***
Overhead thunder rumbled. Lightning flared violently in the sky, flashes of brilliant white sheet lightning overwhelming the spotlights from time to time. It wasn’t directly over them; in truth it was off to the west a bit. But it was getting closer. Hannah hoped that her brother would finish his speech soon before the storm broke over them.
She listened with only half an ear, having heard the essence of his speech many times before. This time though, his words about openness, trust, and acceptability seemed to ring truer to her core, more so than they ever had before.
Probably because this time they apply to me, instead of me thinking that others should be listening more carefully.
She snorted, shuffling slightly as she leaned against the poles that held up the canvas-wall of the stage. They were at a different park now, one of the smaller ones in the city. More security roamed the area this time, and she knew each one had been vetted by Josh and his team, who were also around the park. They hadn’t been able to convince her brother to forego his speech, but they had said he was going to let them handle security the way it needed to be done.
Most of the men in the black-and-white shirts were there to ensure that nothing happened between human protesters. If anything more explosive were to occur, the Sentinels were to handle it. All the human security personnel had been briefed on that, and told not to resist anyone who was too dangerous.
She inadvertently looked across the small stage to where Josh was standing. They hadn’t spoken in three days. The shifter had, for all intents and purposes, assumed the dumb-brute stereotype for her. He still did his job, but he didn’t talk to her, ignoring the few half-hearted attempts at conversation she had made. Only when she had left the Underground headquarters had he accompanied her. Otherwise, he was nowhere to be seen.
Hannah wondered if he knew she was hurting as badly as he was.
In front of her, Chad finished up his speech to a rousing sound of applause from the decent-sized crowd of perhaps a thousand people. He then began to answer questions from the audience, moving into the unscripted portion of his appearance that day.
While he did, Hannah focused her attention on Josh. The shifter’s eyes roamed among the crowd and the various people backstage. But they always flicked back to her, his primary responsibility. They never lingered long; even now as she stared at him they seemed to glaze over as he looked in her direction.
Dammit. How am I ever going to talk to him if he won’t let me?
Hannah was still scared shitless about talking to him. About opening up and revealing the truth behind her actions. Things could go so horribly wrong in ways she couldn’t imagine, and also in plenty of ways she could. It seemed unlikely he would be able to change what had surely been ingrained into him in time to save her, but perhaps she could start him down that path.
Fuck this. I’m tired of doing nothing. He can’t avoid me right now, and it’s unlikely he’ll do anything crazy while we’re in public.
Without thinking it over a second time she pushed herself off the wall and strode across the stage, not caring that she would then be seen by those in the audience.
Josh tensed as she moved, his eyes looking around for the danger that must have caused her to move toward him. He took a half step in her direction, but then he stopped. Perhaps he had recognized the unhurried manner in which she approached, which would suggest she didn’t feel she was in danger.
“Hi,” she said, stepping right up to him.
“Hello Ms. Terrik,” he said dully.
“Oh knock it off,” she snapped. “We both know you aren’t like that.”
He didn’t respond.
“Remember when you said lying doesn’t suit me? Well, this doesn’t suit you,” she scolded, owning up to the truth of the situation.
Silver-blue eyes focused on her with an intensity that caused her heart to skip a beat.
“I’m listening, Hannah,” he said softly.
She bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to lie to you,” she said. “I didn’t want to. Hell, I still don’t want to. But I just... I can’t tell you everything.”
Josh looked disappointed. “Why not?” he asked curiously. “What did I do?”
Hannah smiled ruefully. “It’s not anything you did,” she told him. “It’s more about who you are.”
The big man looked hurt. “Am I that bad?” he asked.
Horror welled up in her. “No, no no no, that’s not what I meant,” she said, agitatedly wringing her hands. “You aren’t a bad person. It’s not that. It’s who you are,” she said forcefully. She meant that he was a shifter.
“Oh,” he said, then looked over at her brother with confusion. “But I thought that you were…”
Hannah dropped her head as she realized what he was thinking. He had looked at her brother, who was here talking about equality. Great, now he thinks I’m prejudiced against shifters, or human-shifter relationships. Speak your mind, woman!
“Not like that,” she said. “Damn, this is hard to explain.” Her heart was hammering at the insides of her ribcage. Mostly in terror, but sprinkled in it was a bit of hope.
“Try me,” he said gently. “That’s all I ask. Try me.”
She stared into those beautiful silvery eyes for a long moment. Out on the stage, Chad made his way to the front, standing on the very edge as he spoke with fans. Then, with a sharp nod she made up her mind and opened her mouth to speak. “What do you know about w—”
An explosion ripped through the center of the stage.
The force of the blast would have flung her straight into some of the steel bars that supported the roof if it weren’t for Josh. Although she was already bringing her arms up in a display of agility that would have put most people to shame, he was even quicker. His arm snatched out as he too was lifted from his feet. He latched onto her and wrapped himself around her like a shield made out of flesh.
The force of him grabbing her altered her trajectory, bringing her along with Josh, who was blown through the black curtains that formed the walls of the stage. The shifter grunted in pain as they landed on something, his body cushioning her.
Heat washed over her, so intense she felt it singe hairs on her arm, and then suddenly it was gone as the roiling fireball moved upward into the sky before dissipating in a huge cloud of black smoke.
“Come on!” Josh said as she stared in horror. The stage creaked, and part of it came crashing down. Fire began to eat at the curtains, and before long she knew the whole place would go up in flames.
“Chad!” she screamed, getting to her feet and stumbling back toward the growing inferno. “Chad!” There was no answer.
“Hannah, we have to go!” Josh pulled at her again, but she angrily shrugged him off, not caring how much strength she used.
“We have to get my brother!” she shouted, her voice sounding distant and tinny as her hearing struggled to return following the roar of the blast.
Josh appeared in front of her, shaking his head sadly. “Hannah, there’s nothing more we can do. He’s gone, I’m sorry. But we have to go.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her over his shoulder. The big muscles were flexed enough this time that she knew she would have to do something drastic to get free. Her fists beat on his back as she screamed at him to let her down, to go back for her brother.
He was the only family she had. Hannah couldn’t just abandon him!
Once they were clear of immediate danger he put her down.
“We have to go back for Chad!” she repeated, struggling to get past him, but the shifter moved to block her way.
“Hannah, that blast was at the center of the stage. I’m sorry, but your brother is dead,” he said firmly, pain etched on his features. Not just pain for himself; she could see blood trickling down his shirt and forearm from some wound he’d sustained. But also pain for her loss.
She opened her mouth defiantly, and almost said something that would get her in big trouble. Her jaw clicked shut so loud it had to be audible, but by then it was too late.
Josh looked at her, eyes narrowing. Then he swore violently. “He’s not dead, is he?”