Page 40 of Reine's Salvation

“Yes, it is,” he said. “Why are they sending you for my report? I’m supposed to draft it. I thought—” Reine shook his head. What had they been talking about?

“Reine, what is happening in Oak Road?”

Reine breathed slowly through his nose. His legs shook and black spots danced before his eyes.

“Oak Road. A few blocks down, the street is vibrating with evil. I walked with Mystique down that street yesterday morning, or was it the day before? I don’t remember. I’ve seen Inferums coming from it.”

“Why haven’t you reported this?”

“Because it’s useless, Max. We’ve lost the battle.” Reine’s knees folded beneath him as he sat back down. He covered his face with his hand. “They are everywhere. They will destroy us.”

“We haven’t lost yet, Reine. Hope is the last thing we must lose. We must keep fighting.”

Reine lifted his head. “Mystique,” he said. “You have to help her, Max.”

“Help her? Is she in any more danger than the rest of this town?”

“Yes. No. I can’t be sure.”

“Reine, you know we can’t help one individual person, if we did, then we’d never win. Our mission is to keep good and evil balanced. We take care that evil doesn’t get out of hand. We can’t help Mystique alone. That falls to you, as her mate.”

“She’s not my mate,” he ground out the words.

Max shrugged.

“Then neither of us can help her, Reine. I’m sorry.” Max stood and hurried to the door. “Stay put for tonight. I will report and come back to keep you posted. “

Reine stared after him as he shut the door behind him while muttering something about getting new technologies working in the Academy once and for all.

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