I backflipped, putting some extra power into it. I flew high in the air, landing on the top of the table behind me. “This has been fun! Thanks so much for showing me a good time.” I gave them a killer smile. “But if we’re done, then I’d love to finish my conversation with Carl.” I jerked my thumb behind me. I was a little disoriented, but I was pretty sure he was still at his table sitting behind me somewhere.

The door in the back of the room opened, and I saw Ahiga step through.

He took one look around the room and then stared up at me. “What the everlovingfuck is going on here!?”

I spun the neck of the bottle in my hand. “These guys wanted to play.” I smiled innocently. “I just don’t think we were on the same page about what kind of play I was up for.”

The men started yelling all at once. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one about to pounce on me, but Ahiga’s whistle cut through the din.

“Leave the lady alone! That’s an order! And clean this place up!”

All but one hopped to Ahiga’s orders. I turned to look at him square on. He stood there for a good minute—a look of disgust on his face—before spinning on his heel and leaving the bar.

Five feet ten. Two hundred pounds. Muddy brown hair. Weaselly eyes that were placed far too close together. I’d bet good money that guy was friends with the redhead from earlier.

There wasn’t anything I could do about that now, but I would ask Ahiga about him later. I had more immediate things to take care of at the moment.

I jumped down from the table and walked to Carl. He was still sitting there, calmly drinking his pint as he watched me, apparently not bothered at all by the brawl.

My chair had been knocked to the floor at some point, so I bent to pick it up, and then sat in it, saying nothing.

I wasn’t out of breath or even sweating much, but I’d said enough already. It was Carl’s turn to talk. The paper with my test scores was still on the table in front of him, but as far as I knew he hadn’t looked at it.

“That was some show,” he said after a moment.

I nodded. It wasn’t clear from the way he said it if he meant that as a compliment or not, so I kept my mouth shut.

He leaned forward, whispering. “I know.”

I swallowed. I didn’t dare say anything. Not with so many ears around, and even though I needed Carl’s acceptance, I didn’t trust him. Not with confirmation of what he believed I was.