Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 59 ⊰❉⊱

The founder disappeared into a labyrinth of stone hallways and floors.

This outpost that lay in the dusty terrain before the horizon of our target in the mountains a few miles beyond had a busy quality. It had clearly been a military outpost in a previous lifetime.

Now it was an immortal hive.

I had never seen so many in one place outside of the London keep. Yet I knew why on a deeper level. Our numbers were vanishing faster than they could be replaced... and if the quality was beneath Codius' standards–it wasn't surprising that they were being killed fastest than replaced.

Mortals were more aware and more armed.

The conventional means could do nothing to us... but what if they got lucky? All it would take were chemical weapons to steal the air from you for long enough. A little fire or an airstrike and you were in business. Bullets however, were not a good choice.

I thought back on Quinn's horrifying realisation when the flames had started to lick away at my strength and immortality in Columbia. When I reached the edge and only saw red. Only blood.

My focus snapped back into the present when the six immortals I was to share my time and brain capacity with walked into the building. I decided I had zero interest in the confrontation and quickly vanished behind a corner.

I sought the smallest amount of solitude this den of immortals could give me for as much time as the founder would spare before he inevitably called us into action.

So I went for the roof.

It took considerably longer than I liked to find the stairs. But eventually I climbed the five floors of immortal planning and facilities to reach an empty square of silent concrete. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen since I had touched down on this continent.

I strode right to the middle as the sun cut across the sky in dying hues of orange and purple. Then lay down and pulled out the sat phone.

She answered on the first ring and those pixels formed to show me Quinn Adams.

My whole body relaxed as she demanded, "Where are you?" by way of greeting.

I grinned.

"Somewhere warmer than where I left you."

Her worry morphed into a knowing smirk and I grinned back.

"It looks dark, it's barely lunch time here." She noted, spinning the camera to show me a white sand beach I had no interest in.

"Oh no, Adams you're going to keep that camera on the only worthwhile view while I still have time."

Her songlike laugh filled the phone's speakers. It wasn't the real thing but it was better than anything I would hear around me. 

"How much time do we have?" She spoke devilishly with a dark smile.

I rolled my eyes and couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

"You're impossible even when you're an ocean away."

"I've never felt further from you, Fletcher." She answered seriously. "–I want to know everything. Every spare minute you get."

"You don't need to tell me twice, mortal." I answered honestly, "–I'm yours whenever I get the chance."

"They can't be that bad..." She mocked, leaning back in a hammock as she watched me intently. I glanced at the growing shadows cast by a quickly vanishing sun. It made the gold in my eyes take on a faint glow.