Regrouping

Alec called Magnus and told him where to meet us. The other three would meet us outside the demon perimeter a few blocks away. Alec asked, “You have any weapons? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I sighed. His words just a reminder this wasn’t what I did. This was Nox’s job. I didn’t want him doing this and I was considering doing it. Alec asked, “You are coming aren’t you?”

There was disappointment on his face. He took a step back and looked at me. “I didn’t peg you as a coward. We finally have a location and now you want to back out?”

“This isn’t what I do.”

Alec shrugged. “This isn’t what Magnus does. But he’s here. He’s working.”

“He knows how to use his powers.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I don’t. They aren’t even mine.” I whined and cringed at my own voice.

Alec sighed. “Fine, stay here and monitor the screen.” Alec didn’t wait for me to respond before he was opening the door, activating his stealth rune and was running before the door closed behind him.

I flopped down on the couch. I disappointed a fictional character in my dream. Nox would let me stay here. Nox would let me help from the computer. That’s what I did. But I had Nox’s powers, I was Nox in my dream. I could still do what I did, but there was no Nox. I couldn’t call him for help. I couldn’t ask Dev or Dee. I didn’t have anyone.

My epiphanies were great in this dream. Nox was alone for so long. He did everything without help. No one in the Venatori believed in what he did. Dorian and Dae’lin obliged him in things, let him do his thing because that was Nox. They saw great potential in him. Hell even I saw the raw potential of the great things he could be, but he didn’t see any of it. He didn’t see beyond the messed up brain of his. And I wasn’t helping was I? I told him to get out of my life because what he did was too dangerous. The fact that he was still talking to me amazed me.

I sighed and climbed out of the couch and grabbed Nox’s leather jacket from the coat hook. I don’t know why it was here, but I was grateful that it smelled like him as I wrapped it around my arms. Maybe it would give me the confidence it gave him to trust someone. The scars on his back made him sensitive to touch there. He let me touch without anything between my skin and his. It was so open so hard and so scary for him but he let me. He trusted me. But he went out into the world with sleeves and thick coats even in the middle of a scorching summer. It was his armor from the world. I could only hope it would give me that kinda courage.

I opened the door. At the top of the basement stares Alec stood with a grin on his face. “It took you long enough.”

I frowned up at the archer waiting for me. “How did you know?”

He shrugged and waved for me to join him as he walked away. “I didn’t. But I didn’t think you were a coward. I think you are having a crisis of faith and there was nothing I could say that would make you come with me. So I did the only thing I could think of, I called you names and left without letting you respond.”

“That was the only thing you could think of?” I asked.

Alec chuckled. “I didn’t think you’d like me dragging you out by your ear and making you come with me kicking and screaming so this was the better option.”

I laughed. “I’d like to have seen you try it.”

Alec grinned at me. “Magnus called while you were down stairs. They’ll be there in ten.”