Page 58 of Deck of Scarlets
She massaged her neck. “My guess is, judging by the rapid increase of signals, a Magidoz nest is festering underground.”
“Have we alerted the other outposts?” queried Josh.
I sat up straighter. There were more of us?
“The others were notified last night when the report came in. Dean Poverly believes a nest hatched, larger than normal, explaining the influx. Which means—”
“Out of control newborns,” interrupted Chloe.
“Precisely.”
My eyes darted back and forth from the map covered in red dots to Thatcher and the rest of the Scarlets and Saints. It all sounded like utter nonsense. From the demon names to the terms like fleet and Bose Detectors… how did Grams keep this all under wraps for so long? Better yet, how did she keep this from me?
“When are we allowed to engage?” The man sitting beside Baron leaned forward at his desk. He was a little stocky, with a buzz cut, and he smiled from ear to ear.
Thatcher tsked a laugh. “Once the more experienced troops intervene, I promise, Asher, you will have your moment with them.”
He fist-pumped with all the men around him.
“But why do we have to wait until the others go after them?” I blurted.
Every head turned in my direction.
“Because we’re in training, you moron.”
“Shut up, Anna,” warned Josh.
Thatcher smirked as she stopped directly in front of my desk. “It would seem your grandmother lacked the skills to teach her protegee anything about our cause, Ms. Waston.”
I clenched my fists underneath my desk. “She taught me a lot of useful things.”
She leaned forward, placing both manicured hands on my desk, her eyes burning with fury. “Not enough. The reason, as Anna kindly stated, is because you’re all in training. Whether you become an Ace or join the elite troops on the battlefield, this is where you’ll be.”
“Besides missions selected by the Aces themselves,” added Kal.
She raised a perfectly sculpted, silver brow. “Any questions?”
I answered with a forced smile, digging my nails into my palm. Thatcher removed herself from my desk and walked leisurely around the room. Clicking behind her once more, a zoomed in map of Upstate New York appeared on the screen. A cluster of deep red dots surrounded one specific area. “Here, we have another nest, but reports came in that both a Magidoz and Olemak demon were spotted.”
“Together?” questioned Anna.
Thatcher nodded once. “It is not unheard of for other breeds of demonic entities to nest in the same area; however, it is extremely rare.
Josh sat straight, eyes scanning all areas of the map as he said, “I’m assuming a fleet was sent not too long ago to handle that?”
“Wave one was sent at five this morning. If most of the horde is eliminated, then a few of you are allowed to go to clean up any scraps. Of course, it will be supervised.”
I had zero knowledge or experience of this world. I kept pinching myself underneath my desk, hoping I’d wake up from this godawful nightmare.
“Yes! Finally!” hollered Asher.
Ignoring his excitement, Thatcher shut off the projector and flicked on the lights. “For now, we will monitor the area closely. No word is good when it comes to the special ops missions, but once we get the okay, I’ll speak to the others and form a four-unit squad.”
Class was dismissed as she returned to her desk.
“Miss Watson, a word please?” called Thatcher.
Chloe gave me a warning look before I trekked to the front of the class. Thatcher sat at her desk, typing away on her slim, black laptop. I waited with both hands clenched on my backpack straps over my shoulders as she clicked a few times on the mouse before slamming it shut.