He mirrors my smile. “Yes. I didn’t realize I had so many. Some will go in the library. I moved some of Aggie’s books from her office here, and I left it to Miller to decide what he will keep and what he will have in the?—”
My heart jumps. “We have a library?” I ask, bursting with excitement.
He laughs. “Yes. You should go see it when you have a moment. You’ll be impressed at how well some of the books held out. I hired some men to restore the library, as well as some of the books that are worse for wear. I hope you don’t mind. I couldn’t help it.”
I make a note to put some of my books in there, instead of in my room or office. For the first time in two weeks, the prospect of living here doesn’t feel so grim.
He shakes his head and laughs at me again. “You and your books.”
“Look who’s talking,” I tease.
A guilty smile crosses his face. “Anyway, I wanted to check on you, and I have some questions.” His expression becomes more serious. “Joe told me that the original battery pack to your mic was not dead after all. With the commotion, he managed to pocket the battery that the sound man injured you with and replaced the original battery back in its place, and it worked.”
“I figured as much. I think it was a test to see where the guards were posted and identify their reactions when I am slightly injured. We failed miserably. A small hiss and everyoneleft their posts. The twins reacted. We can’t let that happen again.”
“I’m aware. I spoke to both Alexis and Odyssey about it. But there’s more.”
“More?”
He clears his throat. “It was brought to my attention that your magic stopped last night.”
I roll my eyes. “And who told you that?”
“The twins. Justin noted that he and Jeremy couldn’t hear your thoughts for the last three introductions, and Joe confirmed this as well. Sodie mentioned that your hand didn’t heal on its own. He needed to use magic to heal you. Have you noticed any other changes or the inability to wield your other magic?”
I look away, thinking about when I tried to strike Shadow with my lightning magic. I felt no electrical charge, and my chest was empty. I rub at my sternum. Much like it is now. “So, you think that?—”
“This is the same fucking bullshit we went through almost eight years ago.”
“What would you like to do about it?” I brace myself for his rage to shut this all down.
“We keep this amongst ourselves. Play it off like nothing is wrong. You might not have magic, but you’re strong, smart, and observant. You trained with the best fighters I know.”
“Including you.”
He smiles. “There’s always someone out there who is better. That’s why I exposed you to as many different skillsets as I could procure. It was the best I could do for you.”
“So humble of you,” I mock him with a grin.
“My ego means shit if I don’t have you and your brothers in my life. I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
I almost feel guilty for not telling him that my shoulder still burns and my exhaustion, despite getting some sleep, is still present. Maybe there’s something more to that scratch on my back than we realize.
“Good. Now, I don’t want to take up much of your time. At some point during the day, can you please see Sodie? I asked him to conduct another exam and more blood testing, now that I know what we’re looking for.”
“Okay. And thank you for not yelling at me or stopping me from continuing this… game.”
“I’m not an idiot, little one. I know if I stand in your way, I’ll lose you. So, I will do what I taught hundreds of guards to do—fight for what you believe in. I believe in you.”
“I will fix this,” I tell him. “I will fix this so no one else needs to endure what you went through, what we all went through.”
The Resistance is trying to weaken me, but I have a plan. The Resistance will end with me.
Carmen walks into the sunroom set up for me to relax and eat. Her heels click against the wooden floor. The energy around her tingles with a mixture of irritation and annoyance.
“Good morning, Jessica.”
