“I know, Papa. At first, I just wanted to make sure it was what I wanted before saying anything. I mean, their offer came as such a shock—until then, I always thought I’d come and work for you. Besides, Ash has been so busy.”
“Surely you know she’s drop anything for you? You know she’ll be thrilled. It’s not every day a student steps straight into the role of lecturer. Surely they must be wondering why you’re still at the academy now your studies are concluded?”
“Not really, Papa. I’m still studying, too.”
He perched herself on the edge of the desk before leaning forward to kiss her forehead. “Don’t overdo it, kiddo. I remember when I used to lecture. It’s more time-consuming than you think. Besides, I’m missing my tinkering buddy!”
“Papa,” she sighed, a grin spreading across her face, “I think what you mean to say is you’re missing not having to do the maths.”
“You know me, kiddo. I love the ideas, I love the creation, and I love having you by my side and not just for the calculations, but that brain of yours is something else!”
“How’s the prototype coming along?”
“Something’s not quite right, it should be better. I’ll crack it eventually, maybe quicker if I had my favourite assistant. Anyway, I’m heading to bed. Don’t stay up too late.”
“Okay, Papa, I’m just about finished up here.” He kissed the crown of her head before letting himself out.
Finishing her drink, she stifled a yawn, her attempt to stand morphing into a stretch. A quick glance at her watch caused her to freeze and a sickening warmth spread throughout her as she saw the small red notification dot—that illuminated to signal Ashley had left work—had not yet extinguished. She had been so absorbed in finalising the lesson plans for the remainder of the month, she hadn’t noticed its warning.
When she had given Ashley the watch for her birthday, she’d had an ulterior motive. It was true she wanted her friend to have something special, especially since she struggled so hard to ensure her bills were paid, but she also wanted to make sure she was safe. It was no secret how hard she worked. Since Tess’s father had been the lead engineer on this latest model, it meant he was able to secure the watches months before their release and just in time for her friend’s birthday last May, a full three weeks before their official launch.
What Tess hadn’t told her was that she had adjusted its programming slightly, so it paired with her own to notify her when Ashley left work and reached home. She hated that her friend worked so much, but she refused any offers of aid. Tess had even attempted to rent her spare room to help cover the bills, but Ashley was proud, committed to doing everything alone.
Opening her device, she loaded the location data, her stomach contracting as she saw her friend had not moved for the last forty minutes. Drilling into the information, her frozen breathing released as she found Ashley’s current heart rate and respiration data. But something was wrong. After a sudden spike in activity, her stats had dropped—in fact, looking at the figures, she wondered if her friend was even conscious. Surely she knew better than to risk collapse when she was alone. Then again, Tess still wasn’t certain if Ashley’s need to interact with unwilling preternaturals was within her ability to refuse. It had always seemed more like a compulsion than a choice once her eyes had met with a target’s, but still, they had devised so many plans to avoid her being alone that Ashley knew she must let either herself or Jack know before approaching anyone.
Tess grabbed her jacket from the coat-stand, slipping it over her pyjamas as she dashed outside. The cool air made her shiver, but her rising panic acted as a buffer, surrounding her in a sickening warmth. Fumbling with the lock to her car, she berated herself for not realising the danger sooner, for not noticing that the small ping that signified her friend had reached home had not sounded.
The park was only a few minutes’ drive away from where Tess lived, yet everything seemed to be too slow. Abandoning her car at the gate, she grabbed her taser. Its comforting weight in her hand eased her fears as she passed through the wrought iron gate.
Her loose laces struck against the floor as she ran, her heart pounding as she cut every corner possible, feeling the dampness of the grass as it crushed beneath her trainers. When the bandstand came into sight, she found an energy she thought she had already expended, her pace quickening further as her gaze trained upon the figure slumped upon the steps. For a moment, she swore she saw movement, someone slinking away into the shadows as she approached. Grasping her taser more tightly, her hands began to tremble as she glanced around before moving to sit beside her friend.
Even in the pale light, she could see the darkening of Ashley’s temple and cheek where an angry bruise was beginning to form. Placing her hand tentatively on Ashley’s arm, she wondered how, exactly, she planned to get both of them out of here. If she waited for the Blue Coats—who patrolled the parks every third hour—they would insist Ashley was checked into hospital, and she knew her friend would rather freeze to death than wake up there. Ashley had always avoided hospitals and it was a resolve that had only strengthened when her parents had both died within the sterile building. Knowing all she did, Tess knew that, no matter how bad things looked, hospital would never be an option. Not given her friend’s unique skills. In an environment dominated by preternaturals, the risk of them realising what she could do was too great and would only paint a target on her back.
“Ash, can
