I blinked; my fingers itched to draw what had just been foretold.
"Scarlet, can you hear me?"
I ignored her, looking down to see my notebook and pen. I brushed off Cece's hands from my shoulders, reaching out to grab my book, opening up to a fresh blank page.
My hands moved without a second thought, trembling with my anxiety and fear from the vision.
I drew every scene to every detail, not stopping until everything was perfect, down to the fearful expression in Amelia's eyes as she began to choke, the poison beginning to take effect.
I could feel the tears roll down my cheeks; the anguish that vibrated through my body for this poor girl. She was a shifter like me. She was an individual who belonged in this world, who deserved to enjoy life and the world around her. Nature was one with her and she was crying, mourning the loss of one of her own. And now I was angry. He took her away. How dare he?
I gripped the pencil as I continued my desperation to finish the sketch before it faded away. Amelia deserved this much; she wasn't going to be a folder collecting in the dust like many others – like my mother's file. Xerxes did this, and he needed to be found and served justice.
I finished writing his last words, 'Three down...two more to go,' my hands stopped at the period.
I trembled, trying to catch my breath as the tears continued to fall effortlessly down my cheeks.
"Scarlet love."
I didn't respond, staring at the words – the letters that reminded me that I was soon to be next – to face Xerxes in the flesh and fight for my life.
Someone lightly tugged the sketchbook and pen from my hand, before I was pulled into an embrace – the smell of lavender greeted me, the smell of Michael Moore.
"Scarlet. Let go." He whispered. I bit my lip; my hands trembled.
I pushed away from his chest to glare at him.
He didn't understand how I felt; what I saw. What Mother Nature had to bear witness to and the water had to participate in. The elements surrounded me, mourning for the loss of their own.
"Let go? Do you not feel it? They're crying! The wind is still because it can't possibly breeze by for sake of blowing away a piece of evidence hidden in these grounds! The water cries for being the instrument played to kill rather than to bring blessings and life. Nature itself is in agony, for her, a FAIRY was murdered. How can I let go?"
The words and frustration flew out of me; my anger made my body quake. The clouds began to darken.
"Scarlet! I feel it! I feel fucking everything. Including your pain and fear. You think I don't want to fucking find him and murder his ass nice and slow, so agonizingly painful that he'd beg for death and even Deathpre himself would not bat an eye. I feel you. I understand. But you can't let it break you."
We continued our staring match; his hand brushed against my cheek as he gave me a pained expression.
"Scarlet, please. I beg you. This isn't good for you. Tell the elements around you that you will bring them justice for Amelia and the souls stolen from this world using their elements. The power you’re absorbing will calm."
I closed my eyes, trying to block him out. He pulled me into him, whispering in my ear.
"Scar. Please."
I relaxed; the words flew into my head.
"I'll avenge her...all of them. I can't now. But I will. Please, withhold your power till the day I summon thee."
My shoulders relaxed as the power dissipated. I moaned, feeling weak. Michael's arm secured around my waist and legs, lifting me up.
My heavy head rested against his chest, as I tried to open my eyes. I felt weaker than I ever had before, struggling to stay conscious.
"Fuck, will she be okay?" Ethan questioned; his voice rock hard and laced with anger – a sound I would have never registered as his.
"She used magic. Water was definitely a component." Junho disclosed.
"It was Xerxes." Cece’s low voice rang thick with agitation.
"Agent Moore, get Agent Sinclair back to my place. Agents Rose and Roseblade, go with him. Agents Suk, Ross, and Ivanov, search every square foot of this place. I don't care if we're here all night. If Scarlet says the wind has stilled to not rid us of lingering evidence, we may find something we can tag with the sample of blood from Saikiku’s place."
"Yes, Sir." The said in unison.
I could hear footsteps spread out. I tried to speak but jumbled words came out.
I felt something brush my forehead.
"Easy Scarlet. Just relax. We'll handle it. You did good." Jaxson whispered; his soft voice caused me to relax in Michael's arms.
"Make sure she sleeps. Tomorrow we begin Operation Crow. We can't fail, and we need Scarlet."
"Understood." Michael replied.
We began to move, the swaying back and forth in Michael's' arms enough to ease my worries.
Please Mother Nature, guide them to the truth. For Amelia...for all of those who've perished by his blood-soaked hands. Please...
That was all I could manage; the darkness claimed me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"Mommy, the earth is sad."
I stood in the grass in my bathing suit, holding the glass of water in my hand as I watched Uncle Kendrick at the BBQ.
Mommy walked over, then kneeled to face me.
"Scarlet, why are you crying?"
I wiped the tears out of my eyes.
"Nature is sad, Mommy. Why is the world so cruel? The water is sad, the wind is unhappy, the ground is upset, and the fire is angry. Why isn't anyone listening?" I cried.
Uncle Kendrick stopped what he was doing to walk towards me. "Scarlet love. Don't cry. It’s going to be okay." He soothed, picking me up.
"Uncle Kendrick. But, they tell me it never changes. It's always the same. I want to help them. Can't I help them?" I begged, looking into his brown eyes.
"One day you can, baby. You can't help them now because it will only harm you and put your life in jeopardy. They don't want that from you. They will need you one day to be their voice. Can you be patient? Tell them you'll help them when you're big and strong."
I frowned, taking a moment to think about it. I looked up to the sky – words flowed into my mind as if the sky wanted to assist me in telling the world my wish.
"I, Scarlet Sinclair promise to help the sky above and the ground below. I will help the water that cries and the wind that frowns. I will comfort Mother Earth and heal the fire whose anger rages on. I will be your light in the darkness. I swear it. In stars we trust." The words flowed out of me, feeling confident.
I turned my attention back to Uncle Kendrick and my Mommy, both held shocked expressions on their faces.
"Baby, who told you those words?" Mommy asked.
"The words just came to me, and Moonlight says I should always end a prayer with ‘In stars we trust’ if I want it to come true." I defended, confused.
"Moonlight...honey? Moonlight’s a cat."
I giggled, wiggling out of Uncle Kendrick's hold, and he lowered me back down.
"Moonlight!" I called out. The cat’s head poked out of the bush nearby, and he ran towards me.
I turned to face my mom and Kendrick, a big smile across my lips. "Mommy and Uncle Kendrick are silly. Moonlight's a god in the sky. Moonlight, aren't they silly." I laughed.
"Meow."
"I know. Mommy, I'm going to the sandbox with Moonlight. I feel better. Mother Nature says thank you." I ran off; Moonlight trailed behind me, ignoring Mommy and Uncle Kendrick’s gawking expressions.
I'll be the voice for the world around me. I will be their light.
"Scarlet, sweetheart, wake up. We're here."
I opened my eyes, squinting at the light shining through the windshield. Did I fall asleep? And another dream...Was Kendrick that close to Mom? Where was Dad then?
I looked up to see Junho's turquoise eyes staring down at me. My head leaned against his shoulder, his arm relaxed behind me.
"Here?" I was still disoriented, trying to
fight the urge to return to the realm of sleep
"Yes. We’re at the checkpoint. We need to get our rides and stay in place just in case this shit turns into a car chase." He reminded.
I sat back into the leather car seat, covering my mouth as I yawned, pulling my glasses off, and placing them into the cup holder.
"Sorry. Just give me a moment." I apologized, trying to recollect myself, changing my mindset.
Today was the scheduled bust – Lizard breath and a bunch of lackeys were coming together to do a large drug exchange. Jaxson, Christian, Michael, and Ethan were in position with five other PINC teams, ready to crash their party.
Another shifter with the ability of sight was able to pinpoint the routes they would use to escape – Ethan did his job and cleared all routes to make sure no civilians got hurt if a car chase went down.
The chances were slim, but anything could change in a split second, and we had to be prepared. Our route would lead us to a construction bridge above Malcolm Ocean, where the water ran deep enough even for whales to be seen during certain times of the year.
If there was any chance of anyone trying to escape and going our route, they would be swimming with the fishes.
Junho and I were assigned to get a vehicle fast enough to catch up – Junho being the car expert. We were now at one of the autoplex dealerships he owned.
His hand slid into my curls, turning my head to face him.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay? You kept having weird dreams last night." He disclosed.
Jaxson must have told them. I pressed my hand against his, enjoying his touch and in awe with his concern.
"I'm fine. I think I've managed more sleep this week than my entire school semester. Once the adrenaline kicks in I'll be doing cartwheels." I reassured him.
"Okay. But if you feel unwell, promise me you will let me know."
"I promise."
He nodded, turning the engine off before unbuckling his seatbelt. I followed suit, putting my gloves on as I prepared myself. As easy as this part of the mission seemed, my gut told me shit was going to go down, and I was ready for any surprises.
I fixed the earpiece in my ear, hiding it with my loose, orange curls.
Junho worked on his: the little communication device looking similar to a Bluetooth device.
"Agent Suk, testing com device. Can you hear me, Agent Roseblade?" Junho questioned.
"Yes. Eyes on you now. No movement back at crow's nest. Stay on plan. We have already inserted Sinclair's info in their database. Michael, get prepared to initiate plan A." Ethan replied.
"Thanks." A playful smirk formed on his lips as he slid his sunglasses on.
We walked towards the entrance of the transparent glass building, and I noted the cars of different brands and price tags parked neatly in the entrance and window displays.
"We have about two hours till shit goes down. I'll take a car for a test drive. You can choose whatever you want. I already gave your alias to them."
"Alias as in?" I questioned, confused.
He stopped before the glass doors. His arm slid around my waist as he pulled me into a steamy kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and his hand roamed down to my ass.
He gripped it firmly. An involuntarily moan escaped me as I kissed back. My body roared with excitement as his groin pressed against me – hard with his apparent arousal.
My arms already found their place around his neck; my hands enjoyed the feel of his silky smooth, brown locks.
I heard Ethan groan through our earpiece.
"Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Suk. As much as you love to prove your point of being newlyweds back from your month vacation in Cancun, I'd love to get through this mission without an erected cock with no place to masturbate, so can you two break it up?" His low voice snapped me out of my lust-filled daze. My mind had completely forgotten we were at work.
Junho pulled away, giving me a smug look before opening the door and ushering me in. The secretary at the desk sat wide-eyed with her jaw dropped – she’d obviously witnessed the entire display.
"You’re my wife, baby." He whispered in my ear, slapping my ass as I walked in. Fuck...
"You’re such a tease." I whispered. The words flew out in Japanese.
One thing Kendrick taught me; if you couldn't wait to finish a conversation while undercover, complete it in another language – Japanese being one of the few I spoke fluently.
"It's called a free sample, sweetheart." Junho replied in English, taking his sunglasses off.
I stared at him in astonishment.
"How many languages do you know?" I whispered.
"More than enough. Today, I'll need Russian. Now, focus, my love." He winked, confidence plastered across his face as he turned to the stunned secretary.
"Morning. I spoke to Henry earlier."
The secretary scrambled to her feet; her face flushed as she nodded with wide eyes.
"Mr. Suk! It's an honour to meet the CEO of Freedom Dealerships. Yes, Henry has scheduled your test drive with the limited-edition Mustang fleet. A brand-new version has already been sent to your house.”
Junho slid his glasses off, smiling.
"Perfect. Now...Amy, is it? Please ensure my wife gets the best treatment. She can choose whichever vehicle she wants to test drive. If she wants, order a brand-new version. Make sure it's red. The color compliments her." He squeezed my hand, pulling me lightly for another kiss.
"Sweetheart, I'll be back in a bit okay? Have fun." He whispered against my lips.
"Okay, honey. Try not to go past two hundred miles an hour." I bit his lip, tugging lightly before releasing him; the action enough to make his eyes dilate, his desire apparent.
"Ah, Mr. Suk. It’s an honour, and this must be your wife."
We turned to our right to see a large plump man scrambling to greet us. He huffed and puffed as if he'd run three flights of stairs to see us.
"Henry. Please. Yes, this is my wife. I just informed Amy to let her choose whatever vehicle she's interested in. Please ensure the other representatives know. You can bill my black card. Now, shall we get on the way?" Junho urged, his hand slipped out of mine.
He gave me one last kiss before walking away with Henry.
Amy scrambled around the desk.
"Mrs. Suk, what would you like to look at? We have some basic cars like Toyota or Hyundai. Are you interested in more of an SUV? Or something a tad stylish like a Corvette
"Did she just call a Chevrolet stylish?" Aurora huffed.
"I feel insulted. Does she think we like slow cars? None of those are even high class." Serenity mumbled.
I gave her a serene smile, ignoring her question as I began to walk through the dealership, already knowing what I wanted.
"Ah, Mrs. Suk. Hold on. Let me escort you." She rushed over to follow me; her heels loudly clicked against the tiled, white floor.
I didn't slow my stride, walking straight past the SUVs to the sports car section.
It didn't take long till my eyes landed on my prize – pure excitement pumped through me as I gazed at the Suzuki Hayabusa in a shiny red coat.
I let my fingers slide across the smooth exterior, taking a look at the specs.
"Oh, ma'am. Haha, there's no way you can ride that. It's for...you know, those pro MALE racers you see on television." Amy laughed nervously, making a mischievous smile form on my lips.
I turned to face her. "I'll be taking this one for a test drive. Feel free to put it on my husband's card, but if you have trouble let me know, I have my black card as well."
She gawked at me, the mention of the black card only millionaires and billionaires carried enough to make her stand there like a statue.
"Oh look. Now she understands we aren't a housewife abusing her husband’s money." Aurora grumbled.
"Right. We have our own." Serenity agreed.
I love how you two are so caught up in this. I shook my head, making my way back to the reception desk, Amy frantically catching u
p.
"I'll get a brand new one ready for you. You won't need one shipped, correct?"
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I want one sent to our home. Timeframe doesn't matter, as long as it’s that edition. Make sure it's red." I ordered with a satisfied smile.
"Yes, ma'am."
I heard Ethan’s low chuckle in my ear, making me shiver.
"Scarlet, you're hot when in character." He whispered, making my cheeks flush at the compliment.
"Hey. Don't go flirting with my wife." Junho warned.
"Can you two be serious for once? You know Kendrick listens to these recordings in his spare time." Jaxson sighed.
"He does not. Fuck, does he?" Michael questioned.
"Can we please focus? Continue being a sexy newlywed Scarlet. By the way, nice ride." Christian praised. I turned away from Amy, pulling out my phone and pretending to slide it on.
“Hey, I’m kinda busy right now. No, that’s fine. Oh, you’re about to go for a test drive? Alright, try not to have too much fun. Yeah, I love you, too.” I encouraged, ending the fake phone call.
"So sexy." Ethan mumbled. The others groaned, and the conversation ended there.
It didn't take long till I had the keys; my black and red helmet secured on my head, borrowing a black leather jacket with red stripes.
I was glad I wore combat boots to match my black on black attire – black jeans, black V-neck T-shirt. I sat on my new toy; my grin so wide my teeth showed.
"Don't you need your glasses?" Serenity asked.
"You have your gun loaded?" Aurora questioned.
I turned my motorcycle on; the engine roared to life as I fixed my leather gloves, flipping the top half so my hands were not fully enclosed in the leather material.
Yes, Mothers. I have my gun loaded and I don't need my glasses. That power nap was good enough, and I'm pumped to test this bad boy out. When was the last time I got to ride a motorbike? I'm gonna do some hella speed.
I waited for them to respond when Ethan's voice came on the earpiece.
"CROW'S NEST MOVING OUT! INITIATE BACK-UP PLAN! Agent Ross, take the back route and get to Sinclair and Suk's route ASAP. Lizard breath is heading to that route now."
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