Sorceress, Interrupted - By A. J. Menden Page 0,75

continued to break loose, actually. The government’s about to cave in to Hacker’s demands.”

“Big surprise there,” Cyrus mumbled. “I’m sure they just want it all to go away. Too bad it won’t.”

Mindy nodded. “Forrest convinced them to let us have until the end of the week, but if we can’t stop Hacker’s plans by that time, they’re paying the money.”

“He’ll just go ahead and do it anyway,” Cyrus repeated.

“You know that and I know that, but governments like to believe bad guys will play by the rules. Then they always turn around and act shocked when things go wrong.” Mindy sighed. “It isn’t helping matters that every available villain is taking advantage of the chaos. It’s had us and every other hero team hopping. Lainey, Toby and Selena have been out trying to keep the peace since you left. We haven’t had a lot of sleep. That’s probably why Paul’s so grumpy.”

“Do you need me out there?” Cyrus asked, perhaps a bit guiltily.

Mindy nodded. “Probably. Go catch up with Paul, he’ll tell you what needs to be done.” She glanced at me. “I know you just did what had to be done, but you really put him into a tailspin.”

“I’ll go talk to him.”

“You do that.”

She turned back to her monitor and touched a button on her headset. “Paul? Hold up, Cyrus is on his way to help.” She was quickly engrossed in a conversation.

Cyrus glanced at me. “That’s my cue.” He seemed to be waiting for something.

“Off to play hero?” I teased halfheartedly.

“Something like that. Want to give me one last kiss? You never know, I could be killed in the line of duty.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I said. My heart beat faster.

He winked at me, and started to walk to the door. “Your loss. But I don’t want to hear any regrets in the afterlife.”

“Hey!” I called.

He turned. In that moment I met with the bizarre urge to fling myself into his arms, to give him a bone-searing kiss just in case he was right and this was my last chance, but those kinds of thoughts always make me really uncomfortable.

“Yes?” He eyed me expectantly.

“What’s it mean?” I asked, pointing to my new ward.

“What’d you say last night?” he asked.

I bit my lip, not wanting to go there, though the answer was on the tip of my tongue, buzzing in the back of my brain. If I could think the words, why could I not say them in any language not so ancient that pretty much I was the only one able to understand them? But, I don’t like to acknowledge my feelings, let alone say them out loud, especially under these circumstances.

Cyrus shook his head. “You’d better hope I come back in one piece, Fantazia.” He gave me a mock salute and walked out the door.

I crossed my arms protectively over my chest and shivered. What were we doing?

Turning, I saw Mindy staring at me. I frowned. “What?”

She shrugged. “You’re really stepping in it, aren’t you, Fantazia? First with Wesley and now with Cyrus. I guess you only get out of your pocket universe once in a blue moon. Have to live it up, eh?”

“Does it look like I’m enjoying it?” I snapped. I turned and stalked off in search of my father.

It turned out I didn’t have to look too hard. Following the sound of a loud television, I found myself outside of his and Lainey’s bedroom. The door slid open and I saw Emily sitting in a mess of stuffed animals, happily playing some sort of tea party game. A popular cartoon show played in the background, but not the one that had been driving me bonkers. Wesley sat in front of a computer, equally surrounded by piles of ancient-looking books. Every odd interval he’d flip through one.

Emily saw me first. “Fay!” she shrieked, jumping up to run over. Wesley’s head jerked up at the mention of my name, and he stared at me as if I were some sort of ghost.

“Hey, kiddo!” I said, sweeping my half sister up in a hug.

“Daddy’s sad,” she said in an overly loud whisper. “He and Mommy talk about you. You in trouble?”

“Sweetie, when is Fay not in trouble?” I said in a light voice.

“I love you,” she said, plopping a big wet kiss on my cheek.

Even I, coldhearted as I am, teared up. “I love you, too,” I said softly, glad she didn’t know how hard that was for me to admit. I gave her a big