Chapter 16
rune
. . .
His gaze dragged over our squad in House Cooperation’s final simulated mission before graduation.
“This is your last cooperative simulation,” Jarvins announced. “So, the other professors and I decided to make it count.”
An aerial view of a human facility popped up on the interface behind him.
The outline was angular and sterile, surrounded by snow-covered terrain and perimeter fencing.
Heat signatures pulsed in red across the map.
Beneath the primary structure was a labyrinth of corridors that glowed faintly.
I already knew they would be the cells, containment chambers, and the lab.
Jarvins tapped the console, and the hologram zoomed in on the interior.
“This is a human facility,” he told us. “This is where the humans will be experimenting on kidnapped supernaturals. The supernaturals are under tourmalyke sedation.”
My fingers curled at my sides.
Dimitri’s hand drifted behind me, barely touching my lower back.
Slater’s hand laced through mine on my other side.
My matebonds thrummed with worry and the desire to comfort me.
It was sweet, but unnecessary. If anything, this mission would be therapeutic for me.
Jarvins's eyes flicked over us again. “Rune and Dimitri will pose as human scientists to gain access with a glamour. You will locate captives, open the facility from the inside, and start release procedures.” His gaze shifted.
“Ivy, Solon, and Koa will be stationed around the facility for external extraction and triage. Zuko will acquire additional intel from a lead scientist and ensure anything recovered from the supernaturals is wiped or made useless.”
Zuko’s mouth curved wickedly. “Finally.”
“Sylver will equip the spies with enchanted tools to protect against detection. Katie, Slater, and Eleanor will remain at HQ with blueprints, surveillance, captive location tracking, and diplomacy with the human council.”
Eleanor nodded in understanding with Katie, but Slater pouted slightly, the same way he always did on missions where he couldn’t be near me.
Jarvins leaned forward slightly, twig shifting between his teeth.
“This is a stealth-infiltration extraction under a time limit of one hour. You are being graded on coordination, deception, restraint, and crisis recovery. If you get caught inside the facility, you will die. If you cannot extract the captives, you will fail. If you escalate beyond mission parameters, you will fail. If you fail, you will be removed from the academy.”
“Can we kill the humans?” I asked.
Jarvins's eyes narrowed on me. “Yes, but you must leave the lead scientist alone for Zuko to extract intel from.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a thumbs-up.
Dimitri’s mouth brushed the side of my temple. “Behave,” he murmured.
It sent a chill down my spine, but I tilted my head just enough to glance at him. “Make me.”
His red eyes darkened, and through the bond, I felt a hunger of desire. His hand pressed into my waist a fraction harder. “Do you forget I can compel you, lethal darling?”
“You wouldn’t.” I scowled at him.
“Perhaps.” His lips curved in amusement.
“I already know what I can provide the spies.” Sylver stepped forward slightly, holding out two small matching rings of dull black metal, etched with faint runes that shimmered when she moved them.
“These are detection dampeners. They won’t make you invisible or anything, but they’ll make you forgettable.
It’ll lessen your obvious supernatural aura that scares humans. ”
I took one, feeling the cool metal against my palm.
Dimitri took the other, turning it once between his fingers. “How’s it work?”
Sylver’s mouth curved. “It’s designed to combat humans’ tech sensors, so cameras, biometric scanning, heartbeat mapping, and those lovely alarms they like to set up around lab doors.”
Slater leaned in, eyes gleaming. “Humans really think they can out-tech magic.”
Sylver gave him a look before looking back at us.
“I’m also giving you two protection charms.” She pressed small obsidian crystals into our hands.
“They’ll buffer any tourmalyke exposure for Dimitri and scramble any magical essence scanners.
If it’s a heavy dose, it won’t save you, Dimitri, but it might buy you seconds. ”
“Seconds are everything,” Dimitri murmured, slipping the charm into an inner pocket of his suit.
I slid mine into the inside of my suit’s glove.
Jarvins turned back to the console. “Ready?” he asked.
Slater grumbled, “I’d be more ready if I were around my venom baby, but yeah.”
Katie adjusted her tablet, blonde hair shoved into a messy bun, eyes sharp behind her glasses. “Blueprints loaded with entry points mapped. Cell block locations are tagged, but Slater needs to verify once he hacks the human’s security system. I’ll be able to walk them through the facility.”
Eleanor nodded. “The Human Council liaison’s line is open, so I can talk to them once they catch word of this.”
Zuko flexed his fingers, his torture kit stored on the belt around his waist. “I’m stoked I finally get to play during a mission.”
“Ready.” Koa sighed, warmth in his gaze as he swept his brown, ember-flecked eyes over to me. “Be careful.”
I smirked. “I’m always careful.”
His brows lifted. “Yeah, and I never die.”
I snorted.
Jarvins pressed something on the control panel. “Begin simulation 11.2, Human Facility Extraction.”
The air whooshed.
Cold slammed into me all at once. Dimitri’s and my academy-issued suits had been replaced with black dress pants, a gray button-up, an ID badge, gloved hands, and a white lab coat.
The winter air around the facility was sharp enough to bite through what we wore.
Wind hissed across a flat expanse of white.
We stood in front of the facility, the rest of our squad in different places.
The facility rose out of the snowy landscape like a box made of concrete and steel.
Floodlights cut harsh cones through the darkness.
Security fences layered the perimeter, topped with razor wire made of tourmalyke crystal.
Watchtowers stood like skeletal fingers on both sides, and the building itself was wide with attached side halls, and a lower underground section hinted at by vent stacks and heat chimneys that blew steam into the air.
Human design always looked as if it were afraid of character. Every facility I’d seen looked the same.
My breath fogged as I exhaled.
Dimitri’s disguise had changed little about him, just his hair and eye color. His black hair caught the edge of the floodlights; the white patch in front had been disguised away.
I hated that.
His red eyes were now a deep brown, and his fangs weren’t visible either.
“Aw, I miss the white patch.” I reached up and touched the spot it should’ve been.
He caught my wrist, pressing a kiss to the inner part of it. “I miss your green hair, but blonde looks pretty, too. Your golden eyes are a deep brown now, though. I miss your golden ones.”
“We have the same thoughts then, overachiever.” I pouted.
“It’s only temporary, lethal darling.” He leaned in and kissed my lips softly before pulling away.
In my ear, Slater’s voice came through. “I’m in their system. You’re cleared at the north staff entrance. Your badge IDs are set in the system, so you’ll have zero trouble.”
Katie added, “Two guards are at the entrance. Their biometric scanners are active, but the rings Sylver gave you should help. Slater is monitoring their side just in case.”
Eleanor’s voice came next. “Human Council rep has been notified that there’s a ‘routine compliance inspection’ happening at this site. If anyone asks, you’re contractors. Don’t kill anyone on camera.”
I snorted quietly. “Jarvins said I could.”
“I’ll loop the feeds, venom baby,” Slater said. “Vent your anger.”
I grinned.
Dimitri’s hand brushed mine, then interlaced our fingers under the cover of our coats. “Stay focused,” he murmured. “Save your bloodlust for later.”
“Bloodlust, hmm?” I whispered teasingly. “How are you doing with that?”
His mouth curved. “You’ll see when I have you alone.”
Heat seared down my spine. “Can’t wait.”
“Fates,” Slater muttered on the comms. “Stop flirting. You’re going to make me jealous because I’m not even there.”
“You’re always jealous,” Zuko purred through the channel, amused.
Slater scoffed. “So are you.”
“So am I,” Koa chimed in.
“Move,” Ivy cut in from outside the perimeter. “The guards are pacing, and we only have an hour to carry this mission out.”
Solon’s voice followed. “We’re in position. If you get made, we’re breaching and extracting the supernaturals by force.”
“Understood.”
Dimitri and I crossed the snow-covered field with confident steps, boots crunching the snow. Floodlights washed over us, and cameras tracked our movements. A guard in the watchtower glanced down but looked away like we weren’t interesting enough to watch.
Sylver’s dampener ring hummed faintly against my finger, and I knew it was doing what it was supposed to do.
At the staff entrance, two human guards stood with rifles slung across their chests. Their breath steamed in the cold, but one of them lifted a hand.
“ID,” he barked.
Dimitri didn’t hesitate. He held out his badge, posture bored, irritated…looking every inch a scientist who resented being questioned by security.
It reminded me of how Drecken acted.
Aw. I missed my spell daddy.
I mirrored him, letting a faint frown settle on my face, even though the thought of Drecken made me want to smile.
The guard scanned Dimitri’s badge, then mine. It beeped each time.
Slater’s voice crackled over the comms. “You’re clean. Keep moving.”
The guard handed the badges back, barely looking at us. “Don’t go into restricted zones. Basement is sealed.”
Dimitri gave a dismissive hum. “If your lab techs knew how to follow protocol, we wouldn’t be here for an inspection.”
“Inspection? Wait, you’re contractors?” The guard blinked.