The Light of Redemption

by Natalie Damschroder

  “She’s right,” said a deep, unfamiliar voice behind me. “It was targeting her.”

  Chapter 10

  I was on my feet with the reflexes of Eclipse. Too bad I was Harmony at the moment. My foot slipped out of my sandal, which threw me off balance, and I had to grab the rail of Conn’s bed to keep from falling. He lunged to catch me, no doubt out of instinct, and hissed at what was probably a sharp wave of pain through his entire body. Just like the one that swept through me.

  The guy standing in the room, who’d somehow entered without me hearing or Conn reacting, didn’t move to help either of us. I’d never seen him before. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a bit of a haunted look beneath a very contained, well, everything. His posture was both stiff and fluid, which was saying something considering he wasn’t moving. His expression epitomized the word “implacable.” Feet braced, arms folded, he assessed us both with light-green eyes that made me think his hair should be blonder. It was a medium brown, cut precisely but not retaining whatever style it was supposed to have. The only part of him not held tightly in control.

  I could tell he was law enforcement, though definitely not on duty since he wore jeans and a dark-green button-down shirt instead of a suit or sport coat. It was the combination of physical control, readiness for anything, and the impression that he’d already seen too much that made me think he’d been FBI or something.

  Despite his assertion that CASE had been targeting me, the stranger’s eyes were on Conn. “You don’t look surprised,” he commented.

  “At your claim, or your presence?” Conn had folded his arms, too, which didn’t have the intended effect since he was restricted by his IV and monitor cords. Apparently, he knew this guy.

  The guy shrugged. Then he relaxed slightly and held out a hand to me. “I’m Evan Forgeron. You’re Harmony Wilde?”

  I shook because I had to, upbringing forcing manners even when I didn’t feel so inclined. “Who’s asking? I’m not talking about your name,” I said irritably when he opened his mouth. It was unfair, but the hitch at the corner of his mouth told me I was right, he’d been planning to repeat it. “Who are you, why are you here, and how do you know who I am? And why do you think I’m the target?”

  He waited. Raised one eyebrow. “Anything else?” When I just scowled, he angled his chin at Conn. “He’ll vouch for me.”

  Conn snorted, and Evan smirked. “Okay, maybe he won’t. I can answer all your questions later. We don’t have time to tackle the backstory now. But believe me when I tell you that CASE, an organization that normally goes for big targets and lots of attention, has zeroed in on Eclipse and the phenomenon of the small-town superhero.”

  “Did I draw their attention here?” Conn asked, and his macho posturing had disappeared. “How did they know I was here? I’ve kept a low profile.”

  Evan snorted. “‘The Brute’? That’s low profile?”

  “It never hit the wire. I checked. There’s no reason for CASE to be reading Pilton’s little newspaper.”

  “You’re not serious.” When Conn didn’t answer, Evan said, “You’ve heard of the Internet, right? Even Pilton’s paper is online. Your picture and the article about the woman were available to anyone who was looking.”

  “So? I wasn’t identified.”

  Evan looked at me. “I assume by the shaved head he has a TBI?”

  I shuddered at the reminder of what could have happened. Traumatic brain injury was the injury that frightened me most. “Probably at least a concussion,” I agreed. “He seems to have escaped anything worse.”

  “Don’t be too sure. You remember,” he told Conn, “that when I walked in here, I said they’re targeting her?” He aimed his thumb in my direction.

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would they target a librarian?”

  It warmed me that he was trying to keep my identity secret, despite how obvious it was that Evan knew the truth.

  “They wouldn’t. Unless that librarian has a talent for manipulating light.”

  “She doesn’t.”

  Evan smiled, and suddenly he looked younger and way more approachable than when he first came in. “Dude. It happened. I’m so happy for you.”

  Conn scowled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure. Anyway.” Evan dropped his arms and rested his hands on the rail of the bed. “We need to get you both to a safer place, and then figure out which members of CASE are in town.”

  “But I don’t think it’s CASE.” I held my breath and pushed to my feet. It went a little easier that time, surprising after the wrench I took almost falling. “Look, I think Conn needs to rest. He’s safe here, if they’re after me. And they have to be. Things started well before The Brute thing happened.”

  Evan’s hands tightened around the rail. He clearly wasn’t used to people countering his instructions. “That’s not a safe assumption.”

  It was to me. My instincts pressured me to run, to put distance between me and Conn. Every bad thing that had happened to him had been when I was around. I couldn’t be sure it was only Olive, but now I had someone who could help me figure that out. While Conn lay safely in the hospital, healing.

  “Don’t try to protect me.” Conn raised his hand as if to catch mine, but I was too far away. His eyes held me, though, and they pleaded. “Eclipse is too vulnerable to take them on alone.”

  I snorted. “You think I’m dumb enough to disagree? I know the facts. I know what they’re capable of. And little old Eclipse with her amusing little power is way too small potatoes for them. Which is why I think it’s not them.” I tilted my head toward the door. “Come on, Evan Forgeron, Mystery Man of Action. Let’s go somewhere we can exchange information.”

  “Don’t do that, Harmony.”

  Something in Conn’s voice halted me. Was it because he didn’t trust Evan? The guy hadn’t actually said who he was. I’d let Conn’s familiarity with him jump me ahead, but that meant a whole slew of assumptions. We may not be scientists, but librarians operated on facts just the same. And I wasn’t doing that. I was reacting with emotion.

  “Why?” I went over and took his hand, careful not to jar the IV in the back of it. I raised my eyebrows at Evan. “Care to wait outside a moment?”

  His jaw flexed, and his eyelids dropped to hood his eyes. But he gave a short nod, accepting that I wasn’t going to go easily. When the door closed behind him, I gasped at how hard Conn’s grip tightened.

  “I’m sorry.” He twisted to cup my shoulder with his other hand. “Are you okay?”

  “A tight squeeze is nothing after what happened last night. Why don’t you want me going with him? Are you suspicious of him?”

  Surprise flared in his eyes. “What? No. No, he’s a good guy. He works for a special task force investigating CASE. He wound up in DC and was part of their failure there. If anyone can figure out who here is with CASE, or at least following their mission, it’s Forgeron.”

  “Okay.” A hard ache in the back of my right shoulder eased away with some of my tension. “Then why tell me not to go with him?”

  “I don’t want you to go with him without me.”

  “But I can’t let you be collateral damage in my fight. It’s bad enough you’re here because of me.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not your fault.”

  “Of course it is.” I backed up a step, emptiness flooding in as soon as we weren’t touching. “You told me no. Many times, in several different ways. I pushed until you—”

  “Until I followed my conscience and . . . a few other things and agreed to help you. I was in that store with you because I wanted to be, Harmony, not because you forced me to be there.”

  A twist of his mouth seemed meant to point out the absurdity of me trying to force him to do anything. But it didn’t alleviate my gui
lt.

  “They wouldn’t even know you were here.”

  “Of course they would. Evan just pointed out how.”

  The car wreck. No one knew I’d shown up there. In fact, Conn’s presence had pushed me to want to do more, to be more. So if we were going to pass around circumstantial blame . . .

  “Okay. Fine. It’s not my fault. Mostly.” I stepped closer to the bed again. “But you need to rest. You can’t put yourself in a vulnerable spot again. Head injuries—”

  “I know.” He tugged my hand and leaned up to meet me halfway. Our lips clung, our breathing heavier, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of the kiss or the pain we were dealing with. Conn cupped the back of my neck and pressed his forehead to mine. “I’ve been at war since I met you,” he murmured. “I didn’t want to pull you into this. Didn’t want to be pulled.” He said that part even more quietly, and my heart ached for what I’d done.

  “I’m—”

  He shook his head and tightened his grip. “Don’t. This is stronger than both of us.” He drew a breath and released me. “Tell him about my theory. Before the explosion—”

  I remembered. “Super-villain. I know. That doesn’t fit, though. A super-villain working with CASE?”

  “We’ll figure it out. Just be careful, okay?” One final finger squeeze, and he let me go. “And keep me posted.”

  “I will. You, too.”

  I hated leaving the room. If I was the target, it made sense to separate. I needed to be somewhere less accessible than the hospital, and near far fewer innocents who could get hurt. But what if we were wrong? What if Conn was a target, too, or had become one after he teamed up with me? But he had to stay in that bed, where doctors could take care of him.

  My jaw had joined the parade of pain by the time I got down the hallway to the elevator, where Evan waited for me. I had to clench it to hold back my moans and groans. I’d trade a lot right now for a healing power.

  “All set?” The down button already glowed. I wondered how many cars had come and gone before I got here.

  “You don’t want to talk to Conn again?”

  His mouth twitched, but he never stopped sweeping the area around us, watching personnel moving up and down the hallway, probably taking in details I’d never notice in a million years.

  “Is that what he’s calling himself now?”

  “It’s his name.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “If you didn’t know that, how did you find his room?”

  He didn’t answer. The elevator dinged and slowly ground open. A brown-haired ball of fury almost knocked us both over.

  “Oh! I’m sor—” Then Angie realized it was me. Her face went dark red, her eyes blazing, and she opened her mouth, no doubt to let out the diatribe she’d written in her head on the way here.

  But Evan caught her and maneuvered her back into the elevator, grabbing my wrist on the way so he could haul me behind him.

  “Ow. Ow. Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow!” I jerked my arm out of his grip as he punched the door-close button. And then Angie let me have it.

  “How dare you!” she growled, the words so deep in her throat I almost couldn’t understand them. Her voice rose—in volume and tone—until it was nearly a screech. “How dare you get yourself blown up and leave me hanging! You didn’t call. You didn’t send a message. I was picturing all kinds of awful things, and the hospital and police wouldn’t tell me anything! Of course, why would they pass out protected information to some random woman asking for Eclipse? Because I sure as hell couldn’t ask about Harmony Wilde! The hospital kept saying you’d never been here. Sark wouldn’t even take my call. The police dispatcher had the stupidity to try to claim nothing happened, when everyone can see the gaping hole in the front of the jewelry store.”

  She didn’t even take a breath. “I thought you were dead.” She poked me hard in the chest.

  “Ow.” It wasn’t even a spot where I’d been injured. “Angie—”

  “Or in a coma. Or bleeding out in surgery.” She ranted on with a seemingly endless list of possibilities.

  I widened my eyes at Evan, trying to get him to step in. For cripes sake, the people on the floors we were passing could probably hear us! But he seemed amused and even punched the emergency stop button as we neared the lobby. No alarm went off. Dammit.

  “Angie.” I felt terrible. The only thought I’d had of her was to call for a ride if I needed one. It never occurred to me that she could be worried.

  “—ripped off your legs or your arms! Pressure can explode eyeballs and eardrums, did you know that? You could even have been blind.”

  Okay, regret gone. Now I was getting annoyed.

  “Like you are, right now?” I grabbed her and spun her to face Evan, ignoring the pain bursting across my right palm.

  She shut up immediately. I couldn’t believe it. Evan had crowded her with his entire body to get her back into the elevator, and she hadn’t even noticed he was there.

  “Um.”

  “Is that all you can manage?” I threw my good hand up. “You just outed me to this stranger. Not that it matters, because probably the entire hospital heard us on the way down.”

  She moved so she could see both of us, her fists pushing against her hips. “Nice deflection, Wilde, but this guy doesn’t seem surprised at any of this, and you know these doors block all sound.”

  True. I’d forgotten. We’d gotten stuck in one—possibly this exact one—a few years ago, and no one had heard us yelling for help. I was sure she hadn’t been thinking of that while she was yelling at me, but I didn’t call her on it, because she was right. I had committed the greater wrong.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you. It was thoughtless and self-centered.”

  She slumped, then hugged me and pulled back to lean against the wall. Evan raised his eyebrows, and we both nodded.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Her anger was gone, revealing the hurt that had driven it.

  “Honestly, Angie, I just didn’t think about it. I was frantic about Conn, and about everyone discovering who I am. It’s—” I sighed and rubbed my forehead as the elevator bounced to a halt on the bottom floor. “It’s a mess.”

  She looped her elbow through mine, finally seeming to realize I was actually hurt, because she was way gentler than she’d been a minute ago. “Okay. Let’s go to the tearoom, and—”

  “No.” Evan stepped around us and led the way to the main doors.

  “Fine. My house. We can—”

  “No.”

  She blew out a breath and glared at his back. “Who the hell is he, and why is he so bossy?”

  I gave her a quick, quiet rundown on what I knew and why we couldn’t go anywhere people would expect me to be.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said at once.

  “Absolutely not.” Evan folded his arms, but so did Angie.

  I wanted her with me, but not if it would put her in danger. “I need a favor, Angie.”

  She reluctantly tore her glare away from Evan.

  “Conn’s stuck here because of his head injury.” She immediately softened, dropping her arms. “I can’t stay, because it puts him in danger. And he’s already here because of me.”

  “That’s not—”

  I shoved my palm at Evan without looking at him. “Would you please stay with him? It will make it harder for anyone to do anything if you’re there. And he’ll have company, and you can pass information back and forth. Let me know if anything happens.”

  She chewed her lip, thinking. “All right. I’d rather be with you, but I get why you’re asking. You just keep in touch.” She stuck a finger in my face. “No more ‘forgetting’ about me, got it?”

  “I got it. I’ll text you frequently.”

  “You can’t do that,” Evan said. “Too eas
ily traced.”

  That seemed like overkill, but I didn’t argue. It sucked that my Eclipse phone was the one that had been damaged, though Evan might still have stopped me from using it. “I’ll get a new phone then.”

  “Let me know the instant you have a number.” She gasped a little. “Your parents.”

  Ugh. I hadn’t thought about them, either. An explosion in town would definitely reach their ears, but if Eclipse hadn’t been mentioned, they wouldn’t worry too much about me. “I’ll text them, too.”

  “Don’t forget.”

  “I won’t.” I hugged her, and she went back inside the hospital, declaring that she’d go get some food for Conn in the cafeteria.

  Evan went off to get his car, after warning me to stay inside the hospital lobby until he came in to get me. I took the opportunity to send a quick text to my parents that everything was okay here. There was low risk, since I was leaving, but I wanted to do it before Evan tried to take my phone away or something. Then I turned it off and removed the battery, holding them up to Evan’s approving nod when he pulled up at the curb.

  “You’re lucky,” he told me once I’d eased myself into the very comfortable bucket seat of his surprisingly small SUV. “To have a friend that fierce.”

  “I know. She’s the only one who knows about Eclipse. Well, she was until today.” I looked out the window. It was a normal end-of-May day out there, sunny and warm, with people driving or walking around, going about their business. We passed the jewelry store, which wasn’t as bad as Angie had described. The ‘gaping hole’ was really just the plate-glass window, now covered in plywood. No one was around, so maybe it hadn’t been that difficult for Simon and Julie to get samples.

  When Evan got on the highway heading out of town, my heart gave a jump, trying to pump adrenaline through my system at the possible threat he posed to me. But there just wasn’t enough available. I sank back into the seat. Not many places in Pilton would be safe for me if someone really wanted to find me. Maybe Evan wasn’t who he seemed to be, and I couldn’t trust him. But maybe I was too worn out to care. My eyes kept drifting closed, and each time I went deeper before I snapped myself awake.