those who want to go and those who do not, starting next week. Likewise, if your only reason for wanting to go is because you think it will be ‘fun’,” he added, his hard gaze going to a student in the middle rows of the bleachers, “take the weekend to reconsider.”

He said a little more, then excused himself and us.

I looked ahead, not really focusing on anything, as I considered my options. I thought it’d be interesting to go, to learn another aspect of the CGE’s work, even if it wasn’t something that sounded completely ideal. Capturing demons sounded fine—bringing them back for study… Like Tasha said, that part didn’t sound so great. Then again, like Greene said, it was a necessary evil. He’d even mentioned last Phase, that not everything the CGE did was aimed toward helping after an attack. They also tried to prevent attacks, and that’s kind of what a C&C was, wasn’t it?

So no, I didn’t particularly like the idea, but I’d sign up for it when I could. I’d much rather capture a demon before it had a chance to hurt someone. If they’d captured the demon that had taken my mom and brother, or even Linc’s demon, then…
Don’t go there
, I scolded myself with a sigh.

Linc, who’d been really quiet the entire time, lightly bumped into me. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

“You’re going to sign up.” He didn’t pose it as a question, I noticed, but then he didn’t need to. He knew me well enough to know I would.

“If they’ll let me go, yeah.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” a new voice said. Immediately, I recognized it and cringed inwardly. I glanced up to find Rachel looking down at me. Her eyes were full of hate. “You are, after all, the Teacher’s Pet. Perfect Jade Hall. The perfect example of…everything.” She pitched her tone higher. “Is there nothing you can’t do?”

Linc rolled his eyes as my fists curled. He flicked a glance her direction, his expression full of irritation. It made me smile.

Rachel caught the look. “What are you smiling about?”

I just shook my head. “It’s just nice to know what to expect from you, day after day, week after week. These chats are almost…nice. Predictable, but nice.” Normally, I tried not saying anything to her. Avoidance was key. But it was getting old. And worse, it was repetitive
and
old, like listening to a bad song on repeat for hours on end.

Before Rachel could respond, Linc grabbed my hand and stood up, pulling me with him as he started down the bleachers. “C’mon. Let’s go get some food.”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed into thin, angry slits. “Aww, now she needs her little boyfriend to rescue her. How sweet.” She made gagging noises. “In a vomitingly sick kind of way.”

Linc shook his head and laughed. “Or maybe her
boyfriend
is just tired of hearing you yap.”

Rachel was, again, too shocked to say anything. Even I was. Linc usually stayed out of my…conversations with Rachel, and this was really the first time he’d said anything directly to her.

And on a completely different butterfly-inducing note, it was the first time he’d said
boyfriend
. He’d implied it—more than implied, really—but it was the first time he’d uttered the word. I was pretty sure Tasha knew we were officially a thing because we hadn’t exactly been subtle about it. We were always holding hands or just briefly touching the other. Nothing big, but just little touches. And staring, though that was mostly on my end. It was Linc. He was hot. Staring happened. A lot.

But now Rachel knew. Though, I couldn’t say I minded. I didn’t care if everyone knew.

Linc pulled me from my thoughts, and from the bleachers. When we were clear of Rachel, I started laughing. I had no idea why, but I did. “She’s not going to be happy about that.”

“She’s not going to be happy about anything, ever,” he bit out. “And I meant what I said. I am tired of hearing her run her mouth. You’ve dealt with enough crap from her and…everything else.”

I stopped walking, turned, threw my hands around his neck, and gave him a big, noisy kiss on the lips.

His eyes sorta went foggy, then he smiled slowly. “What was that for?”

“For being a kinda awesome boyfriend.”

He grinned, but then it slipped from his face. “Wait, only ‘kinda awesome’?”

“About this much.” I spread my finger and thumb about an inch apart, then I laughed again as Linc’s jaw dropped. “Okay, maybe a little more than that.”

Shaking his head, he draped an arm over my shoulder and started walking again. “You’re mean. You’re lucky I like that about you.”

“You’re lucky I’m not meaner,” I said, trying not to laugh.

*~*~*

After we ate, Linc and I sat in the café court and talked for a while, mostly about the upcoming C&C. Despite Rachel’s claims that I was a teacher’s pet, I still wasn’t sure I’d be going. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered why they’d let me go with Linc on his hunt. The last time I’d gone on one hadn’t exactly ended that well. And Linc’s… Honestly, I wasn’t sure about that one. Had it been a good hunt, or a bad hunt? I mean, in a way, it had to be good since everyone walked away (mostly) unscathed. But the demon had died in the end, hadn’t it? And, however direct or indirect it may have been, it was because of me. Because the demon kept coming after me, which was still odd and I had no idea why. It reminded me of Brian in a way, with his non-stop attacks, like he—and the demon—just
had
to come after me.

“You’ve got your thinking face on again,” Linc muttered, reaching across the table to take my hand. “Is it Rachel?”

I shook my head. “No. The C&C. I want to go—I think—but…”

“But what?”

“What if they don’t want me to?” I leaned forward, whispering so Linc was the only one who could hear me. “We didn’t exactly follow
all
the rules on your hunt. We turned off our coms and things didn’t really go as planned.”

“We turned the coms right back on again. And no, it didn’t really go as planned. But if that’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine, so you shouldn’t be blamed for it. I’m the one who turned off my com first.” His gaze darkened. “And if they want to take me off the list because I killed it, then they can. I had no choice. And in the same situation, I’d do it again. In a heartbeat.”

“You’re not back to feeling guilty, are you?” I asked, rolling my eyes. If he was, I was going to pinch the skin on his hand clear off.

“No, not at all. I’m just saying, things happened and I don’t regret them.” He shrugged. “The point is, I don’t think that’ll count against us—or you.”

I sighed. “I hope not.”

Linc grabbed my hand. “Don’t worry about it, Jade. They’ll let you go. If they have any problems, then I’ll set them straight.”

“Maybe I won’t ask to go. I’ve got work I should focus on anyway.”

“You’re a bad, bad liar.”

“What? I do. It’s almost the end of the Phase. I have—”

“I know you finished Demonology already, and that’s the only class you can really finish early. So don’t try it. Zip it.”

I made a
hmpft
sound and immediately regretted telling him the truth about finishing Demonology. I’d known better, hadn’t I? Even as I’d told him a few weeks back, I’d known he’d find a way to bring it up and use it against me.

“Now, are you really not going to ask because you’re just scared they’ll say no? Because that’s the worst they can do.”

“Are you using your dirty guy logic on me to make me feel stupid?”

He nodded, smiling happily. “Yup.”

“It’s working.” I narrowed my eyes at him for two point three seconds, and then I pouted. “Unfair.”

“You’ll get over it, Hall.”

C
HAPTER 17

The C&C issue turned out to be a non-issue, because the following week, Peter caught me and Linc and told us that he’d specifically requested us to go with him. And Mr. Sheldon had, according to Peter, pleaded with him to take me, since he was tired of me bugging him for more work. (Since I’d finished Demonology entirely, I needed something to keep me busy during class because he wouldn’t up my DD hours any higher.)

By the time the beginning of July rolled around, Peter and Greene had already made the lists of teams who were going on the C&C. Much to my surprise, Linc and I were up first with Peter, Adam, and Dale. Much to my annoyance, Brian had also made the team. I hadn’t talked to him at all since that day in Combat unless I’d been forced to, but I silently wondered what kind of sick joke it was to, for the second Phase in a row, team me up with someone who apparently hated me.

Linc had been more surprised than me, I think, and threatened to knock Brian’s head off his shoulders if he so much as looked at me funny. I tried laughing it off as a joke, but there was a look in his eyes that told me he wasn’t kidding. So now, I had to worry about the C&C and keeping Brian and Linc from killing each other. I just hoped that Brian continued to pretend I didn’t exist in his little world.

On the second Friday of July (after my appointment with Doc), we were scheduled to have our C&C. It was in a little under an hour, and Brian and I were both waiting in the Weapons room as directed. Linc was mysteriously absent, but Peter had said he’d be around soon. Adam was there, too, and both hunters were dressed in black from head to toe, already wearing their weapons vests. It amazed me how calm they seemed. We weren’t leaving for a while yet, but I was still a nervous wreck. My stomach was jittery and my hands were sweaty.

Brian, the jerk, even managed to look somewhat calm. And whenever Linc decided to make an appearance, he probably would, too.

Peter stepped forward, looked at Brian and me. “Do you remember what needs to go in the vest, Jade?” At my nod, he smiled. “Dumb question. Can you tell Brian what he needs and get yourselves loaded up? Everything but the holy water, since we won’t need it.”

“Stakes?”

“Might come in handy as a backup.”

“Got it.”

“Actually, since this is a Capture and Contain, go ahead and double up on the nets,” Peter added.

“Sure.”

He turned and he and Adam walked away, leaving me alone with Brian. He’d been quiet, and I almost commented on it, but then I thought I better not remind him to act normal. The last thing I wanted was a fight before we were supposed to leave.

The room hadn’t changed a lot since last Phase, but I could see that some aspects of it had been remodeled. Silently, I wondered if this had been done over the summer, or when Greene’d had the construction people here, but I had no way of knowing. P4s were the only Prospects that were allowed inside without a senior agent or teacher, so I’d only been here once before, last Phase.

I glanced around. A dark beige color coated the walls now and the shelving units had all been upgraded to sleek, black stainless steel. The glass table in the middle of the room seemed the same, and the chest of stakes at the side of it was still there.

To the right, immediately when you walked in, there were now shelves lined with slide-out trays and drawers below. The top tray held knives; the second and third had tasers. The fourth tray had plastic packages with gloves in them. I almost laughed. Gloves? Really?