Chapter 94: incompetence

Chapter 94: Chapter 94: incompetence

Amelia felt like time itself had slowed with the three of them around her. The minutes stretched, as if the rest of the canteen had faded into soft background noise.

She stopped offering Reid another bite and set the utensil down.

He looked at her, still leaning in slightly, brows drawing together.

"Why did you stop?"

"It’s closing hours," she said, glancing toward the thinning crowd. "Shouldn’t we start heading home?"

Around them, the last few students were already gathering their things. Some left with open expressions of secondhand embarrassment after watching the spectacle, faces tight as they hurried for the doors.

Others looked reluctant, lingering a second longer than necessary before duty or schedules pulled them away. A few simply kept their eyes down and moved quickly toward the exit, as though afraid of being noticed.

Dean raised one hand. ℴ

The canteen lady appeared almost instantly, wiping her palms on her apron.

"Is there anything wrong, my lord?"

"We’re leaving," Dean said evenly "Pack the rest for yourselves. Enjoy."

The woman accepted with a deep nod, relief flickering across her face, and immediately called two others to help clear and pack the remaining dishes. Trays clattered softly as they worked.

Reid turned back to Amelia, his earlier playfulness tempered. "You’re right. We should head back."

The ease with which they agreed—no argument, no power play, no pointed remarks—was something Amelia had never expected to experience in her lifetime. It unsettled her almost as much as it soothed her.

Is this actually making me feel better?

Kind of.

She could see the effort they were putting in. Whatever their reasons, they were trying to keep the promise they had made—to make her feel better. The thought settled warm and fragile in her chest for a moment.

They walked out together. The vehicle was already waiting directly at the canteen entrance, engine running, the driver standing ready.

Amelia climbed into the back seat.

A new thought settled over her as the door closed after the men got in.

What if all of this is just so they can talk to the night menace again?

The possibility hurt more than she wanted to admit. Her fingers curled slightly against her thigh. The easy softness she had carried through the meal drained away, leaving her quiet and closed-off.

She turned her face toward the window, staring at the passing scenery without really seeing it, ignoring the way all three of them glanced at her—clearly noticing the sudden change in her demeanor, yet saying nothing.

The car pulled away from the canteen and disappeared down the road.

None of them noticed the figure hovering in the air some distance away, partially veiled by the late-afternoon light.

The woman who had confronted Amelia before watched the vehicle leave with open dissatisfaction. Her jaw was tight, eyes narrowed, the air around her faintly distorted by restrained power. Cold frustration rolled off her in waves.

A man materialized beside her a moment later, floating at the same height with casual ease, a half-smile already forming.

"Why are you summoning me at this school of all places? Couldn’t it wait until—"

SLAP!!

The slap came without warning.

The force of it snapped his head hard to the side. For a split second his vision blurred; he was fairly certain one of his eyes had come close to leaving its socket. Sharp pain flared then began to fade as his body rapidly healed. He brought a hand up to his cheek, fingers trembling slightly from the residual impact.

He was furious. His shoulders tensed, power flickering under his skin—but he also knew she was holding back. If she hadn’t been, his head would no longer be attached to his shoulders.

"What’s the reason for this?"

The woman scoffed, arms crossing tightly over her chest.

"Do you think I’m a dunce? What did you do to Amelia that is making her get closer to those brothers?"

The man exhaled, some of the earlier arrogance draining from his posture. He looked away for a second before answering.

"I wasn’t expecting this to happen either. Its not my fault."

She brought a hand to her face, dragging it down in open frustration, fingers pressing hard against her temples.

"I remember telling you very clearly that we need her alive."

"For what, exactly?" he asked, a defensive edge creeping back into his tone. "Her powers aren’t anything special. So what if she keeps reincarnating with her memories intact? That doesn’t benefit us. Our history is already recorded. We’ve managed without her before."

The woman’s head turned toward him slowly.

The air around them thickened with crushing pressure and pure murderous intent. The temperature seemed to drop. Leaves on the distant trees shivered without wind.

"If you weren’t one of us," she said, voice low and lethal, "I would have ended you the moment you claimed Amelia is of no use."

The man swallowed hard. Instinct overrode pride. His shoulders dropped, and he bowed his head, throat working.

"I apologize for what I said. It was careless."

"It’s too late for that." Her gaze drifted back toward the empty road where the car had vanished, eyes narrowing further. "What happened to her only pushed her closer to the brothers. And that means they are closer to realizing they are fated mates. You do understand what it means when someone finds their fated mate, don’t you? The strength. The clarity. The way the bond rewrites priorities."

"I do."

The woman kept her eyes on the road, expression hardening into something colder and more resolved.

"Then we will have to speed up our plans. Because of your incompetence."

Her mind was already moving ahead.

The spy inside that unusual little group Amelia has been spending time with... that one will do. Amelia seems to trust them. It’s perfect.

Beside her, the man remained silent, but his thoughts burned.

Why is she still alive?

It was rare—almost unheard of—for anyone to overcome a cursed object of that level. And Amelia didn’t even understand the scale of the power she carried. So how had she survived?

It can’t be the brothers’ doing... can it?

He would get a proper explanation from Rue later. For now, he forced the anger down. Acting rashly in front of this woman would only make things worse.