Page 18 of The Immortal’s Mark

And the longer the film plays, the heavier my eyelids grow. Between the steady rumble of dialogue and the blanket’s warmth, the world fades to gray.

A crash of triumphant theme music yanks me out of sleep. I blink, disoriented, half convinced I’ve fallen into another vision.

Gregory’s amused eyes catch mine.

“What?” I mumble, running a hand through my untamed hair.

“I can’t believe you fell asleep,” he responds, shaking his head. “Who sleeps during a James Bond movie?”

“Someone who’s seen it before.” I rub sleep from my eyes. “Is it over?”

“Yes.” He gestures toward the scrolling credits. “You missed the ending.”

“Tragic.” I stretch under the blanket. “Did you like it?”

“I did.” He stands, long limbs unfolding with predatory grace. “It was quite good, actually. Much better than your silly romance.”

“I’ll have you know, 10 Things I Hate About You is a classic.”

“Sure.” He reaches for the light switch and flips it on.

“Ah!” I yelp, yanking the blanket over my head. “What are you doing? Warn a girl before blinding her!”

Gregory laughs, a rich, melodic sound that fills the room. “Stop being such a baby.”

I tear the blanket away, ready to fire back, but freeze mid-sentence.

Alex hovers just outside the entrance of the media room, arms crossed, dark hair falling over one glacial eye. “What’s going on here?”

Gregory pivots and drops into a bow. “Sir.”

He rises and holds Alex’s stare. The atmosphere shifts from relaxed to tense in a blink.

“We were watching a movie,” I say.

Alex doesn’t even look at me. His cold gaze stays on Gregory. “Were my instructions not clear?”

Gregory’s head dips. “No, Sir. They were clear.”

“Did those orders mention anything about mid-afternoon movie dates?”

“It wasn’t a date.” I kick off the blanket and stand. “I was watching a movie. Gregory was literally right here guarding me.”

“Not with the diligence I expect from my second-in-command,” Alex replies, disapproval radiating off him.

The instinct to vouch for my new friend is strong.

“Gregory has barely let me out of his sight since you’ve been gone.”

Alex’s gaze finally slides to me in a slow, assessing sweep. “I have no doubt that is true.”

Implication hums in the space between us, and I can’t tell if I’m supposed to be flattered or annoyed.

He turns back to Gregory. “Did you hear me arrive?”

“No, Sir.” Shame colors his response.

“Exactly.” The word lands like a gavel. He scowls. “You are dismissed. We will discuss the matter later.”