Page 8 of Enchanted Hero
A momentary pause, then a low, concerned voice. “All right.”
“I’m the woman in the video.”
Pure silence. A second, then another and another… “You can’t be.”
“I am.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
Sam stayed silent for another second, then whispered, “Who is he?”
Her muscles weakened as she sank into the cushioned stool. The water and dirt didn’t matter – she could no longer support her own weight. “I don’t know.”
For an eon, Sam said nothing. When he finally responded, his voice was as breathless as hers. “Do. You. Know. How. Wonderful. This. Is?”
She started. “What?”
“You’re the first person to come face-to-face with a magical being.” His voice rose in volume with every syllable. “You’re the luckiest woman in the world.”
What?She parted her lips, yet no rebuttal came. As fear lessened, excitement emerged, and stark curiosity. There was a reason her business centered on the mysteries of the universe. She’d been so focused on the infuriating businessman, she’d completely ignored the ramifications of her rescue. It truly had been a miracle…
“You’re certain you don’t know his identity?”
“No.” Yet for the first time since her world had been undone, a slow smile lifted her lips. “But I’d love to find out.”
“You and the rest of the world.” Sam chuckled. “They’re calling him the world’s first supernatural hero. Everyone wants to know about him, with dozens of agencies investigating, from the police to government to scientists.”
Everleigh frowned. “They’re certainly taking this seriously. These types of videos come out every day.”
“Other videos don’t have the collaboration of hundreds of rich and powerful people. People don’t care about dancing crocodiles, yet when a video is backed by a mansion full of witnesses, including a senator, it gets attention. A lot of people want to talk to you.”
Everleigh shook her head hard enough to spray water droplets on the little remaining dry carpet. “You can’t tell anyone. Besides, I didn’t see anything that wasn’t in the video.”
She could almost hear Sam’s smile. “Your secret is safe with me. But I can’t promise not to ask again.”
With a grateful goodbye, she clicked off the phone. Somehow they hadn’t discussed Alexander Stone at all. It had literally taken a miracle to erase him from her mind, albeit only temporarily.
Two powerful men. One her enemy, the other her savior. Who was the most powerful? The question lingered as she showered and dressed, and then spent hours awake, too energized to sleep. When she finally slipped into bed in the early hours of the morning, it was merely a reprieve.
Without a doubt, at least one of the men was coming for her.
* * * *
Something was wrong.
It was obvious the moment she walked into the office, evidenced by the sheer magnitude of silence from the normally boisterous staff. She worked hard to keep a happy culture, and Mondays were donut day. Instead of cheery hellos and pleasant nods, guarded looks and pursed lips greeted her as she strode through the halls of New Age Treasures.
Something was very, very wrong.
“Hi everyone.” She forced a smile no one returned, nodding at the tense employees. “What’s going on?”
“Sorry I’m late!” One of the secretaries, Chloe Pendleton, raced in, her face tinged pink and her voice breathless. The self-proclaimed klutz was sporting a new bruise on her cheek. She pointed to it cheerfully. “Ran into a pole today. What’s going on? It feels like a funeral in here.”
The employees exchanged silent glances, as if daring each other to talk. Finally, Sam stepped forward. “It’s him.”
“Him who?” It couldn’t possibly be the mysterious man who’d conquered a tornado to save her. Since the weekend, he’d become a national obsession, on the cover of every magazine, the subject of every news story and the top trending topic on every website.
