Free Caged (Talented Saga) by Sophie Davis Page B

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    Thad seemed friendly enough. He asked me to sit in the back of the class and just observe for the day. Happy to oblige, I tuned out his lecture on the Great Contamination, and observed the students in the class instead. Nobody stood out as being particularly devious, but I imagined that listening to history lectures probably dulled even the sharpest of criminal masterminds into a near comatose state.
    When my own mind had been sufficiently numbed, my eyes nearly burning from the effort of trying not to blink for fear my eyes might not be able to force themselves back open, Thad dismissed class. I nearly knocked over my desk in my eagerness to leave the room. History had been my least favorite subject while in school, and I truly believed that Mac chose this class for me more as punishment for my attitude since the incident, and less because he actually suspected Thad.
    Thankfully, my last two classes of the day were both physical. The first was a small caliber weapons class, which happened to be my specialty. Guns were never my favorite, less so since being on the receiving end of a bullet. Despite that, I could hit a moving target from further away than most thanks to Henri’s master tutelage. I was proficient with a bow and arrow, but rarely had the patience to put such weapons into practice. But hand knives, throwing stars, and daggers- that was where I excelled.
    The Small Weapons Instructor was Griffin Knight, and no introductions were necessary; Griffin had been my Small Weapons Instructor when I was a student. I had been looking forward to this class all day. Griffin had been a teacher at the School for decades, and I’d begun started training with him when I was just eleven.
    When I first saw Griffin’s name on my schedule, I’d been shocked that Mac assigned me to assist in his class. I desperately hoped that I wasn’t here because Mac really thought that Griffin was the leak, but instead because he thought that I deserved a treat after all the crap Instructors I’d endured. I’d always liked Griffin.
    My fears were put to rest the moment I opened his file. Instead of personnel information, Mac’s secretary had included a note, indicating that I was actually to be an aid for Griffin. It also said that Mac wanted me to assist Griffin because I would be an asset to his students, most of whom were extremely strong Talents, likely to be placed with the Hunters or the Military Police.
    Griffin’s face lit up when he saw me. “Class, we have a real treat,” he exclaimed, clapping his big hands together in a gleeful gesture. “The Director and Headmistress have found an assistant Instructor whose experience will be invaluable to us.” Griffin’s white head bobbed up and down enthusiastically as he spoke.
    “Don’t make promises that I can’t deliver on,” I teased Griffin.
    “Everyone, I would like to introduce you to my star pupil, Natalia.” I waved at the class, feeling more than a little embarrassed. I surveyed the doubtful faces of the seven seated Talents. No surprise there, they were skeptical. Apparently, Griffin saw the same thing that I did.
    “I think a little demonstration might be in order.” He winked at me.
    “I’m a little rusty,” I warned, fearing that my weapons skills had gone the way of my running abilities. At least throwing knives was unlikely to make me vomit, I hoped.
    “Duly noted, my dear,” he replied, with a knowing smile. He thought that I was being modest; little did he know. “Pick your poison.”
    Griffin had laid out a number of small weapons on tables set up behind him. I walked slowly from table to table, drinking in the varying choices. After making a complete circuit, I opted for a belt that I secured around my hips, with two six-inch blades. The knives had hand-holds and weren’t ideal for throwing but great for lashing out at an opponent. The hand-holds both had a thumb release button that snapped open, allowing you to either throw the blade or just