The Last Hope

10 - Forgiveness

Song for this chapter - I Always Knew, The Vaccines. Linked above! If you enjoy the chapter please vote, it really means a lot. Also, I actively encourage commenting and try my best to reply as quickly as I can. Want a chat? Don't be shy!
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"Shit." Mercy said again, feeling her stomach fall out of her ass.
"Yeah, shit." Felix replied dryly. "You have thirty seconds to explain yourself."
"Huh." Mercy shuddered at just how close the Grunt had been to capturing Felix's personality.
"Explain, now."
"Okay, okay! I couldn't wait so I got up before you and took a cab to the hotel," she had a split second to think about it.
"And?" Felix prompted her.

Telling him the truth would mean he was involved. More so than he already was. He would willingly put himself in danger if it meant helping her, just as Devin had. So, telling him the truth was out.

"And it was a complete dead end."

"Mmm," Felix sounded suspicious.
Mercy said the four magic words she knew would immediately win him over, "you were right Fee." She paused before adding, "Mona's a complete quack," She heard Mona scoff from the couch, continuing she whined "she just kept trying to offer me spiritual healing. Absolutely bonkers."

Felix paused on the other end of the phone. He didn't sound like he believed her just yet, "so you're coming home?"
"I'm coming home."
"And you're going to bring me croissants?"
She hummed, "fine I'll bring you croissants."
Convinced - or at least too invested in his breakfast to pick a fight, he said, "okay, love ya, see you soon." Felix hung up chirpily. In her whole seven years of knowing him, Mercy had never met anyone more obsessed with food than Felix.

She glanced at the time on her phone 08:37 am. Felix was up early, and she'd been here all night.
"That was my friend Felix," Mercy waved the phone in Mona's general direction. "He's expecting me back, I've got to go."

"You can't leave, there are Grunts crawling all over the city," Lincoln exasperated.

Ignoring him, Mercy said to Mona, "I told him what I knew, about Devin's death and my dreams. But I never could have imagined it went this deep. This is too dangerous for Felix. I can't lose another friend. He stays out of it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Keenan asked sympathetically, "keeping secrets like this from your friends is no small task, it might be easier to tell him."

"Keenan!" Ariah barked.

"Oh, come on Ariah, one human knowing isn't the end of the world."

"Can you guarantee me that he won't be in any danger?" Mercy asked pointedly. The Sentinels and the witch stayed silent. "That's what I thought. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to come up with answers to about a million questions from him."

Mercy gathered her things, her keys placed neatly on the table she'd found her phone - though she swore they hadn't been there before. And her shoes sat at the foot of the couch, they definitely hadn't been there earlier. Had Mona been keeping them hostage until she agreed to hear them out?

Mona made a noise in the back of her throat. Mercy glanced up, seeing what looked like a silent argument between Mona and Ariah, eyes locked. Mona's shoulders slumped, she turned from Ariah to Mercy. "There's a way to make him forget. Felix, I mean. I can make him forget all of it if you want him to."

"Why would I want to do that?"
"So he can continue to live a normal life, unencumbered by the knowledge that the world he lives in is much more complex and dangerous than he has ever known. He could have his life back when we leave."
"Hang on... when we leave?"
"Yeah you don't think we're planning on living out the rest of our days in this miserable hell hole do you, Princess?" The way Ariah said her title was more of a slam than a sign of respect. Mercy ground her teeth together but didn't retaliate. She'd deal with Frosty later.