Page 10 of Unmasked

I muted the television, picking up my phone. Even as I pressed in Penelope’s new number, I went into our system, pulling up the video of our meeting. After one ring, Penelope answered.

“Hello?”

“You looked beautiful today.” The guilt and anger flared. “Cold… but beautiful.”

She paused. “Thank you. I think. You said you’d call soon. I assumed that was within minutes. We finished talking nearly half an hour ago.”

“I turned on the news.”

“Oh. I see.” She grew quiet. “You’re angry with me. Did I do something wrong?”

“You’re different. I watched you.”

Silence.

“My behavior upset you? I’m trying very hard⁠—”

“You didn’t tell me you were going out in public. I wasn’t prepared.” My jaw flexed as I paused our video conversation. “I should have been informed.”

A soft breath. “You’re not meant to. The Magister⁠—”

“Has just as much power as I do. I am the one you’re marrying.”

“Not without permission from The Judic. Vaughn…”

Her tone softened, and I clutched tighter to the remote, not able to hold in the words that pushed free. It was the real issue, and it was eating into my very being.

“You held back with me.”

Another pause. “We’ve barely got in any training sessions since I’ve been back.” Seconds passed. “Vaughn… I had to.”

“Had to? Had to, what? Hold back?”

“Please. I don’t want you upset with me. I want you to support me.”

“I do.” The anger dissipated. “I do support you, love. You know that. I just… I was supposed to be the one who made you like that. You didn’t need me to.”

I unpaused the video, fast-forwarding to where Able initiated. The strike was fast. Hard. Precise. Penelope was all instinct. There was no hesitation. No second guessing. Her body reacted before thought had the time to catch up. The lock. The twist. The readiness to follow-through.

“Vaughn, don’t be upset with me for something neither of us could control. I was devastated after Katia fed me her lies. Elliot and Marian saw how determined I was to learn. They were trying to help me through a bad situation. They taught me what they knew. I used their lessons to prepare for yours.”

Mine…

If I had kept her the way I wanted, would she have ever become this skilled? This… dangerous?

“Tell me what you felt on your walk.”

Hesitation. “Watched.”

I sat on the desk’s chair, closing my lids. “Do you think it was her?”

“Yes. Katia won’t give up. She put in too much time to destroy me—us. If I find her…”

My lids opened, and I felt them squint through her threat.

“Tell me.”

A long pause came before she took a deep breath. “What happened to Marian will pale in comparison to what I do to her. I’m going to show Agent Marchase what it is to break someone. She spent months trying to convince me to hate you. When all she has is darkness of The Order, she’ll realize the only person worth hating is herself.”