The Distort Arc: Cape High Books 1-4 (Cape High Series Omnibus)

by R. J. Ross

  Especially when Emily very discreetly (or at least I think she's trying to be discreet) places a cat toy on my desk. I turn, giving her a sharp look. "Are you trying to make fun of me?" I whisper as quietly as I can.

  She shakes her head. "No! I just... it's cute," she whispers back. "It's an apology present."

  "Ahem," Blackjack says pointedly. "Math time is now, play time is later, understand?" The wiry looking illusionist points at the toy. "Put it away, Cub."

  "But--" I groan inwardly, mostly because he clearly believes I want to play with the cat toy, and put the toy in my pocket, knowing I'm blushing. "Fine," I say. "Apology accepted," I add in a whisper. The brilliant grin I get in return makes me want to hit my forehead on the desk. How can she be so annoying and so cute all at the same time? And why is Sunny digging through his pockets all of a sudden?

  He grunts and pulls out a brownie wrapped in cellophane and puts it on my desk. I look at him. "An apology gift," he whispers.

  "Does anyone else want to give Cub a present?" Blackjack asks, impatiently.

  "I do!" Zoe says, digging in her bag and reaching forward so she's waving a mechanical pencil with a black toy cat hanging from a chain at the top. "It makes me think of you," she says.

  "Wh--I'm not exactly sure if any of you are thinking at all," I say.

  "Well, he asked," Zoe says, dropping the pencil. I grab it instinctively, looking at it with a little smile. The toy cat is cute.

  "Um... thank you," I say, not sure what else to say. I'm REALLY not sure what to say when Trent reaches forward, putting a pack of gum on my desk, or when Max puts a hostess cupcake next to it.

  "Now can we get back to the class?" Blackjack asks. I'm just staring at the things on my desk, wondering if this is some sort of trick--I mean, I'm a super villain--they're heroes-- "I think a game of blackjack is a great way to test your math skills!" he goes on. "So move your chairs into a circle--"

  "Blackjack," Banshee says from the door. "Teach them properly or Double M will get irritated."

  "But Cub's already got her bet--fine, let's get back to algebra," he says with a sigh. I slip the rest of the things in my bag, knowing I'm red in the face. I have no idea what to do now. I feel a bit thrown off, honestly. Isn't it only proper to offer a gift when given one? But I don't have anything that would work as a gift right now.

  Maybe I could make cookies for tomorrow? That would be a proper reaction to getting gifts for no reason, right? I'll ask Mama to help. I don't know what Papa would say about super heroes giving me gifts... I don't think I should tell him.

  I hope no one is allergic to chocolate.

  ***

  Papa comes to pick me up in the car. I slip into the passenger seat, looking at the yellow "Do not enter" tape that surrounds Death Canyon. Our school is in the bottom part of the canyon, built on Nico's land.

  "How was your day?" Papa asks.

  "It... it was okay," I say, looking down at my backpack.

  "And how is your training going? Has Taurus helped any?" he asks.

  "He showed me a video of an African Leopard," I say, glancing at him. "And Nico has... decided to build me an obstacle course." Well, it's sort of an obstacle course, right? I can't rightly tell my papa that he's building me a cat's play tower. I doubt any of the parents would believe us if we told them how we're being trained.

  "Observation, I see," Papa says. "He might be more useful than I assumed."

  "He's a good shifter," I say.

  "He is," he agrees. "I look forward to seeing how Nico uses him. And the students?"

  I look forward, chewing on my bottom lip as I try to figure out what to tell him. He's waiting, I realize as he glances at me. "I..." I start out slowly. "I feel that... I am getting more accustomed to being part of a class. But I don't see why Blackjack is a hero," I go on. "He's constantly trying to get us to gamble during class."

  "He is?" Papa asks, amusement lacing his voice.

  "Yes, he's intent on teaching us to count cards. And Banshee is trying to turn us into a rock band, but Zoe is tone deaf and I don't like really loud noises," I say. "So the music class is mostly Sunny beating on his drums and the other two breaking guitar strings. Especially Trent."

  "And what about Emily?" he asks, glancing at me with a knowing look that I'm trying to ignore.

  "She sings," I say. "She's okay, I guess? But she likes the mic too much so it's really loud."

  "Is there a reason you smell like catnip, Adanna?" he asks, and I realize he's been leading up to this.

  "Emily decided that I would like cat toys," I admit in a tiny voice. "So she gave me one."

  It's really, really embarrassing when your own father bursts out laughing as you're driving down the street. He's still laughing as we pull through the large gate that surrounds our home and into the driveway. He reaches over, patting me on the head fondly. "I am sorry, Cu--Adanna," he says. "I just think you are far more popular than you seem to believe."

  "But they are superheroes--"

  "I know. But it is not completely terrible to be thought of, I think." He gets out of the car and comes around, opening the door for me. Ever since my little brother was born he's been doing this--treating me like he does Mama. I get out, not taking the offered arm, and tug my baseball hat lower on my head. I want to protest that I shouldn't be treated like a girl, I should be treated like an heir! But I'm not an heir. I really am just a girl now that my title's been revoked. The useless daughter.

  I tug my backpack over my shoulder, thinking of the presents I was given today. Why did they do it? To look good?

  "Kitty!" Mama calls as I step through the door. "How was your day?" She comes towards me wearing a khaki uniform and carrying one of the lynx on her shoulder. "Melber here's been feeling a little lonely, so I thought I'd let him out for a bit," she explains, reaching up and petting the cat. "You know, while Cubby's taking a nap." Even if Cubby will be able to talk to them later, he's still young enough to look edible to them when there's not a fence between them.

  "I see," I say, reaching up and scratching Mel behind the ear. "Hello, beautiful, is Mama making you happy?" The cat purrs his reply, rubbing into my hand. "Mama, can I ask a favor?"

  "Of course, kitty," she says. "Let me take Mel back to his room while you're asking." I nod, following her out to the rather large cages built for each of our rescued cats. They have the best of the best--Mama and Papa insist on it, and even have an on-hand pair of specialized vets. "Now, perhaps you can tell me why you're so red," she says as Mel goes into his cage.

  "Papa was laughing at me," I admit a bit shamefully.

  "Oh? And what did you say to make him laugh?"

  I reach into my pocket, pulling out the little cat toy that Emily gave me. "Emily decided that I like cat toys," I say.

  "Oh it's so cute!" Mama says. "I hope you thanked her properly!"

  "Mama, I'm not a cat!" I say.

  "Oh, kitty, you're part cat, you can't deny that. And honestly, from everything you've told me about Emily, are you really surprised that she's fond of your other side? You're an absolutely adorable cub, my love," she says, kissing me on the cheek. I reach up with my forearm and wipe the lipstick off with a sigh.

  "But it goes on," I say. "She gave me the cat toy so Sunny gave me a brownie, and then Zoe gave me a pencil and Trent gave me gum and Max gave me a cupcake because Mr. Blackjack asked if anyone else has any gifts to give me--and now I need to give them something back. So can you help me make some sort of treats to take tomorrow?" I ask.

  "Of course I will," she says. "We'll make them before we make dinner. Just let me go wash up while you look through the dessert book for an idea of what you want to make."

  "Okay, Mama," I say, heading into the house again to dig out the dessert book. Mama likes cooking, she took several classes after she stopped being a model. You wouldn't believe how many burnt meals we had to eat when she started, though. I mean, for the first ten years of my life we had a cook. Now Mama insists on cooking for us,
and having me help.

  I find a simple recipe for cookies and start digging out the stuff to make them with. "You're baking?" Papa asks, coming into the kitchen, carrying Cubby. He puts my little brother down and pulls one of the cookies out of the cookie jar, giving it to the toddler.

  "I need to make cookies for school tomorrow," I say.

  "Need to?" he repeats.

  "As--as thanks," I say.

  "Chinaza," Mama says. "Leave the poor girl alone. She's making cookies for her new friends!"

  "I see," he says. "Well, if you don't mind me watching, I would like to talk to you two about something."

  "Of course," Mama says, looking at the recipe and getting out the measuring cups. "You don't mind, do you, kitty?"

  "Of course not," I say, still flushing. We start getting everything together as Papa sits down on the kitchen stool and Cubby grabs onto his leg.

  "There's been a note sent to me from up north," he says, picking Cubby up and sitting him on his lap. "Another foolish norm that thought a cougar would make for a good pet. I would like to go and collect it--before the norm cops are involved. Since it was raised from a cub, how well it would take to living in the wild is questionable, though."

  "We can try, of course," Mama says.

  "Absolutely," Papa agrees. "I would like you and Cubby to come with me, Amara, but I don't want to leave you here alone, Adanna. There's too much going on right now."

  "I could go with you, too?" I offer hesitantly.

  "No, your training is important," Papa says firmly. "The only option I can think of is you staying with Nico while we're gone."

  "And what about the cats?" I ask.

  "We'll bring in a few extra helpers," Mama says. "They'll be fine for a week or so. And we'll be home before you know it," she says as we start mixing the cookie dough. "If you feel safe staying with Nico?" she asks me.

  "I don't mind," I say, focusing on my work. "It's important that you save the cougar."

  "Thank you, Adanna," Papa says with clear relief. "I'll call Nico now. Tomorrow we'll set out for the cat."

  "Yes," I say as he and Cubby head for the office, but I'm inwardly dreading it. Staying in the same home as Sunny? I really do NOT want.

  "After dinner we should pack," Mama says.

  I nod and we start cutting out the cookies and laying them on the cookie sheets. I think she's picking up on my hesitation, because she looks at me with a slight frown. "Kitty cat, you're going to be fine, you know. I think you should get to know the girls that live in the apartment building better. I want you to have more friends than the cats, me, Cubby and your Papa," she says. "And, possibly, you could try making friends with the boys, too, although your Papa might not agree."

  "But they're super heroes, Mama," I say. "Giving them cookies as thanks is one thing, but Emily is going to become the partner of Kid Liberty--and Trent IS Kid Liberty!"

  "And all of this might matter when you're full grown and donning a cape, kitty. At the moment you're in no form to be focusing on super politics. Right now, what I really want you to do," she says, placing her hands on my shoulders, "is be a teenage girl. Make friends, have fun, learn things, maybe have a crush! Oh, kitty, you've got no idea how hard I worked to get you into this school and out of learning from tutors. I was so excited when your father agreed, and elated when Nico turned out to be the principal. You are among your peers, my love. It's something I and your father never got until we were fully grown."

  "But I--" I start out. I can't go on, though, because she's looking at me with so much hope. "I'll try," I say with a sigh. "But I don't like Sunny!" I add, because I have to. "He is constantly sleeping or goofing off and he always shows up during my self study and teases me when I'm in my other form!"

  "Oh, does he," she says.

  "Yes! And he grew a tree and I keep getting stuck up it when people startle me," I complain.

  "He grew a tree," she repeats. "Kitty, Sunny is Nico's elementalist son, right?"

  "Yes, but he doesn't take it seriously at all. Even his self study is ridiculous! He's supposed to take a nap in the sun!"

  She laughs, much to my shock. "Oh, kitty, I will tell you right now," she says. "Let the boy sleep."

  "He should be training!" I argue. "Even--no, especially if he's going to go into environmental work like Taurus says he will! The entire planet could rely on that shameless boy, and I feel sorry for it!"

  She's laughing--honest, beautiful laughter that makes me give her a frustrated look. It only seems to make her laugh harder. "Oh my poor girl," she says, patting my cheek. "So young yet so eco-minded. But kitty, does Nico agree with the nap?"

  "As far as I can tell, he came up with it," I complain. "Nico is strange, Mama. He's a genius, I think, but he doesn't make sense half the time! It's because he is powerful, I think, but Papa is powerful and isn't nearly as--as strange as Nico is!"

  "Kitty," Mama says, "why don't you spend more time with them this week? Find out more about what's happening before you jump to conclusions? Ask questions! Consider it--consider it your first spy mission as a prospective super villain! Learn their habits and weaknesses and choose which would make the best nemesis for you. Just as Max and Trent are battling now, if you become a super villain wouldn't it be wonderful to have someone you can go up against on a regular basis? Your father still tells stories of his battles against Banshee, you know."

  "Banshee is Papa's nemesis?" I ask.

  "Oh she was, but she headed off across the sea for semi-retirement, and now she's working as your teacher, right? Ask her sometime about the old days!"

  "I will!" I say, feeling excited for a moment to be going to school tomorrow--and then promptly remembering what will happen after. "Oh Mama, I will miss you so much," I say, throwing my arms around her waist. "I'll call you every day after school, okay? You had better keep your phone on all the time!"

  "I think you're stealing my lines, kitty," Mama says with a laugh, pulling back and smiling at me. "You are such a beauty," she says. "It's a wonder they haven't tried to get you to model."

  "Don't go on about that again," I say, making a face. "I'm a super villain!"

  "A beautiful super villain!" she teases as the timer goes off. "One who has cookies to get out and to help start dinner."

  "Yes, Mama."

  ***

  For the first time ever, Sunny's awake as they make their way down the apartment stairs the next morning. "So she's going to stay with us?" he asks for what seems the hundredth time. "In Zoe's room, right? Man, I can't wait!" he says, taking the steps quickly.

  "You know she doesn't like you much, don't you?" Nico asks as he follows them down with a mug of coffee in his hand.

  "She's just shy," Sunny says.

  "No, she doesn't like you," Zoe replies. "You keep sneaking into her training and it's obvious she's really self conscious about her panther form! You need to leave her alone for that!"

  "She snaps at Emily too much," Trent says as he joins them on the way down. "It irritates me."

  "But Emily bugs her as much as Sunny does," Zoe points out.

  "It's true, I do," Emily says as she bypasses Trent to walk next to Zoe. "She's just so cute in her kitty form! But she's never bitten or even scratched me--she bit Sunny, though! He was asking for it."

  "How do you know I was asking for it?" Sunny asks. "You weren't there!"

  "You were asking for it," Zoe says. "I just wish she would get over the whole hero/villain problem she has."

  "Well, she was raised in a traditional super villain setting," Nico says. "Panther and his predecessors have been super villains for what, fourteen generations? It's her grandfather that moved here from Africa, man was that man strict--I met him a few times when I was in college with Pan. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have an impact on Cub's training as she was growing up."

  "What about the rest of her family?" Sunny asks curiously. "She's got both parents, right? Is her mom a norm?"

  "Her mother's an animal speaker,"
Nico says. "But since she'll be staying with us for a while, I figure you guys can ask her all these things yourselves." They head out of the apartment building one by one, stepping on the lighted footprints without even thinking about it. The school is hardly a walk at all from the apartment building, but the entire way there has several heroes floating overhead, watching out for problems.

  In front of the yellow tape that surrounds Death Canyon, there is a long black car, making the group pull to a stop. The back door opens and Adanna gets out, followed by the most beautiful black woman that Sunny's ever seen. She has long black hair that falls down her back in curls and a face straight from a magazine. Her outfit is a gauzy flowing dress that seems to float around her legs. With her heels on, she's as tall as Nico is, almost.

  She has to be Adanna's mother, Sunny decides as she reaches down and takes Adanna's hat off, tossing it back into the car. She looks just like her in the face.

  "Amara!" Nico says, stepping around the group and heading for the woman. "This is a surprise," he goes on, moving his coffee cup to his left hand and shaking her hand.

  "I wanted to thank you for taking my little kitty in for the week, Nico," the beautiful woman says with a smile. "Chinaza is busy readying the plane for us, or he would be here himself, but I think I'm lucky, I finally get to meet all my daughter's classmates." She turns, looking at the kids with a bright smile. "I would like to thank all of you for your assistance," she says, heading for them.

  Her eyes, a golden brown color, travel from one student to another, lingering on Sunny. Suddenly Sunny is certain that he's going to be yelled at for teasing Adanna so much, but she moves on--and steps forward, pulling Emily into a hug, much to the redhead's shock. "Adanna was telling the truth," she says, pulling away. "You are adorable!"

  "Mama!" Adanna yelps from next to the car.

  Emily is bright red. "Um... thank you?" she says, glancing back at Adanna curiously. But before she can say anything, Amara is moving on to Trent.