to my coherent state, I was face-to-face with the happiest young man I'd ever met. Justin, Oscar's bow-tied receptionist.
"Welcome back, Miss Winters," he chirped. "It's not often we get repeat visitors."
"Lucky me," I said.
"Pinky will meet us on the way to Oscar. I've been instructed to escort you down the hall."
I stood and was pleased to note I didn't wobble or feel sick to my stomach. Score one for Pinky power.
I noticed the training rooms were empty today. The last time I was here, Pinky was teaching basic cloaking spells to a room full of magicians.
"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Are they cloaked?"
Justin chuckled. "No, Miss Winters. Basic training classes are on hold until after the games. Everyone's focused on the team."
My stomach churned. The Colony Games were clearly important to them. If they wanted Pinky to participate, I had a feeling it was going to be difficult to dissuade them. Wouldn't stop me from trying, though.
"Oh, good," Pinky said, hurrying down the hall to meet us. "You're not green." She handed me a bottle of water.
A stocky brunette with a face full of overdone makeup came toward us clutching a clipboard. She wore a fluffy blouse and a pencil skirt that reminded me of a Fifties secretary.
"Pinky," she said, "you know how busy Oscar is with the games. Why would you bring a distraction?" She gave me a pointed look.
"Hi Gina. This is Alyse Winters."
"I know who she is," Gina snapped. "What's she doing here?"
She knew me? That was interesting because I didn't know her. Maybe there was a familiar face under all that blush and eyeliner.
"She needs to speak to Oscar."
"About Kieran," I added. It was only a partial lie.
"What about Kieran?"
I spun around to see Oscar behind us.
"Pinky, I understand you brought a guest," he said. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. I guess she didn't tell him who the guest was.
"Can we talk somewhere in private?" I asked. The Enclave Headquarters was designed with glass walls and open doorways. Although I wasn't certain there was a private place to talk, it was worth a try.
Pinky lightly touched his arm. "Quarantine?"
Gina dropped her clipboard to her side. "Quarantine isn't a place for idle gossip." Her cool gaze shifted to Oscar. "You're scheduled to be in training room three in fifteen minutes."
"I thought Justin was your secretary," I said to Oscar. The look on Gina's face was priceless.
Oscar adjusted his collar. "Justin is the official receptionist of the Enclave. Gina is my second in command."
"Oh. My apologies. I've never seen a second in command carrying a clipboard before." Did anyone carry a clipboard anymore?
Oscar gestured to Pinky and me. "Let's go."
We followed him down one of the long glass corridors until we reached an elevator. Instead of steel doors, we were met with more glass.
"The architect must own stock in Windex," I joked.
We stepped inside and went down three levels. Quarantine was its own floor.
"Nobody's sick today?" I asked as we entered the empty room. Oscar pressed his finger to the elevator button and uttered a word, locking the elevator door behind us.
"How can I help you, Miss Winters?" he asked.
"First, I want to let you know that a drug was found in Kieran's system." I hopped up on one of the examining tables and made myself comfortable.
Oscar was taken off guard. "No, that isn't right."
"I'm afraid it is. PTF had a second autopsy done. Have you heard of a drug called X-caliber?"
Oscar unfolded his handkerchief and blotted his forehead. "No. What do you know about it?"
"Nothing, other than your guy was pumped full of it. Did Kieran feel under pressure to perform well in the games?"
"They all feel pressure. Wouldn't you?"
"Is there a reason you can think of that he might have felt he needed an artificial advantage?" I asked. "Maybe he wasn't performing as well in training as his teammates."
"Kieran's performance was excellent," he said. "I noticed nothing unusual during his training sessions."
I doubted
"Welcome back, Miss Winters," he chirped. "It's not often we get repeat visitors."
"Lucky me," I said.
"Pinky will meet us on the way to Oscar. I've been instructed to escort you down the hall."
I stood and was pleased to note I didn't wobble or feel sick to my stomach. Score one for Pinky power.
I noticed the training rooms were empty today. The last time I was here, Pinky was teaching basic cloaking spells to a room full of magicians.
"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Are they cloaked?"
Justin chuckled. "No, Miss Winters. Basic training classes are on hold until after the games. Everyone's focused on the team."
My stomach churned. The Colony Games were clearly important to them. If they wanted Pinky to participate, I had a feeling it was going to be difficult to dissuade them. Wouldn't stop me from trying, though.
"Oh, good," Pinky said, hurrying down the hall to meet us. "You're not green." She handed me a bottle of water.
A stocky brunette with a face full of overdone makeup came toward us clutching a clipboard. She wore a fluffy blouse and a pencil skirt that reminded me of a Fifties secretary.
"Pinky," she said, "you know how busy Oscar is with the games. Why would you bring a distraction?" She gave me a pointed look.
"Hi Gina. This is Alyse Winters."
"I know who she is," Gina snapped. "What's she doing here?"
She knew me? That was interesting because I didn't know her. Maybe there was a familiar face under all that blush and eyeliner.
"She needs to speak to Oscar."
"About Kieran," I added. It was only a partial lie.
"What about Kieran?"
I spun around to see Oscar behind us.
"Pinky, I understand you brought a guest," he said. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. I guess she didn't tell him who the guest was.
"Can we talk somewhere in private?" I asked. The Enclave Headquarters was designed with glass walls and open doorways. Although I wasn't certain there was a private place to talk, it was worth a try.
Pinky lightly touched his arm. "Quarantine?"
Gina dropped her clipboard to her side. "Quarantine isn't a place for idle gossip." Her cool gaze shifted to Oscar. "You're scheduled to be in training room three in fifteen minutes."
"I thought Justin was your secretary," I said to Oscar. The look on Gina's face was priceless.
Oscar adjusted his collar. "Justin is the official receptionist of the Enclave. Gina is my second in command."
"Oh. My apologies. I've never seen a second in command carrying a clipboard before." Did anyone carry a clipboard anymore?
Oscar gestured to Pinky and me. "Let's go."
We followed him down one of the long glass corridors until we reached an elevator. Instead of steel doors, we were met with more glass.
"The architect must own stock in Windex," I joked.
We stepped inside and went down three levels. Quarantine was its own floor.
"Nobody's sick today?" I asked as we entered the empty room. Oscar pressed his finger to the elevator button and uttered a word, locking the elevator door behind us.
"How can I help you, Miss Winters?" he asked.
"First, I want to let you know that a drug was found in Kieran's system." I hopped up on one of the examining tables and made myself comfortable.
Oscar was taken off guard. "No, that isn't right."
"I'm afraid it is. PTF had a second autopsy done. Have you heard of a drug called X-caliber?"
Oscar unfolded his handkerchief and blotted his forehead. "No. What do you know about it?"
"Nothing, other than your guy was pumped full of it. Did Kieran feel under pressure to perform well in the games?"
"They all feel pressure. Wouldn't you?"
"Is there a reason you can think of that he might have felt he needed an artificial advantage?" I asked. "Maybe he wasn't performing as well in training as his teammates."
"Kieran's performance was excellent," he said. "I noticed nothing unusual during his training sessions."
I doubted
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