Page 6

Usually, when someone smiles, it displays happiness or amusement. Mitri’s smile says, quite clearly, ‘This is going to hurt you, and I’m going to enjoy it.’

“Manipulation like that doesn’t work on interdimensional beings,” Kimi protests and then changes his stance to hold out his left hand to Mitri. “But if you put a ring on it, I’ll wear it, babe.”

“He’s right,” Ben says over his shoulder to me. “I don’t know how Tremaine managed it without help. She’s only a mid-level mage, and that’s not even her specialty. That's why I was taken by surprise.”

“The Delegates should be considered corrupted,” Mitri says calmly. “It would take multiple participants to control so many individuals simultaneously. None of the Delegates I have questioned remembered me or any other Agent. The question has become, are they at fault or puppets themselves?”

“You’ve been ‘questioning’ Delegates?” Mal asks. He makes air quotes with his fingers as he asks.

“Yes,” Mitri nods once.

“How many are dead?” Kimi grins and bounces on his toes as he leans closer to Mitri.

“At present, four. They all bore a symbol on their flesh in different locations. I do not recognize it.” Mitri says it so as a matter of fact that I can only marvel at his calm.

“What’s it look like?” Kimi shuffles closer to Mitri, and I notice they’ve all subtly been keeping pace with Ben and me.

Mitri reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a carefully folded handkerchief. When he opens it, several clean-cut squares of bloodied flesh are revealed, all bearing a familiar symbol.

“You are the gift that keeps on giving, bestie!” Kimi cries out and snatches a piece to shake it around in the air.

Ben stiffens, and I place my hand on his back.

“Youkilled them,” Ben turns his head towards Mitri, but his eyes stay on the tiny scrap of skin.

“Of course,” Mitri agrees without inflection. “They held no useful information, and their memories were wiped of any pertinent event in my investigation.”

Ben and I digest that as Kimi dances and sings to the symbol.

“What was the investigation?” Ben asks, suddenly unconcerned about their deaths.

“To locate Beatrice. The records of her incarceration were not kept and I wished to know why.”

I’m surprised he’s sharing with the class.

“Is it possible,” I begin hesitantly, thinking of the best way to phrase my question as I stare at the scraps of skin in disgust. “That she went a littletoofar?”

“Yeah,” Ben answers grimly and shakes his head with exasperation.

“So, she didn’t just wipe my record,” I try to confirm as my attention goes to his tense back.

“She wiped any knowledge of any events dealing with you from their minds,” Ben sighs.

“If she could whammy the Delegates that hard, then why not do it to them?” I gesture to the Agents around us as they watch our conversation with confused head tilts.

“Think about it, Bees.”

I think like Scilla and come up with nothing. I guess I’m not evil enough to be on par with her.

“Just tell me. It’s late. I’m exhausted and don’t feel like thinking hard thoughts anymore.”

Kimi stops his dance to laugh at my whining.

“She wanted you to solve your own problem.”

“She wanted me tokillthem?” I can feel my face draining of color at the thought, and I grip his shirt to try and shore up my now wobbly knees.

“Not necessarily,” Ben shakes his head, completely at ease with that plan while I freak out.