Chapter 35
STILL WEDNESDAY
IN WHICH JAMISON GETS A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Jamison was sucking down his fourth cup of coffee in the lobby of A-Springs’ “Alternate” Medical Clinic when Brad walked out of Dessa’s room.
Melba had gone for a walk, Richard had left to investigate the gossip in the nurse’s break room, and Arthur sat at a table outside tapping away at his laptop.
Which left just Jamison and Brad in the waiting area with the Cog receptionist behind the desk.
“How’s she doing?” Jamison asked. Though Dessa had been sleeping for over twenty-four hours, he knew it’d taken her a long time to recover the last time she compelled a paranormal, and she’d compelled two this time.
“She’s fine. How are Rhett and Brynn?” Brad asked.
“Sounds like they’ll make a full recovery,” Jamison said, part of him still on edge. After the last couple weeks, it was hard to believe that everything was finally over.
“Hell of a start to a new job,” Brad said. “Did we scare you off yet?”
“Were you trying to?”
Brad smiled. “Nah, it kind of comes with the territory.”
Jamison chuckled. “Well, it didn’t exactly help with my whole, um, situation, here, but it kind of fits in with everything else.”
“Give it time.” Brad’s grin faded behind his beard. “I have a feeling those answers will eventually find you, even if you don’t want them to.”
Well, that sounded ominous. Then again, Jamison supposed it was par for the course when it came to the PC. “Is it weird if I said I like the job?”
“Not at all.” Brad’s blue eyes twinkled in the bright waiting room lights. “It’s not for everyone, that’s for certain. But for some of us, it’s like once the Springs’ magic gets its hooks in, you can’t help but want to hold on to it right back.”
“Seems like you were able to escape though,” Jamison said as Brad got his own cup of coffee.
“Ha.” Brad barked out a dry laugh. “More like fell deeper into the trap, which is why I can now offer you a full-time job as an AzRIO field agent. You’d be working with Dessa Blue as your partner though, so choose wisely.”
Jamison sipped from his coffee to hide the grin spreading across his face. “Hmm…That is a tough bargain, but I think I might be able to handle it.”
Brad’s expression sobered. “You know, when I brought you on, I wasn’t sure you would last.”
It shouldn’t have surprised Jamison, but it still stung a little all the same. “Then why’d you bring me in at all?”
Brad smirked. “Because I figured if you didn’t, Dessa would kick your ass, and I’d have one less Kane to deal with.”
“And here I thought you saw something in me no one else did,” Jamison deadpanned.
“I did,” Brad said, his grin widening. “Quite literally. But you still surprised me. Just remember, regardless of who your family is, or the secret you carry, you’ve earned your place in AzRIO.
Even Melba and Arthur gave you a recommendation.
” Jamison’s chest warmed, and Brad crushed his paper cup before tossing it in the trash can.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, so can you look after Dessa while I’m away?
Make sure she doesn’t get into any trouble she can’t get out of. ”
Jamison nodded. “I can try, but there seems to be something about this town that attracts trouble.”
“You’re right there,” Brad said, already walking toward the door. “And if you ever figure out what it is, be sure to give me a call. In the meantime”—he nodded toward Dessa’s door—“she asked to see you.”
Jamison’s pulse stuttered, and he started for the door. “See you later, Brad.”
Brad waved without turning around. “Later, J-Kane.”
With that, Jamison took another breath and let himself through the door.
Dessa lay on a white bed in the green-walled room with an IV hooked into her arm and the wind from the open window playing with her blue-tipped hair.
Though she was propped up on pillows, her eyes were closed, apparently drifting off to sleep again.
He walked to the bed and gently brushed her hair out of her face, but as he drew his fingers away, she caught his wrist. “Jamison Kane, we meet again.”
Jamison smiled. “We can’t keep running into each other like this.”
“I honestly don’t know any other way to run into you.”
Jamison pulled up a chair and rested his elbows on the bed. “Seriously, though, you okay, Blue? First you tell me you can only use your gift on Cogs, and then you use it on a Vampire and a Hexxer in the same day.”
She frowned. “I think our gifts are like muscles. The more we use them, the stronger they get. The more they want to be used.” She turned toward the window, her voice soft. “Now I just get to worry about what happens if I lose control and compel someone I care about.”
Jamison took her hand in his and let out a long sigh, pulling the most somber face he could muster. “I guess you’d be the villain.” He shrugged. “But I mean, villains can be kind of hot so—”
Dessa playfully slapped his arm, a smile parting her face. “Be serious.”
“Okay, then, Blue,” Jamison said, still grinning.
“What if the secret I carry around gets you hurt? Trust me when I tell you that’s more likely, and honestly the consequences of mine are way worse.
” He winced, still trying to play for cheeky.
“I think I’m going to win this round in the villain department.
I mean, I’ve already got the family to match. ”
Dessa wrinkled her nose at him. “When you put it that way, we’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”
“Perfect for taking over the world.” At her glare, he gave another sheepish shrug. “Or maybe using our powers to keep Azalea Springs from tearing itself apart.”
Dessa nodded, her expression growing thoughtful. “I guess that when it comes down to it, people can either use power for great good or great evil.”
“Which really explains why A-Springs is such a mess. We’ve got a whole lot of both.”
Dessa grinned again. “Thanks for not selling me out to your grandfather. I know it can be hard to go against your family. And Noah…I’m—I’m so sorry, Jamison.”
Jamison’s smiling mask finally fell. “I am too. I mean, he was an asshat. But I really wish it hadn’t been him, you know?” He tried for the smile again, but it was more like a wobbling frown. “I was never cut out for the family business anyway though, so no regrets on that score.”
“If you’re not going into the Kane Group then, does that mean you’ll stay with us in AzRIO?”
“Well, I did promise your uncle I would try to keep you alive.”
“Ooh.” Dessa winced. “Rookie mistake. That sounds like a hard promise to deliver on.”
“It’d better not be,” Jamison said. “If you make this a habit, can you imagine how many activity reports Arthur is going to make us write?”
Dessa let out a laugh that rang through the room, echoing off the tile floors. “All right, I’ll try my best. As long as we get to keep Kiwi-Fred.”
Jamison rolled his eyes as if this were a huge ask. “Are we really calling him Kiwi-Fred?”
“Well, yeah, that’s his name.”
“All right, all right.” He wiped a hand across his face. There was one more condition he probably should’ve levied on this partnership, and the words hung on the tip of his tongue.
As long as you don’t fall in love with me.
But with Dessa smiling and laughing with him, he couldn’t get the words out.
Was that because they were too close to the curse?
Or because he didn’t want to voice them?
Either way, it was an impossibility. Even Rachel, his alleged girlfriend, hadn’t loved him, so what were the odds this brilliant, beautiful girl would?
Certainly not enough to risk this perfect moment between them.
Besides, there’d be time later, and it wasn’t a fair ask since he’d already fallen so hard for her.
“You drive a hard bargain, Blue,” he managed instead. “But I guess the deal is struck.”
Dessa’s gaze sparkled with warmth, her fingers squeezing his, and Jamison’s chest was so full, he wished he could live in this exact moment forever.
Even if he was cursed. Even if they could never really be together.
Seeing her happy like this. Being by her side.
Keeping her safe. This could be enough for him.
Their peace was broken as Melba burst into the room with an ecstatic squeal of, “My Dessa Blue is awake!”
Followed closely by Arthur saying, “I’m going to make a spreadsheet of all the injuries you get every time something is not your job.”
“And then send it Werach,” Richard added, floating in behind them.
Jamison met Dessa’s gaze one last time before pulling his hands from hers and reveling in their strange little AzRIO band. Because maybe hunting down abductors and trying to save Azalea Springs wasn’t exactly in their job description, but damn if they weren’t good at it.