Chapter 76

I couldn’t turn fast enough. There were people shouting through the communication system, but I couldn’t make out all of what they were saying. Armageddon stepped in front of me. He cut through the air with blade of fire and set the area near us on fire. He pushed me back towards the rendezvous point.

“We found an entrance!” Someone said through the communication system. “About a three-minute run west of the rendezvous point.”

“Everyone converge on that point,” Armageddon said, grabbing my hand and pulling me away. He wasn’t running as fast as he had been earlier.

“You’ve used your powers too much.”

“Just run, Pandora!”

I looked back at line of fire. The creature had shuffled around the fire and was following us. It wasn’t going to give up until it had caught us. We passed the rendezvous point and he turned, throwing his hand back. The ground surged up and opened as the creature rushed forward. It formed a spike and pierced the creature before tumbling over itself and sinking the creature into the ground. It disappeared completely leaving nothing but smooth earth behind.

I looked at Armageddon as he leaned against the tree, catching his breath.

“I need food,” he said gruffly.

I reached into my utility belt and pulled out a protein bar, offering it to him. He chuckled.

“Prepared. I see why you’re the brains of the operation.”

I nodded back towards where the creature had been. “And you’re the muscle…how did you do that?”

He turned from me and seemed to cram the bar completely into his mouth before pulling his mask back up and turning back to me.

“You must have a sweet tooth,” he said offering his hand. “Chocolate?”

My face heated. “See if I give you another.”

He laughed and I took his hand. Even through our gloves, I couldn’t deny how warm his hand was. I couldn’t deny how much it reminded me of Candido either. My heart clenched with anger and grief and so many other things that I couldn’t name.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked and squeezed my hand as we walked. “Your scent changed so sharply.”

My lips twitched. “I just… Well, I’m dealing with some things right now is all. Don’t worry about me.”

He stopped and turned to me. His glowing eyes dipped to my chest then back to my face. I felt like he could see straight through me. I knew he didn’t know who I was, but I couldn’t help the feeling.

“When this is all over,” he said. “I’m going to take off that mask and there won’t be a place for you to hide from me. You understand?”

I swallowed. “What if I don’t want that?”

“You expect to fight the Moon Goddess?”

I snatched my hand back as if I had been burned. I sneered at him, “Maybe I believe there’s more to my life than what has been dictated to me by some stupid mark!”

I could have kicked myself as I rubbed my head. “I… I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry. It’s… just a sore subject right now.”

“You’re in love,” he said lightly. “With someone else.”

I didn’t answer him.

“There… are people who make that decision. To refuse the call,” he said lightly. “And they tend to be miserable. Even when they call it quits and try to accept it, they tend to have ruined it irrevocably… Your heart may forgive, but the wolf in you will never forget that you were rejected.”

His voice sounded pained, heavy with grief and regret.

“You… sound like you have experience… Are you sure that it’s me?”

He chuckled. “I am… my experience comes from watching. My parents were mates but they were never together the way they should have been.”

“I didn’t mean to bring up something painful.”

He lifted a shoulder. “It’s been years. It doesn’t hurt as much as it once did… I strive to learn from them rather than commit the same mistakes.”

I frowned and my eyes widened. “You…. You too…”

He nodded and stuffed his hands in his pocket. “I have chosen the path I needed to, knowing that it hurts now, but I won’t regret it later.”

We walked on and the questions whirled through my mind. “How do you know for certain? That it’s me and not her?”

“I have known her for years. It was not until I met you in person did my mark appear… That very same night to be exact.” He tilted his head. “It was a pleasant and troubling surprise.”

“Troubling?”

“You are younger than me.” I winced. “Significantly younger than me.”

“How do you know that?”

He scoffed. “You would have been in Moon Shadow years ago if you weren’t… given the strength of your abilities.”

I winced. “How… long have you been in Moon Shadow?”

“Since I was old enough.”

I didn’t know what that meant. I joined when I was eighteen. How long ago was that for him?

I scoffed. “It seems I’m always destined to like older men.”

“Not a bad thing,” he chuckled. “Experience.”

“And you?”

He shrugged. “It is just the way it panned out.”

I nodded and drifted closer to him as we reached the spot. Dune and Apollo raised their hands in greeting and gestured to the cave entrance that was trucked behind some trees and a tower of stone. It was small, and hardly useable, but if Armageddon could make it bigger, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Soon, everyone else returned and Armageddon made the entrance widen. We descended back into the dark, keeping our ears and sense on alert as Armageddon led us through the dark. I couldn’t see anything. I could only follow the sound of footsteps ahead of me and cling to Armageddon’s hand.

Still, my head was on Candido. Had he seen something similar? He was old enough? Maybe that’s why he was so determined to keep us apart.

I couldn’t say one way or another, but maybe he was just trying to keep us from doing something we’d regret twice later down the line.

Soon, the familiar lights that had led us down into the caves returned and we were ascending stairs. The stone wall shuddered and slid aside. We walked up and out onto the library floor. The painting slid closed behind us and I shuddered.

“Good work tonight,” Armageddon said. “Write up your debriefs and submit them after you get some sleep.”

The rest of the team started to drift apart. I watched them walk through the building then dart off in different directions together and I wondered if they had already shared their true identities with each other. They were all partners. Armageddon and I were the only ones that had never been on an assignment together.

“Shall we? Do you live in the capital?”

I hesitated. “Are you trying to trick me?”

He chuckled, “Not exactly. It’s still dark. Sunrise is still several hours away. Are you hungry?”

My stomach growled, and he chuckled, offering his hand. “Unofficially and officially. Let’s eat.”

I hesitated, but I took his hand and let him lead me into the city. He pulled me into an unmarked car, and we drove. I would have been fine walking, but it was nice to be able to rest my feet a bit. I relaxed against the seat and he cranked up the car.

He chuckled. “This may be the best and worst idea I’ve ever had.”

“Why is that?”

“Your scent is going to be in my car for weeks,” he said and drove us to one of my favorite fast-food places. I gave him my order and smiled. I couldn’t imagine going to this place with Candido. Though, I’d gone here so often with Claire.

My heart clenched and my eyes watered. He passed the bag back to me.

“You’re thinking about something sad,” he said. “We could go elsewhere.”

“No,” I said. “I’m fine. It’s just… my best friend and I used to come here all the time. This was… our place and I’ll never get to come here with her again.”

He said nothing for a while before pulling away from the place and onto an unlit back alley. It wasn’t too far from where the condo was.

“I’m sorry, Pandora,” he said. “I wish there was something more I could say.”

I sunk down behind his chair, hiding from the view of his rearview mirror so I could eat. Then, a cup appeared in my peripheral.

“I think your friend would want you to drink at least one shake in her honor.”

I chuckled, “Only if it had coffee in it.”

“Fudge Double Caramel Macchiato?”

My lips twitched, and I took the cup. “It was her favorite… thank you.”

“She had a sweet tooth too, hm?” He groaned. “I prefer to taste my coffee.”

I laughed, “Blame it on my youth.”

He chuckled as I unwrapped my burger and ate. We ate quietly for a while before he asked.

“This man you’re in love with… what’s he like?”

“Why?”

“I’m trying to figure out if you have a type.”

I snorted. “Why?”

“Because it seems like I do… Call it curiosity and getting to know one another.”

I sighed. “He’s… stubborn.”

He laughed. “That’s a great declaration of love. Stubborn?”

“He is,” I insisted. “And—”

He stiffened. I heard him shifting around. “What’s wrong?”

“Look out the window and tell me who you see.”

I frowned and pulled up my mask before getting up to peer out the window as Sibyl walked into a building across the street.