Page 40 of A Lesson in Deceit (Mystic Riegan Duet #1)

Riley

M ateo had changed clothes and now wore a fitted t-shirt and black suspenders. Apparently, there was a shower in the back room of the bar and they had cleaned up, coming to sit with us. Their hair was still damp, looking much darker than when I saw them on video chats with Corrin.

Jade sat a beer in front of her sibling, giving them a less than friendly smile.

“You can’t be too upset with me. I tried to explain. No todo el mundo habla lobo .” Mateo pouted, wrapping their hand around the glass. Their accent wasn’t overly thick, but they put a little more stress at the end of their words. Jade’s was the exact same way.

“I don’t think anyone actually speaks wolf,” I answered, translating.

Mateo’s mouth quirked up into a smile. “I like this one.” Corrin was snuggled up to their side, tracing her finger through their trimmed beard.

“There are actually people who do speak wolf, but why anyone would want to hear what this one has to say, I’ll never understand.” Jade plopped down in her chair with her own beer.

“I’m sure River could have read their mind and not ran away like I did.” Marianne took a sip of her drink. “I ran track in high school and I’m regretting not keeping up at least my stretching like I used to. My legs are killing me from all that running.”

“You ran for like five minutes,” I joked.

She balled up the paper from her straw covering and threw it at me. Mateo cleared their throat. “We’re getting someone to fix your car. You’ll be able to leave tonight, no problem.”

Marianne nodded, looking over at me as if I was meant to spill everything I was supposed to say right at this very moment.

The door opened and Mateo looked over their shoulder. They patted Corrin’s leg quickly. “ Mi amor , there’s your girl.”

A tall girl with red hair down to her shoulders stepped inside. She wore leggings and an oversized t-shirt tucked into the front. A few other girls followed behind her. She scanned the room, catching sight of Corrin.

Her mouth opened and it seemed as if she wanted to laugh but no noise came out. She turned towards one of her friends, saying something and then turning back to head our way. “Corrin, how’s that cute little coven of yours?”

Corrin heaved out a breath. “Just fine, thanks for asking, Pen.”

“Funny, I heard one of your own just up and vanished and then got plopped right back into society, like nothing ever happened.”

Corrin’s face faltered for a moment. “How do you know that?”

Pen shrugged, “Just because I graduated doesn’t mean I’m completely above university gossip. I also know your pretentious little school isn’t doing fuck all about it.”

“Woah, what…” Mateo started, casting a look over at Corrin.

“We’re trying to fix that,” I cut in, knowing this little back and forth spat between them could have gone on for a while if I let it.

Pen swiveled on her heels to give me her full attention. “And who are you?”

I swallowed, throwing a glance at Marianne, who was desperately trying to keep up with the conversation.

I pushed my chair back, stepping up to Pen who raised her eyebrows.

“I’m the girl whose dad likely died due to someone associated with that coven, and I would like you to help me figure it the fuck out.

You’ll know that Celica Coven isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and you’ll be doing me a large favor. ”

Pen smirked, sizing me up. “I don’t care much about doing you a large favor, but you had me at proving Celica Coven is a shit show. What exactly do you need from me….” She sighed expectantly, waiting for me to give her my name.

“Riley.”

She nodded as if my name would stay in her mind until our dealing was over and she could forget about me. Pen tucked her hair behind her ear, tapping Mateo on the shoulder. “Do you mind letting us talk and getting me a drink?”

Mateo grumbled but got up. “We are still going to talk about this.” They gave Corrin a knowing look, walking over to the bar.

“Riley, what the fuck. This is about your dad?” Marianne scooted her chair closer to me.

“Yeah, I need to explain?—”

Pen cleared her throat. “Whatever you’re about to say can wait, I’m sure. You want me to put all the pieces together for you?” She blinked, waiting for my response.

“Maybe not those words exactly, but yes,” I said, leaning into the table.

Pen looked around at us and then started laughing.

“Listen, the way my magic works is I need to be in the room where it happened. I need to touch things, stand in the same place as your dad and then the whole imagery comes to mind. It’s not as simple as you telling me some shit and I can just solve the crime. ”

Jade huffed. “ ?Que increíble! Why are you even fucking sitting here then.” She downed her beer, leaning back in her chair. Mateo’s sister didn’t know anything about, well, anything, and she was just as frustrated as me.

Pen let out another laugh. “I don’t want to step foot on your campus, that’s all. That doesn’t mean I can’t help you. You’ll just have to do a bit more work.” She swung her head to face Corrin.

My roommate pressed her lips together. “What do I have to do?”

Pen sighed, giving Corrin a patronizing look. “What you do best, potions witch.”

“How is a potion going to help?” Marianne questioned, one of her blonde eyebrows raising.

“Ugh.” Pen pulled at her hair, plucking out a strand and reaching for a napkin.

She placed the hair on top, sliding it over to Corrin.

“Witches’ magic flows through our entire bodies, from the top of our head to the tips of our toes.

Therefore, if you are as good at creation and extraction as you say you are, then you won’t have a problem pulling some memory magic from this and using it. ”

Corrin stared at the hair. “You want me to create a brew that mimics your powers for what? Riley to drink?”

“Or you could grind it up and create a powder to throw in her face. I don’t fucking care what you do, but you’ll need to do the same thing as me to even make it work.” Pen looked up when Mateo came back around with her drink. She gave them her fakest smile, while Mateo just rolled their eyes.

“I’ll have to get into my dads office.” I tapped my fingers against the table.

“Can’t you just ask to be let in?” Marianne asked, placing her hands in her lap.

“I’m trying not to draw so much attention to myself. It already seems like only a handful of people even knew he was my dad and just a lot of people suspect. I want to be absolutely sure before I go causing a scene about it.”

“There’s also no way you could take something like that and no one ask questions, especially when you actually learn the truth,” Corrin said, taking the napkin and folding it over so she wouldn’t lose the one thing we needed to make this work.

“The truth being that your coven isn’t taking care of their own and they’re probably murderers?” Pen clucked her tongue, picking a piece of lint off her shirt.

“I think we’re done here.” Jade placed her elbows on the table, her loose curls falling over her shoulders.

The redhead picked up her drink. “Good luck with your witch hunt.” She cackled as she walked back over to her friends. Mateo immediately took their spot back, forcing Corrin to give them her attention. “Explain, right the fuck now.”

Corrin rubbed her temples, and I gave her a sympathetic look. I felt a tug on my jacket and looked over at Marianne. “I love you and all, but you are going to have to open your fucking mouth right now and spill.”

“Let me get this straight. You transferred out of community college to go to Mystic Riegan, so that you could set the record straight that your dad didn’t fall or jump out his office window like everyone said?

No one knows besides your roommate and her partner…

and their sibling now, I suppose?” Marianne said each word slowly.

“Yup.”

“Okay ...and now you know that witches are going missing from the central coven of the university, all of which had the power that pushed your dad out a window.” She snapped her fingers.

“Also, the witches are now slowly reappearing but like someone fingered their minds? And your big bad is stealing powers somehow…sort of, because you saw a bunch of powers on a piece of glass you found in the grass.” Her words trailed off, but then she caught my eye again.

“And you need this Pen girl’s magic to see who did it or how it happened, but you will need to sneak into his office to do said…

magic.” She closed one of her eyes as if she was a bit iffy on that last part.

I snorted. “Fingering their minds?”

“I don’t know how else to put it, Riley. It all sounds a little convoluted.”

I pressed my tongue to the inside of my cheek, leaning my body against the wall. We’d moved away from everyone and had a little corner to ourselves. “So you don’t believe me or any of this?”

Marianne reared her head back, looking insulted. “I never said that. I’m all the way in a different fucking state. I come here to see you and I’m hit with all of this. Give me a break, pretty please.”

I nodded, placing my head against the wall.

“Are you planning on telling your mom?”

I let out a choked cough. “Not yet. She was already mildly against me going to Mystic Riegan in the first place. I’m not going to bring up anything that could cause her to backslide when she’s made so much progress since he died.”

“And what about you, hmm? This is a fucking lot for someone. You lost your dad and now you plan to go find his killer. I’m a little nervous that you’ll just combust one day, and at the wrong moment at that.”

I scoffed. “I can handle myself and my feelings. My dad would want me to figure it out. The fact that I let people in on anything at all is a good sign, right?”

Marianne took my hands in hers. “Fine, I suppose you’re right. If you think it wasn’t an accident, then neither do I. I just hope you’re being careful in all this. You’re going after someone who might have killed your dad, Riley, so what makes you think they won’t hurt you also?

“It’s a risk I have to take.”

“Rebelliousness is kind of hot on you.” She squeezed my hands.

“You’ll find your truth, whatever that ends up being and I’ll be here to gush about how my best friend maintained a straight A average while being only a sophomore and attempting to take on a coven and a university in the name of justice. ”

I held my stomach as I laughed. “I’m not Batman, stop it.”

She tapped her chin. “Well, have we ever actually seen you and Batman in the same room?”

I was practically wheezing from laughing so hard.

Marianne tugged me over to the bar. “I thought your lack of text messages meant that you had replaced me, not that you were starring in your own thriller. I did always think you were a fan of spicy romance and that’s it.”

I hummed, wanting to hide my smile. Marianne gasped. “Wait, is there spicy romance?” She held her finger out in front of my face. “Hold on, you’re already in a spicy romance with your boyfriend, so that’s old news.”

“Yeah, you might want a drink for this.”

Marianne’s mouth dropped into an O before she squealed. “Riley Marie Monroe, what have you done, or should I ask who ?”