Chapter 23
ANNIE
I winced as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
My entire body protested the movement as muscles I didn’t know existed made their displeasure known.
Forty-eight hours in Cipher’s bed had left me with an embarrassing collection of bite marks and a pleasant soreness that made sitting down a deliberate act.
Not that I was complaining. After three months of separation and nightmares, spending forty-eight hours wrapped around each other seemed like reasonable compensation. Like making up for lost time with interest, and boy, was Cipher collecting on that interest.
“You okay there, Annie?” Helios’s warm voice pulled me from thoughts that definitely weren’t appropriate for work hours.
“Fine,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “Just a little tired.”
Helios smiled that sunshine smile of his, the one that made everyone within a ten-foot radius feel like they’d just been handed a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day.
Helios had been giving interviews and taking press photos all morning.
The photographer was currently adjusting lighting while Helios chatted easily with the journalist from Super Quarterly.
I didn’t need to hover or manage the conversation, unlike with Valor, who needed constant supervision in case he said something horrifically narcissistic.
That would actually be fine if he were a League member. Actually, he’d be very easy to manage as a League member. But he’s not, so here we are.
“And what about your charity work?” the journalist asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“Oh, it’s nothing special,” Helios said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just trying to give back where I can.”
I smiled despite myself. Helios’s “nothing special” was single-handedly funding three disaster relief organizations and volunteering weekly at a children’s hospital. And he never, ever mentioned it unless directly asked.
This was what made being a Keeper worthwhile. Supporting Heroes who actually deserved the title. Helios didn’t need Valor’s powers to make people love him, he did it by being genuinely kind.
Helios laughed at something the journalist said. His smile reached his eyes, crinkling the corners in that way that made everyone instantly trust him. But beneath that warmth, I caught the momentary flicker of exhaustion.
I’d been watching for these moments ever since I’d seen the report. All of the dead Alliance members were connected to Helios’s training group.
And Helios could be next.
They were my designs.
Cipher’s words echoed in my mind. I’d given Havoc the sanitized version of Cipher’s report this morning, watching his face grow grim as he read through the technical details. Details that conveniently omitted their creator.
The weight of that omission pressed against my conscience. I was protecting Cipher’s identity at the expense of full disclosure on an investigation.
What did that make me? A bad Keeper? A bad daughter?
“Just one more shot, Helios!” The photographer adjusted his lens. “Give me that signature sunshine smile!”
Helios obliged, but I noticed his hand trembling slightly at his side. Was he tired? Or was something wrong?
The victims had all seemed fine until they weren’t. No warning signs. Just sudden, catastrophic failure.
I checked my watch. We’d already gone thirty minutes over schedule. Havoc would be waiting for my report on the interview, and I still needed to coordinate with security about tomorrow’s public appearance.
“I think that’s all we have time for today,” I announced, stepping forward with my most professional smile. “Helios has a full schedule.”
The journalist looked disappointed but nodded. Helios shot me a grateful look.
“Thank you for your time,” Helios said, shaking hands with both the journalist and photographer.
As we were wrapping up, the journalist suddenly turned to me with a bright smile. “Oh, and congratulations to you, Ms. Bishop!”
I blinked.
“Thank you?” I managed, my voice lifting at the end like a question because what exactly was I being congratulated for? The Nemesis match, probably. Havoc and Cipher’s fight had broken viewership records, and as Havoc’s Keeper, I’d technically had a hand in its success.
The journalist leaned forward eagerly. “Would you like to make a comment?”
Wait, what? Since when did journalists ask Keepers for comments? We were the invisible machinery that kept the Super world running, not the shiny parts people actually cared about.
“No comment,” I said smoothly. “Thank you for your interest.”
The reporter’s smile softened into something almost... tender? “Of course. You must be a very private person. I respect that.”
Private person? What was happening right now?
“I’m just behind-the-scenes support,” I said with a shrug. “That’s all.”
The woman actually put her hand over her heart, her expression melting into something that looked disturbingly like adoration. “That’s so sweet. So modest.”
Sweet? Modest? Those weren’t exactly the top descriptors on my personal brand list. ‘Chronically anxious rule-follower with Villain-related attachment issues’ would be more accurate, but that probably wouldn’t fit on a business card.
I managed a tight smile and shepherded Helios toward the exit before the reporter could ask me for my favorite baby names or something equally bizarre.
As the elevator doors closed behind us, Helios turned to me with raised eyebrows. “That was weird, right?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I muttered, jabbing the lobby button. “Since when do journalists care about Keepers?”
“Maybe you’re famous by association now? The Nemesis contract is big news.”
“Yeah, but...” I frowned, replaying the conversation. Congratulations? Comment for the article? Sweet and modest?
Something wasn’t adding up, and my brain was working overtime trying to make the math work.
I glanced at my phone, half-expecting some notification explaining this bizarre interaction, but there was nothing except a text from Cipher that made my cheeks turn red.
Whatever was going on, I had bigger problems. Like a bunch of dead supers, modified tech, and a boyfriend who might be indirectly responsible.
Once we got back to the Tower and I got to my floor, Simmons was waiting for me. His posture was, as always, impeccable, but something in his eyes caught my attention.
“Ms. Bishop, a moment of your time?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“I was wondering if you had read Mr. Valor’s interview in Heroes En Vogue.” His voice was perfectly neutral, but I’d known Simmons long enough to detect the subtle undercurrent of concern.
“No, I haven’t had the chance yet,” I answered, suddenly wary. Right, the interview had been published yesterday.
“I see.” He handed me a tablet, the article already pulled up. “Perhaps you might want to review it before your next meeting with Mr. Valor.”
I took the tablet, scanning the headline: “Valor Speaks: On Legacy, Love, and the Future of Heroism.” Beneath it was a glamour shot of Valor, his perfect features captured in dramatic lighting.
I began reading, and with each paragraph, I felt the blood drain from my face.
“...my relationship with Keeper Bishop has evolved beyond the professional realm. While discretion is important in our line of work, I believe in transparency with my fans...”
“...Annie and I have developed a special connection that transcends the typical Keeper-Hero dynamic...”
My hands began to shake as I read further into the article, my heart beating harder with each new fabrication.
“Valor has always been known for keeping his private life quiet,” Cassandra wrote, “but today he’s breaking that tradition with some exciting news.”
“Annie and I have been keeping things quiet out of respect for our professional relationship,” Valor was quoted saying, “but I’m thrilled to announce that we’re engaged to be married.”
“What?” I shouted.
“We haven’t set a date yet,” he continued in the article, “but we’re thinking something intimate in the spring. Annie prefers simplicity, which is one of the many things I adore about her.”
“He’s dead,” I whispered. “He is an actual dead man.”
Simmons cleared his throat discreetly. “Would you like me to arrange a meeting with Mr. Valor to discuss this creative journalism?”
“No. I’ll handle this myself.”
My mind raced as I walked to the elevator. If Cipher saw this article, he would tear Valor apart with his bare hands. And then the Aegis would bring the full weight of the Alliance down on his head. I had to fix this before he committed a highly publicized homicide.
Staff members scattered out of my path as I stormed through the halls, no doubt sensing the rage brewing within me. I didn’t care. All I could think about was getting my hands on Valor and strangling him with his cape.
The elevator ride was interminable. When it finally opened, I marched down the hallway to the office Valor shared with Helios. I didn’t bother knocking as I shoved the door open with enough force that it banged against the wall.
Helios, who’d already made it back to his desk, looked up, startled.
He was surrounded by paperwork. Valor, meanwhile, was lounging on the leather sofa against the wall, scrolling through his phone with his feet propped up.
He looked so perfectly relaxed. He had absolutely no idea his life expectancy had just dropped to a matter of hours.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded.
Valor looked up, his perfect features arranging themselves into an expression of innocence. “Annie! What a pleasant surprise.”
“Don’t ‘Annie’ me. You told Cassandra we’re engaged? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Valor sat up. “I might have gotten a little carried away in the moment. But you should have seen how Cassandra ate it up.”
“I don’t care! You lied!”
“It’s called publicity, sweetheart. The fans love a good romance.”
“I have an actual boyfriend,” I hissed. “A boyfriend who will literally, and I mean literally, murder you if he reads this article.”
Valor’s expression shifted from smugness to outrage in an instant. “A boyfriend? Since when?”