"Ah, Miss Mendelson, do come in." With a beckoning wave, Cunningham gestured for Selena to enter the Captain's Bridge. Selena couldn't help but admire the smooth, fluid grace of his movements. No wonder Father was so enamored of him, professionally speaking.
Stepping inside, Selena swept her gaze over the room as the heavy oak door swung shut behind her with a thud. She drank in every detail, from the large windows that offered a panoramic view of the ocean's murky depths, to the interactive map hanging from one wall displaying in a trail of neon green light the ship's position relative to their itinerary, to the shelves full of what appeared to be sunken treasure and nautical artifacts. The bridge lacked a navigation console, or so it seemed to Selena, but she supposed it could be part of the map.
"Selena, over here!" Adam grinned and patted the hard wooden chair beside him on the opposite side of the conference table from her. "I saved you a seat."
Selena pretended she hadn't heard, murmured a, "Thank you," to Cunningham, and took an available seat as far as possible from Adam. After last night, she had no desire to talk to him just yet. The guy didn't know when to quit, and she did not need him harping on her joining the team when she had to figure out for herself what she wanted to do. Apart from Father's plans for her, and now Cunningham's plans for her, not to mention Adam, what did she want?
She hoped this meeting could provide some insight.
A few stragglers arrived and hastily took their seats around the oval mahogany conference table that dominated the center of the room. It occurred to Selena to wonder why they were using the Captain's Bridge when the captain himself was not present until he strode into the room and locked the door behind him with a decisive click. He followed this simple security measure with a strong, flowing current of water magic that engulfed the door. Selena arched an eyebrow. A deceptively innocent shield, but it could encase an intruder in a thin, skintight barrier capable of drowning anyone foolish enough to try spying on this meeting.
Selena knew Cunningham took his security seriously, but it made Selena wonder why he had so willingly invited her to attend. For that matter, what was the captain doing here, when as far as she knew, he was not part of the Bureau?
Selena's insides turned to ice as she wondered what sort of magic Cunningham might use to guarantee the silence of those who worked with him on the project. Mr. Parker had mentioned that Cunningham had ways of getting people to toe the line. Not for the first time, Selena wondered what he meant.
To find out the answer to this question, she might end up like Uncle Franklin if she weren't careful.
"Apologies for running late," the captain said, seating himself at one head of the table opposite Cunningham. "I was reviewing the safety inspection report from the repairs Miss Mendelson and Mr. McAllister effected at last night's unfortunate submersion ceremony. You'll all be happy to know the repairs have held, with some minor strengthening by the maintenance crew, and we were still on course."
Cunningham nodded his approval. He leaned forward and leaned his elbows on the table with his fingers steepled and a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Thank you for keeping us on track, and for adjusting your itinerary to fit our needs, Sullivan."
Selena studied Cunningham's reaction. Whatever he wanted at the various ports of call, she felt certain it had to do with the lost relics of Oberon.
Father had mentioned Singapore as one of the stops, and Selena suspected the other stops may harbor clues regarding the true nature of the relics, if they indeed existed. She still had no idea what to believe, but given all of Cunningham's bluster, he needed to present a viable "defense weapon" at the conference when he formally announced the project to win the public's approval.
He'd play on the fears of those advocating isolationism, of course, and he'd present this project as a way to unleash a new era of openness while maintaining everyone's safety for those on the opposite end of the spectrum. Selena had heard his rhetoric enough on the air screen news channels to predict what he would say.
Selena hadn't yet figured out her own views, because she could see reasonable arguments on both sides, but she certainly would not fall at the extreme end of either one. She, like the public, needed something concrete and definitive, beyond politics, and drummed up propaganda to sway the masses, and obscure legend.
"Now, then," Cunningham rose, his commanding presence capturing the attention of all in attendance. "Let's get started. We have a great deal to cover today. On the final day of the voyage, in just six days' time, we will present to the world for the very first time the labor of our blood, sweat, and tears over the past year. We are very close to offering the solution that everyone in our world craves, whether they realize it yet or not: the absolute assurance that those without magic can never harm mages again."
The room broke out in applause, with the most enthusiastic cheers emanating from Adam and his father. Selena refrained from rolling her eyes and kept her hands in her lap. A glance at Father showed that he was clapping politely, but Selena refused to join in. If Cunningham needed a team player, he'd have to look elsewhere.
Selena was only here for the information she could get, and maybe a job — if Cunningham turned out not to harbor plans that involved mass murder.
"Our world still reels with the systematic, coordinated attacks on our people that have occurred regularly since the farce that was the Salem witch trials hundreds of years ago. Of course, the attacks began well before that, but those of us from America consider Salem to be the first organized attack of many. We will never forget the ten thousand martyrs who were slain in that most recent cowardly bombing of a magical concert in Washington, DC a decade ago. To this day, the bill to legalize separation of our two worlds and forbid intermarriage remains a hotly contested agenda. I fear that this bill will finally pass in Congress next term if I do not gain the support I need to become elected. Some may disagree with our methods of assuring public safety with the lost relics of Oberon, or dismiss it as legend, but by the end of this voyage, we will present concrete proof that the lost relics of Oberon exist. We will convince them all that these relics will end all threat to the world if utilized correctly. We will show them with an ... effective demonstration."
An icy shiver ran down Selena's spine. While others around the table clapped and seemed not to have picked up on that slight pause as Cunningham concluded his speech, Selena noticed. Father scowled at the mention of the monstrous deeds done by nonmagicals, perhaps a slight against him as the only nonmagical present, but he quickly recovered. Selena didn't like Cunningham's ominous tone or the images of wholesale destruction his words conjured in her mind.
Glancing around the room, she noted the expressions on the faces of Cunningham's employees. Some, like her father, appeared stoic and rather skeptical, others like Parker and the McAllisters eager. Selena kept her face impassive, but she leaned forward in her chair with wide eyes to portray mild curiosity. To get this job, she needed to show interest, without giving away that she had much more personal interest in the project than Cunningham would probably condone.
What sort of demonstration did he have in mind? Selena meant to find out, and, like it or not, the best way would be to join the Bureau.
"You're certain all of this will be ready by the deadline?" Parker asked Cunningham, drumming his fingers on the table with a loud and rather annoying clacking of his thick nails. "With so much last-minute research to put together, our schedule will be tight. As I'm sure we're all aware, the presentation must go flawlessly."
Grinding her teeth against the incessant drumming, Selena kept her gaze on Cunningham to monitor his reaction. He gave Parker a death glare. "Your faith in me is touching, Parker. I assure you that I am more than ready. If you and your co-workers each do your part, together we will get the job done. Now, if you are doubting your ability to handle the task assigned to you, I am more than willing to hand it over to someone else."
Selena stifled a quirk of her lips when she saw her father's triumphant smirk at the chastisement.
Parker turned red-faced and held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "No, no, that won't be necessary. I'm sure we'll have it well in hand."
Cunningham gave a curt nod and flashed him a patronizing smile. "That's the spirit! Now, as we have a new potential recruit in Miss Mendelson here, I am going to assign her to work with the young Mr. McAllister. The two of them will serve as your assistants and will gather and organize the materials you need to complete the presentation. As Mr. Parker pointed out, we'll have a great deal of last-minute information and artifacts to go through at each port. Be ready. Dismissed, and welcome aboard, Miss Mendelson."
"Selena, Adam, follow me." Father strode for the door, the last traces of that triumphant smirk still lingering in his eyes.
"What do you think your father will have us do?" Adam asked, suddenly appearing behind her. "My guess is sort research articles, organize the workspace, or lug supplies. There's not much else they'll let interns get involved in."
Selena stopped mid-step and whirled on him. "Must you sneak up behind me? Do it again, I dare you. Next time, I will step on and break your toes."
Adam grinned. "I love getting a rise out of you. It's so easy, and you get this cute flush in your cheeks and the back of your neck."
"You're utterly infuriating." Selena glared at him, arms crossed in front of her. She hadn't yet forgiven Adam for hounding her last night about taking this job. Still, she couldn't deny that they'd made a good team when they were saving the ship together, but he didn't need to know that.
His grin, if possible, broadened, as if he could see through her words to what she meant. "It's all part of my charm."
"What charm?" Selena shot back.
"Mr. McAllister, if you'd like to do more, then you'll work your way up from intern after you graduate, like everyone else," Father said. "Now keep up, you two, and quit your flirting. We have a busy day ahead."
Selena groaned. "I was not flirting."
Trailing her father out of the Captain's Bridge, she touched her serpent pendant, the talisman that held the copies of Uncle Franklin's documents. For Uncle Franklin's sake, she would use this opportunity to solve his murder.