Yeah, that’s the exact opposite of how I took it. “I understand. This sort of life suits you way better than me.” I left it there, letting her pick the meaning. I knew what I meant. Judging by the forced smile on her face, she knew what I meant as well.
“Why don’t we get something to drink?”
“I’m good.” I stepped back when she attempted to touch me.
It made her pause, studying me. “What’s gotten into you? Isn’t the elemutus working?”
“It mutes my powers, not my emotions.” Those were all over the map at the moment.
“Katybug—”
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.
She stiffened. As she drew in a breath to say something, probably to have the guards seize me or something to that effect, Leo suddenly appeared by my side, as per our plan. “There you are.” Although he put his arm around my waist, he addressed Sammie. “I was hoping to find you.”
“Leo.” Sammie pulled him into a wildly inappropriate hug, her hands wandering up and down his back. If one of those hands dipped any lower than his waistline, she’d lose it at the wrist. “How are you feeling?”
“A little hot,” he mused and offered a shaky grin. Dear God, he was cute as hell, and Sammie lapped it up. I heated on the inside and had to curl my hands into fists, digging my short nails into my palms to stop myself from setting them both on fire.
“I’ll say,” she purred.
Gross. My mother just hit on my boyfriend. And grosser than gross, Leo responded with a coy grin and a quick glance my way. “Maybe we should, you know, take this somewhere else.”
Sammie lit up. “I thought you’d never ask.”
This was excruciating. And nauseating. Having to stand here and witness my mom flirt with Leo and him flirt right back was more torturous than any battle with the dark side. Dear God, please let this work.
Showtime.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I shouted as Leo and Sammie walked away. I can do this. “I said, where do you think you’re going?”
“Katy?” Leo pushed Sammie behind him, bringing his arm up. “Hold on. It’s not what you think.”
“What? That I haven’t even been out of the picture a week and you sneak off with my replacement? She’s not me, Leo.”
Just as we’d expected, she pushed him out of the way and faced me. “No, Katy. I’m not. I’m better than you.”
I can do this. I can do this. “Not from where I stand.”
“Do you really think this is the smart move? Challenging me challenges the prophecy.”
“That’s exactly what I hoped you’d say.” I lifted into the air, courtesy of my element.
Sammie’s jaw dropped as she pointed. “How are you doing that? You’re wearing an elemutus.”
“Some powers are greater than a contraption created to mute an elemental.”
She hit me with a bolt of lightning so energized, it caused me to fall to the ground from the surge of electricity. Oh, the pain. So, so much pain. I’d just been electrocuted and smelled singed…well…me.
At once, half a dozen men in black surrounded me. They parted to allow Sammie to approach and kneel next to me. I couldn’t move as someone held me down with an invisible airfield.
Dammit. The plan didn’t work. She was supposed to attack me and monologue, giving away her grand scheme in front of everyone. Maybe that only happened in the comics.
My guys closed in, our backup plan in case the original plan didn’t work. Which, clearly since I was now on the ground and trapped under an airfield, Sammie remaining silent, had failed.
She reached down and unfastened the elemutus to examine it. After several seconds, she stated loudly enough for the crowd’s benefit, “Guess we need to be more selective on who we trust.” She held up the metal ring. “Who removed the real elemutus and replaced it with this?”
Her gaze traced the crowd. “Find the 3C professor. She’s behind this.”
“No need,” Stace said as she appeared at the entrance, her dark hair pulled back tight in a bun, her fancy black suit a reminder she was also a member of the Council. “I’m right here.”
“And here,” she said as another one of her appeared on the opposite side of the tent.
“And over here,” she said again, this time to the left.
“Don’t forget me,” another one of her said, this one to the right.
Four Stacey Laydens? How’d she do that?
“What sort of sorcery is this?” Albert Stephens asked, his voice shaking as he backed away.
“Dark magic,” Sammie declared and addressed the crowd. “She’s dark. Just as I suspected.”
“Astral projection is simply a form of magic,” Stace explained in four-part harmony. They all moved in unison, which was a little creepy, I wasn’t going to lie. “You should know, Samantha. You’re the one who taught me how to tap into the magic inside me. You were a great teacher. Perhaps you’d be willing to take a position here at the academy and teach others.”
What the actual what? How did I not know that? And why did she choose now of all times to drop that monumental bomb? I caught Rob coming up on my left, Bryan on my right. That meant Clay was about to drop in right behind her. On cue, he did exactly that, unannounced. We all exchanged the same shocked glances. None of them knew the connection between my mom and Stacey Layden until now.
“Teaching is for those who cannot do,” Sammie spouted in a tone puffed with attitude.
Several professors shouted out in protest. I completely agreed. Teaching wasn’t a backup. It was an art form. The ones who knew how to lead the next generation, those were the real heroes, if you asked me. I hated the woman even more for discounting such a noble profession.
Stace brought up her hands
