Juliet crossed the street and rounded a corner, leaning her head back against the brick.

“That was a close one.” She said to the person on the line, allowing the glamour to fall from her frame like a shimmering robe.

“I can’t believe that family got a restraining order on you!” there was laughter in Stella’s voice.

“And the wife would have probably sued me too.”

“Ha! Priceless. What are you doing over there anyway? You don’t have to keep an eye on that girl anymore. That’s someone else’s job now.”

Juliet scowled. “I know. Before you called I was just… reminiscing.”

“How sweet.”

“Yeah well, I found something out.”

“Did you now?” Juliet could practically see the neon-colored brows rising.

“They’re letting her go to school.” Juliet plowed ahead despite Stella’s tone dripping sarcasm. “Tye told me last night’s party was for Aiva. So I did a bit of snooping and she’s going to that boarding school that her family has gone too forever. I researched all about it while I worked for them—”

“We know, I read your reports.”

“—and we need to send someone to infiltrate—”

“Done.”

Juliet bit back her lecture on interrupting others instead of grinding out. “What do you mean.” The irritation in her voice evident. She pushed off the wall and continued her walk.

“Who sounds annoyed?” The other woman’s tone was full of teasing.

“Stella I’m not fooling around.”

“Ease up. Gwyn foresaw the possibility of Aiva going there like, ages ago.”

“She what?” Juliet’s face flushed with anger. “She could have at least given me a heads up!”

“She would have if she had known your job was at stake because of it.”

The dismissive way in which the operator spoke did little to assuage Juliet’s mood and she heaved an almighty sigh, checking her watch. Mabry was due to call her any minute and it couldn’t come soon enough. “So, who’d you send?”

“Ckyler was placed there last semester.”

“Gwyn has known for how long?” Juliet had to take the phone away from her head for a second. She rubbed her temple with her free hand as she brought it back up. “Tell her she needs to work on her communication skills.”

There was a light chuckle on the other end. “Tell that to anyone with the true sight. ‘It was merely a precaution for one of the many possible futures.’ Or whatever.”

“Barring all of that utter bull, do you know how hard it is to keep Mab away from all of… just all of this? If Ckyler—her friend is on a mission—my daughter is going too be impossible.” Juliet bit back yet another sigh that fought to push past her gritted teeth. She knew that if she gave even a little bit of space, Stella would take a mile and drop in her own opinion about whether or not Mabry was ready to be involved. Which Juliet absolutely didn’t need. “Okay, there’s nothing I can do about it now.” She didn’t mention that she’d grown close to Aiva. Had learned how to love the child of the family who’d murdered her beloved. That she now cared for the girl’s well-being. Casting around for something else to talk about, any change of subject to fill the sudden silence that stretched like a tether too tight across the line, Juliet asked the very first thing that came to mind. “Oh, did you manage to call that woman in Japan? What was her name again?”

“I’m actually not the one who made that phone call.” Stella’s decibel lowered, as if she were imparting some juicy secret; which of course she very well might be. Juliet didn’t have to ask who had, Stella was already whispering again. “Gwyn herself made that one.”

Juliet whistled. “She did it all on her own huh? What was the special occasion?”

“Oh something about what needed to be said ‘a delicate situation that must be handled carefully.’ Or something along those lines.” Juliet laughed. Stella only knew how to be careful with electronics after all, lacking any and all tact when it came to other people. Why she was the Operator for the Clover Club did not lay in her people skills. “The gist was that there were certain ways… specific words that would prompt the necessary action from Sakoto.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Juliet had more questions, but at that moment there was a beeping in her ear. “Gotta go. When’s the next Gathering?”

“Next new moon, duh.”

“See you then!” Juliet switched over to the other call.

“Where are you mom?” Mabry’s voice held the type of righteous indignation that only a teenager could muster.

“And good morning to you, oh sweet daughter of mine.” Juliet rolled her eyes. She was certain the girl was doing the same. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“But Mo-om! I’m starving!”

“I’m finishing up a few things, but if you’re so hungry go ahead and order your food.”

“You’re going to make me late for my first day of school!” Before Juliet could respond the line went dead and, sighing, the woman turned her steps towards the diner she now worked at.

With a hop, skip, and bus ride away Juliet made it to the diner just as her new boss was delivering three plates worth of breakfast. The woman barely kept her smile in place as she greeted the other, though she could feel how stiff it had become. As soon as they were alone Juliet’s lips dropped and her features settled into her signature ‘disappointed mom’ look.

“Did you really have to order all of that? I don’t qualify for the employee discount yet you know.” Not that it was a significant price drop—but Juliet kept that too herself. Too many years of working as a spy in a household controlled by the Core had made Juliet cautious at best, paranoid at worst.

Mabry shrugged, mouth already filled with hashbrowns and fork busy slicing a sausage. Juliet could probably guess what her daughters answer would have been though. Something along the lines of being a growing girl and needing a healthy breakfast before heading out for a full day of learning. So the woman didn’t let her finish chewing before she reached over and stole the second sausage entirely from her daughter’s plate, biting it in half and smiling even as her daughter leveled a glare at her.

“Are you nervous?” Juliet asked after she swallowed, ignoring the murderous stare.

Again Mabry shrugged, gulping down the last dregs of her orange juice before answering. “It’ll just be weird, being back at a normal school after all that.” She gestured behind herself, as if indicating that all the years she and Aiva had homeschooled together were nothing. Something that could be tossed aside.

Juliet knew better.

Her daughter had not yet talked about what happened at the start of the summer, nor her own part in it. At least not to her, despite Juliet’s best efforts. The mother’s brows drew together in worry.

“Don’t give me that look! I promise I’ll be fine mom!” The girl waved her hands dismissively and gave a plucky smile, completely misreading the why behind Juliet’s expression. “I’m not a kid anymore—speaking of which—” She took another bite, talking as she chewed in defiance of Juliet’s repeated warnings about manners. That wasn’t why Juliet cringed though. She just knew exactly where this new line of conversation was going. But before she could even attempt to stop the inevitable, Mabry powered through. “Mom I’ve got some time after school ya know—”

“For homework.”

“—Come on! I could help out more at the Club—”

“Absolutely not. You could join an actual club at school!”

“But Ckyler gets to go out on assignments!”

Juliet sighed. She knew this was coming. It always came back to the same arguments. “Yes, but Ckyler is much older than you.”

Mabry crossed her arms and slammed herself back into her seat, a scowl turning her lips downward. Juliet knew this silence wouldn’t last.

“What if…” Mabry leaned forward once more.

“Mab—” It was a warning with no real bite to it any longer.

“I could always be like…. A messenger! You know, a go between.”

“There are phones for that.” Juliet resisted the urge to roll her eyes much like her teenage daughter. But her response didn’t dampen Mabry’s attempts in the slightest.

“Or—OR! I could help gather reports from the correspondents and organize them for you!” She smiled, triumphant and proud.

“Or you could work on your homework, join a club like a normal kid—” Juliet was replying on autopilot now, surrendered to her fate.

“I’m not a kid mom!” The girl crossed her arms, pouting in a way that most definitely didn’t scream ‘kid.’

It took Juliet only a few seconds more to fully process Mabry’s last suggestion before a new one could arise in its place. “Wait, how do you even know about them?” The Clover Clubs outside source’s for their intel were supposed to be a secret! Shock with a tendril of anger worked through her. She was going to skin whoever told her daughter—

“I have ears you know, you’re always on the phone with Stella!” Juliet had to take a calming breath, folding her hands together and placing them against her lips. The burner phones that Stella enchanted were supposed to deafen eavesdroppers—but this wouldn’t be the first time a spell hadn’t worked on her daughter the way it was supposed too. “I know about the double agent in Aiva’s family too! I know a LOT more than you think!”

The older woman cringed, making a mental note to not talk with Stella where Mabry could even possibly overhear. Maybe look into setting up stronger magic.

“There’s a word for what you’re doing and it’s rude.” Was her statement when she was finally able to speak again. “I’m not involving you Mabry. There’s so much more you could do with your time! Make some friends! Join a sports team! Find a job—lord knows we could use the money since I was fired—” Juliet’s breath caught and her eyes flicked over to her daughter, who’s expression had grown pinched. Juliet tried to backtrack. This was certainly not the place for them to have a civil conversation about…well any of this. Let alone a full blown argument. “Hopefully…” she began against with more caution, “With luck—the work I’m doing –that everyone at the Clover Club is doing right now, will have an end. This war won’t last forever. You won’t ever have to be in this fight if I can help it.”

“But Mom I want to fight! It’s more mine than yours after all!”

“End of discussion.”

A tense silence stretched between them.

“Didn’t you want to avoid being late for your first day?”

Mabry jolted up, the violence of her movement disturbed the table and the jangle of plates and silver wear halted the low murmur of chatter in the room as the girl stormed off.

“Love you, have a good time at school!” Juliet called over her shoulder before turning back to the table, trying not to show how flustered the talk had left her as she began to load up all of the food left behind. Her shift started soon. Guess they’d be having breakfast for dinner that night.