Drop of Doubt Read online

  Table of Contents

  Drop of Doubt (The Academy, #5)

  UNDER THREAT | OF A BIRTHDAY

  EXPLOITS

  INTO THE DEN

  THE PLAN

  WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?

  CODE FOR DANGER

  REACTION

  THE DRAGON DESK AND THE BACKWARD CLOCK

  HOW WE WORK

  MRS. MORGAN

  NEW PLANS

  VICTOR, TALENTED

  TOO CLOSE

  A DREAM AND A SONG

  SPA DATE

  REROUTE

  THE GOOD DOCTOR

  SUSCEPTIBLE

  TAKEN

  WHEN DOUBT CREEPS IN

  FINDING SOLACE IN EVERYDAY THINGS

  THE ZOMBIE, FINGERNAIL PAINTING, CUPCAKE BIRTHDAY

  A NIGHT RIDE

  LUKE, THE THIEF

  THE ART OF A THIEF

  GROUNDED, AGAIN

  TOO CLOSE FOR NORTH’S COMFORT

  SANG IS NOT A THIEF

  SENDING IN REINFORCEMENTS

  AMBUSH

  WORK AS THERAPY

  VOLTO

  THREE AMIGOS, AT THE READY

  THREE AMIGOS, | TO THE RESCUE

  WE ARE ALWAYS

  ~ A ~

  I AM A THIEF

  He turned back to me. The fire in his eyes unleashed into an inferno that could have swallowed me where I stood. His thumb returned to my mouth, this time touching both lips and at dead center, as if encouraging me to kiss his finger. “All you have to do is ask.” He tucked his head toward mine.

  My heart raced. I’d seen this same look on Kota and North and some of the others. My instincts had told me before they had wanted to kiss me and I’d been wrong. I felt that same instinct again, more powerful than before.

  His eyes half closed as he hovered over me. “I’d do anything for you, Princess.”

  The Academy

  Drop of Doubt

  ♥

  The Ghost Bird Series

  ♥

  Book Five

  ♥

  Written by C. L. Stone

  Published by

  Arcato Publishing

  Copyright © 2014 C. L. Stone

  http://clstonebooks.com

  Published by Arcato Publishing

  http://www.arcatopublishing.com

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1481814915

  ISBN-13: 978-1481814911

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  From The Academy

  The Ghost Bird Series

  Introductions

  First Days

  Friends vs. Family

  Forgiveness and Permission

  A Drop of Doubt

  The Scarab Beetle Series

  Thief

  Liar (coming Summer 2014)

  ***

  Other Books by C. L. Stone

  Smoking Gun

  Spice God

  Thank you for downloading this book. Keep in touch with the author to find out about special releases and upcoming events, including spoilers, author chats and swag.

  Website: http://www.clstonebooks.com/

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  Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night,

  and when you move,

  fall like a thunderbolt.

  - Sun Tzu

  UNDER THREAT

  OF A BIRTHDAY

  My phone buzzed to life in my bra.

  My head shot up from the English textbook we were supposed to be reading. Kota was bent over his desk in front of me and didn’t appear to notice. I was afraid to glance at Gabriel in case I was going to distract him. I wasn’t sure what Luke was doing behind me, but since he wasn’t messing with my hair and he hadn’t nudged me in a while, he must actually have been reading, or maybe he was wrapped up in another daydream.

  I didn’t like having my phone out in class, but the only people who had my number were Academy guys. They wouldn’t send a text during class unless it was an emergency.

  I slipped the phone out of the cup of my bra and used Kota’s back as a shield just in case I drew attention from Ms. Johnson, the English teacher.

  Victor: Isn’t your birthday this week? What do you want for your birthday?

  My mouth popped open. Victor! That wasn’t an emergency.

  I was tempted not to answer him. I checked the date on the phone. He was right. My birthday was in a few days. I hadn’t noticed. It was also not important right now.

  My fingers hovered over the illuminated keyboard. It was hard not to respond. Ignoring him felt rude. I simply didn’t know what to say.

  Kota shifted in front of me, twisting in his chair. I jumped, startled that he’d noticed, and tried to tuck my phone in my lap.

  Kota snagged the phone from me before I could get it under the desk.

  I bit back a surprised noise. Kota didn’t approve of using a phone in class and was trying to prevent my getting into trouble. I couldn’t disagree with him. I got into enough trouble at school. How’d he know?

  A motion in my peripheral vision caught my attention. I glanced over to find a smug Gabriel, half leaning over his desk. His eyes were intent on my phone tucked between Kota’s hands.

  Nosy! He must have tattled. When it came to the boys, there was little I could get away with. They seemed to notice everything.

  I slowly raised my eyes to check on the teacher. Ms. Johnson was sitting at her desk, hunched over a collection of paperwork, making notes. I crossed my fingers the boys wouldn’t get into trouble for fooling around.

  Kota’s head bent down and, from the angle, I could tell he was checking my phone. It was Victor’s fault anyway for texting during class time about something so trivial. What choice did I have, but to check if one of them sent me a text? Maybe Kota would let Victor know he shouldn’t do that during school unless it was an emergency.

  Kota twisted in his chair again, facing me for longer this time. His eyebrows drew together behind his black-rimmed glasses in a puzzled expression.

  I raised an eyebrow at him, confused.

  A thunderous siren erupted from the overhead speakers. My palms instinctively covered my ears and I ducked slightly.

  “Fire alarm,” Ms. Johnson called. “Let’s go. Leave your things.”

  This command was ignored as the entire classroom slapped their books shut, grabbed book bags and made a beeline for the exit. Maybe it would have been safer to simply run if there was a fire, but no one wanted to leave their book bags unattended. Not in this school.

  Kota was still twisted in his chair, looking back at me with my phone in his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he shouted over the siren and the chatter of other students as they filed out of the classroom.

  “Tell you what?” I asked, though probably not loud enough for him to hear.

  “What’s going on?” Gabriel asked.

  I was picking up my book bag when Luke’s hand shot out. He collected my bag, slipping it over his shoulder with his own. “This isn’t another one of those Friday Fall things, right? It isn’t Friday, is it?”

  Kota stuffed my phone into his pocket, pulling his things together. He talked to the others over the siren and the students shuffling out the door. “Sang’s birthday is this week.”

  Gabriel’s eyes bounced open. “Holy shit. Are you fucking kidding me?”

  Luke paused halfway to the door. He turned to me.
“What day?”

  A contorted sigh escaped my lips. “Guys! Fire alarm? We’re supposed to go outside.”

  “North is going to flip out,” Luke said. “I don’t think he knows.”

  I groaned.

  “Why didn’t anyone say anything?” Gabriel asked. “How am I supposed to ... god damn shit.” He kicked the door open and stomped out of the classroom.

  I followed the others, trailing behind them as they started talking amongst themselves. The morning air had a heady chill. A thick overcast sky hung overhead. October in the South might have been warmer than what I would have gotten back in Illinois, but South Carolina couldn't escape winter weather forever. I folded my arms over my stomach to reserve a little body heat in the cold shadows of the buildings.

  Streams of other students were heading out toward the parking lot. I followed along with the guys toward a grass yard on the other side of the lot. It was strange to see the majority of the student population on this thin strip of land. Two thousand students huddled together, most relieved that class had been interrupted.

  “Stay here,” Kota said, dropping his book bag on the ground. He nodded to Gabriel. “Keep an eye on her.”

  A retort teased my lips. I knew he meant well, but the way he said it made me feel like I was a toddler needing a babysitter.

  Gabriel hooked an arm around my neck. “What day is it?” he asked.

  “Uh,” I said, looking out at the school. The alarm ceased but teachers marched along the gravel in the lot, directing students to stay on the grass. The students were eager to comply.

  The school didn’t show signs of smoke. Maybe it was a drill.

  Gabriel snapped his fingers near my face. “Trouble, I can’t get you anything for your birthday if you’re don’t tell me what day it is.”

  “It’s on the sixth,” I said absently, still keeping an eye on the teachers, expecting them to release us back toward the school at any moment if it was a drill.

  “The sixth? Holy fucking Christ.” He snapped his head around toward Luke. “Three days? Three fucking days?”

  “Don’t worry. There’s time. We can do it,” Luke said.

  Another siren started in the distance. The pitch was different, like a police car.

  A second siren joined it, but the screech was longer, deeper in tone. Fire trucks.

  It didn’t make any sense. There wasn’t any smoke. Maybe one of the other students pulled the alarm. Did they need to come out to make sure? And to possibly reset it?

  “I can’t do this in three days,” Gabriel was nearly shouting at Luke. “I should say two and a half days. And we’ve got school.”

  “Sang Baby,” a shout from a few feet away drew my attention. North approached alone, his hands spread out, his palms up. Locks of his dark hair slipped down over his forehead, almost hovering in the way of his intense, dark eyes. “What’s this I’m hearing about your birthday?”

  The fire trucks pulled into the school lot. A couple of cop cars joined them. They stopped short of the front doors.

  I pointed to the commotion going on at the front of the school. “Are you watching this?”

  He waved his hand at the air toward the direction I pointed, dismissive. He closed the distance between us and looked at his brother and Gabriel. “When is it?”

  “Three days.” Gabriel held up three fingers. “On the sixth.”

  “Holy shit,” North said. He turned those intense eyes on me again. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Will you guys stop talking about that? Who cares? Is the school on fire?”

  North’s mouth dropped open. “What do you mean who cares? I told you to tell me important shit.”

  “North,” I bellowed at him. I jabbed my finger in the air toward the squadron of firemen and policemen gathering toward the entryway. “The school ...”

  “I’m not talking about the school right now.”

  “You said tell you important things! The school’s burning down or something.”

  “I meant telling me important things about you. Like when your birthday is.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this right now.”

  North grunted. “Where’s Kota? Does he know about this?”

  Gabriel pointed. “He went that way looking for you guys. And yeah, he picked up her phone and found out.”

  “Luke, stay here with her. Gabe, come with me. Text Silas. Did anyone tell him?”

  My mouth hung open and my hands drifted up in disbelief as Gabriel and North stalked off after Kota, still talking.

  Luke laughed. He dropped down to the grass, sitting cross-legged. He tugged at my hand. “Sit down with me.”

  I lowered myself carefully so I could sit on the grass without flashing too much since I was in a skirt. I kept my eyes on the commotion going on toward the school. It felt awkward sitting as everyone around us was still standing. I felt closed in.

  Luke continued to tug at my hand. “I meant in my lap,” he said. “I shouldn’t let you sit in the grass in those clothes.”

  “I got in trouble last time I sat in Kota’s lap at school.”

  “Oh yeah,” he said. He brushed a couple of blond locks away from his face, shoving them behind his ear. “It’s just a lot of other students do it. Okay, so what do you want for your birthday?”

  A series of barks drew my attention. Policemen held onto a team of German Shepherds. My first thought was that they were drug dogs. It didn’t make sense, though. Did the police pull the fire alarm and get everyone out so they could comb the school for drugs? It seemed excessive. Not that I wouldn’t put it past Principal Hendricks. Maybe he found another way to kick bad kids out of his school.

  “Sang,” Luke tugged at my sleeve. “What do you want?”

  “Princess, why are you sitting on the ground?” Victor approached. The breeze picked up, tossing around his brown wavy hair. He removed his blazer, dropping it along with his book bag. He sat on top of it. He motioned to me with his fingers. “Come here.”

  “I just told Luke I’d get into trouble—”

  “It was Mr. McCoy that gave you detention and he’s not here.” Victor curled his fingers at me again. “Get off the grass.”

  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to sit in his lap, but I was worried about getting another detention with a teacher or even Mr. Hendricks. He was probably right, though. I got up and let him tug me down again until I was parked in his lap sideways, facing Luke.

  Luke inched closer on the grass so he could collect one of my sandal-clad feet and put it in his lap. “We need to figure out what to get her for her birthday.”

  “Yeah,” Victor said. He wrapped his arms around my waist. His fire eyes sparked at me. “Why didn’t you text me back?”

  “You sent a text to me during class. Gabriel saw me checking and Kota took my phone. You started them on this crazy frenzy. You shouldn’t text during class unless it is an emergency.”

  “It was an emergency. I just realized it was October. I’m glad we didn’t miss it.”

  “And now there’s fire trucks here. And you guys are more worried about my birthday, which I’d forgotten about, too.”

  Luke laughed. “Someone pulled the fire alarm. It’s no big deal.”

  “It was a big deal last time it happened,” I said. “And they don’t take dogs into the school if there is a fire, do they?”

  They blinked at me, twisting around to look over. Luke stood, putting a hand over his eyes to block the sun, and gazed over toward the building. “She’s right. There’s a pack of dogs.”

  “We haven’t been called in.” Victor turned around again. His palm found my back. Fingers traced between a couple of my ribs. “Our concern is student safety, not building safety. The students are out here and well out of range for a fire or anything else that might be wrong. Mr. Blackbourne hasn’t sent word, so it’s probably some standard school inspection. Maybe checking for drugs or something.”

  Luke’s eyebrow
s furrowed. “I’m not sure.”

  With the way I was sitting, it was difficult to twist around and check. Part of me sensed Mr. McCoy just beyond where I could see. The boys assured me he wasn’t here, but I still couldn’t help wonder where he was. I sensed other eyes watching us. Most students were engrossed in their cell phones or talking, not really concerned with the school except to hope we’d be out of class longer. I scanned the group, trying to figure out why I felt so uncomfortable.

  “Hey,” North’s voice bellowed at us.

  Students cleared out of the way as North, Gabriel and Kota returned. They were tailed by Silas and Nathan.

  “Baby,” North said, ”Get out of his lap. You’ll end up with detention.”

  Victor squeezed his arms a little tighter around my hips. “McCoy’s not here. The other teachers don’t care.”

  “There might be one who does. We don’t want to end up staying after school today if we’re going to figure out what to do for her birthday. Besides, she’s supposed to be dating Silas.”

  “No one is paying attention,” Victor said.

  “Are we going to skip football practice on her birthday?” Silas asked.

  “Are we skipping school on her birthday?” Gabriel asked. “We should.”

  They continued their debate. I refocused on what was going on across the parking lot. Luke remained standing at his post, keeping watch. I glanced back at him on occasion, questioning with my eyes if he was seeing something more than I was seeing.

  Nathan followed my gaze out toward the dogs and the police. There was something being set up by the policemen. They’d removed a box of equipment from the back of one of the police cars. Firemen were standing by.

  “Sang,” Victor squeezed me again. “You still haven’t told anyone—”

  “Kota,” Nathan said over him, his tone serious. He nodded toward the school. “What is this?”

  I crawled out of Victor’s lap to stand up between Nathan and Luke. I sensed Victor following, standing behind me. Everyone else turned toward the school.

  My heart leapt, pleased that Nathan and Luke were taking this seriously. I understood the boys not wanting to worry too much about things we couldn’t control, but my instincts were driving me crazy that something was terribly wrong. My old school never went through anything like this just for a fire drill.