Frenetic by T. S. Snow
Blaze
“Ifucked up,” were Illudere’s words the minute I picked up the phone.
“What did you do, asshole?” I asked, rolling my eyes as I left the debrief room at AMIA. The boss had called yet another meeting after one last round of interrogations with the Manteis fucker, and he’d had us tell him how the snuffing out of moles inside AMIA was progressing.
Thankfully, it seemed we had managed to get the last of them. I was hoping that would mean Charisma would be allowed back here, and I’d finally have the perfect opportunity to talk to her.
I missed her like crazy.
“She knows, Blaze.” I stopped walking in the middle of the hallway, ignoring the people who bumped and cursed at me.
He couldn’t possibly mean…
“What do you mean she knows? How can she know?” I barked the questions, earning more than one irate look from the agents leaving the room.
I started walking towards the first empty room I could find, then closed the door behind me. Barely registering I was in someone’s office, I waited for Andres’ next words with my heart in my fucking throat.
“I…I screwed up, man.”
I could hear the frustration in Andres’ voice, but that wasn’t enough.
If I could, I would’ve reached through the phone and ripped his fucking heart out.
Okay, well, maybe not that much. But I’d certainly beat his stupid face until he looked like a pufferfish.
“Explain.” I gritted the word through my teeth, tightening my hold on my phone until it was almost at the point of cracking.
If my Char had learned about that stupid fucking bet, I swore to the Goddess I’d…
“I went to pay her a visit, because I need her help with…stuff.” I almost snorted at that. Yeah, I bet I knew what kind of stuff he wanted Char’s help with. “Anyway, I was talking to her, and I accidentally let it slip out… She wasn’t happy, man.”
“Of course she wasn’t happy, you idiot. You think anyone wants to feel like the only reason they have people interested in them is because of a fucking bet?”
My hand shook with the need to beat something, or someone. Preferably Andres and Theodore. Those two assholes were behind this damn situation, so smashing them up would make me feel better. Unfortunately, taking my rage out on them wouldn’t help me with anything.
Now more than ever, I needed to talk to Charisma. Not only to explain about Cara, but to make sure Char knew what I felt for her was real. That what we’d had was real.
I…I wanted her to know I was falling in love with her, fast as that might have been. I just hoped that wouldn’t scare her off even more. That she wouldn’t run from me if I told her the truth.
“I…I explained things, or tried to. I mean, she was pretty pissed and so was Bast, but I told her it wasn’t like what she thought. That we were all already interested in her before the whole competition thing, and that if anything, it was just us giving each other the green light to pursue her without trying to kill each other or something.” Andres kept rambling, but I tuned him out. There was one tidbit of information he’d let slip that I didn’t know what to do with.
“Bast? Who the fuck is that?”
There was a pregnant pause before Andres spoke again. “He’s, uh, a friend Char and I have in common, but he’s not important right now. What’s important is that she knows, and I don’t know whether to tell the others or what. I just wanted to give you a heads-up because we kind of got to know each other and you’re not as big of an asshole as you like everyone to think. Plus…I saw the way you looked at her, and I know your feelings are genuine. So I just… I figured you would want to know. Anyway, I gotta go. I have shit to do. Bye.”
I stayed with the phone next to my ear long after he’d hung up, trying to make sense of what I was feeling.
Pissed? Yeah, sure. But more than that, I was…scared.
Terrified that she wouldn’t want to talk to me, to see me. That she wouldn’t ever forgive me.
Fear was a funny little emotion.
One I hadn’t felt in…years. Not since I’d grown old and strong enough to fight back and get control of my own damn life. Not since I’d bested my brother in a duel and become the heir. He’d still been a pain in my ass after, but at least we both knew he couldn’t beat me in a fair fight, so he’d mostly left me alone when it came to physical torment.
Small mercies.
But all that shit was in the past now. I had to focus on Char. She was my present, my future, and I’d find a way to make her hear me out, to try to earn her forgiveness.
I deserved to do some groveling and I was more than ready for it, but I wouldn’t give up.
I refused to.
Mind made up, I walked out of the office, planning on checking things with the tech division. Maybe they’d have some new information I could dig up or some new lead to share. I needed...something. Anything.
It was too late to call Char right now, and the pain was probably too fresh for me to be able to get her to listen to me, but I could start by making sure AMIA would be safe for her to come back to. Then I’d get my chance.
I could feel it.
“Where are you going, Loverboy?” Blair asked, straightening from where she’d been standing against the wall, arms crossed. Blair looked...well, exactly the same every single time I saw her, really. Her dark curly hair was organized chaos, but she somehow made it work. Her dark eyes were cunning as hell…and she wore full leather clothes. I couldn’t help but wonder if she ever felt uncomfortable in that damn getup.
I hadn’t seen her when I’d passed, but she had clearly been waiting for me.
“Tech lab. I want to talk to some of the people there, see if there are any leads or some way I can help.” I shrugged, pretending it didn’t matter to me either way, when the truth was very different.
But I didn’t want Blair getting suspicious or getting on my case about it. Yes, she could be a huge help, but I’d have to deal with her snarky personality and I wasn’t really in the mood for that.
Besides, she served as a reminder of my screwup with Charisma, and there was only so much moping I could do.
“Boss wants to see you,” Blair said, eyebrow raised almost in challenge.
I sighed.
“Do you know what he wants?” I asked, running a hand through my short mohawk. I’d had it cut a couple days ago and it took some getting used to.
Blair just shrugged.
“Fine. Be difficult.” I started to walk towards the elevators so I could go to the director’s floor when I noticed Blair trailing after me.
“What?”
She smirked. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself. Christian wants to see both of us. Don’t you think I have better shit to do with my life than shadow you?”
I winced. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m just… Oh hey, have you seen Charisma lately? Do you know where she’s staying? You two seemed to have hit it off, what with both of you running around and doing shit you weren’t supposed to, battling AMIA agents and storming into collapsing buildings.” I still hadn’t forgiven Blair for being talked into the whole thing and putting my Char in danger.
Blair said nothing. She just kept walking with the same confidence she had probably been born with, but that was all the answer I needed.
“Could you… When you see her again, could you tell her I miss her?” I stopped talking at that, curled my fists, and shook my head. “No. Forget it. Forget I said anything. Look, the elevator doors just opened, so if we run, we might just make it.” With that, I started sprinting through the corridor towards the stainless steel doors.
Maybe if I made it there before Blair, I could avoid the awkward conversation I’d started.
Stupid. That was what I was, at least when it came to Char.
I acted stupidly, worse than a damn teenager with his first crush.
Unfortunately for me, I didn’t quite make it to the elevator on time. The doors closed before I could get to them, and I cursed, standing like an idiot, waiting for it to open again.
Blair slowly walked up to me and smiled, but thankfully kept quiet.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t hold this moment of weakness against me for the rest of our lives.
* * *
The Director of the Arcane Mage Intelligence Agency sat in front of Blair and me, his gray hair whiter than it had been a month ago, his eyes stern, and expression angry as he kept his hands on the dark mahogany desk separating us. I knew he was tall, but somehow seeing him sitting behind his desk, looking down on me, made him appear even taller. Not to mention scarier.
I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been called into his office, and I always felt like a kid being summoned to the principal’s office after being caught ditching class for the third time and being told his parents would need to be called.
Blair sat beside me, legs crossed and expression bored, as if she did this every day.
Honestly, knowing her penchant for trouble, she probably did.
“I have no time to waste, so I’ll just cut to the chase. Carter called me and asked if she could run by her apartment tomorrow morning—this time without hiding—and get her things from her lab before the building is demolished. I’m allowing it. You two will go with her for protection and to help her grab her shit. After, you’re to bring her to AMIA for debriefing. No detours. Have I made myself clear?”
Hope bloomed inside of me.
Fuck yeah. This was it. The perfect opportunity for maximum groveling had just fallen in my lap.
“Yes, sir.” I tried to contain my smile, but I could feel myself losing the battle as the corners of my lips tilted up.
“Char is coming back? Finally. She’ll have no excuses not to program my katana then.” Blair grinned, and I looked at the sword she’d kept at her side for days now.
I had no idea it hadn’t been programmed as a MET yet, but that begged the question…
“Why do you carry it around if it’s not your current MET? Aren’t you worried about interference?”
Blair’s smile became smug. “A katana is still a very sharp and effective sword, even if it’s just a sword for now. I don’t need magic to do a hell of a lot of damage with it. If you want, I’ll be more than happy to show you.”
“And if you two can do this assignment without fighting, that would be greatly appreciated.” The director’s voice was dry, making it clear that it wasn’t a request but an order.
“Fine, be a spoilsport. I’ll find other ways to test out my new blade.”
With that, Blair stood up and headed to the door. Right when she reached it, she turned to stare back at me.
“You coming, Loverboy?”
I guessed I was stuck with the obnoxious Blair for now, but at least I’d get to see my Char tomorrow.
And I’d earn her forgiveness if it was the last thing I did.