Chapter Twenty-One
I decided that Theo was a lot better company than Dane. He was lovely and didn’t scare the crap out of me. I could speak freely in front of him without fearing a gun appearing in his hand, aimed at me. Dane had the world’s fastest trigger finger. I counted myself lucky that he hadn’t shot me yet. Dane wasn’t insensitive. He was just crazy and didn’t give a damn. Cyrus and him were quite alike in that manner, smooth and dangerous. I was glad Dane was no longer keeping an eye on me. Theo was a good replacement and I hope it stayed that way. I didn’t want Dane coming back. He scared the hell out of me.
What was I actually here for? I needed to remind myself of this as my team spent hours mapping out our targets on the wall. It became a spiderweb linked by coloured threads, top priorities to lower ones. I had seen this before. Cyrus had mapped out the gangs in a similar fashion. The only difference was the wall was covered in maps of cities spreading far and wide. This was an entirely different ball game.
Back to my original question. Why was I here? I had told Dane a lie, the only convincing lie I had. I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth. The agency killed my family. They made me an orphan. They fueled my desire to become an assassin. I became a killer because of them. I had murdered hundreds of criminals to be noticed by the one thing responsible for ruining my life, the agency I wanted to bring down. I needed to see how they operated. I needed to see the ins and outs. I also needed Dane’s trust. I didn’t know how to earn that trust and Theo didn’t offer any advice. His lips were sealed. Once I had everything I needed, I could break the fundamental structure and make everything crumble. That would take years; years I was willing to spend to achieve my goal. These things took time, and I could be patient when my life depended on it.
Dane was the key to Maria, the sorceress that murdered my mother. Maria would pay too, in time. I had far too much on my plate to consider her right now.
This entire building was trying to kill me. Two agents were already dead. How many more would fall trying to eliminate the threat? It’s like they knew what I was planning. But they couldn’t know. Nobody outside my inner circle knew. The agents were afraid of me, scared that I would turn on them like some savage beast that needed to be put down. Maybe the only way of wiping out the agency I wanted to destroy was to kill them all. Even I wasn’t capable of doing that, especially when the agency was worldwide. I would die before I finished. The only way was to break the fundamental structure. I didn’t know what that was just yet. I needed time, a lot more time. All I could do was blend in, survive, and pray I found what I was looking for. If I didn’t, all the training, nightmares, and deaths were for nothing.
“Joan, are we putting you to sleep?” Winters questioned curtly, disrupting my train of thought.
“Sorry. I’m just surprised that nobody has barged in here to try and kill me,” I muttered, grabbing a file from the stack piled on the desk.
We had made quite a fair chunk in the pile but we were nowhere near done. It was amazing how many people were on the agency’s hit list. Some were even humans that had sided with the Tainted Beings. There were no innocents. All this evidence piled up against them, marking them as criminals. It didn’t look forged. The reports were legitimate, thorough, and honest.
“They don’t want to take us all on. We’re the top group. As long as you’re here with us, in this room, you’re safe,” Winters said, pinning a new photo to the target map.
“That’s comforting,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I know none of you like me. You guys are a close group. I’m just the added extra nobody wants here.”
“Partially,” Claire piped up, tucking her blonde fringe behind her ear. “We just don’t know you that well yet. We’re giving you a chance. We’re all just a little nervous is all.”
Winters had introduced the team to me when they finished their run. I remembered everyone’s names. They addressed each other by their first names, apart from Winters. He was the only one in the group who preferred being addressed by his last name. I think it had something to do with being the respected leader, the respected leader I knocked down in mere seconds. I had been trained by the best of the best. I was Cyrus’s mirror image. The only thing I lacked was his power of illusion.
“There’s no need to be nervous. I know we got off on the wrong foot. I’m just as scared as you guys are. There are frightened agents out there trying to kill me. The sooner everyone stops freaking out about me, the better. I did the agency a favour and everyone is treating me like some sadistic psychopath that needs to put down. I’m here to help. I can’t do that if everyone is trying to kill me.”
I left out the part where everyone was a bunch of hypocrites. Dane was far scarier than I was and he was running the company the agents were working for. I didn’t see them trying to kill him. Then again, I did hear him mention taking out the ones who rose up against him. That’s probably why there were none left trying to overthrow him. I wish I was that lucky. I didn’t know how many agents were out there, waiting to try and kill me.
“Then prove you’re here to help,” Matthew suggested, cutting up more coloured thread to add to our spiderweb.
“How?” I asked, handing Winters the write up of my criminal, a small cut out. “Last seen in Detroit, close to us, so top priority.”
“Maybe you should spend some time in the academy teaching the newbies. You have a very distinct fighting style, one neither of us have seen before,” Winters said, pinning my cut out on Detroit. “They’ll admire you, not try to kill you.”
“That won’t help. Besides, I’ve been assigned to your team. I can’t spend time in the academy teaching when I’m supposed to be here. They’re not gunning for me. The graduates are.”
“We have lots of files to go through. It’s going to take weeks before we’re ready to go out on missions as a team,” Claire said, taking a sip of her iced coffee. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“You shouldn’t be targeting these criminals as a group. There’s far too many. It will be better if we pair up or go at it alone,” I mentioned, keeping my tone soft so I wasn’t stepping on anyone’s toes. “There’s like a decade’s worth of work here if we go as a team. It can be cut down several years in pairs or solos.”
“Fair point,” Claire and Winters agreed at the same time. They caught each other’s eye and laughed. There was something definitely going on between those two. Maybe I was just imagining things.
“Any other suggestions to get the target off my back?” I asked.
All my ideas came up as blanks. The only safe option would be to kill everyone who wanted me dead. If I did that, my list of enemies would probably grow, so that idea was off the table. I couldn’t think of anything else.
“What about a meeting with the leaders of each group?” Ryan suggested, putting the open files on the floor so they didn’t get muddled up with the ones we hadn’t looked at.
“That could go two ways. I’m leaning towards the disaster,” I said, letting out a heavy sigh. “And I don’t think giving it time is an option. I’m always going to be on high alert.”
“You could always quit,” Winters shrugged, adding more targets to the map.
“Hilarious. It’s only day one,” I muttered, taking a bite of my peanut butter sandwich. “This isn’t helping.”
“You really shouldn’t talk with your mouth full,” Winters said.
“We’ve already established that I’m unladylike,” I retorted. “Let me eat in peace.”
Theo sniggered. He was stationed by the door, keeping a lookout. When I glared at him, he stopped laughing immediately and flashed me an innocent smile. I could still see his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
“I’ll have a chat with Dane and let you know if he comes up with any solutions,” Theo said, glancing at the door with his good eye to make sure nobody was coming in. Whoever it was just walked by, a black blur.
“Dane brought up the possibility of agents targeting me before he hired me. If
he had a solution, he would have put it into play already. I’m screwed,” I declared, certain of my response. “I’m not going to kill everyone who tries to take a shot at me. If I did that, I doubt there’d be anyone left to go on missions.”
“I know you said it wouldn’t help but just give it time. I’m sure something major will come along that makes everyone forget about you. Their focus will be elsewhere,” Claire said. “It’s not often we hire someone who’s never been through the academy. Actually, now that I think about it, that’s never happened. You’re the first.”
“And for good reason,” Winters muttered, scratching his neck.
“Stop itching your stitches. They’ll never heal and get infected if you keep it up,” Claire scolded. Yup. There was something definitely going on between those two.
“Quit nagging, woman,” Winters snapped.
The others snickered and stopped when Winters smacked each individual on the back of the head with a folder. He skipped me because I wasn’t laughing. He skipped Claire as well because she was giving him the don’t-you-dare stare, blue eyes narrowed. She had nailed that look perfectly.
Winters’s pager went off. He glanced down at it and let out a heavy sigh. “That’s enough for one day. C’mon guys, let’s lock up and head to the bar for some drinks. I’ll be there once I see what this page is about. Joan, want to join us?”
“I’m underage and people are trying to kill me. I’ll pass. Thanks though,” I said, stretching. Sitting on an uncomfortable chair for hours on end didn’t do wonders for my joints.
Everyone looked at me, eyes wide.
“What?” I questioned defensively.
“You’re not twenty-one?” Claire spoke, sounding surprised.
“I’m only eighteen.”
“Truly?” Ryan inquired, trying his hardest to believe it.
“Honest,” I said.
“Winters, you got beat up by a teenager. How does that make you feel?” Matthew piped up, dodging the head smack by ducking.
“Bite me, Matthew,” Winters uttered, chucking him a set of keys. “Make yourself useful and cover up our map. Lock up when you’re done and tidy up the leftover files.”
“That will take ages,” Matthew protested, skimming over the mess with frantic eyes.
“Better get a move on then,” Winters said with a wave of his hand, leaving the room without glancing back.
“Have fun, Matty,” Claire said, sticking out her tongue before following after Winters.
“I’ll hang back and help out, buddy,” James said, the quietest one in the group. He adjusted his glasses and gave Matthew a hand.
Matthew beamed. “Thanks, James. Appreciate it.”
“I’m skipping out on drinks, too. My boyfriend and I have plans. Can you let Winters know? I’m sick of him giving me grief,” Ruby said, tucking her ginger hair behind her ears.
“That’s because your boyfriend is a jerk and you can do better,” Ryan replied, patting Ruby’s head before darting out the door. He just missed the slap. I heard the air rush past Ruby’s hand. She almost hit the door instead.
“Idiot,” Ruby hissed, leaving the room to chase after him. “Come back here!”
“You guys are crazy,” I mumbled, shaking my head.
“Welcome to the family,” Matthew said. “Care to stay and help out?”
“I have plans as well. It involves a big fat pizza with my name on it. Ciao.” I waved and left the room.
Theo wasn’t trailing far behind me. After what happened back in the locker room, I knew he wasn’t going to let me out of his sight, not for a second. Bathroom breaks were the only exception. If I got jumped in the girl’s bathroom, that was my problem alone to deal with.
I didn’t see the others on the way to the elevator. I wondered where they snuck off to. There was more than one elevator in the building. I figured they went a different way. So much for sticking together so the other agents didn’t try to take a shot at me. I guess that was my fault for declining the night out. At least Theo had my back. He was a good shot, even if he was blind in one eye.
“Why are we going up?” I asked Theo when he tapped the elevator button.
“Dane wanted to see us at the end of the day.”
“Was that before or after you killed those agents?”
“Before.” Theo’s phone started ringing. He glanced at the number and laughed. “Speak of the devil.”
“You can say that again,” I muttered under my breath.
“We were just coming up to see you,” Theo informed Dane, phone held up to his ear. He didn’t put him on speaker. He didn’t need to. I could hear everything thanks to my sensitive hearing. It was a good idea to act ignorant and surprised. I had to keep my immortal identity safe.
“Take her home. I’m about to start a meeting with the uneasy leaders of each group. I’m making it clear that Joan is not to be targeted.”
“Shouldn’t she be there as well?” Theo asked, hitting the down button.
“No, not with everyone on edge. If something happens in my office, I might be inclined to shoot everyone and start over. Just take her home, Theo.”
“Alright. Anything else?”
“Make sure she doesn’t die. I need her alive.”
“I know.”
“Good,” Dane stated in his usual smooth fashion, ending the call.
“Change of plans?” I hinted when Theo slipped his phone into his vest pocket.
“Yeah. Not the safest place in Dane’s office right now. Grab your things from your locker and I’ll escort you home,” Theo said, leading me into the elevator. He tapped the locker room floor and sighed when the elevator doors closed. “I didn’t think this job would be such a handful.”
“At least I’m good company,” I said, giving him a small smile. “Right?”
Theo smirked and coughed to cover up his laugh. “Better than what I’m used to.”
“And what that might be?”
“You don’t wanna know,” he replied, running a finger down his scar. “I’m lucky that’s the only scar I have.”
“Seems a bit rough.”
“It could be worse.”
“What’s worse than being blind in one eye?”
“Being blind in both.”
Good point.
We left the elevator when it reached our floor. Theo followed me down the corridor this time. It was a lot more crowded than it was this morning. I kept my head down to avoid making eye contact with people. I had a feeling everyone knew who I was. If I didn’t show my face, then maybe I wouldn’t be shot. They were too busy grabbing their things to leave for the day to notice me. That was fine with me.
I punched in the code for my locker and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I glanced down at the floor, seeing that the tiles were squeaky clean. There were no traces of what happened this morning. No blood, no nothing.
I let out a steady breath and locked the door. So far, so good. All I had to do was get out of here without being noticed by those who were trying to kill me. Theo stayed outside but kept a visual on me the entire time. After what happened this morning, I didn’t blame him, and was grateful that he had my back.
We made our way back down the corridor. There were a handful of others waiting for the elevator. I continued keeping my head down. I really didn’t want the others to know who I was, especially when I didn’t know who was trying to kill me.
“Keep your chin up. There’s no need to hide,” Theo murmured. “I have a gun I’m not afraid to use.”
“I don’t want you to turn the elevator into a bloodbath. I already had to wipe down my clothes once today,” I spoke just as quietly, no longer staring at my feet. “I’d rather avoid conflict.”
“Very well,” Theo said as we both stepped inside the elevator. “If push comes to shove, I will.”
“Don’t jinx it.”
“Which floor you guys going to?” one of the male agents asked us, holding the door open for the stragglers.
<
br /> “Ground floor,” Theo said. “The same as everyone else.”
Ruby was the last person to get inside the elevator before the doors closed. She caught my eye and gave me a reassuring smile. It made me ease up a little bit but I was still wary.
“Thanks for holding the door, Alex,” Ruby spoke over the elevator chime asking which floor we wanted to go to.
“Parking lot,” Alex told the elevator. “No worries. Wouldn’t want you to miss your date.”
Ruby scowled, the green in her eyes darkening. “Did Ryan tell you?”
“He has a big mouth, what do you expect? We’re joining them for drinks.”
“A and B team, huh?” Ruby said, running her hand through her long hair. “They will slaughter you in pool again.”
“We’re doing darts this time, as far as I know.”
“Who’s idea was that?”
“Winters.”
Ruby smirked. “I’m not surprised. He’s gonna wipe the floor with all of you.”
“Your new team member coming?”
Ruby made brief eye contact with me as we made our way into the parking lot. She looked back at Alex. “She’s skipping out as well. She has it rough right now. Half this building wants to kill her.”
“Yeah, I heard. Marco already told us to stay out of it. He made it very clear to leave her alone,” Alex said, the others nodded in agreement. “So we are.”
“Wise decision. She’s feisty. She knocked Winters on his ass. That’s why he has stitches in his neck.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Really? He told me a different story.”
“To protect his ego, obviously,” Ruby said, laughing. “Gave him one hell of a fright.”
“I’d like to meet her once this is cleared up. If civil war breaks out, know our team has your back.”
“You’ve already met me. Hey,” I spoke up, giving him a shy wave. “I’m glad there are some sensible teams that don’t want to kill me.”
“Before you ask, it’s her,” Ruby confirmed before Alex had a chance to open his mouth. The disbelief was visible on his face. I got that a lot. Nobody ever expected sweet little ol’ me.
“Well, that was unexpected. Nice to meet you,” Alex said, giving me a warm smile.
“Likewise.” I returned the smile.
“I take it Marco got paged? The whole gang is here but him,” Ruby observed.
“Yeah, he got paged. How did you know? Winters get one too?”
“Yup,” Ruby replied, slowly edging her way out of the group to leave.
Alex scratched his chin. “Interesting. I’m sure we’ll find out later. Anyways, nice seeing you. If you get time... come to the bar, it’s been a while.”
“I’ll try. Not making any promises. Catch you guys later,” Ruby replied.
“See you later,” they all said.
“See you tomorrow, Joan,” Ruby said, giving me a small smile before making her way to her car.
“I have a question,” I said, directing my sentence at Alex.
“Yeah?” Alex asked.
“If you guys can’t find Marco, do you yell out Marco, and he calls out Polo?”
Alex and the others burst into laughter. I even heard Theo chuckling behind me.
“That joke never gets old. We do it sometimes in turns to annoy him. We get a lot of head smacks. Definitely worth it. Anyways, it was really good to meet you, Joan. It’s a shame you’re not joining us but it’s understandable. Once the dust settles, there’s no excuses,” Alex said.
“Sounds good. I’d love to hang out.”
“Watch your back.”
“That’s why I have backup,” I said, gesturing behind me with a head flick. “I only need to be concerned with what’s in front of me.”
“Good rule to abide by but it’s always a smart idea to be careful.”
“Always am.”
Alex smiled. “C’mon guys. Let’s go show Winters who’s a better marksman.”
“It’s darts, not target practice,” one of the guys said, shaking his head as they followed after Alex.
“Same thing,” Alex said with a wave of his hand. “We need to beat them at something.”
“They’re a group above us for a reason,” another agent reminded him.
“Whatever. If we kick their asses, I’ll be happy. We can drink to that.”
“You drink to anything.”
“Shut up.”
“They bicker like a family,” I mentioned to Theo as we made our way out of the parking lot, leaving the other team behind.
“Most of the teams have been together since the academy. Their team is their home.”
“That’s nice,” I murmured, a hint of jealousy in my voice.
It had been a long time since I had felt at home. When I was living with Renée and Cyrus, I was just there to train. It wasn’t a home. It was a boot camp. Cyrus pushed me to my limit. Renée was the moral support. My ambition and her support were the only things that helped me stay sane during that training. Cyrus was unloving and cold. That wasn’t a home.
Damian was my home. I held my pendant at the thought of him, the crescent moon he got me for my birthday. Sometimes it felt like there was an ocean of magic swirling inside the diamond, the only reminder of Damian I held close. I was sure I imagined it. The sensation of magic was always faint.
Damian was my home and I left him to become stronger. Was it worth it? Leaving behind that sense of security, that love only a family member could give you, to become a killer. Only a monster could destroy a monster. I had to be consumed by darkness to see the light. I had to become a villain to be a hero. This was only the beginning of the end.
“I can go alone from here. You don’t have to follow me into the building,” I said to Theo, trying to find my key card in my bag. My throat was tight and I felt my eyes beginning to brim with tears.
“Same time tomorrow then? I’ll meet you outside.”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. I had managed to last the entire day without having a breakdown. I wanted to be in the comfort of my apartment, alone, when the waterworks started.
“Alright. Have a good rest of the night, Joan.”
“You too,” it came out strained.
I went inside the apartment building before Theo had the chance to say anything else. I didn’t need him to comfort me. I wanted Damian. I missed him terribly. He always knew what to do and say to make me feel better. Why did I have to lose him to get where I was now? I needed him. I wanted him to be here to tell me I was doing the right thing. I needed him to tell me it was going to be ok, even if he was lying. I needed to hear that soft and sweet singing of his that always stopped the tears from flowing. I needed that warm and loving hug only he could give.
I could barely contain the burst of emotion when I finally got into my apartment. I dropped my bag by the door and kicked off my shoes. My chest was incredibly tight from the sobs. My face was drenched with infinite tears that rolled down my cheeks. I lost the strength to stand but someone was there to catch me and keep me steady on my feet.
“I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here,” Lorenzo spoke gently, hugging me. “You’re safe now.”
“I-I didn’t k-know you were here,” I spluttered in between sobs, trying to pull myself together. “S-sorry.”
“Don’t apologise for crying, honey. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just let it all out. I’m here for you.”
I held onto Lorenzo for a long time. I stayed locked in that embrace. He didn’t speak. He only held me tighter with each sob. He had one arm around my waist. The other was up my back, his hand holding the back of my head. He was so warm. His magic soaked into my skin like warm rays of the sun, soothing and comforting.
“Thank you,” I hiccupped and let him go.
I went into the bathroom to dry my face with a towel. My cheeks were red and blotchy. My eyes were puffy and I looked really tired.
“You really need to stop letting yourself into my apartment. It’s creepy,” I said.
/>
“Hey, is that any way to speak to the guy who stocked up your fridge and pantry? I also went to the effort of making a pizza. It’s in the oven, not burning, promise.”
“How did you know I wanted pizza?” I asked when I left the bathroom.
Lorenzo gave me a judgmental look, golden eyes gleaming with disappointment. He was putting all the groceries bags into one bag to clean up the mess on the kitchen bench.
“Joan, you always want pizza.”
“That’s not true.”
The judgmental stare increased.
“Ok, fine, maybe a little true,” I admitted. “You won’t believe the day I had.”
“It would have been more eventful than mine,” he said, opening the oven to check on the pizza.
“My team is really nice but the majority of the building want me dead.”
“Why? Do they know why you’re really there?”
I shook my head and plopped myself down on the couch. “No. They’re just afraid that I’ll turn on them once I run out of immortals to kill. They think I’m some sort of psychotic serial killer.”
“That’s funny considering they work for one.”
I laughed in agreement. “That’s exactly what I thought.”
Lorenzo pulled the pizza out of the oven. He rummaged through the cupboards to find plates and set them down on the bench.
“You ok with going halves?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Lorenzo cut the pizza into even slices and chucked the pizza cutter into the sink when he was done. He carried both plates, gave me mine, and sat down on the couch next to me. He had made Hawaiian pizza but added a few extras. There were mushrooms and shredded chicken mixed in with the ham, cheese and pineapple. The tomato base had herbs.
“You alright?” he asked me.
“I just have a lot on my mind.”
“If there’s anything you want to ask me, you can.”
I devoured a slice of pizza before asking my first question. “Do you know much about Cyrus’s magic?”
“Mmhm. What did you want to know?”
“Is there any way to prevent him from entering my dreams?”
“Boycott sleep.”
I smacked Lorenzo. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I. Dream Shufflers can bypass everything. Concealment spells, protection spells, you name it. That’s what makes them so dangerous and why the council kills them. There is no limit to what Dream Shufflers can do once they master their ability. They can go anywhere, learn secrets that can destroy nations and governments, start civil wars... the list goes on. Anything catastrophic you can think of, they can be responsible for causing. Cyrus is in the council’s pocket. That’s the only reason why he’s still alive. He is at their beck and call.”
“What makes Dream Shufflers different and dangerous from every other mage? Can’t they use similar magic?”
“It’s hard to explain metaphysics to someone who–”
“I get it. Just get to the point,” I interrupted him.
“To put it in simple terms, Dream Shufflers can detach part of their soul and latch onto their target anywhere in the world. They just need to think about them and their soul is drawn to their aura.”
“They detach part of their soul?” I repeated, eyes wide.
“Yup. The only way to stop a Dream Shuffler is death.”
“Next question,” I said; the subject was getting too intense and morbid. “Dane sliced my hand open to make sure I was human before hiring me. Cyrus’s magic kept the wound open. How?”
“An illusion. It would have healed straight away unless he taught you how to temporarily shut off your healing abilities.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes. Not many can. The fire flowing through your veins comes from the creator of your kind. Yes, it is her magic that made you immortal, but you possess magic of your own. You have magic in your blood. Your mother was a mage, and you know Damian is as well. It lies dormant inside of you. As far as I know, Damian had to lock the magic away because you weren’t ready to control that power.”
“Yeah, that was a few years ago. Does that magic need to be unlocked first before I can control how fast I heal?”
“I can work around it. That ability will undoubtedly come in handy. I’m pretty sure you won’t be able to spend the next few years as an agent and come out unscathed. Your immortal identity will be discovered.”
“How long will it take to teach me?”
“Not long. You’ve always been a fast learner.”
“Why didn’t Cyrus teach me this technique?”
“He will never admit to it but Damian’s magic frightens him. Damian’s magic frightens a lot of people. I’ve been around Damian long enough to know how to work within his magic’s radius without unsettling the balance.”
“Why is everyone so afraid of Damian? He’s gentle and kind.”
“He wasn’t always that way, Joan. Believe it or not, Jacqueline mellowed him out.”
I almost choked on my last piece of pizza. “You’re kidding?”
“Love changes a person.”
“Makes them blind, you mean,” I mumbled.
Jacqueline wasn’t my most favourite person in the world. She was never nice to me. She never made an effort to make me feel at home. She rarely spoke to me and when she did, she didn’t have anything nice to say. Damian and her were complete opposites. I always believed that ‘opposites attract’ was a load of rubbish.
“Whatever you feel for Cyrus, I can tell you now that it isn’t love. It’s desire and lust. I’ve been there, done that. It’s nice for a while but in the end it will only make you feel empty. You need to find someone who completes you.”
“I’m still young, Lorenzo. I’ll do what I want.”
Lorenzo waved his hand around. “Fine, fine. Someone’s defensive.”
“Bite me.”
“Where?” he countered, grinning.
I smacked him. “You are such a perv.”
“You make it too easy, sweetheart.”
“Shut up.”
Lorenzo chuckled but stopped immediately when I whacked the back of his head.
“There’s one thing I need to tell you about controlling your healing. If the wound will kill you, the magic will override your wishes and seal it up immediately, providing there’s nothing hindering the process. Magic’s natural instinct is to protect its host from death.”
“Good to know. I wouldn’t want to accidentally kill myself trying to hide my true identity,” I muttered, setting my empty plate down on the coffee table.
“I hope you realise what it is you’ve gotten yourself into. There’s no turning back now.”
“Trust me, I know. I’m glad I have friends like you to talk to.”
“Don’t get cosy with teams either. They kill your kind for a living. Criminals and innocents. Remember that.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I know. I’m so tired, Lorenzo, and it’s only day one.”
“If you fall asleep on me, I’ll carry you to bed,” he said, wrapping his arm around me.
“Really?”
“Really.”
“You’re so warm,” I murmured; my eyelids became heavy. “Can you stay with me for a little longer, even if I fall asleep on you?”
“Of course.”
“I just don’t want to be alone right now,” I spoke softly, snuggling my face into his chest.
“I’m always here for you, Joan. No matter what.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Everlasting Flame Page 21
