Page 58 of Infamous Heart

He rested an arm on my shoulder, less for intimacy and more for support. After the last hour of trading blows with Wraith, I was surprised he had rallied.

“I’ve had better days.” He leaned in and gave me a peck. “Doing better now.”

“I need to apologize. I didn’t—“

“You were being a good sidekick.”

“I don’t know about that.” Was our fight a necessary process for his journey to becoming a hero? I hadn’t thought about it in that context.

“I can be a hero.” His voice was soft. Even with the ability to fly and hurl vehicles, he found a way to be vulnerable. “I can be the hero you deserve.”

“Sebastian…” My heart ached in a way it hadn’t in ages. I wanted countless nights of cuddling on the couch while reading comics with this man. He was the part of my life I had been missing, the piece that offered healing I hadn’t thought possible.

Sebastian’s back arched. The light dimmed enough to make out the contorted silent howl on his face. On the left side of his torso, I watched as the sliver of black poked through his flesh. We had made the rookie mistake of believing Wraith lie defeated on the rooftop.

“No!” I shouted. I tried to pull at his body, to jerk him from Wraith’s clutches.

She lifted him into the air, his body sliding further down the blade. I gripped the broomstick. She shook him free, hurling Sebastian’s limp body toward the stairwell door. Before she could turn her attention on me, I thrust the tip of the broomstick into her chest.

Wraith screamed.

It wasn’t as gruesome or impressive as her blade, but the shadows fled the spot where the wood buried into her chest. I shoved harder. The black ooze that normally coated her skin flailed, retreating, leaving bits of naked flesh exposed.

“Defeated by a pathetic man,” I hissed. Leaning forward, I braced my feet and pushed as hard as possible. I couldn’t tell if it sank any further, but her screams were satisfaction enough. Wraith staggered, and I thought I might be able to shove her off the roof. I knew she could fly, but hopefully that required concentration.

Her screams stopped. Whatever pain I had caused didn’t last. It wasn’t over. Rebecca vanished, and the Ward’s most dangerous villain prepared to claim another victim. Her hands stretched until the fingers turned into lengthy talons.

“Not by you.”

The burst of light struck Wraith, sending her flying from the roof. I thought Sebastian mustered another laser beam, but this one was bigger. I caught sight of the human bathed in a white brilliance, holding her by the neck as they soared over the street. Despite the chokehold, she clawed at him, never showing signs of surrender.

I ran toward the ledge. Sebastian’s body went super nova, followed by a boom that sounded like a bomb going off. The ripples that followed shattered the glass along dozens of buildings, shaking the very concrete under my feet. Car alarms down the street sounded, filling the dead air.

I rubbed my eyes, blinking rapidly in hopes to regain my sight. Squinting, I scoured the area below, barely able to make out the vehicles. The evidence of their fight could be seen up and down the street, but neither Sebastian nor Wraith were anywhere to be found.

“He sacrificed himself,” I whispered.

I had been furious with the man before today, and that quickly dissolved. Surely, as he defeated Wraith, he sped away to conceal his identity. Even as I tried to rationalize his absence, the doom crept in.

Without any evidence of his survival, my greatest fears festered, sinking their talons into my back. In comic books, death was a plot device, a way to hook the reader and force them to confront their own mortality. This wasn’t a comic book, and I feared the same rules didn’t apply. Sebastian had proved himself to the city, to me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. “You’re a hero.”

24

Sentinel heldme as if I were a blushing bride. I didn’t know if the other Centurions had deemed this battle worth their attention but at least Bernard had answered my plea for help. He had said nothing since he found me on the rooftop, maintaining his stoic demeanor.

He landed on the street where camera crews had already set up camp. To any onlooker, he was one of the most recognized superheroes in Vanguard, a rare sight in the Ward. Setting me down, he held onto my sleeve. I tried to jerk free, but he held up a finger, prompting me to wait.

Around his waist there were a dozen pouches holding whatever it was that superheroes might need on their adventures. He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to me.

“How long have you known?”

His cowl hid most of his face. Circles were cut out for his eyes and mouth, making his beard stand out. The leather hugged his body, emphasizing his muscles, unlike the baggy shirts he wore at brunch. As his chest rose and fell, he embodied the very epitome of a superhero. But underneath, he was still the same Bernard.

“A long time.”

“You never said anything.”

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