"No." I shook my head. "Achy but nothing I can't handle."
"You shouldn't push it, though," he reasoned.
"I won't," I assured him. "What's the plan? I bet it's going to be harder to track Charles now. He'll go into hiding again."
"For now, we're going to have to revisit everything and see where we're at. I can't make any decisions as of now because we don't have enough information to make a move. Charles will be far too weak to try and pull a stunt, and seeing as you were able to bring him back to this universe, that will take a toll on him as well," he explained his thoughts. "We're rather weak ourselves, and regrouping would be the smart move. However, I want your team to have the remaining two weeks off if possible."
"Vacation?" I thought about it. "That seems almost foreign."
He gave me a troubled smile. "You all have been busy, from the look of things."
"Being a headmaster is hard," I acknowledged. "The guys had to substitute a lot as professors as well. It's a nice sense of authority, but it's exhausting when we're also agents."
"You went above and beyond," he praised. "Guess you guys all deserve raises."
"And an unlimited supply of alcohol!"
"No."
"Hmph," I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. "I feel like we earned it."
"I'll reward you guys with your vacation and a pay raise."
"Are you sure our vacation won't be interrupted?" I pointed out. "Plus, we can't really go anywhere now in winter time,"
"I'll think of something," he assured me.
"Will we at least spend Christmas together?" I offered. "Since...I really want to spend Christmas with you guys."
He gave me a tender look of hope as he nodded in approval.
"We'll spend Christmas together. Of course, the Maxwells are invited."
"And Lisette and Calvin?"
"Yup," he replied. "Guess they're official?"
"Oh." I blushed, followed with a shrug. "The more the merrier?"
"You're not going to have a bed big enough to fit your lovers if you keep recruiting more," he teased.
"Can't we just make one?" I suggested. "Or how about those beds where you can like extend them somehow, like they do dining tables that can hold like eighteen people?!"
"You're not having eighteen boyfriends."
"I could handle it!"
"No."
"Hmph." I frowned. "I tried."
"You'd be dating a damn school bus," he reasoned, which had me giggling.
"The wheels on the bus go round and round, up and down, all around."
"That's not how the song goes," he pointed out and shook his head. "Six boyfriends are good."
"Lisette's a girl," I pointed out. "Which reminds me. Why does her report say male and female? Was it a printing error?"
He stared at me for a long moment before it seemed to click. "She hasn't told you?"
"Told me what?"
He frowned and looked a little nervous to talk about it.
"This is one of those ‘can't talk about it now’ conversations, huh?" I reasoned.
When he nodded, I returned the nod with my own.
"Alright."
"Alright?"
"I'll wait till Lisette tells me herself," I replied.
"You're not interested?"
"I am, but it's not my right to butt into her business," I reasoned. "However, regardless of what I know and don't know, she's my girlfriend. Remember that, especially when around her."
He smiled. "Alright. I'll make sure to remember that."
"Good," I replied and yawned. "Need a buddy to chill with for a bit?"
"I could use the company," he admitted. "Though I'll do the paperwork."
"Cool by me. I'm pooped." I got perfectly comfortable as Minx suddenly appeared and hopped into my lap. "I'll just be here, minding my own business with Minx."
"Mawe!" she replied.
"Jade."
I looked back at him to see his noble expression.
"I'm so proud of you. Thank you for taking care of all I've invested in when I couldn't."
"Of course," I replied. "And I'd do it again if I ever needed to."
We shared a comforting look before I let him get back to reading the reports. I got lost in my own thoughts as I continued to stroke Minx's fur as she quietly purred.
My strokes got slower as my eyes grew heavier by the second until I allowed them to close and I let the relief of everything finally settle in.
All those I love are safe. Charles didn't win once again. He may be free, but we came out victorious. That's what truly matters.
Renewed Beginning
~BIANCA~
* * *
"It's miraculous how quickly you've recovered!"
I continued to listen to the nurse yap on and on about me being awake when I'd only arrived here practically dead hours earlier. Truly, I would have walked right out of this place if I wasn't waiting for the new test results to review myself.
To be honest, all of this was a blessing in disguise seeing as the nurse explained that Tanner was here ten minutes earlier but stated he had a meeting with Alaric and would be back later. I really did need the alone time, especially with the anxiety rising in me for the usual results of my health.
I never reacted well to any type of medical results. It didn't matter if it was a simple test or something complicated like magic examinations. They still gave me that queasy sensation in my stomach that had me dreading reading anything different from what I'd been prepared for.
It was another reason why I was hiding any hint of being awake from our Hive bond, acting as if I was still silently asleep, which was rather difficult in my weak state.
My pride simply needed me to enjoy this serene moment of worry, but the nurse was really getting on my nerves with all the talking. You'd think she'd be able to tell from my resting bitch face that I wasn't in the mood to discuss, but there she went on, going around the same damn shocking bush.
Or I'm just downright cranky.
Being distracted was better than me recapping all the mistakes I'd committed to get me in the very situation that led me into this medical bed and apparently on life support.
Charles clearly did a good one on me, and I couldn’t believe how easily I'd fallen into every trap he’d set for me.
The vampire part was uncalled for...
Never would I have thought he was a supernatural from another world. It made perfect sense, considering how he'd been able to keep off the radar for so long. He knew what strings to pull and how to get people to do his bidding.
Anyone would be willing to listen to a supernatural from another universe rather than a common elemental witch or wizard.
With that new piece of information, we'd have no choice but to check on Calvin's DNA and see if he was also a vampire hybrid. It had never shown up on any of his tests, nor did he show any signs of craving blood or supernatural speed.