I noticed the tail on the way to school, but I was hoping whoever it was wouldn’t follow me inside.

Not a fire giant. Probably the succubus. Having me followed might be a prelude to something else or an attempt to annoy me out of town.

They didn’t come into the school. I assume they didn’t actually wait all day outside, but they were there again when I came out. Instead of heading straight home, I turned a different way, going to a cafe within walking distance.

It was nice to have the money to be able to randomly stop for coffee. When I did, I beckoned to the tail.

She…it was another pretty woman…frowned, then came in. “When did…”

“I made you this morning. Sit down. Who hired you?”

“I just…okay, my boss asked me to keep an eye on you. I didn’t sign up for a fight.”

I smiled at her. “Did you sign up to be something else?”

A shrug. “I can’t find a job that will help me through college like this one will. Wasn’t expecting to be following people, though.”

I let out a breath. “Get out. You don’t want to deal with Red Flowers. Find somebody else.”

“She told me you were recruiting…poaching…for a rival.”

I laughed a bit. “Of course she said that. She knew I’d tell you to get out. She wanted to give you a quick answer to it.”
She frowned.

“I promise I’m not. I mean, would I still be in school if I was…”

“She said not everyone cares about eighteen. Or…”

“I’m a model,” I said finally. “And I have no intention of graduating to being paid to take clothes off. But your boss is involved in some kind of political scheme.”

She frowned.

“You could try just straight up modeling instead. It’s working well for me.”

“I’m not tall enough.”

“For catwalk work, no. For catalog work they don’t care. For acting you want to be short.” I studied her. “She’s testing you to see if you’re useful to her.”

“Then I probably just failed.”

“Not necessarily.” Maybe I could get this girl to hook up with Tanya. She wasn’t tainted.

Yet.

But she seemed so naive that I wanted to get her out.

Which might have been the real intent, after the way I’d interacted with Marya. Use her as bait. “What’s your name?”

“Sara.”