Page 33 of Anchor

A bloody, scary, painful story,I thought. “A story for another time,” I said.

“I get it, I get it,” Cassie said, and she didn’t look offended, thankfully. “You haven’t really had time to process, I guess. Must have taken a toll on you, but you look really,reallygood, Rora. I mean it.”

“My grandmother loaned me her team of Whitefire healers. The best money can buy. They spelled me while I was out of it still and I woke up brand new, basically.”

“Damn,” she whispered. “And they say money’s not everything.”

“It really isn’t,” I said, but she waved me off. For me, I’d give all the money I had—both the fortune my parents left me, and this new money from the Iris Roe, just to go back in time andnothave to experience any of it. Go back all the way to high school, to that first time I met Taland, so I could grab him and tell him the truth and run with him to the end of the world so that neither of us had to go throughanyof those awful things we’d endured.

Not just my money, but I’d give up a limb if I could, too. Days off my life. My magic—take your pick.

“Says the rich girl,” said Cassie with a snort. “But seriously—I’m glad to see you. Glad you’re alive, and that you got your magic back. We thought you were going to take some time off, considering, but it’s good to have you back, Ro.”

There went that wave of tears, crashing at me from the inside. “Thanks, Cassie. I appreciate it. And I don’t need time off—I feel fine.” Time off meant time sitting in my room doing nothing andthinking—my least favorite thing to do. And time off meant time away from the IDD Headquarters where Icouldn’t use the surveillance systems and research rooms to try to find Taland—so, no, I was okay right here.

“Suit yourself,” she said. “I got something for you.”

She turned to look at the door first, to make sure that nobody was coming through, then reached for something in her pocket—my wallet.

My heart fell all the way to my heels.

“I cleaned it up—it had blood on it,” she said, offering it to me. “I found it in the trunk of my car that night.”

This time I couldn’t stop the tears from pooling in my eyes, but I did keep them from falling.

My wallet that I thought was going to have to be replaced—it was there, in my shaking hands. Small and made of maroon leather, clean because she’d really cleaned it, and inside was everything exactly as I’d left it—my badge, my documents, some bills, and most importantly, a tiny black and white picture of my mom and dad when they first started dating.

“Thank you, Cassie,” I said again. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

If I had any energy left, and if I wasn’t sure that I’d crack and start sobbing if I hugged her right now, I’d squeeze her until she couldn’t breathe.

She gave me a sad smile. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Rora.”

“Me, too,” I said, and when I forced a laugh so I didn’t start crying, a tear slipped from the corner of my eye. I wiped it away quickly so maybe Cassie didn’t notice. “Me, too, Cass. But how have you been? Are you still stuck on the night shift?”

“They actually gave me first shift yesterday. Today, too. I’m not going to get to do my job yet, but it’s progress. I’ll take it.”

“Happy to hear it,” I said. “Any new development while I’ve been away?”

It occurred to me that it had only been about a week since I saw her. Since she put me in the trunk of her car and drove meout of Headquarters. Only a week, but to me it felt like a lifetime. Years and years and all that pain…

“Not much, really. The twins were assigned to Eric’s team. The rest is pretty much the same.” Cassie shrugged.

My heart skipped a beat. Jim and Jam—my former team-members, the Greenfires who could freeze time for a whole minute—like they’d done for me in the infirmary room.

Jim and Jam, who’d stood by and done nothing in the forest to stop Michael and Erid from killing me, but then they’d saved my life later, and had found Cassie, had told her where I was. That’s why she’d found me first that night, and she’d taken me out of here.

They’d also lied through their teeth when they told the IDD that I’d killed the seven-foot tall catfairie in the woods—I hadn’t. I’d been turned Mud by Erid’s and Michael’s magic by then, had been bleeding, weak, barely able to keep my head up. I hadn’t had the strength to kill a bug, let alone a catfairie—yet the twins had told everyone that I did.

Fuck, I needed to talk to them to find out what had happened. I needed to thank them, too.

“That’s good,” I said to Cassie. “What about me?” Because Michael and Erid were dead now, and I no longer had a team.

“No idea, but Cameron wants you in her office whenever you’re ready. I think she’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

I flinched. “AshleyCameron?” As in, the boss of our boss who had no business talking to simple agents like me?

“The one and only,” Cassie said. “I spoke to her once or twice—she’s okay, I promise. Doesn’t bite or anything. Unless provoked, of course.” She wiggled her brows as she grinned.

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