Cold Ashes

four

I managed to somehow end my disturbing slash totally confusing conversation with Neo, spare Jamie a quick glance that said something along the lines of 'see you later homie', and go back to join Penny at our table.

I had exactly five minutes to spare before I needed to ditch college and check out the emergency.

I couldn't go right away. People might get suspicious. I needed a good excuse too. Because, again, people might get suspicious. So I came up with a quick one that worked most of the time.

"I think a migraine's coming," I told Penny, wincing at the lie. Penny thought I was wincing in pain since her features softened. "Can you record the next two classes for me?"

She agreed because she was a lifesaver that way and made me promise I'd tell her everything about my conversation with Jamie (and the one with Neo too since she had seen us talking). I agreed because that was the least I could do.

Especially when I was lying about the migraine. That was one lie that worked most of the time when I had to ditch it all together for my vigilante duties. The teachers excused me. My friends excused me. It worked awfully well.

Perhaps that does make me a bad person. But there'd always be lies when it came to me and my secret. Orias had always told me that. If I needed to keep my identity a secret, there will always be lies.

As I dashed out of the college premises, making sure no eyes were following me, I quickly made my way to the local town bookshop I worked part-time at, and wasn't surprised when I saw Jon smoking behind the cash register.

"Jon, what the fuck," I grumbled, walking towards the back of the small store. There I spotted a large couch settled against one of the shelves, with stacks of books and novels piled over it. I pushed up the purple cushions to take out my suit.

"Sorry," I heard the old man saying. "I forget sometimes that you might be stopping by, kid."

I loved Jon, I really did, but it sometimes got on my nerves that he smoked inside a heavenly place like this sweet little bookshop.

"I stop by all the time," I told him, pulling off my hoodie and shrugging on my black leather gear. I wasn't worried about Jon seeing me naked, not when two big shelves were hiding me from view. I was, however, worried about someone else seeing me. "Close the shutters?"

"'Course." He coughed. "Duty calls?"

I hummed in response. It felt a little weird, like every time I stopped here to change into my gear, that Jon (the sweet innocent owner of Reader's Den--the tiny bookshop downtown--slash my boss) knew that I was Cinder Girl.

But I guess it shouldn't be. Weird, I mean. Jon had been a part of the Agency too (many years ago). The only reason he knew about me, and the only reason I was changing into my leather pants right at this moment, was because Orias trusted him. Even when Jon had retired from the Agency long ago and worked in a bookshop now.

I got out from behind the shelves, strapping in my belt, and fixed my mask over my eyes. The mask was built-in with lenses (credits to the Agency and their crazy techniques) that replaced the usual soft green from my eyes. A little eyelash inside my eye feeling, but it got bearable in a few seconds.

"Be careful, kid." I heard Jon saying as I opened the back door and escaped into the city of Arcanus.

He always said that, I thought. Except that this time he was a little too right to say it.

As I dropped by the location I had been sent on that emergency notification, the first thing I sniffed was the smoke. Heavy smoke.

Then came the screams and the fire.