“Dismiss us for the day, and I’ll stop,” I told him with a shrug. “At this current rate, you’re going to have a very public, very unsatisfying orgasm,” I said. I kept this odd balance between my demon’s sinister desires and my own humor. “I don’t think any of us want to witness that.”
Oz looked around the room in rock-hard embarrassment.
I looked around the room too, only to notice that all of the trainers were headed my way, coins in hand.
Shit.
“Get on the ground, spider bitch,” one of them said. “Hands flat on the floor.”
My spider turned, watching as the trainers converged around us.
Beside me, Tomb’s gargoyle tensed, his cool, hard arm touching mine. “If you touch her, I will kill you,” he said, his voice a growl of gravel and threat.
“Your skin is indestructible, but hers sure as shit isn’t,” the other trainer replied. “How many relics burning into her skin at one time before she passes out from the pain, do you think?”
It was such bullshit. We were some of the strongest supes in the world, but the sight of those glimmering, glorified quarters had me trembling.
The other hybrids shifted on their feet, watching nervously, probably wondering if I was about to get everyone punished. Crow stepped forward, slipping next to me, as if he was ready to intervene. I heard some of his birds flying over my head, ready to protect me at all costs.
When the trainers formed a circle around us, the tension in the room spiked, and my palms twitched, ready to send out webs to snatch up every damn coin and trainer in this room.
Shit was about to go down.
“Trainers, stand down.”
The sudden voice took everyone by surprise. I whipped my head over to see heavily armed guards marching toward us, and one man wearing a suit. Tomb and I exchanged a look. This was bad. Really bad.
The suited official had an earpiece in his ear, and the guards flanked him while he spoke to someone. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. I’ll bring her up immediately, sir.”
The guards formed a row in front of us. Crow placed his fingers on my lower back in silent reassurance, and Tomb placed himself in front of me, ready to fight.
Once the Suit was done appeasing whoever was speaking to him over his earpiece, he turned his attention to Oz. “President Belvini wants to speak with the Black Widow immediately. He says no one is to harm her, or there will be consequences.”
My mouth dropped open in shock. President Belvini wanted to see me? What could he possibly want?
Oz blanched. “Victor, you can’t be serious. She used her powers against me! You know the rules; she needs to be punished. I deserve to be the one to do it,” he said through clenched teeth.
The suited man looked unamused. He was a thin man with cold eyes and thinning hair. I sniffed the air. Was he...human?
“President Belvini makes the rules around here. The only thing you deserve is a demotion for not knowing how to handle your trainee.”
Oz’s cheeks mottled a furious red, and he looked like he wanted to argue more, but it was a bit hard to take him seriously with the raging boner still poking through his slacks.
Luckily, Lowell came forward from where he’d been observing the entire thing. “Of course, Victor. Miss Coven can be taken there immediately. And please let President Belvini know that we will have the reports he requested on his desk in three hours,” the brown-nosing scientist said.
“Better make it one hour, Lowell.” Victor slid his eyes to me before continuing. “Due to recent developments, we are pushing up the timeline for our plans. I suggest you have your team ready.”
Lowell turned pale but nodded his head. “Of course.”
“Come along, Miss Coven.”
I hesitated, watching Victor warily from around Tomb’s body. “What does he want with me?”
The man sighed and looked up at the ceiling, either to appreciate my roped web or out of impatience. “You are in no place to be asking questions.”
Crow’s hand was still at my back, and he gave me a little brush of his fingers to comfort me, but Tomb was still a statue standing sentry in front of me. I stepped around him, reaching down and squeezing his hand once in reassurance. He looked down at me, worry and disagreement warring over his features. “It’s okay,” I told him.
Afraid that he might try to haul me up over his shoulder and carry me out of here, I quickly slipped out of his grip and stepped toward the guards. “Lead the way,” I said, sounding way more relaxed about it than I really was.
I was quickly shuffled out, walking in the middle of guards boxing me in from every side. We went out of the training room and into an elevator, where we went up at least a few floors. The guards were straight-faced, silent, and tense, while Victor was talking on his earpiece the whole time, bossing people around.
“No, no, no. Get the Howell files for the noon meeting, and the Howl files for the soonest meeting! Honestly, it’s like I’m talking to an imbecile.”
The short elevator ride brought us up to a floor I’d never been to before. I couldn’t see much between the guards’ bodies, but unlike the thick concrete walls and white tiled floors, this part looked more like an executive building in a high rise than a military bunker. There were even paintings hung on the wall, as if an interior designer came in to spruce the place up.
The guards led me all the way down to the end of another hallway, where there was a prim looking secretary typing away, while two armed guards stood by a pair of frosted glass doors.
As soon as the secretary saw us coming, she jumped to her feet. “Finally! He’s been waiting for a full four minutes!” she hissed, looking distressed. “Hurry up and get her in there
