Putting on Airs

Dinner and Descending

Victor reverses the text and background colors as asked and watches as I read through the first file. After a few minutes, he scrunches his eyes and shakes his head, claiming that he can't keep looking at it. Kota says the same. I shrug and continue reading.

If I had to guess, I'd say that someone assisting in the investigation was either Academy or an Academy member was leaning heavily upon the detectives. Regardless of what happened to me, I don't think the Academy is a group that willingly leaves their own behind.

The accident seemed to be in one of those unusual half residential/half business areas of the north side of South Carolina. It's a smaller town; one that isn't really known to me, but the name of the town still seems familiar somehow.

I look down at the pad of paper I've been keeping notes on for information I want to review later and realize that in my half-focused state I had circled Landrum, SC several times. I really don't know why, but that name is bugging me. Maybe I just remember driving through it on the trip down here.

"We have to head out now, Princess. Mr. Blackbourne will be back within a few minutes, and Kota and I need to get home to our families," Victor tells me as he walks up to the computer chair I've been camping in for the last two hours without breaking from my information overdrive.

I stand to stretch, rubbing my tired eyes as I go. My head goes a little fuzzy with standing and as I bring my arms down from the stretch, I wrap them around Victor's waist to keep myself upright. My head lands on Victor's deceptively muscular chest, and I close my eyes feeling content when his arms circle my frame. I hold on longer than strictly necessary. His enthralling moss and berries scent is calming, but also exciting to my poor, overworked heart.

"Can you do me a favor?" I ask Victor without allowing myself to think too hard about it.

"Anything, Princess," Vic exhales against my head.

"Hang on," I tell him and abruptly pull away.

Grabbing my backpack, I pull it to myself and rifle through it until my hand finds the split seam in the liner. I slide my fingers along until I can feel the smooth surface of the bills hidden there. I grab the lot of them—around three hundred dollars—and hand them to Vic.

"Can you please find me a cheap cell phone and maybe a refurbished laptop?" I ask while handing him a chunk of my savings.

Victor quickly counts the money, then looks up at me while pocketing it. I see his eyes flash to Kota for a second, then come back to me.

"Of course. I'll meet up with one of the others that are heading to the big house to hand it over. I don't think I'll be able to make it back out this way again today," Victor tells me as he reaches forward to tuck a mutinous strand of hair behind my ear.

"Thank you, Victor. No rush. I'm sure Owen won't mind if I continue to use his laptop a little longer," I smirk.

He chuckles easily and walks to the door. With some silent communication to Kota, he nods and leaves. Kota strides around the desk and pops his backside onto the desk next to my backpack. I can't see Owen approving of anyone sitting on his desk, and knowing that Owen will be home any minute, I decide to keep Kota in place long enough to get caught.

"Why do you all call the big house 'the big house' when this one is much bigger?" I ask, moving to stand within centimeters of Kota's knees, to find an answer to the oddity that has been bothering me.

"Well, it's simple. After years of having our family and team meetings in regular-sized houses aside from Victor's, the big house seemed much bigger. This place doesn't really count as a house, anyway. It feels like a mausoleum most of the time," Kota shrugs and lets his eyes wander around the room before zeroing in on me.