“I’m serious, Zane. I-I want this. With you.”
His eyes cut away from mine, leaving a cold loneliness in their wake. When did I become so accustomed to that frozen violet electricity? When did it turn from cruel coldness to familiar warmth? He takes the mask he made from me in hand, his fingers brushing along a silken edge.
“You hated me, Kaye. Not so long ago.” His voice is gruff, though soft.
Charade certainly intimidated me, sometimes even scared me. But he never hurt me, even when he had the chance and every reason to go through with it.
He saved my life.
“I never hated you.” My stomach sinks. Is that really what he thinks of me?
The silence seems to stretch on between us, and I’m content to let it, to will my heart to harden around the painful mess spreading open and wreaking havoc in my chest, because only now that the chance has been taken away do I recognize how badly I wanted it. Someone to know my secret and watch over me in the dangers of the night. A friend. A lover. Someone to trust again.
Not just someone. Charade.Zane.The only person who has ever rescued me.
My face is hot and flushed. I can feel the heat of it radiating under my skin. A hard knot claws at my throat. The wind blows, and I close my eyes as it passes, picking out the salty scent of a storm riding the air. Flour and yeast from the local bakery a block over. I let it sooth me, suddenly grateful he’s not looking. That he won’t see.
Taking several full, calming breaths, I begin to mentally gather myself again. Whatever this feeling is can wait. There’s a mission to be done.
New Malcolm needs its hero.
I stand, pulling the mask from his fingers. He barely reacts, and that’s fine. I turn my back on him and face my city as I place the mask on my face. A moment, and the strange material forms around my skin, sealing in place comfortably without straps or ties. I feel the gravity of my mantle settling overtop me until I am no longer Katerina Grace.
Only then do I face Zane once more. Only then do his eyes meet mine.
I don’t know what he sees, but I feel powerful in the sleek, black super suit. I wanted to cry when George and Zane presented it to me.
It’s a living symbol of our alliance,George had said.The material is my invention, microscopic nanobots mixed with living material?—
—Fueled by a modification of my compound,Zane finished.With enough power to protect you from almost anything.
White and purple diamond checkers race up the seams along my pant legs and jacket sleeves. I don’t know how to react when the side of his thumb grazes my cheek, painfully soft. Gentle.
“You are my nightmare made real.” His attention drops to my lips, expressions of ecstasy and pure, utter torment crossing his face.
A fresh wave of pain burns my chest. I keep still, focus on my breathing to keep my power in check.
“Checkmate.” He sighs.
I take a step away until there’s enough space stands between us that physical contact isn’t possible. Pray that he doesn’t see the smoke starting to curl around my palms.
“Kaye…”
I don’t trust myself to respond, and even if I did, I don’t have time for emotion and reaction. New Malcolm needs me. I have nevernotanswered that call before—I’m not about to start now.
At the far side of the roof, a thick length of rope waits, tied to an anchor plunged through the brick exterior and into the solid wood frame below.
In the past, I would have sauntered straight through the main entrance and been welcomed with open arms and fanfare. Hank, the night guard, wouldn’t even have asked me to pass through the metal detector. Gladys, who has been the mayor’s personal secretary for more than twenty years, would have saved me one of her homemade banana nut muffins and slipped it to me while I waited.
You’re getting too thin, Checkmate. You can’t save the city if you can’t take care of yourself.
What a load of shit.
The rope is thick, comforting in my palm, and smells faintly of straw. I grasp it, testing the tension from the anchor and the knot on the carabiner keeping it in place. My skin sticks against the mobile material of the gloves.
“I’m right here if you need me.” Zane taps lightly on his earpiece.
I step to the edge of the roof, thinking of the last time I mounted a ledge like this.At least this time I brought a rope.
