“How dare you say that?” I shouted. “I’m not a drug addict! I didn’t ask for this! Everyone keeps treating me like some silly child! Well, I’ve got news for you! I’m a grown woman! I can make my own decisions! Besides, none of this would have happened if people just told me what was going on in the first place!” My voice remained loud, raking through the room with daggers.
Connor released what little hold he had left on me, possibly out of shock from my tone, but I couldn’t tell. Before he could reply, I added, “I’m going to have a shower!” I scrambled out of the bed, grabbing my toiletry bag and slamming the bedroom door behind me. I figure if I’m going to be treated like a child, I might as well act like one.
The shower soothed my nerves. I let the steam cleanse my soul, and the hot water washed away all my anger. Alone with my thoughts, I realized he was right. I couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on, but deep down I knew, I was becoming dependent on the energy. I knew I had to apologize to him once I got back to my room.
In my haste, I had forgotten to bring my pajamas in with me. I debated putting back on my clothes from early that day, but they were pretty dingy at this point. I decided I would wrap up in the towel, go back to my room and get changed in the closet before I gave him my carefully rehearsed apology.
However, Connor was not in the room when I returned. I stood stunned in the doorway, partly because this threw off my plan, and partly because his absence twanged inside me. Slowly, I put on my pajamas and crawled into the empty bed. He must have left right after I got in the shower, because there was no warm spot from where he had lay.
I tossed and turned, reliving the guilt of what I had said to him. I was so rude, especially because, despite everything, I was a guest in his house. And I had shown nothing but disrespect for him. The remorse ate away at me for some time before I finally gave up trying to sleep. Determined to set things right, I hopped off the bed and tiptoed across the landing to Connor’s room.
The door was ajar, and as I reached up to knock, I heard a quiet, “Come in, Alex.”
The room was dark, but I could see the bed, and could just make out Connor lying on his stomach, his head turned towards me. I felt my eyes sting, but I held back my tears.
“I’m so sorry…” I started.
He lifted his blanket and patted the mattress without speaking. I climbed beside him, but was determined to speak, so I kept some distance. He covered me back up, and I could feel his warmth again, distracting me. I sighed, trying to compose myself.
“I promise,” I whispered, unable to keep back the tears anymore. That was not the speech I had mentally prepared, but it was all I could choke out. He said nothing, his hand gently wiping the tears from my face. I rolled over, turning my back to him, and I felt his arms encircle me, pulling me closer. I let him.
Chapter Eighteen
I jolted awake to the sound of frantic feet running up the wooden staircase. It took me a moment to figure out where I was; the room was unfamiliar. A moment later, there was a frantic rapping on the door. I felt Connor’s arms squeeze around me, and I relaxed.
“Come in, Dermot,” he said, and I could hear the sleep in his voice.
Dermot flung the door open, and I felt my face go red, unsure of how Dermot would react to my being in the room.
He didn’t appear to notice me. “Connor, I’ve been talking to the animals.” His voice was rushed, frantic. “The storm last night, it wasn’t natural. It was centered directly over us.”
Connor’s grip on me tightened, and his response came through gritted teeth. “They know she’s here.”
“Or if they didn’t, they do now,” Dermot replied. “Her energy surge was felt at least ten miles away. I’m pretty sure every witch, wizard, faerie and god in the area knows she’s here.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, still a bit groggy.
“Get dressed,” Connor barked at me as he leapt out of bed. “We have to get out of here.”
His tone didn’t give me the option to ask questions. I darted past Dermot, still leaning in the doorway, and into my room. As I flipped through my suitcase, I became increasingly frustrated with my clothing options. I didn’t think this was the right time to be wearing my wool slacks, or my silk blouse. I found myself wondering again who had packed this in the first place. I’d bet it was Peri. She’d have packed me an outfit for every impractical occasion. I missed her, her bright hair, her bubbly attitude, her constant smiling face- My reminiscing was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Ready?” Connor called.
“Just a sec,” I called back. I scrambled out of my pajamas, grudgingly throwing on my jeans from the day before. I was grateful that they didn’t look as dirty as I thought they would be. I grabbed a t-shirt and threw it over my head, then had to spin it around because I had put it on backwards. Flipping my head upside down, I made a hasty ponytail and rushed out the front door, barreling into Connor. Despite bearing the full force of my weight, he didn’t budge. He pulled me away from him, analyzing. Then he handed me a grey bundle.
“It’s cold outside, and it would appear the Peri never packed you a jacket,” he said as I unfolded the familiar hoodie. “Besides,” he added quietly, “it looks better on you than on me.”
My face felt hot, so I tugged the grey cotton over my head in the hopes he wouldn’t notice. I could tell that it was freshly washed, and it smelled great. As I pulled the hood back off my head, I saw Connor had been watching me. He leaned forward, gently kissing my forehead.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
“To be honest, I’m not really sure what’s going on, so I’m not that worried,” I joked. He didn’t find it funny, taking my hand and pulling me down the stairs. Dermot was waiting at the door.
“Not so fast, we forgot one major thing,” he said to Connor as he opened the front door. The wreckage of the car was visible from the entranceway. I groaned involuntarily at the memory.
Connor started to curse, and then his face changed, as though struck with an idea, but Dermot interrupted him. “She’s in no state for you to phase with her. She’s too fragile. I’ve called Nic. Peri’s comin’ to get us, but it’ll take ‘er an ‘our, even drivin’ as fast as she does.”
“We’re sitting ducks,” Connor mumbled. “There’s nothing to do but wait.”
“I’m heading out back to keep watch. Sit tight.” He turned swiftly, and a few seconds later, I heard the faint click of the back door as he exited the house.
I felt confused, and a bit dizzy. I let go of Connor’s hand, heading over to the large white couch. I just wanted to sit and think. My head fell heavily into my hands the instant I sat down. So much had happened that I felt like I was losing my mind. Connor was beside me in moments, sensing my confusion. Was this even real?
“Pinch me,” I said, not looking up.
“What?”
“Pinch me.” I replied, sterner this time.
“Alex, this isn’t a dream.”
“What is this then? Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?” My voice was angry. I refused to look up, afraid that I would lose composure.
“You’re right,” he said quietly, and I could feel defeat in his voice. “You should know.” He took a deep breath. “Alex, you’re aware of what Casper is doing?”
“He wants to get back in the sky, right? I don’t see what the big deal is. Why can’t we let him?”
I felt Connor tense beside me. “You don’t understand what that would mean.” His voice was low and pained. “If he got his hands on the stone, he would need to smash it in order to release its energy. The resulting explosion would take out the entire west coast; anyone not killed by the initial blast would most likely be killed by radiation afterwards.”
“Oh.”
“So can you see why he would rather have you instead?”
I couldn’t, so I said nothing.
“Alex, not only can you store more power in you than the Philosopher’s Stone,
you also have your own life force, which increases the energy within you. If he used you instead of the stone, millions of lives would be saved. Despite his intentions, he doesn’t want that kind of blood on his hands.”
“Then let’s do it! Why risk him getting the stone when I have the power to do it myself?”
He took my face in his hands and stared at me, and I could see the hurt in his face. “It would kill you,” he whispered. He kept my gaze for what felt like an eternity, making sure I understood.
I understood most of it, but I didn’t get one part. With my face still in his grip, I took a deep breath, and then asked, “Why does it matter so much to you?”
He dropped his hands, and I knew my words had hurt him. He did not speak for some time, and then finally said, “Alex, you’re the first person I’ve ever met who didn’t ask for any of this. You lived a perfectly normal existence, and then one day, it all changed. I have some experience in that matter.”
It was my turn to hold his face. Carefully, I tilted his gaze down to mine. There was so much I wanted to say, but the moment called for silence, and I hoped my expression let him know that I understood his pain. We stayed that way for a while, until he took my hands away, kissing them both once, before spinning me around so my back was to him. I leaned backward into his chest, and I could hear his heart racing. I knew it was from fear; I had seen it in his eyes.
I had one more question, still burning away at me since yesterday, but I was unsure how to break the comfortable silence. I opened my mouth several times to speak, but each time changed my mind. Finally Connor spoke.
“Out with it.” He seemed amused.
“It’s silly. Don’t worry about it.”
“Alex, chances are it’s only silly to you. You can ask me anything. I won’t keep secrets from you. I think you’ve had enough secrets in the past few weeks that you deserve some answers.”
I had changed my mind already. I wasn’t about to ask what my original question, so I improvised. “Boxers or briefs?”
Without missing a beat, and clearly not as amused as I had hoped, he answered, “Boxer briefs. But that wasn’t what you were going to ask me.”
I sighed deeply, and Connor wrapped his arms around me in response. “I’m more worried I don’t want to know the answer.” He didn’t respond, so I continued. “What do you do? I mean, I know that the “Innovations Department” isn’t really a division of Mobius, so you must do something important to warrant all the secrets. And what do all those other people do up there anyway? Are you actually in charge of them?” I had my doubts as to if “people” was the correct term for what I now knew were all sorts of mythical folk.
“Oh Alex,” he sighed, patting my head. “That is not a silly question at all. But my answer may weigh heavily on you.”
“Heavier than the fact that a rogue star is trying to kill me?” I tried to lighten his tone.
It worked. He chuckled a bit and said, “Well, no, I suppose not that heavy.”
“Well?”
“The people that appear to “work” on the twelfth floor don’t actually work for Mobius, Inc.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You will, just be patient.” I nodded in response, wanting to turn to face him while he spoke but unwilling to give up the safe feeling of being in his arms. “Everyone on that floor,” he continued, “is a volunteer, of sorts. They all share a common goal. They all want to protect the stone.”
“So what do they do?”
“They’re free to come and go as they please. You see, almost every magical creature knows of the stone’s existence, but the vast majority don’t care what happens to it either way. Some, like Casper, want to use the stone for their own means, while others, like Hester, want to see the stone kept safe. Nic is the first bearer of the stone who didn’t go mad with greed. Most of his fortune was built legitimately, without the use of the stone’s transmutative powers. Those who want the stone safe believe keeping it with Nic is the best place for it.”
“So they just hang around waiting for something to happen?”
“In a matter of speaking, yes. Casper isn’t the first person to try to get to the stone, and he won’t be the last.” He sighed, and then added, “Though I think his target has changed.” As he spoke, he pulled me closer to him, and I let my head find the crook of his neck.
“So, they’re what? An army?”
I felt him nod in reply, and I took a moment to think about this. He had avoided my main question. “And you?”
He sucked in a deep breath. “I’m in charge of them. If you want to talk in military terms, essentially, I’m their commanding officer.
I twisted out of his grip and turned to look at him. His eyes found mine, and I could tell he didn’t want me to ask my next question. I asked anyway.
“So, if this comes down to a fight, then you’ll…” I couldn’t finish.
“Be right in the middle of it,” he said, looking down as he spoke.
I was upset now. “Why you?”
“The last time someone tried to take the stone, Nic had a hard time making the decisions that need to be made in battle. People got hurt as a result. I have a strong military upbringing. Nic saw this, and asked me to take charge. It was easier for me than it was for him. Nic still has the stone, so you can see that we won that fight, and I’ve been in that role ever since.”
I still couldn’t hide my emotions. “Military expertise? That’s it? I’m not an expert on these things, but I’m pretty sure giving orders won’t keep you alive in magical battle! Dermot said you can still be killed! You’re not immortal! You don’t have special pow-” He looked up at me as I spoke. Instinctively, I jumped off the couch, away from him. “You do?” I stammered.
He nodded, and he looked more afraid of me than I felt towards him. This was all wrong. He was supposed to be normal, aside from the immortal thing, I mean. He was supposed to be human. He was supposed to understand what I was going through. And as I stood there, frozen in fear, I realized I had feelings for him. Feelings for the normal, beautiful, non-magical Connor, that two minutes ago held me in his arms. Now I saw him as something else, and I was terrified. I don’t know what made me jump away from him in the first place, but the idea of him having any sort of power made him that much more distant from me.
Before he could react, there was a knock on the door. I jumped. Connor jumped too, protectively putting himself between the door and me.
“It’s alright,” Dermot called as he came in through the back door. “It’s just Peri.”
I stepped around Connor and headed to the door with a determined pace. I forced myself to avoid his gaze as I passed. I knew my reaction had hurt him, but the news had hurt me too, and I needed time to deal with it; unfortunately, there was no time now. When I opened the door, Peri stood, smiling as always. She looked older than I remembered, looking closer to twenty. Her hair was blonde today, and longer, falling in gentle waves onto her shoulders. She looked radiant, and I was immediately jealous. I saw her glance from me to Connor, then back to me, and her expression fell.
“Did I interrupt something?” her voice was serious, but still musical, and I realized as she spoke how much I had missed her. I jumped forward, hugging her. She seemed shocked at first, but then laughed and hugged me back.
“Can we go?” I whispered into her ear, not wanting her to catch my eagerness.
She nodded, and we turned to head to the car. It was a dark grey Audi SUV with heavily tinted windows, much bigger than the car I had destroyed last night.
“You brought the Q7?” I heard Connor ask skeptically. “I thought you hated that thing.”
“Well, someone took my TT, which now is unfortunately out of commission. What choice did I have?” She pointed at the wreckage, and seemed amused.
“Want me to drive?” Connor asked. I had been walking towards the front passenger door in the assumption that Peri was driving. I hadn’t wanted to share the backseat with Connor after the bo
mbshell he dropped on me moments earlier. When Peri handed him her keys, I quickly changed my step, hoping it wasn’t obvious, and climbed in beside Peri. I caught Dermot’s expression; he had noticed, but was all too happy to take the front seat.
“You’re tall. Take the front,” I explained, and he bought it.
“I missed you,” I whispered to Peri as we started to drive away.
She turned, with a maternal expression on her face that made all my stress melt away. She brushed a wayward strand of hair off my face and replied, “I’m really glad you’re okay. I’ve missed you too.”
Then she asked to be filled in on the last few days, and I found myself purposefully tuning out Connor. I didn’t want to hear his voice. I gazed out the window, trying not to focus on anything, but I was drawn to the force lines we passed along the way. I remembered Connor’s warning, and as much as I felt I wanted to betray him, I fought not to take the energy. It was exhausting, so I closed my eyes, subconsciously leaning against Peri. She did not object, and she stroked my hair absentmindedly while Connor and Dermot filled her in on the past few days.
I half-slept as we drove, not tired enough to fully drift off. I was aware when we stopped, and part of me wanted to keep leaning against Peri, dozing, until I heard Connor.
“I’ll carry her.”
My eyes flashed open. There was no way I was going to let him near me right now. “I’m awake,” I said quickly, unbuckling my seatbelt and jumping out of the car. I jumped up little too fast, and the head rush that followed made me dizzy. I felt Connor’s hand support me as I wavered, and I jerked away reflexively. I did not look at him, partly out of fear, partly out of anger. He didn’t try to touch me again, and I was sure he got the message. Dermot raised an eyebrow at me; I could tell he knew something was going on, but he said nothing. I nodded once in his direction as a sort of “thank you” for keeping his mouth shut.
We walked in an awkward silence, and inside the elevator the air felt even tenser. We were heading up to see Nic, but as we nearing the top, Connor reached out and pushed the 12 button. We stopped seconds later, and he got out without saying a word. Dermot hesitated for a moment, and then followed him, shooting me a look as he left. I shrugged.
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