didn’t want to be found. A miracle.
Too bad it hadn’t been this way when he worked for Mancusi. How many times had he wanted to sink into the shadows, dissolve into nothing? Become transparent.
Escape.
Freedom.
He ran and ran, keeping his mind empty, pushing his body for hours. The sun rose to its zenith, then began to descend. He ran till he puked, and half choked on it when he remembered the irony of Sage doing the same. Then he puked some more.
And ran hard again. For hours.
In the end, he returned to Envy, shaky and weak, just as unnoticed as when he had left. And not just because it was pushing dusk.
He still had to think about it, concentrate, to turn himself invisible. He couldn’t hold the transparency for very long—five minutes maybe. Although it was getting easier.
And thank the Holy Mother of God, because apparently,
apparently
, he could turn someone else invisible. As long as he was touching them.
Curled around them. Enveloping them.
Her.
Simon scrubbed away the grime and sweat and kept his mind from temptation by counting the tiles on the shower walls—three hundred sixty-seven. Twelve were cracked. Three had chipped corners.
Then he checked to see if he needed to shave.
Not yet. Still no stubble sprouting on his chin, though Fence’s baldness wasn’t as smooth as it had been. And Wyatt and Elliott had each shaved once.
The Waxnickis were sure it would come in time, and since something similar had happened to Theo, Simon didn’t doubt them.
He delayed as long as he could, but in the end his empty belly won out and Simon left his room. At that moment, Quent came down the hall, walking quickly, exuding determination…and something else. Something a little wild in his eyes.
“Any news about the flash drive?” Simon asked when they fell into step toward the elevator.
“It’s Truth’s for certain. But the files are encrypted. Theo and Lou are competing to see who can get in first.”
So Dragon Boy was going to miss the big celebration? Didn’t that just sound like a computer geek.
Though it pissed him off to ask, he had to. “Sage working on it with them?”
“No.”
“Heard Dred was gonna take a look at her.”
“Right. He healed her.”
So she probably was going to be at the festival. And Theo wouldn’t.
“Did you see anyone in the hall?” Quent asked suddenly. “Just now? Or recently?”
“Like who?”
“A woman. Messy dark hair, tall. Darkish skin…Hot.”
Simon glanced sidewise at him. So that explained the underlying tension. “You expecting someone?”
“No.”
When they got to the elevator, Quent gestured at the buttons. “Right, then. Do you mind?”
Simon pushed the down button so his friend didn’t have to be invaded by the images and memories held by the wall. Sometimes he wore gloves, but apparently tonight he’d decided not to.
As they stepped into the elevator, Simon thought about the fact that he’d chosen to hide his unique ability while Quent and Dred had not. Of course, the fact that Quent could hardly touch anything without being bombarded had something to do with it—sometimes it was enough to knock him on his ass. And it was sort of obvious when Dred healed someone—or at least diagnosed them.
It was a lot easier to hide invisibility than those other talents.
But for the first time, Simon wondered about his reticence. If he should keep it a secret.
The elevator doors opened and Simon followed Quent out. The sounds of partying in full swing reached his ears and already he wanted to turn around and head back to his sanctuary.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he and Quent found Elliott, Fence, and Wyatt in the Pub, already jovial and loose from a healthy number of draft beers.
“Man, if I ever seen two men on the hunt, I’m seein’ ’em now.” Fence rumbled a low, knowing laugh as they sat. He was a big fucking guy, linebacker size, with a ready smile and a mind that was always in the gutter. Yet, charm rolled off him in waves
Too bad it hadn’t been this way when he worked for Mancusi. How many times had he wanted to sink into the shadows, dissolve into nothing? Become transparent.
Escape.
Freedom.
He ran and ran, keeping his mind empty, pushing his body for hours. The sun rose to its zenith, then began to descend. He ran till he puked, and half choked on it when he remembered the irony of Sage doing the same. Then he puked some more.
And ran hard again. For hours.
In the end, he returned to Envy, shaky and weak, just as unnoticed as when he had left. And not just because it was pushing dusk.
He still had to think about it, concentrate, to turn himself invisible. He couldn’t hold the transparency for very long—five minutes maybe. Although it was getting easier.
And thank the Holy Mother of God, because apparently,
apparently
, he could turn someone else invisible. As long as he was touching them.
Curled around them. Enveloping them.
Her.
Simon scrubbed away the grime and sweat and kept his mind from temptation by counting the tiles on the shower walls—three hundred sixty-seven. Twelve were cracked. Three had chipped corners.
Then he checked to see if he needed to shave.
Not yet. Still no stubble sprouting on his chin, though Fence’s baldness wasn’t as smooth as it had been. And Wyatt and Elliott had each shaved once.
The Waxnickis were sure it would come in time, and since something similar had happened to Theo, Simon didn’t doubt them.
He delayed as long as he could, but in the end his empty belly won out and Simon left his room. At that moment, Quent came down the hall, walking quickly, exuding determination…and something else. Something a little wild in his eyes.
“Any news about the flash drive?” Simon asked when they fell into step toward the elevator.
“It’s Truth’s for certain. But the files are encrypted. Theo and Lou are competing to see who can get in first.”
So Dragon Boy was going to miss the big celebration? Didn’t that just sound like a computer geek.
Though it pissed him off to ask, he had to. “Sage working on it with them?”
“No.”
“Heard Dred was gonna take a look at her.”
“Right. He healed her.”
So she probably was going to be at the festival. And Theo wouldn’t.
“Did you see anyone in the hall?” Quent asked suddenly. “Just now? Or recently?”
“Like who?”
“A woman. Messy dark hair, tall. Darkish skin…Hot.”
Simon glanced sidewise at him. So that explained the underlying tension. “You expecting someone?”
“No.”
When they got to the elevator, Quent gestured at the buttons. “Right, then. Do you mind?”
Simon pushed the down button so his friend didn’t have to be invaded by the images and memories held by the wall. Sometimes he wore gloves, but apparently tonight he’d decided not to.
As they stepped into the elevator, Simon thought about the fact that he’d chosen to hide his unique ability while Quent and Dred had not. Of course, the fact that Quent could hardly touch anything without being bombarded had something to do with it—sometimes it was enough to knock him on his ass. And it was sort of obvious when Dred healed someone—or at least diagnosed them.
It was a lot easier to hide invisibility than those other talents.
But for the first time, Simon wondered about his reticence. If he should keep it a secret.
The elevator doors opened and Simon followed Quent out. The sounds of partying in full swing reached his ears and already he wanted to turn around and head back to his sanctuary.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he and Quent found Elliott, Fence, and Wyatt in the Pub, already jovial and loose from a healthy number of draft beers.
“Man, if I ever seen two men on the hunt, I’m seein’ ’em now.” Fence rumbled a low, knowing laugh as they sat. He was a big fucking guy, linebacker size, with a ready smile and a mind that was always in the gutter. Yet, charm rolled off him in waves
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