Paragon - Chapter 54: Chapter 54

"That can't be right..." Quinn frowned, tracing her fingers along the edge of her glass. I wished it was my skin again.
I ripped my eyes off it and stared at her own.
"The elder that created me decided to leave the earth so yes it is."
"Leave? Where–"
My flat look made her stop. "You could just say dead." She drawled.
"It's pretty hard for an immortal to do, so it sounded more romantic that way..."
"You've told me I can drown you, Fletcher." She smirked.
I placed my forearms on the stone kitchen counter and tilted my head.
"You'd need to keep me under for a few hours."
She shook her head and took a drink of whatever fruit blend the staff had furnished the fridge with. "I told you, you're valuable to them."
"They didn't make it seem that way in London." I muttered, scanning the palm treetops beyond and thinking of that grey city again. The faces of my team that never left–
"When they realised the lengths you would go to... They made allowances." She told me with a sureness I knew came from her career. It made the corner of my lip curve.
"How many times have you strong-armed mortals into doing exactly what you wanted of them, Miss Adams?"
Her expression turned innocent. "I have no idea what you're implying. I help my clients."
"And the ones on the other side?" I drawled.
She took a slow sip and licked the corner of her lips with a smirk. It made my blood cool again and her scent to become that much more obvious to me.
"I made a habit of winning, detective. I didn't concern myself with those in second place if they wanted to go against me."
Why was that so attractive.
"You're a demon in mortal form." I answered instead, pushing up from the counter and grabbing the keys. "Let's go."
"Go where?" She blurted.
I smirked ahead, opening the glass panel wide and liking the feel of tropical air against my cold. Much like how I favoured a certain mortals heat over every inch of me now more than ever.
"To show you a good time." I winked.
She set the drink down and pulled her sunglasses over her eyes while her heart steadily increased. I watched her calmly as she made a show of a very nice pair of white shorts and my shirt rolled up her arms. She brushed her hand over my stomach as she passed through the door. I gave nothing away on the surface. My mind darkened.
I slid the door shut and I secured it with a key. It's not like there was anything of value inside other than the property itself anyway.
Quinn hit the horn making me whirl on her with a dark look.
"Get out–" I stated, only to be shut up by another horn.
It was a damn good thing we were in the middle of nowhere on this side of the beach. I moved faster than any mortal could. I was at the driver door in a blink and grabbed a laughing mortal depositing her over my shoulder and carrying her to the passenger side in less time.
"Fletcher–wait."
I paused, lowering her into the seat and looked at her. She slipped a hand under my jaw and kissed my lips making me freeze briefly. My mind raced under the feel of her lips that softly shaped me and then she drew back with an expression like nothing had happened at all. I lost my grip on her shirt and stared at her calm expression.
"Alright, carry on."
When was I ever going to get used to that? I forced myself back from the door and shut her own with my mind running through reality again. Maybe Paragon had already killed me on that flight. Because this was dangerously too good to be true anyway...
I slid in next to her and drew up the map on the dash.
"What's the plan?"
"Food. Sights. Culture. In whatever order you wish." I answered, shifting the car into gear and loving the growl of the engine in response. British car design always did have flare.
"You never did tell me... How long we have." She murmured, staring ahead as we raced across the driveway lined by palms and shrubbery. I felt that pulse jump though. I knew it weighed her down. As far as Quinn knew, I was an immortal assassin once more.
And she was right.
"I honestly couldn't tell you, Quinn. But the elder on that flight told me it would not be long..." I ventured frowning, "–Time to them is different. It could be days or weeks. I only know that it will not be years."
She nodded seeming to expect this.
I glanced at her and saw her mind working through different things. Different outcomes–maybe even a way to get me out entirely. I smiled.
"Stop thinking of ways to piss off ancient beings, please."
She grinned and threw me a Quinn look saturated in challenge.
"Don't bother asking me not to." She retorted sweetly.
"They've already allowed this–allowed us." I corrected, turning quickly onto a main road with taxis and native cars streaming towards the capital. "That's not something to push them on."
"You've just made it clear that they need you, Fletcher–"
"They need all of us." I answered quickly, meeting her curious look. So I decided to be a bit more transparent. Paragon already knew I chose my life with this mortal, what more could their secrets do? "Every time there is a major world event–something that cannot be ignored or left–we are drawn together in large number. It's large for us to have even ten in the same room because of what we can do." I answered her frown. "The last time was the middle east and it involved weapons of mass destruction."
I laughed at her horror.
"Oh, yes it's much more common than your people let you know..." I dodged a few cars before shifting gear again. "The Cold War just started the trade of them." I muttered.
"What the hell is wrong with the human race?" She pinched her brow. "What an excellent idea. Annihilating the planet." She dripped sarcasm but it wasn't even necessary. I understood the cost well enough.
"You'd think once would be enough to learn but you need to remind mortals all over the world." I answered detached.
"Is it bad that I'm glad you're still working for them..?"
I met her eyes.
"Never. It means you're not as selfish as I am." I stated in sureness.
"I don't think you're selfish, Fletcher. And I don't think you owe the world a thing by the sound of it." Her words were kind and warm and everything I wanted to hear. But not true.
"I have the power to stop events that would burn the world a thousand times over. I was given this for a reason. Not out of choice. Knowing that... How could I turn my back? The only reason I haven't lost my mind to immortality, Quinn. Was because I chose to act in the name of those that did not have the strength to defend themselves."
My words hung in the air between us. I made sure to keep my eyes on the road. Because I didn't often like voicing just how alien I was–not with Quinn sat all innocent and warm–
"That's why I'm in love with you." She said quietly.
My eyes burned ahead unable to turn because once I caught her eyes I knew I wouldn't stop staring until the car went into the back of another vehicle.
"You don't preach being a saviour to the world, Fletcher. You just are one without asking for it and without choosing. You could have been William. Lost to power and chasing only whatever satisfied you. Yet you don't. You'd sooner take yourself out of the competition because you know you'd win."
I gripped the steering wheel hard and lost my fight. I looked at her and she watched me intently back. None of that amusement was there–only Quinn. I tore my eyes off her and made sure we were steady on the road. But I didn't really need to. I just couldn't stand to see what she saw in me. It was too pure–too good. I wasn't that.
"Those aren't just petty words." I murmured, repeating her own to her from all those weeks ago.
"No." She agreed. "Otherwise I would just stay silent."
I smirked despite it all. Despite it all she remembered my own response to her under that tree in Japan. And I loved her for it all the more.