Spycraft Academy by B. Miles (little readers .txt) 📕

"Yes, well, you were eyeballing her just now, and I'm reiterating."

Mattie laughed, "I'm eyeballing all of them. What's got you so fixated on her?"

"Fixated? Me? Ha." Drina snorted. "I do not get fixated. I would just rather have her scowling at me than June."

"Please don't tell me you like her," Sam said dryly.

"Pft. As if. No, Brie just hates commoners. I hear her talking about it all the time, so I don't know, I just have this burning need to piss her off more than the other one."

Rosin had been quiet thus far, but she chose then to pipe up. "I still think this is an awful idea. If Delcan hits the floor, Franklin will know what happened, and who did it, and you'll get a demerit."

Sam glanced at the head of the room. Franklin was sitting at a huge round table with the rest of the instructors. There were a number of empty chairs between him and his peers.

"Don't worry about Franklin, he won't say anything," Sam said.

Rosin threw her hands up with a sound of frustration. It was the first time Sam had seen her look anything less than happy or startled.

"Fine." She crossed her arms under her breasts and held her nose in the air. "But if you get a demerit, I'm not going to feel sorry for you."

Sam chewed his food thoughtfully and studied her face. She wasn't wrong, but she obviously didn't know him well enough to know any plan he agreed to was sound. He wouldn't do something that wouldn't work. He had confidence that Franklin wouldn't make a fuss, and his confidence was as good as his word.

The girls kept bantering as they ate their supper. Sam tuned out their voices and kept an eye on Delcan as he ate. Sam would have to pass him to get to the waste bin, so he wouldn't draw attention if Delcan was otherwise occupied.

Mattie finished her meal, then Drina. He could feel their eyes on him.

"Go," he said.

Their chairs scooted back and he fisted the vial in his front trouser pocket. Rosin stayed quiet, fuming where she sat, and Sam watched the girls. If Fletch were here, he'd think it a marvelous idea, but his roommate hadn't shown up for the evening meal.

Drina strutted in front of Mattie, and as soon as Delcan's crew knew the girls were headed toward them, they all looked up.

Drina grabbed the back of Brie's chair and bent down to whisper something in her ear. Brie's scowl was thunderous and she abruptly stood, snapping around to face the shorter girl. Mattie laughed and said something to June, whose mouth dropped open like a bolt had come loose from the hinge in her jaw.

The rest of the crew was staring at Sam's girls intently, angling their bodies toward them. Whatever they'd said, it was insulting enough to get the entire table's ire. That was his cue.

Sam polished off his plate and stood up, holding it in one hand and stuffing the other hand in his pocket. He uncorked the vial in his trousers as he walked, breezing past Delcan. His hand quickly darted out and he tipped the vial, splashing half the contents into Delcan's goblet. Or, he tried. The vial was so small, and he was moving too quickly, so the entirety of the potion splashed into Delcan's drink.

Damnit!

Just as quickly, Sam pulled his hand back and thrust it back into his pocket with a scowl. He threw his dishes into the wash bin, straightening his expression before turning about to saunter back to his table as if nothing were amiss.

By the time he sat back down, Drina and Mattie were making their way back. Both of them looked very pleased with themselves.

"Did you do it?" Mattie sighed, plopping back into her seat.

"Yeah. Accidentally poured the whole damn thing in there," Sam sighed. "What did you say to them, anyway?"

"That we heard they were letting Tobias' crew plug them." Drina shrugged.

"And I asked June how she was dealing with the groin rot I heard she had."

Sam rolled his eyes. Of course. Women were strange. Their insults were strange. It was never about strength or cunning but looks and sex. Whatever worked, he supposed.

"Oh look, our boy's going down," Drina mumbled.

Sure enough, Delcan's body was loose as a string, and he looked to be tipping onto his side before one of his guys pushed him back. As he slumped on top of the table, it was easy for Sam to hide his smile. It was vindicating and it was funny, but part of the art of not being caught was not being obvious that you'd done something.

Brie and June were in a tizzy, hauling Delcan to his feet and rushing him from the mess hall, clucking and fussing over him like he was going to die. Everybody in the hall watched the girls drag him away; all except one.

Sam's eyes drifted back to Delcan's table when he felt eyes on him. Prin was sitting between the two men in Delcan's crew, staring right at Sam like she knew what he'd done. Perhaps she did. In which case, he'd prefer her to keep quiet about it. It was obvious she didn't like her own crew much, so maybe she wouldn't say anything.

She did look miffed, though. Sam tested her by giving her a bold wink and a grin.

Her lips twitched and she rolled her eyes before looking away, seemingly smothering the urge to grin back at him. No, she wasn't mad. She probably wasn't even truly loyal to Delcan's crew. Maybe she'd like a new home with Sam's.

14

A week has passed since Sam’s started his late-night vigil, confident he could tackle any trouble from the thief. If he showed his face, that is, which hasn't happened since the first night. It had been in the back of Sam's mind all the while. When he had moments of quiet, when Fletch was out, when he was studying,