Page 15 of Winter Reckoning
The computer hummed, the screen snapping to life. I watched as the code spread across the screen. “Secure.” The word blinked on the screen twice before Charlene appeared. She had a bruise under her right cheek, and her hair was filled with ash. She had seen close combat and lived, and that gave me hope.
“How did you find us?”
“Do you think I let him out of my sight without a tracker?”
Who the hell was this girl? I couldn’t get the office intern to make a good cup of coffee.
"What happened to the cabin?"
“There’s still three walls.” She said. “Two and a half. How is he?”
I glanced at Nick. His chest rose and fell, barely. “Alive. Charlene, what was that thing?”
“Honest. I don't know.”
“What aren’t you telling me? Who?—
“I gotta go.”
“Is he back?”
“No.” She looked over her shoulder. “I have another emergency to attend to.”
“But—”
The screen went dark. I smacked the keyboard, but the screen didn’t turn on. I sat in the chair, tapping buttons on my gauntlet. “Searching Network.” I watched as it blinked over and over again. Either the safe house prevented me from connecting to the satellite, or something more menacing was at work.
Nick stirred on the cot. His eyes opened halfway, unfocused and dull. He looked around the room slowly, taking in the concrete walls and exposed pipes.
"This isn't the cabin," he said. His voice came out rough, barely more than a whisper.
"No."
He closed his eyes again. I caught the shiver as he remained under my jacket. “Did he follow?"
"Not yet."
I pulled the chair from the desk, sitting next to Nick, close enough I could reach out. I restrained from putting a consoling hand on his chest. Keep it professional. He opened his eyes and looked at me. Really looked at me.
Sorrow.
“You should've let him have me.”
My jaw tightened. "That's not how I work."
“You can’t protect me from this.” He freed his hand from under my coat. Holding it up, the skin shimmered as if he were turning invisible. On its own, I wouldn’t have thought twice. The expression on his face as he watched, that broke me. My mission turned from saving him from a magical bad guy to saving Nick from himself.
“It’s over?—”
"Don't." I grabbed his hand. The moment my skin connected, it seemed to keep him from fading. “Nick.” It wasn’t aprofessional, assertive tone. This was one human to another. As I thought of Charlene’s words, I realized I had missed the obvious. “You’re a myth.”
He didn’t respond. The confirmation explained the Redline file. There were heroes born with awesome power. Myths, on the other hand, they were ancient beings who existed alongside mankind. I assumed they were nothing more than folklore… until I saw a leprechaun riding a unicorn.
"How long have you been fading?" I asked.
"Years."
"How many?"
