look.
“Cassie, Braedyn’s right.” Lucas turned on Cassie. “This is a terrible idea.”
“Really?” Cassie crossed her arms. “Because, unless you’ve read my mind,” and here she glared at me, “none of you even knows what my idea is yet.”
I glanced at the others. Royal kept his lips firmly sealed. Lucas’s expression was grim.
“Why don’t you tell us your idea, which just might be a brilliant one, Cassie?” Cassie asked in a lilting voice. “Oh, sure, guys, glad you asked,” she answered herself. “Let’s grab some lunch and I’ll fill you in.” Without waiting for a response, Cassie walked into the dining room. Lucas, Royal, and I had no choice but to follow her.
Ten minutes later, we’d collected our food, settled around our usual table, and served ourselves. No one paid much attention to the food; all our eyes were fixed on Cassie.
“So let’s hear it.” I stabbed a piece of broccoli with my fork. Cassie shifted in her seat, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.
“Okay,” Cassie said quietly. “I talked to Missy, and she says Carrie’s clammed up about the meetings.”
“Missy’s interested in this stuff?” Royal looked surprised. “Seems kind of airy-fairy for her.”
“No, Missy thinks the whole thing is stupid,” Cassie said. “She attributes Carrie’s involvement to some college-girl woman-power kick. Apparently Carrie took some kind of women’s studies class last semester and Idris came and spoke. Whatever she said was strong enough to get Carrie to take a semester off from college.” Cassie shrugged. “Like I said, Missy thinks she’s insane.”
“What’s the plan, Cassie?” Lucas asked.
“I’m getting to it. Patience.” Cassie shot Lucas an irritated glance. “The plan is I go to the meetings, and Braedyn listens in.”
Royal shook his head, confused. “If these guys are as paranoid as you think they are, won’t they search newcomers for listening devices?”
“Not with a listening device,” Cassie said, glancing at me. “She’s going to listen
through me.
”
I stared at Cassie, surprised.
“Huh.” Lucas glanced at me thoughtfully.
Royal looked from Lucas to me. “What am I missing here?”
“Braedyn might be able to make contact with Cassie’s mind to see and hear what Cassie sees and hears,” Lucas said slowly. “She’s done it before.”
“But—” I shook my head, trying to process everything. “That was a crisis. I don’t know if I can just pop into someone else’s mind like that.” I snapped my fingers.
“Then we should practice before I go to the meeting,” Cassie said.
“Hold on.” Royal pushed his plate away. “You can mind-spy on people and I’m just hearing about this now?”
“It’s not a skill I’ve been cultivating,” I said sourly. I turned to Cassie. “You’re ignoring the very reason I didn’t want you involved in this in the first place. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way.”
“Yes, there’s some risk,” Cassie said, “but there’d be risk for anyone attempting to spy on the Cult, wouldn’t there be?”
“The spotters are trained to fight,” Lucas reminded her.
“And I’m nothing but a high school junior?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lucas said.
“Don’t you get it? I’m the perfect mole,” Cassie insisted. “I don’t look like a fighter. I won’t ruffle any feathers. I’m just going to listen.” Cassie glanced at me. “And if you sense any real danger, you’ll know where I am. You can swoop in and save me.”
I didn’t answer her. Cassie sat back. They all turned toward me, waiting.
“There’s one problem with that logic,” I said. “If you run up against
real
danger, I might not be fast enough to save you.”
“Then let’s hope we get what we need quickly.” Cassie met my gaze with an intractable gleam in her eyes. I glanced back down at my plate. Cassie was resolved to do this; that much was clear. Which meant, if
“Cassie, Braedyn’s right.” Lucas turned on Cassie. “This is a terrible idea.”
“Really?” Cassie crossed her arms. “Because, unless you’ve read my mind,” and here she glared at me, “none of you even knows what my idea is yet.”
I glanced at the others. Royal kept his lips firmly sealed. Lucas’s expression was grim.
“Why don’t you tell us your idea, which just might be a brilliant one, Cassie?” Cassie asked in a lilting voice. “Oh, sure, guys, glad you asked,” she answered herself. “Let’s grab some lunch and I’ll fill you in.” Without waiting for a response, Cassie walked into the dining room. Lucas, Royal, and I had no choice but to follow her.
Ten minutes later, we’d collected our food, settled around our usual table, and served ourselves. No one paid much attention to the food; all our eyes were fixed on Cassie.
“So let’s hear it.” I stabbed a piece of broccoli with my fork. Cassie shifted in her seat, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.
“Okay,” Cassie said quietly. “I talked to Missy, and she says Carrie’s clammed up about the meetings.”
“Missy’s interested in this stuff?” Royal looked surprised. “Seems kind of airy-fairy for her.”
“No, Missy thinks the whole thing is stupid,” Cassie said. “She attributes Carrie’s involvement to some college-girl woman-power kick. Apparently Carrie took some kind of women’s studies class last semester and Idris came and spoke. Whatever she said was strong enough to get Carrie to take a semester off from college.” Cassie shrugged. “Like I said, Missy thinks she’s insane.”
“What’s the plan, Cassie?” Lucas asked.
“I’m getting to it. Patience.” Cassie shot Lucas an irritated glance. “The plan is I go to the meetings, and Braedyn listens in.”
Royal shook his head, confused. “If these guys are as paranoid as you think they are, won’t they search newcomers for listening devices?”
“Not with a listening device,” Cassie said, glancing at me. “She’s going to listen
through me.
”
I stared at Cassie, surprised.
“Huh.” Lucas glanced at me thoughtfully.
Royal looked from Lucas to me. “What am I missing here?”
“Braedyn might be able to make contact with Cassie’s mind to see and hear what Cassie sees and hears,” Lucas said slowly. “She’s done it before.”
“But—” I shook my head, trying to process everything. “That was a crisis. I don’t know if I can just pop into someone else’s mind like that.” I snapped my fingers.
“Then we should practice before I go to the meeting,” Cassie said.
“Hold on.” Royal pushed his plate away. “You can mind-spy on people and I’m just hearing about this now?”
“It’s not a skill I’ve been cultivating,” I said sourly. I turned to Cassie. “You’re ignoring the very reason I didn’t want you involved in this in the first place. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way.”
“Yes, there’s some risk,” Cassie said, “but there’d be risk for anyone attempting to spy on the Cult, wouldn’t there be?”
“The spotters are trained to fight,” Lucas reminded her.
“And I’m nothing but a high school junior?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lucas said.
“Don’t you get it? I’m the perfect mole,” Cassie insisted. “I don’t look like a fighter. I won’t ruffle any feathers. I’m just going to listen.” Cassie glanced at me. “And if you sense any real danger, you’ll know where I am. You can swoop in and save me.”
I didn’t answer her. Cassie sat back. They all turned toward me, waiting.
“There’s one problem with that logic,” I said. “If you run up against
real
danger, I might not be fast enough to save you.”
“Then let’s hope we get what we need quickly.” Cassie met my gaze with an intractable gleam in her eyes. I glanced back down at my plate. Cassie was resolved to do this; that much was clear. Which meant, if
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