Shoot.
As I’m wracking my brain to remember at least one name, feeling a bit like an asshole since Griffin isn’t a huge school, the door opens, and one last recruit is ushered inside.
I glance toward the door, then do a double-take as my stomach drops like I’m on a rollercoaster.
Holy… wowza.
I have to work to keep my jaw from dropping, and I swallow hard.
Oh my God. The new arrival is tall, with insanely broad shoulders and dark blond hair swept away from his forehead, and a jaw that’s so chiseled I could probably cut glass with his face.
I didn’t know guys this handsome actually existed in real life. That shoulder to waist ratio alone, I mean, holy shit. He looks like he could pick a guy up and throw him across the room, no problem.
I quickly look away as he nears the group of chairs, hoping that the feeling of my face burning up doesn’t mean I’m blushing as red as a fire hydrant. The last thing I need on day one is to make myself look like an idiot over some cute guy. I’m not here to flirt, I’m here to work.
Not that I’m any good at flirting. Or maybe I am. I don’t know. I’ve never really tried it.
I’ve been a little busy the past few years. I never had much time for friendship, and I definitely didn’t have time for a relationship.
My skin prickles with awareness as the blond-haired guy settles into the seat next to me. I keep my gaze averted, not trusting myself not to stare if I look at him again. There are several open chairs left, and I really wasn’t expecting him to pick the one right next to me. He even smells nice. Something pleasant and spicy, like oak and cinnamon.
Before I can make too big a fool of myself by sniffing at the air like a bloodhound, someone else enters the room and strides into the small open area at the front of the room. It’s almost a stage, except that it’s not elevated.
The woman holding our attention is wearing a crisp, light gray suit, her platinum blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun. I recognize her immediately. It’s Aurora Montgomery, the woman I first spoke to about working for IUM. She’s a pretty big deal. She used to work with the Circuit helping get magic users into the right school until IUM was created. Now she works here, recruiting for the institute.
“Good morning,” Aurora says, and the few people who were still chatting fall silent immediately. She gives one sharp nod, apparently pleased. “Welcome to IUM. You are fortunate to be part of the new wave of Unpredictables who are respected within the magical community. But it wasn’t always this way. It was only a few short years ago that your kind were distrusted, disenfranchised, and looked down upon. That is not something to take lightly. Just because we have achieved such a great step forward does not mean that this journey is finished.”
She surveys us all carefully, her pale blonde hair gleaming under the light. Aurora isn’t an Unpredictable herself, but she’s been involved in our community for years, so it makes sense that she was brought on when the institute formed.
“As an IUM agent, you will represent the entire Unpredictable community. You have a responsibility to continue to show the magical community at large that you are what people have finally accepted you to be: good people. Responsible magic users.”
Aurora’s manner is pretty much the same as when I spoke to her about applying to IUM. She takes care to find each one of us at some point as she talks and look each of us in the eye. Her no-nonsense attitude is a little intimidating, but I appreciate it. There’s nothing wrong with taking your job seriously.
“I will be in charge of your training as agents,” she continues. “As the person who recruited you, I am responsible for your presence here. If your conduct as an IUM agent is anything other than responsible, honest, and professional, you will be hearing from me. And you do not want to hear from me.”
Yeah, I can believe that.
The Adonis next to me grins slightly, and his shoulders move up and down. It’s not quite a snort, since he makes no noise, but it feels like one. Not like he’s making fun of Aurora, but more like he’s agreeing with her about nobody wanting to hear from her.
It makes me crack a small smile to myself, and I turn my head away to hide it.
Serious. This is serious, Rae.
“Your primary job here at IUM will be to find Unpredictables for whom the former system has failed.” Aurora presses her hands together, her tone as sharp and businesslike as ever. “We want to recruit these Unpredictables, bring them out of hiding, and help them to get any training or education they need.”
I nod along as she speaks. I’ve read through the IUM mission statement at least a dozen times by now. I could probably recite large chunks of it by memory. In my sleep.
“It used to be that Unpredictables faced a hard choice when their powers were discovered. You could either have your magic removed from you, or you could go to the only school in the entire country that trained those with Unpredictable magic. Now, there are more options and opportunities available. We want to make sure that now all new Unpredictables can take advantage of the new system.”
The guy next to me leans forward a little, a small smile curving his lips. He’s got a little dimple in his cheek that pops out when he grins.
Of course, as soon as I notice that, I also realize that I’m paying attention to him and not to Aurora’s speech. Flushing, I drag my focus back to the woman at the front of the room.
“We maintain a massive database of Unpredictables and their magic so that we can understand the different powers and how they work. And of course, IUM is also prepared to face possible attacks from rogue magic users,” Aurora says. Then she pauses, lifting one eyebrow. “But I’ll be frank with you. Most of your job is going to focus on education, support, and outreach, not on running around fending off magical attacks. Am I clear?”
There’s a chorus of quiet affirmations from the recruits around me. I nod along with everyone else.
“But of course,” Aurora finishes, “before we get to any of that, you will first have to prove that you’ve really got what it takes to be a part of IUM. That you are in fact made of the right material. Because while it is highly unlikely that you’ll deal with any kind of magical attack, you need to be prepared for one. So we’ll be starting you out with a series of tests, beginning today. Best of luck.”
She pauses, her eyes coolly assessing us as she sweeps her gaze over everyone. She doesn’t have to say anything else. I can practically feel her thinking some of you won’t make it.
Well, I’m not going to be one of those who doesn’t. I’m sure as hell going to pass whatever tests or challenges they throw at us. This is exactly why I kept my nose to the grindstone for the past three years. So that I’d be prepared for anything.
I can feel the nervousness of everyone around me, people fidgeting in their seats as they absorb Aurora’s words.
Only one other person seems to be as ready and determined as I am. The broad-shouldered man next to me isn’t fidgeting or tensing up. In fact, the little smile curving his lips only seems to have gotten wider, as if he’s excited about the prospect of having to prove himself.
If there’s anyone in this group who’s going to give me a run for my money as the top of the new recruits, I have a feeling it’ll be this guy.