Collision: The Alliance Series Book Three (3 page)

I pulled a face. “Can you not do that?”

“You’re just like him,” said Simon, shaking his head. “He wasn’t keen on being the centre of attention, but it was kind of inevitable seeing as he was top of every class.”

“Really?” I asked.

Simon nodded. “Think he was the youngest in our year, too. He was only sixteen when he came to the Academy.”

I knew, though I wouldn’t let on that I’d run an Internet search on Kay’s family. Because that fell into the category of “lame creepy stalker-type behaviour”.

“Wow. Someone at Central said he knew everything before he even started.”

Simon shrugged. “He mentioned accelerated home-schooling once. Didn’t go into any detail. You know what he’s like.” He paused. “I realise it’s none of my business, but you know, I’m kind of surprised what happened with you two. I thought–eh, never mind.”

I stifled a sigh, checking over my shoulder to see if Kay was nearby. No sign of him. I didn’t think he was the type to invisibly eavesdrop, though. “Yeah. He said I have to take care of myself first.”

Simon let out a breath. “I don’t know what crap you’re dealing with, but it’s true.”

“Yeah. I got that. He said the last thing I needed was to be around someone like him.”

“He did?” Simon blinked. “Damn.”

“Take it that’s not normal for him? I got the impression he had kind of a chequered history…”

“If it was Tara who said that, don’t take any notice,” said Simon. “You know there were less than fifty people in our class at the Academy, right? Any rumours tended to stick even if they weren’t true. They worked us to death. No one had any time for screwing around… literally or figuratively.”

I grinned at that one. “Yeah, funny.”

“Honestly, Kay might act like a shameless flirt sometimes, but if he really likes a girl, he takes bloody forever doing anything about it.”

“Hmm.” I huddled inside my coat, shifting from one foot to the other. Then I spotted Kay walking back towards us. So he wasn’t invisible, then. But I supposed we were in public, so he couldn’t exactly appear out of thin air in the middle of the street.

“What was that about?” I asked, as he caught up to us.

“Later,” he said in a low voice. “Where’s your brother?”

“Looking at video games he can’t buy. What happened?”

“Trouble,” he said. “Or, magic. Simon, you should tell your boss about this. Not report those kids or anything, but there’s something off with the magic level. I’m going to ask if there’s anything similar going on in London. Central will know.”

“If you say so.” Simon shrugged, and pulled out his communicator. “You’re heading back there now? Aren’t Ambassadors allowed weekends off?”

“Someone has to do it.” He started to walk back towards the alley.

“Wait.” Alber appeared from the shop. “When are we going to get our tour?”

“I’ll give you one,” said Simon. “I thought he’d disappear on us. You’re in denial!” he shouted after Kay.

Kay turned back. “Technically, we’re in New York.”

“All right, smartass, have it your way.”

“Huh?” said Alber blankly. “What did you mean by that?”

“Absolutely nothing at all.” Simon glanced sideways at me.

“Cheers,” I muttered.

“He
is,”
Simon said quietly, as we continued down the street. “I know it. Don’t you rule out hope yet, Ada.”

Hmm. I didn’t know whether to believe him. It had been weeks since I’d inadvertently thrown myself at Kay while under the influence of Aglaian wine, and since then, he hadn’t so much as looked at me in a way that suggested he wanted anything more than friendship.

I shrugged, doing my best to sound offhand. “If magic’s making trouble again, I can guarantee we’ll both end up involved in it sooner or later.”

I couldn’t see the future, but I didn’t need to, not wherever magic was concerned. Kay was dead right when he said trouble and magic went hand in hand.

CHAPTER TWO

KAY

“Let me get this straight,” I said to Ms Weston across a mile-high stack of paperwork I swore had materialised overnight. “Someone thought it’d be a good idea to sell a
unicorn
on Earth?”

“They thought it was a horse,” said Ms Weston, moving a stack of papers to one side. “So did the buyer, it seems.”

Well, damn. Just when I thought the job of an Ambassador couldn’t get any more bizarre.

“And now it’s loose and gone rabid, you want
me
to go after it?”

“I admit I didn’t expect such a magic-related issue to come up on Earth, but yes, if you would.”

Just another day at the office. I shook my head. Only Ms Weston could keep a straight face while discussing escaped unicorns.

“We need a magic-wielder on the case. Two, ideally. In fact, take Ada with you. It’ll be good experience.”

I blinked. “You’re thinking she’ll make Ambassador soon, then?”

“She certainly qualifies.” Ms Weston still didn’t emerge from stack of papers.

She’ll be happy about that
. She’d wanted to see the other worlds her whole life. We had that much in common.

“Should I ask her? Now? Or is there anything else you want me to do here?”

“No… I think we can manage without the two of you. Markos will keep everything organised.”

I nodded. “Sure, I’ll tell Ada.”

I found her in the open booth of Office Fifteen, surrounded by yet more paperwork. Markos turned around from the filing cabinet he stood beside.

“If it isn’t the ghost,” he said, shuffling more papers.

I rolled my eyes. The centaur was one of few people who knew I could become invisible. No one was around to overhear, so the rest of admin must be on patrol or in the other offices. It was quiet in Office Fifteen these days, since I’d been promoted. My Ambassador duties meant I only came to Central to report to Ms Weston after assignments.

Probably for the best, given that being in close proximity to Ada made it damned difficult to focus on paperwork.

Ada looked up at me now, chewing on the end of a pen. “Please tell me you know Valeria’s year-dating system. It’s making me cross-eyed.”

“You’re in luck,” I said. “Ms Weston says we have to go and investigate an escaped unicorn.”

Ada blinked. “Did you say what I think you just said?”

“A unicorn? Yeah, some idiot bought it thinking it was a horse. Don’t ask me why. Those things are dangerous when provoked anyway, so it’s up to us to deal with it.”

“Wow,” said Ada, setting the pen down on top of the files. “That wasn’t in the job description.”

“Tell me about it. But she reckons you might be ready for a promotion soon, so…”

Ada jumped to her feet in a second, a grin spreading across her face. “Seriously?”

“Those were more or less her exact words.”

“Oh my God,” she said. “We’re leaving now? I need to get my guard gear, but I’ll only be five minutes.” She ran from the office.

“Someone really wants to go offworld,” Markos commented. “I can’t say I see the appeal. It would be nice if there were people as enthusiastic about helping me with this.” He indicated the cabinet of endless papers. I didn’t envy him one bit, but then, he was the one who’d volunteered to keep Central’s admin system in order.

“You’re missing out.”

“Yes, she reminds me of someone else.” He gave me a significant look. “Someone who drove us crazy for a month with constant pacing.
Is the Multiverse everything you hoped for?”

“Hell, yes. With or without the unicorns.”

“You might change your mind about that,” said Markos. “I heard about one that got loose in the Passage and skewered seven people
at the same time.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“Good luck, humans,” said the centaur.

Ada reappeared, clad in black faux-leather gear, her jacket half-zipped in a not-unflattering way. I dragged my eyes away, but not before I saw her flush.

“All right,” she said. “Let’s go catch us a unicorn.”

“See, that sounds downright bizarre even here,” I said. “In the company of a centaur.”

“And a dragon,” Markos added.

I glanced in the direction of Ms Weston’s office. “Is she aware of that nickname?”

“If she were, my head would be mounted to the wall,” said Markos.

And on that note, we left the office.

***

“Whereabouts is this place?” Ada asked, as we walked out of Central through the automatic doors.

“South of London,” I said. “Middle of nowhere. An estate owned by this family, apparently. Question: would you rather take public transport and walk three miles, or ride on this?” I indicated my motorcycle.

Ada’s jaw dropped. “Awesome.”

“Pretty sure that wasn’t an option.”

“Very funny. Safety helmet?”

I passed the spare helmet over to her, and she eased it over her bright-red hair.

“I’ve seen you on a hover bike,” she said. “I’m amazed you and Alber got out in one piece.”

“Hey, now. I’ve never crashed a vehicle on Earth. Not even with a wyvern as a passenger,” I said, referring to the time a wyvern had come out of the Passages near Central and tore my car to pieces.

“Yeah, that was some pretty neat driving,” she said, fastening the helmet. “Okay. I’m set.”

Yeah, and I’m gonna go crazy within the hour,
I thought, as her arms wrapped around my waist and I revved the engine. Apparently, the universe got a kick out of putting us in compromising situations. If it had been any other girl, there’d have been no problem. But we were colleagues, to say nothing of the fact that since she’d met me, she’d nearly died several times, her brother and guardian had been tortured, and she’d seen a side of me that scared her half to death. After that, I didn’t know why she would even want to associate with me. I’d never dream of hurting her, but there was no denying I’d done a pretty thorough job of fucking up her life. Sure, she
said
she didn’t blame me and she wanted to be friends, but that couldn’t undo what I’d done.

Once we left London, the speed limits relaxed enough that I pushed the bike’s limits further than I had before.

“Hell. Yes,” I said, as we reached a deserted stretch of country road.

Ada yelled in my ear, “I thought you said you were a safe driver?”

“Perfectly safe,” I said, grinning back at her. “I’m within the limits.”

She yelped as we shot down a steep road, steering around tight corners through woodland, and down another sharp drop.

“Jesus Christ,” she gasped, hands gripping the front of my jacket. “You’re insane!”

“So they tell me.” But I slowed down as the speed limit dropped. I pulled up at the roadside to check the directions again. Not far now.

Ada relaxed her grip on me. “Okay, maybe that was kind of fun.”

“See? Nothing to worry about. We’re almost there, anyway.”

The manor was even more extravagant than I’d expected. A dozen windows stared insolently. I didn’t particularly care for the memories the arched glass windows and terraces conjured up, though it looked nothing like the Walker estate had before it had burned to the ground.

“Wow,” said Ada. “How many rooms are in there?”

“Approximately too many,” I said, checking the details on my communicator again. This was the place. Three cars were parked in the drive, and it bordered on a field containing several horses.

“Can’t see any unicorns,” said Ada, echoing my thoughts as I rang the doorbell. “But–wow. Who lives here?”

“Mr and Mrs Anderson. Three kids, five horses. And one unicorn, apparently.”

Ada laughed. “Who mistakes a unicorn for a horse?”

“I think we’re about to find out.”

Two people came out of the house–a balding guy in a smart suit and a woman whose eye-wateringly green attire screamed “designer”. Figures.

“You’re with the Alliance?” She looked us up and down in a way that made her opinion clear in half a second, and Ada shifted beside me.

“That’s right,” I said. “Something about a unicorn?”

“Some trouble with one of our
horses,”
said Mrs Anderson, giving me a disparaging look.

“The Alliance only deals with offworld-related problems,” I said, “so, I’m taking a wild guess that this horse of yours came from an offworld dealer.”

“That is absolutely none of your business,” said Mr Anderson, glaring at me.

“Someone contacted the Alliance,” I said in my calmest tone. “That makes it our business. Where is it?”

Still glaring, Mr Anderson pointed across the field, to the woodland on the other side of the river. “It ran. Could be miles away, for all we know.”