by A. Blythe
“She’s glowing,” a woman said.
“She’s radioactive,” a man added. “She’s going to make us all sick.”
I was a stark raving lunatic. I’d never wanted to hurt humans more badly than I did in that moment.
“Leave her alone,” I screamed, and pulled out my dagger. It wasn’t the smartest move I’d ever made, but I didn’t care. I had to get Pinky out of there before they accidentally killed her.
People scattered, moaning and groaning about headaches and too-bright colors. I scooped Pinky into my arms and thanked the gods that I was strong enough to lift her.
The saleswoman opened the door of the store and let us pass before closing and locking it behind her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t know what happened. She left the store and I went back to the stockroom. I heard shouting and, when I came out to investigate, a crowd had gathered around her. They seemed terrified.”
I placed Pinky on the leather sofa and whipped out my phone to text Reed. I needed a healer. Quickly.
“Did she do anything…odd?” I asked.
The saleswoman frowned. “Not that I saw, but people were yelling about her being trapped in a bubble. But then they were hitting her and kicking her. It doesn’t make sense.”
So the saleswoman missed out on the Sight. Probably a blessing. But why didn’t Pinky stay in the bubble? Or defend herself? With the flick of a finger, she could have blasted those people to the Olive Garden across the street.
I knew why. Pinky didn’t want to hurt anyone, so she let them hurt her instead.
“Thank goodness no one had a gun,” the saleswoman said. “Things could have been much worse for your friend. I think we should call the police.”
The police. A gun. The Sight.
The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
I now knew Serena’s plan and it was horrifying.
“I have a friend on the police force,” I said. “I’ll report the incident to her.”
Herb appeared in the store. “Someone here needs assistance?” He noticed me standing beside the sofa. “Oh, you again.”
“I’m not the one who needs help,” I said. “It’s Pinky.”
“Ma’am,” he addressed the saleswoman, “would you mind giving us a little privacy?”
“Of course. I’ll be in the stockroom.”
He bent over the sofa, examining her. “I’m going to take her to Enclave Headquarters to the recovery unit.”
I touched her forehead. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I hope so, but I need to work a few spells and it would be best to be in a magical environment.”
“Can you move her safely?” I asked.
“I’m trained in safe removals,” Herb assured me. “Leave her with me.”
“I need to cancel a lunch,” I said. “Then I want to see her.”
“Why don’t I let you know when she’s awake?” he asked. “I have a feeling you have important matters to attend to.”
Did I ever.
“Thanks, Herb.” Although Lana was my favorite healer, Herb was proving himself to be a welcome addition. “Make sure you take her new dress with you. She’ll want to have it for the gala.”
The Officers’ Gala, where Serena intended to unleash her weapon on an unsuspecting police force.
I watched Herb perform a cloaking spell before disappearing with his patient and her dress. Then I went to the nearest rack and selected the first dress to catch my eye. It was silver with a slit high enough up the leg to perform any number of kicks. It was perfect.
“You shall go to the ball, Alyse,” I told myself. And kick some serious Dragon ass.
I made three calls when I left the store. The first one was to Thompson to alert her to the scene at the mall. The second one was to Mr. Boyd to offer my apologies and a request to reschedule. The third call was to Reed to confess the secret I’d been carrying. With the attack on Pinky, the truce was well and truly over. It didn’t matter to me that it was an unintentional consequence of Serena’s plan. She’d put her own daughter at risk. So now the gloves were off. I only wish the cuffs were too.
Although Reed listened quietly, I felt his anger through the phone. “Greer is still at the house,” Reed said. “I’d like to share this information with him.”
“Knock yourself out.” The Dragon was out of the bag as far as I was concerned. One way or another, Serena’s reign was coming to an end. “I imagine PAN will want to know about New Horizons.”
I was almost to the apartment when a call from Reed stopped me. “You should come to the house. There are things to discuss in person.”
“Now?” I stared longingly at the entrance to the apartment. Since lunch was cancelled, I was hoping to grab a quick bite.
“Now.”
I took the train to Swarthmore and walked through the bucolic neighborhood that Reed called home. It was so at odds with his daily life or death existence. The evidence of children littered the neighborhood. Basketball hoops, bicycles, discarded hockey sticks. Once again, it struck me that this was the life Reed wanted. I paused, drinking in the suburban environment. I could never give him this, not really. I wondered if he’d considered that at all when he made the decision to pursue me.
I made it to the edge of the property line and called to him in my mind. The property was heavily warded and I didn’t need any more surprises today.
The front door opened. "It's perfectly safe,” he said. “Come on up."
I ventured up the walkway and brushed past him into the house. Greer was there, standing in the living room.
“It seems we both have bombs to drop today,” he said.
“More nuclear than mine?” I queried.
“Depends on your point of view,” he said. Greer motioned for me to sit.
My curiosity piqued, I sat in the wingback chair opposite the brothers.
“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Reed asked, ever the polite host. “I have iced tea.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Homemade?”
He nodded. “Unsweetened.”
“I’m up for that.” The weather was warming up as we headed into summer. Iced tea was rapidly becoming my beverage of choice.
“I have cookies too.”
I studied him. “Homemade too?”
“Of course.”
Tempting. For that matter, so was he. “Chocolate chip?”
He grinned. “Is there any other kind?”
“I have you pegged as an oatmeal raisin guy,” I said.
“He likes those,” Greer interjected. “We used to fight over who licked the wooden spoon.”
“Your mother couldn’t just have two spoons?” I asked.
Greer and Reed exchanged looks. “That would’ve made a lot of sense,” Greer said, as Reed moved into the kitchen.
I laughed. “I think she tried to tease out your competitive sides on purpose to pit you against each other.”
“Sounds like her,” Greer admitted.
“Any news on the missing asset?” I asked.
His expression clouded over. “I guess we should get that out of the way.”
His words were like a knife twisting in my gut. “Dead?”
Greer gave a solemn nod. “She was fished out of the Delaware River early this morning.”
I covered my face with my hands. “Gods, Greer. I’m so sorry.” Two assets dead for nothing. Not a shred of new information on my burn notice.
We sat in contemplative silence for a moment.
“My brother really cares for you, you know,” Greer said quietly. “I like to give him a hard time, but I know his feelings are genuine. So my question is—are yours?”
“I like you a lot, Greer,” I said. “But that’s really none of your business.”
Reed emerged from the kitchen with a plate piled high with cookies and a glass of iced tea. He shifted the coaster on the end table closer to me before setting down the glass.
“Cookie, miss?”
I took two and placed a napkin on my lap. “Thank you, kind sir.”
Reed offered his brother the plate of cookies, but he declined. “I’m watching my figure. Got my eye on a girl in accounting. She’s a health and fitness nut.”
“Accounting, huh?” Reed asked, seating himself in the chair beside me. “How unlike you—going for a woman with brains.”
“Just following your lead, brother.” Greer winked at me.
I washed down the delicious cookie with a mouthful of iced tea. “Okay, Greer. Niceties are over. I showed you my bomb. What’s yours?”
He and Reed exchanged nervous glances, which immediately raised my hackles.
I perched on the edge of my seat. “No mysterious brotherly looks. What is it?”
“Hear him out,” Reed said quickly.
“I’m trying to, but you interrupted,” I snapped. I immediately regretted my tone. “I’m sorry, Reed. The way you’re both looking at me is stressing me out.”
“I called my bosses at PAN with your intel,” Greer said.
“The Dragon’s identity?”
“And the New Horizons Sight invention. Trust me, they are freaking out.”
“About damn time.”
He sucked in a nervous breath. “I’ve been asked by my bosses to offer you a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
Intense thigh rubbing from Greer. He was going to chafe himself if he wasn’t careful. “Your cuffs removed and your name cleared if you help them take down the Dragon.”
My heart seized. PAN would remove my cuffs? I’d have my powers back? A thrill of excitement zipped through me.
“When you say take down the Dragon, do you mean dead or alive?” I asked.
Greer shrugged. “At this point, I don’t think anyone would lose sleep over a dead Dragon. There’s been too much unrest in the Mid-Atlantic Colony, especially with the attempted coup against Prince Simdan. PAN doesn’t like it. They want an equal balance of power restored.”
Pinky’s mom in exchange for my freedom. I groaned inwardly. I couldn’t think about it in those terms. I’d already made the decision to unseat Serena. The more firepower I had to do battle, the better.
“What makes them think I’m capable of handling the Dragon?” I asked. “I’m a disgraced former Shadow Elite agent, remember? Why would they even trust me?”
“Because I trust you,” Greer said. “And they like that you’ve kept yourself tucked away since your…situation. They had no idea you were here. And I may have mentioned that you’ve managed to thwart several power grabs here in the city, even without your powers.”
“I’ve had a lot of help,” I said, glancing at Reed. “I haven’t done anything alone.” Learning to work as part of a team—a real team—had been a huge change for me. I’d spent my career flitting from group to group, only focused on my own task. I wasn’t sure I could ever return to solo work, even if I was exonerated and restored to agent status.
“I don’t think PAN cares how you do it,” Greer said. “I’ll be honest. I sensed desperation. They did not like the sound of the New Horizons invention.”
“You should take the deal,” Reed urged. “I don’t think the Shadow Elite will be offering to remove your cuffs anytime soon and word will be spreading about your location. No thanks to my brother here.”
Greer shrugged. “I tried to go with an anonymous source, but they wouldn’t accept it. They demanded a name.”
With the PAN elite in the know, it was only a matter of time before my enemies showed up on my doorstep and targeted everyone I cared about. Fabulous.
I heaved a sigh. “I’ll need to think about it.”
Reed gave me a sharp look. “What’s to think about?”
I hesitated. “What if I fail? Then I’ve poked a hornet’s nest with nowhere to hide and I’ve endangered my friends in the process.”
“Since when did Alyse Winters ever shrink from a fight?” Reed asked.
“Especially when it means your freedom,” Greer added. “Don’t you want your powers back?”
More than anything. Just talking about it made me anxious to feel the essential fire burning within me.
“So PAN is going to trust me to lead the charge?” I asked. “Why not send their own people?”
Greer’s mouth formed a thin line. “You know why.”
I did know why. I was dispensable.
“You’re the first line of defense,” Greer continued. “If you fail, I have no doubt they’ll send in a team of their own. PAN perceives the unrest as a real danger to not just this colony, but the neighboring colonies as well. The Dragon has amassed too much power and, with the attempted coup launched against Prince Simdan, it’s only a matter of time before she makes another major power play. It could blow the current balance of power to smithereens.”
“And what if I want my cuffs off before I go after the Dragon?” I asked. “After all, it would give me an advantage.” And I’d take every advantage I could get.
Greer grimaced. “I had a feeling you’d push for that. I’ll ask, but they’ll be hesitant.”
I folded my arms. ”I don’t care if they’re hesitant, as long as they say yes.”
“They’d want to monitor you,” Greer said. “Make sure you don’t take off without holding up your end of the bargain.”
As if I would renege on a promise, especially when the lives of my friends were at stake. PAN really didn’t think highly of Shadow Elite agents. And to think I’d been the top student at their stupid academy. The honor felt hollow now, knowing what they thought of me.
“Who will monitor me?” I asked Greer. “You?”
“I’m not sure. The conversation didn’t get that far.”
“Take the deal, Alyse,” Reed urged. “This is what you’ve been working toward. Your freedom.”
I wrung my hands in my lap. “Greer, would you mind giving us a minute?”
“Of course.” Greer moved into the kitchen and I crossed the room to sit beside Reed.
“Are you sure you want me to do this?” I asked.
His soulful brown eyes scrutinized me. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“You know why.”
Reed took my hand in his. “It wouldn’t change how I feel about you, Alyse, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No? So when I have my powers back and can basically destroy anything within a mile radius without breaking a sweat, you’re going to be totally cool with that?”
His lip twitched. “A mile radius, huh?”
“It’s not a joke, Reed. Without my cuffs, I’m a force to be reckoned with.”
“I’d say the same is true with the cuffs on. Look at those blazing green eyes. I’m afraid of you right now.”
I glared at him. “Reed, focus. This is important.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Yes, Alyse Winters. Miss Mile Radius Badass. I’m going to be cool with that. Do you know why?”
“Because you’re a Boy Scout?”
“Because you’re not going to destroy anything,” he said firmly. “Losing your powers has changed you, whether you like it or not. You’re not going to be the same djinni you were before.”
“Maybe that’s wishful thinking,” I said. “You just want me to retain my humanity.”
“Of course I do,” he said, more vehemently than he probably intended. “You’re not a Ghul, Alyse. You’re not going to completely lose yourself to your powers. You’ll be in control, not the other way around.”
“You seem to think very highly of me,” I said.
He stared at me in a way that warmed me all over. “I think we can both agree that you’ve earned it.”
Reed was so supportive of me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to have a relationship like this with a Naphil—with a Protector. If Jamie could see me now, he’d be laughing his ass off.
I called into the kitchen. “Greer, it’s settled. Tell your buddies if I can get my cuffs off first,
I’ll take the deal.”
16
I didn’t have to wait long for PAN’s decision. Greer called me before I made it back to the apartment, my stomach full of iced tea and cookies. I’d just finished talking to Oscar, who’d offered an update on Pinky’s condition. She was stable and resting and asking for gum. All good signs.
“What’s the verdict?” I asked.
“PAN has agreed to your demand,” Greer said. “They’re sending a team of doctors to handle the removal of your cuffs.”
Excitement stirred within me. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
I swallowed hard. “Tomorrow?” I could hardly believe it. My freedom. Finally.
He gave me the address. “No makeup or jewelry, except your cuffs, of course.”
“What will they use? A pair of magical pliers?”
He laughed. “I honestly have no idea, but I’ll be there every step of the way.”
“Thanks, Greer. This is more than I ever expected.” I hung up the phone and raced into Tops and Bottoms. I couldn’t wait to share the news with Farah.
It wasn’t a pair of magical pliers.
Three people entered the room—two men and a woman all wearing a weird combination of body armor and medical scrubs.
“Alyse Winters, say hello to Dr. Hyatt, Quinn Butler, and Sonja Jackson,” Greer said. “They’re going to be responsible for removing your cuffs today.”
I studied their attire. “Are you afraid I’m going to bite the hand that frees me?”
Dr. Hyatt met my gaze. “No, Miss Winters. It’s not your deliberate actions that we’re concerned about. Think of yourself as a soda bottle that’s been shaken and we’re about to pop the lid off.”
They were worried that my magic would rush out of me and inadvertently injure them. Made sense.
I looked at Greer. “You should probably wait outside.”
He smiled. “Oh, I intend to.”
“If you wouldn’t mind taking your place on the table,” Quinn said. “We can get started.”
I hopped onto the table and rested my head against the soft pillow at the top. “Are you all mages?”
“Yes,” Sonja replied. “I also have a degree in applied metallurgy. Quinn has one in advanced magical theory and Dr. Hyatt has a PhD in applied magical mechanics.”