Winter (Hero Society Book 5)

by Jessica Florence

  So, I started asking some more questions when we stopped to stretch at the end.

  “How’s working with the Hero Society going for you?” I’d yet to get called for anything, although I did receive my superhero suit—if one could call it that. I had taken the liberty to add my own flare to it shortly after opening the box.

  “Okay. I’m starting to put myself out there more with them. They have something that I’ve always craved but never tried to attain.” She reached down to touch her toes, and I might have stared at her ass in those leggings for a moment longer than I should have.

  “What’s that?” For a moment I was thankful she didn’t notice the obvious—like how my voice deepened when I asked her that, because I was half-groaning as I watched her petite body move so fluidly, working out the lactic acid in her legs.

  “A place where I belong.”

  She stood up, still barely coming to my nose, and stretched those arms up high. Her statement was deep, and it said so much about her. Her candor was refreshing, and I yearned for more of her honesty. So few people nowadays truly said what was on their mind.

  “They are like a family, from what I’ve seen of them.”

  They would die for each other and the ones they loved. It was admirable, but I still hadn’t dragged my ass down to the headquarters to become a part of that.

  “Have you met them? Are you part of the Society too?” She wanted to know more about me, and that made me focus on answering her rather than my little pity party.

  “Yeah. I, uh, fought with them a year ago.” Her frankness inspired mine, I guess. There was no way I was going to lie to her about anything; I’d spent too much of my life hiding behind lies.

  “You fought in the big battle of Seahill, before they went back into time?” Her gaze was completely focused on mine, needing to know my story, and all I could do was nod. The words were not as easy to slide out between my lips.

  “I remembered everything before. The hatred, and the fleeing the island. I didn’t think I’d be of any help. You weren’t a part of their group before. It was just the originals, so you just decided to stay on your own and fight with them.” Something that sounded a bit like awe came through her voice. I hoped I’d heard it right. The way she said it made me seem like I did something honorable. I’d like to have hoped so, but I paid for that honor, with my life.

  “Yeah. It wasn’t a fun time. I’m glad it all worked out in the end. Evil turned good and all, and I got a second chance to live life as me. I used to be a hot shot in the business world, but I wasn’t being true. Now I’m an artist. All mediums you can think of, but my favorite is upcycling, taking what people would throw away and turning it into something beautiful again.”

  I wanted to ask her if she wanted to come check out my art, but knew it was probably too soon for that.

  “You do art? Can I see your work?”

  Or maybe it was the right time to invite her over. So, I did, and that half smile appeared as I told her my warehouse was nearby, and we could go there now if she was free.

  She was, and together we walked to my home.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gwendolyn

  Sometimes I was a little naive when it came to people in life. Like this moment—Arthur seemed like a perfectly good guy. He’d talked to me like I was a normal girl and made me feel like he was interested in who I was, as I was. I’d never had a man put in effort like he had so far. Sure, I’d have men who wanted sex from me, but none of them made it an hour talking with me. I was a challenge, one they quickly quit once they realized I was too much trouble for the body.

  So maybe walking with Arthur to his house wasn’t a smart move, since in reality I still didn’t know him as well as I should before making this decision. But I wanted to be near him. It was as simple as that.

  As we walked quietly to his “warehouse,” as he called it, I thought about his story of staying behind in the big battle. The anniversary of that day was coming up shortly.

  Guilt ran through me. I should have stayed and fought with them. But many others with powers fled, too. People were turning on each other, and death was probable. I truly believed I would have just gotten in the way. But I still should have tried; even now, the only reason I decided to join the heroes was so Phillip would give my cozy robots to people for free. He was patient and never made me feel like I made the wrong choice. He just accepted me; they all did.

  “Thank you for being nice to me. I know it seems like something easy and simple. But most people aren’t nice, or patient, with me.” I spoke up to make sure I didn’t mumble anything into the breeze. His head turned to look at me just as we reached a door right next to a bay door that you could fit a golf cart through when opened.

  His hand rose slowly up toward the side of my head. I froze at the movement, thinking he was going to touch me, and bit down the urge to move away from him. His fingers were gentle as he lightly pushed some of my hair back behind my ear, the pad of his thumb caressing my cheek, leaving warmth in its path.

  “They never saw you like I see you now: perfect just the way you are and deserving of the world at your feet.”

  Those words. Those hazel eyes that were trying to convey something I wasn’t able to read.

  I didn’t know what to make of them. My brain was going nuts, and my heart was running around like a teenager at a Taylor Swift concert.

  The sound of dripping made my heart and brain stop their flustering and search for the source of the sound.

  “Well, that’s interesting.” Arthur was fighting back a huge grin, and I wanted to cover my face with my hands in embarrassment. Apparently, it wasn’t just my heart that melted at his words—I’d melted his bay door, too.

  “I’m so sorry. I can fix it.”

  Cora hopped over the puddle then back again in amusement.

  “Cora.” She looked at me and immediately came to my side, looking slightly pouty.

  Instantly I lifted my hands and pulled at the metal to bond the elements together and form the door just as it had been. It was a minute or so before I was done, and I took a step closer to his other door, ready to go inside.

  “We need to make sure it works properly.”

  He unlocked the door and held it open for me to enter.

  I took in his open home as he went about testing the door, which seemed to be in perfectly good condition.

  “Hey, you got rid of the squeak that happened when I opened it. Great job!” He was enthusiastic as he walked back over to me.

  “I have to get out of here,” I whispered and turned back toward the door. His eyes were wide, and I felt bad for scaring him as I all but ran out the door.

  “Gwendolyn, what’s wrong?”

  I stood outside his door and paced. Cora was watching me, I’m sure wondering what my deal was. I was just being crazy—no big deal.

  “I can’t do clutter. I’m sorry. I know this sounds crazy. I feel a little crazy right now, but you’ve seen my home. I like everything white, metal, and organized. You’re like a hoarder in there. It was too much. My senses couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry.” Just when I thought things were going okay…now he was going to see me as the freak that I was, melting doors, unable to handle a little mess.

  “Hey, hey.” He came closer, his voice soothing.

  “I’m not upset. I was just scared I did something wrong. Fuck. I didn’t wanna mess this up. It’s not a big deal. I should have thought about it. There’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere.” I could see the obvious need to touch me in his eyes, but I knew this time I would bolt.

  He wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t think I was a freak. I didn’t mess this up, and neither did he, despite thinking it was him.

  “You didn’t mess anything up. I’m just a mess sometimes. My life is routine. Black and white. I’m not used to someone as colorful as you. It’ll take some adjusting, but I think I might like a splash of color here and there.”

  It was as honest as I could be.


  “When I first saw you, I thought you were like a blank canvas.”

  I was a canvas, and he was the paint; maybe together we could be something beautiful.

  I just had to really give it a chance. Take that leap, without knowing where things could go.

  Closing my eyes and sticking my hand into my pocket for my small piece of metal, I rubbed my fingers over the cool surface and counted to ten.

  “I’d like to try again sometime. Wanna walk us back home?” I opened my eyes and looked at him with a smile on my face—The first true smile I’d ever given him.

  “Smile at me like that all the time, and I’ll do whatever you want me to. Forever.”

  I laughed. Truly laughed at his theatrics, and started walking toward my house with Arthur by my side.

  Cora was weaving between the two of us, seeming happy until she scooted too close to him and her tail knocked into Arthur’s ankles. His tall body went down quite dramatically with a string of curses.

  “I knew that dragon would retaliate!”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Arthur

  “Crap.”

  I dove into the water without another thought.

  People were close to drowning, and I had to do something.

  My first call to duty as a Hero Society member had been for a sailboat that capsized in a bad storm that blew into the bay suddenly. The coast guard was on their way, but I was right around the corner, walking in the cold rain, running over my thoughts. I started heading back to my warehouse when the storm really kicked up, and I got the call from my communicator watch they’d given me.

  At first, I tried to pull them to me, using the water to propel the three people that were swimming for their lives. With the rain pounding down on the water, and the wild sea, I was at a disadvantage for a save at this magnitude.

  Instead of second-guessing why I was chosen, I dove into the water and swam to them. The water around me stayed calm, as long as I kept my thoughts the same.

  “Help us!” A woman’s gurgled scream broke through the thunder, and I knew they were running out of time. Dammit.

  Keeping my arms at my sides and opening my palms, I pushed my powers into them. If I couldn’t bring them to me, then I’d drive myself to them through the water.

  Thankfully they were all wearing life vests, but their energy was low.

  “Grab onto my arms!” I shouted when I was right by them. The man, woman, and young teenage girl grabbed hold and their panicked motions instantly dragged me under. I wasn’t a buoy, but the only way I could think to get them back to the shore was to push my power behind us like I did to get here.

  My teeth hurt as I ground them so tightly against one another and gave it everything I had to drag these soaked people through the stormy, cold-as-hell waters.

  Holding my breath and looping my arms around theirs, locking them in place, we shot forward.

  My muscles felt like limp noodles by the time we reached the shore of the city park, one of the few places that wasn’t against a sea wall. First responders were waiting with their flashing lights and emergency gear, and the coast guard helicopter zoomed overhead, circling the sinking boat. Not wanting the masses to see my face, I made sure my goggle glasses were secured over my eyes, keeping my identity a secret.

  The key to being a hero with powers was keeping your two identities separate. Otherwise people who didn’t agree with having said powers could cause problems in your life. Or, if there was a villain, they would attack those closest to you. Both were no good, so I was under my goggles and leather outfit.

  Summing the strength from deep in my soul, I stood and helped the tired family to the responders who were running to them.

  They offered me help, and some oxygen, but I just wanted to get back to my apartment and crash. That stunt took everything I had.

  I noticed reporters pulling in and ran for it.

  Just around the block, an old blue truck pulled up and the door opened in the rain for me.

  My eyes focused on the driver, and my body sagged with relief, seeing a familiar face: Draco, the immortal turned mortal, so he could change time and save everyone. I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to him since that night in all the chaos, but he was there for me right now. I didn’t think I would have been able to get home on the trickle of energy I had left.

  Dragging my exhausted body the few feet to his truck, I all but fell into the cab.

  “Good job,” was all he said before driving off, and I passed out.

  My body felt achy when I woke up in the early morning. When I opened my eyes, everything was blurry, so I reached over for my glasses on my nightstand. But I didn’t feel them.

  “Oh, here.” Someone’s voice startled the shit out of me, and I sat up quickly, calling whatever water in the air to me, ready for attack.

  A fussy silhouette of a person moved back a step.

  “I’m not a threat. You’re at headquarters. You passed out, and Draco brought you here to rest and be looked over by our on-call nurse.”

  I saw something come closer into my vision and reached out, having a sense it was my glasses being handed to me.

  My body relaxed as I slid them on my nose, relieved to be able to see again.

  A petite, blonde-haired woman stood in front of me. She had a pink birthmark on her right cheek that extended from her eye down to her lips. She was quite beautiful and unique. Not appealing to me like my muse was, but of course, seeing that mark I knew who she was—Draco’s girl.

  “I’m Arthur.” I changed the vibrations of the water I was still holding hostage, and they evaporated into the air. Then held my hand out to shake hers in hello.

  She smiled and grasped hold of mine.

  “I’m Rose. Welcome to the team. You really did a good job last night. The family is perfectly fine, and they had insurance to cover their boat. Really, a great second hero save.”

  Second? That was my first.

  “Uh, sorry. The big battle was your first save. You really helped us out so much. I’ve been waiting for the day when you came to be a part of us. Of course, I understand why you were hesitant.”

  My chest constricted, and she instantly dropped her hand from mine.

  “I’m an empath, and a psychologist as well. I can usually feel emotions from people, just being near them, and can influence them if needed. The feelings are more intense with touch, though. A constant battle, having powers.”

  That it was.

  Rose started moving toward the door of what seemed to be an apartment and turned back toward me with a gentle smile on her face.

  “Well, enough of that. Janie, our self-appointed resident cook, has breakfast all made. Wanna come officially meet the rest of the crew?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gwendolyn

  I was a girl with a crush; it was as simple as that.

  My eyes had been glued to the news, everyone talking about a man that saved a family whose boat had gone down in the storm we had last night. Everyone was fine, and from the descriptions of the surviving family, who were thanking the man on the camera, I knew it was Arthur.

  I’d spent all night and morning working on a project for him, barely taking the time to rest. I blame it on my obsessive nature.

  Arthur had sent me a text an hour ago, wanting to know if I’d like to go with him to the winter festival, which started tonight. It was like a carnival, which I never really cared for. But that could have been because I was always alone after my parents left, not to mention all the noise, lights, and people. Big crowds weren’t really my thing.

  But maybe having someone there to help focus on would help.

  My fingers were quick as I sent my reply back, agreeing to go.

  I checked over the chip and build of the robot in front of me. I hoped he liked this gift.

  After I was done and was satisfied with my work, I hopped into the shower and got dressed. Choosing something that I thought looked nice on me, and put on some light makeup. Lynn was alw
ays trying to get me to go on dates. So, while I didn’t normally focus too much on my appearance, I had everything I needed when I wanted to spritz up my look.

  Both Cora and Pops wanted to go to the festival too, so she situated herself on top of my new motorcycle bag on my back, her head poking through the left side of my hair. Pops climbed up and sat his little metal butt on my other shoulder.

  I’m once again thankful I made them both light, so my shoulders wouldn’t kill me after carrying them around everywhere.

  Arthur’s little gift was in a plain cardboard box. I had no wrappings or bows, but he didn’t seem like the type of guy that would care. He said his favorite type of art was upcycling—and his place had been a mess to prove it. There had been finished and unfinished works of art everywhere. Sculptures, bins upon bins, shelves full of things he could create with. I wanted so badly to look through all of his things, but my OCD kicked in, and I couldn’t handle it.

  He seemed to take my objection in stride.

  I was meeting him at his house, and hopefully this time around things would go differently.

  Nerves ran through me, and I felt a cold nose nuzzle my cheek in support. Cora was scanning me and could tell I was off.

  “Thanks. Cora. These are good nerves, I think,” I whispered to her. I hopped into my car and drove the few blocks over to his house, thankful we didn’t live too far away. I hated dealing with traffic.

  He was waiting outside for me when I pulled up in front of his bay door. I was glad that worked out okay, too; I still couldn’t believe I melted his door.

  He was bundled in a brown leather jacket and a muted yellow shirt beneath. Jeans and boots covered his lower half. He was something else. Those eyes behind those nerdy glasses looked at me with what I would consider happiness in them, and his smile matched that look. It was nice to have those expressions directed at me. My body felt warm and safe.

  I slipped out of the car and gave him a little wave hello before reaching back to grab the box.