Page 97 of Enchanted Hero
She fought tears of liquid happiness. “You really love me?”
“So very much.”
And suddenly secrets no longer mattered. She surrendered to the only man she’d ever truly loved, as he captured her in his powerful hold. He held her as if he’dneverlet go. “I love you, too. No matter what happens, I will stand by you. Now and forever.”
His expression lit with newfound hope. “Then we will face the future together.”
She closed her eyes and leaned toward him.
An explosion roared.
Everleigh opened her eyes as the door splintered into pieces. Agent Andrews stormed into the office, accompanied by cops and rescuers and agents armed with all sorts of weaponry. He halted, gaped like a man who’d seen the impossible. “You’re okay! We heard the balcony reach the ground, and I thought...” He dragged his hand through his hair, exhaled with unfeigned relief.
How about that? The agent actually cared.
Still, he represented grave danger to Alexander, as he pointed an accusing finger at the businessman. “You must have used your powers.” He rubbed his hands in anticipated victory. “Dr. Garrison, what did you see?”
This was it. With a single sentence, Dr. Garrison could change Alexander’s life forever, and with it her own. Because whatever happened, their lives were inescapably tied together. He wouldn’t allow otherwise.
Neither would she.
The world held its collective breath, waiting for Dr. Garrison as the agents edged closer, their hands poised on sleek black tranquilizers. Alexander moved nearer to her – to teleport? He could do so in an instant, but not if he was unconscious. And once they had him, they would never let him go.
Dr. Garrison’s gaze tracked from Alexander to Andrews to the brawny agents. He took a shuddering breath. “It was unbelievable. He saved us.”
“I knew it!” Agent Andrews clapped his hands together. The agents behind him straightened, their hands now clutching the tranquilizers. “He’s the hero.”
“Actually…” Dr. Garrison hesitated. “He’s not.”
“What?” Agent Andrews roared.
“What?” the well-trained soldiers said in unison.
“What?” Everleigh stopped herself from saying just in time.
“When we were on the balcony, Mr. Stone said he wished I’d been right, that he could blink his eyes or click his heels and we’d all be safe. He was as frightened as the rest of us, I’m afraid.”
Disbelief floated across Agent Andrews’ features. “But you said he saved you!”
“He did,” Dr. Garrison confirmed. “Not with magic, but with brute strength and sheer will. It would have been far easier for him to escape on his own, but he risked his life to save us. We made it just before the balcony collapsed.”
“That’s impossible.” Agent Andrews screeched. “The balcony was hanging by a literal thread. How could you walk on it?” His expression hardened. “I need the truth, Dr. Garrison. If you’re protecting him, stop now. We promise not to harm him.”
No, they’d just imprison him in a cage for the rest of his life.
“What really happened?” Agent Andrews demanded. “How did you really get off the balcony? Is he the hero? Who else could it possibly be?”
Dr. Garrison’s brow sheened with sweat. A muscle ticked in his jaw, as his eyes rapidly darted between the uniformed men. How long could he withstand the continued assault? Yet then his gaze drifted toward where the balcony once stood, and his expression transformed. “Maybe it’s him.”
Everleigh followed his stare and gasped. There, behind a thick cloud, a man loomed in the sky, large and muscular, his exact features hidden behind streams of white. Yet although he hovered in the air, he gave no evidence to the existence of magic, not with the slim jet pack strapped to his back.
She glanced at Alexander and mouthed, “Incantare?” At his nod, she smiled. Just as he protected his people, they protected him.
Up above, the hero gave a wave, before flying away. In a sudden burst of speed, he disappeared into the clouds.
The cheers weredeafening. They came from the raucous crowd who embraced their hero. They came from the building, where people watched from windows, balconies and roofs. They even came from the police, rescuers and agents who had planned to capture the hero.
Confident and poised, Dr. Garrison stood in pure triumph. “As you can see, Mr. Stone might be a hero, but an ordinary human one.”
