19: Perfect Illusion

SASHA POV

I figured one of them would use that WASP-approved phrase for supernatural creatures to identify one another without arousing human suspicion at some point. I just didn’t expect it to be Callum, or this morning. But I guess I should count my blessings. Working out while having to pretend to be human is one of my least favorite things to do.

With that information out in the open, all of us are a little more relaxed, more free in our movements, although Drake looks like he could strangle Callum for being the one to broach the subject.

“You down to get a bit less company?” Drake asks me, his voice low.

“If you lead the way. I don’t know these trails like you do,” I agree with feigned shyness.

“I’ve got enough done here that should be fine,” Rika’s voice grumbles softly from my earring speaker. “Most smooth and coy I’ve heard you, by the way. Great performance.”

I’ll have to thank her for the compliment later, once my stomach stops turning.

Drake picks up his pace significantly, but it takes hardly any effort for me to match him again. Behind us, Xander and Callum are calling for us to wait up, but we haven’t seen or heard or smelled anyone else—supernatural or otherwise—on the trail, and so Drake and I are pushing harder than I, at least, normally would in a public area like this.

It feels so good to really run.

“You’re fast,” Drake observes once Xander and Callum are far enough behind us that they likely won’t hear our conversation.

“We all have our gifts,” I reply. My tone is easy, despite our swift pace, but my words are careful. “Speed comes with yours, too, it seems.”

“That’s one part of it, yes. Do you know the rest of it?”

“Of your…exceptionality? Yes, and that all three of you have the same kind.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, as much as you’ve travelled. You’ve probably met all kinds of…extraordinary individuals.”

Still using coded language. Above and beyond the established, written and unwritten laws of WASP. There’s really nothing, except the suspicious language he’s said to have used in WASP’s reports, to warrant our being here, investigating him.

“You’re the first one I’ve been volunteered to race against.”

“We, uh, shouldn’t do that. Not until we find a place where we can both go full speed. You’re matching the maximum pace I dare out here.”

“Or we could just tell them you beat me to…wherever it is we’re going. They won’t know any different.”

“Nice of you to offer, but they’ll be wanting to watch the race itself. Especially since none of us really know exactly what your gift entails.”

“You should try to guess. But only one guess per time we see each other in person, and none at all over text, or the guessing will get tiresome.”

“An interesting game.” He glances at me sideways as we continue down the trail, fast approaching the deer path to the field. I hope Rika’s out by now. “But sure, I’ll play. Um…. Are you, by chance, really good at gardening?”

Of course his first guess is vegetation elemental. How unoriginal.

“Not even a little bit. My thumbs are far more brown than green, I’m afraid.”

“Drat. Well, I guess I’ll try again next time, then. Oh, stop here. We’re going off the main trail.”

“Really? But the signs at the trail head say—”

“Relax. We’ve done it dozens of times. There’s a clear area a ways off the trail that’s better for more intensive training. Definitely beats scraping ourselves up in the parking lot. And we can’t go to a gym or whatever and do anything useful because…you know.”

“I get it. And I guess it shouldn’t surprise me that guys I met at a metal concert in a dive bar aren’t the strictest rule followers.”

He has a nice laugh. I guess he should be flattered he thinks I’m funny. That’s not a compliment I get often.

“Come on. It’s this way.”

“Sure.” I follow him gingerly down the deer path I’ve already been up and down multiple times this morning, occasionally glancing up to see if I can find any of Rika’s equipment. Unsurprisingly, she has it all very well camouflaged, unable to spot in just a glance even with my superior vision and the lightening sky overhead.

“I have to say, this guessing game of yours is going to be harder than I thought.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’m having a hard time coming up for another gift that explains why your eyes are so…vibrant.”

I realize, with a suddenness that makes my heart skip a beat, that this is the first time he’s actually mentioned anything about my physical appearance in my hearing. He’s definitely not a typical dude.

“Perhaps paying more attention to other clues will lead you in a favorable direction.”

“I suppose we’ll find out. Maybe Saturday. Did Effie tell you—”

“About the archery range adventure? Yes, as she and Callum were texting about it.” I bite my lip, debating whether to ask him if Callum fancies Zoe at all, and it’s at just that moment that he turns to face me as we break through the tree line into their hidden training field. For the briefest of moments, his eyes fixate on my lips, his expression wolfish and hungry, before snapping back into his normal friendly earnestness.

The truth always finds a way of revealing itself.

“Hey, not cool!” Xander’s petulant whine derails my train of thought as he and Callum make their way into the field behind us.

“What, getting here before you?” Drake questions mockingly.

“Ain’t often we meet someone who can keep pace with you, Drake,” Callum remarks, eyes raking over me, looking for clues as to what I am. I don’t think it’s a huge secret, really, for anyone who’s paying attention, but then, I’ve met every type of being under WASP’s protection. These lycans, based on Rika’s research, have not had nearly as much exposure as we have, though.

“Guess there really is more to you than meets the eye,” Xander says to me, his sharp eyes daring me to accept an as-yet unvoiced challenge. “You said you haven’t done much with martial arts?”

I mean, yeah, I said that. Of course it was a lie. I have trained extensively in every combat technique that exists. But this morning I’m playing dumb, to try to throw Callum off, mostly.

“Yeah. But I’m willing to learn, if you’re willing to teach me,” I answer sweetly, trying hard to ignore Rika’s maniacal cackling in my ear.

“Have fun convincing them of that,” she snarks. I barely restrain myself from rolling my eyes. I don’t need her to remind me how difficult this task I’ve set for myself might be.

“Xander ain’t the most patient teacher,” Callum warns me, while Drake’s tense posture radiates jealousy.

“Which is why Drake’s doing the teaching, and you and I are going to demonstrate some sick moves,” Xander retorts smugly.

Ah, classic. They’re trying to wing-man for him. How cute.

“Let’s…start slow. Just a few basic moves and combos,” Drake suggests.

“Whatever you say, teacher,” I agree immediately with my best coy smile. For a moment, Drake seems to be paralyzed, while the other two are stifling snickers at his expense. The moment passes quickly, though, and then he’s walking me through some basic punching and kicking sequences that I could execute flawlessly in my sleep. I pretend to struggle, though, at least a bit; try as I might, the combination of my natural feline grace and all the intensive training WASP has put me through is too much for me to completely overcome to make myself clumsy. My act seems to be good enough to convince Drake, though; he patiently corrects my forced mistakes and often has us pause to observe Xander and Callum, who are sparring using a combination of tae kwon do and wushu techniques.

I have to say, they’re better than I thought they’d be. But even so, if I wasn’t undercover, I could have all three of them on the ground in a matter of seconds.

Drake is just starting to “teach” me a slightly more advanced combo when the fake fitness tracker on my wrist starts buzzing angrily. Rika’s back at the car. Playtime’s over.

“Oh, shit, sorry, that’s my alarm. I have to go,” I interrupt Drake mid-explanation. “This has been super fun, but if I don’t jet I’ll be late for stats, and stats is hard enough without missing study group.”

“Oh. All right,” he answers, crestfallen. “We’ll have to pick this up another time, then? You seem to be getting it pretty quickly.”

If you only knew.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks for teaching me. Enjoy the rest of your workout!” With that and a quick wave, I take off at a rather brisk jog, out of the meadow and down the deer path back towards the main trail.

“Your skills never cease to amaze me,” Rika commends me. “I’ve been watching on my phone, seeing how the surveillance equipment is working, and you honestly almost had me convinced you were a novice.”

“What have I told you about empty flattery?” I mutter irritably at my wrist, wishing I could outrun my guilty conscience without blowing my cover.

“It’s not empty flattery. If your performance was nearly enough to convince me, when I’ve been working with you for years, chances are it was more than enough for Callum.” She chuckles to herself, making my skin crawl even though I know I’m not the target of her scheming. “We’ll just all have to turn out similar quality of pretending at the archery range Saturday.”

Oh, fuck. She’s right. And it’ll be even harder to fake being lousy at that.

What fun that will be.