Page 13 of Ashes

“Very impressive.” She moves forward. Her fingernail grazes my thigh. I close my eyes, but then shake my head and step away from her.

“That’s not what you needed me for,” I say as I take fresh clothes from my desk drawer, pull them on, and sit down.

Perching on the desk, Nova says, “No. It isn’t.”

I wait for her to elaborate.

“I heard you yelling. I thought maybe you had news… from the Bureau?” She takes her cell from her pocket and places it firmly on the desk. “I kind of ignored your advice to stay away from the internet.” She meets my eyes. Her expression has changed. The flirty sparkle has gone, replaced with worry. “They’re saying some pretty scary things about me, Mack.”

I hate having to tell her I failed her. I rub my knees beneath the desk and sigh. “I’m sorry.” I shake my head as I look up at her. “They won’t budge. Wouldn’t even hear me out.”

Immediately, Nova jumps down and walks to my side of the desk. She nudges my chair so it swivels round and slides onto my lap.

“You tried, Daddy,” she whispers, leaning down to kiss the spot below my ear.

I sit stiffly beneath her, unsure what to do. I gave in last night, but I hadn’t thought about what it meant. Except that it’s filled me with feelings I haven’t visited in years. Nova, however, seems to have decided for herself. She puts one hand firmly on my chest and slots her other fingers between mine.

“I worked with them for twenty-five years, and it means nothing.” In my head, Snow paces back and forth; he’s as pissed as I am.

“Don’t they have files?” she asks. “Records of what you did for them?”

A wry smile parts my lips. “Yes, they do. Which is part of the problem.”

Nova frowns at me.

Finally, I allow myself to wrap my arm around her waist. Her sweater has ridden up. My fingers graze a small patch of bare skin above her hip. It’s soft and smooth. She breathes in and smiles as I stroke it with my thumb. “I joined the Bureau straight out of college. I was recruited, like Luther. Worked my way up through the ranks. But almost everyone who was there when I left to teach has gone now. And if all they have is my file to go by…” I look down at our entwined fingers. For a moment, I can’t distinguish hers from mine.

“Your file says not-so-good things?”

I nod solemnly. “When Kole was undercover, our objective was to gather information about the League. Our primary goal was to identify their leader. Second to that, to pass on details of any planned terrorist activity so the Bureau could put a stop to it.” I move my hand from her side to her thigh, smoothing my palm over her jeans. “When Kole revealed the League was trying to access a prophecy, the Bureau categorically told himnotto get involved. They said that if he couldn’t maintain his cover while distancing himself from it, then he should be extricated.”

“But he didn’t leave…” Nova says, her brow creasing as she tries to recall what she knows about Kole’s time undercover.

“No. He stayed. He believed the prophecy was important, and that if he didn’t access it and pass them false information, they’d find another seer. One who would simply hand it over. Luther and I agreed with him. So—”

“So, you went against your orders?”

“We told our superiors that Kole was working on other leads. In fact, for the three years he was there, he was focused almost entirely on the prophecy.”

“You went against orders for three years,” Nova says, her eyebrow arching.

“Yes, which would have been fine if it all went to plan. But when Kole failed to withhold the prophecy from Kayla, and we had to pull him out…” I pinch the bridge of my nose. I try not to think of those days. The days after. With Kole gone, and Luther and I left trying to salvage our careers. “We tried to convince them to take The Phoenix Prophecy seriously,” I say darkly. “They didn’t believe us. At least, they didn’t believe in its gravity.” I laugh a little and shake my head. “They said they’d pass it to the Prophecies and Scrolls Department.”

“There’s a department for that?” Nova smiles with the corner of her mouth.

“There’s a department for pretty much everything.” I inhale deeply and rub the spot between her shoulders. “Luther and I walked away. We trusted Kole, and he believed—still does—that The Phoenix Prophecy has the potential to save the world. That if it’s prevented from happening, life as we know it will end.”

Nova shudders and I pull her closer. “So, in summary, your file says, ‘Naughty Mack’, and anyone who reads it will think you’re not to be trusted.”

I reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, Nova. I tried. But I think it’s time to—”

A thunderous banging on the door makes me stop talking. “Mack? Nova?”

“Tanner?” Nova hops down from my lap and goes to open the door. When Tanner enters, his eyes skim over me like he’s checking I’m fully clothed.

“We have a situation.” He crosses the room in just a few strides and peers out through the window.

“The shields? Are they down?” I push my chair back and spring to my feet.

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