Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 36 ⊰❉⊱

"Petrichor is the smell of rain. The word comes from the Greek words 'petra', meaning stone, and 'ichor', which in Greek mythology refers to the golden fluid that flows in the veins of the immortals."

I drove us back now.

I wanted nothing left to chance. No way for that crazed immortal to hunt the car. The rain hit the windshield heavily. Quinn's heart raced for reasons other than the fact that we moved faster than I had ever dared.

"Who. Fletcher. Who the hell–is–was that?" Quinn breathed, staring at the side of my face.

I kept my eyes focused on the road. Focused on putting as much distance between that restaurant and us as possible.

"An immortal." I murmured, dodging more cars and receiving horns.

"From where?"

"Mumbai." I answered hollow. "I worked with him for the organisation of immortals that called me in.

"Paragon." She answered, staring me down. It made my hands tighten and my body grow tense just hearing it from mortal lips. I should have expected Quinn to piece William's words together quickly enough–yet it still froze my being.

"Yes. We completed our work but he was curious." I growled the last part. "When we parted ways I seemed too distracted–too uninterested in him–apparently that is abnormal for immortals."

Quinn let the breath go through her teeth. "What now?"

"I take you somewhere secure. Somewhere with the old ways and no tech. Then I hunt that creature down myself." I finished with no emotion at all.

I felt the warmth of her hand on my leg and realised just how tense my hands and shoulders were. I flickered my gaze to her briefly but she watched the rain stream down the glass instead. I let a slow breath go before I slipped my free hand down on top of hers. How fingers tied together on my leg as I stirred us deeper into the Japanese countryside.

"Give me your phone." I murmured.

She passed it to me without taking her eyes off the window. As soon as the glass touched my palm I opened the window and tossed it out into the rain. Quinn smirked towards the glass.

"How on earth do you find this funny?" I demanded in shock.

She shook her head fighting the smile now. Then rolled her head against the seat and met my eyes. "Really you're right. I should be hating the fact that I keep so little of my personal possessions in your life–but I don't. In the strangest way... it's liberating." She mused.

"Quinn. You're insane." I deadpanned, dodging another car and taking a turn that started our incline to the mountainous forests.

She shrugged in the seat and crossed her arms, focusing on me more intently.

"Who the hell wants to be normal?" She uttered.

I shot her a look and caught a strand of her hair–still damp from the rain–and tucked it behind her ear. Her heart stuttered a moment when I turned back to the road.

"You're telling me there's not one thing you regret about this, Quinn?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, detective." She answered not missing a beat.

I sighed through my nose and cast my eyes up at the trees in the hills. The altitude and terrain would make tracking on foot and vehicle harder. There were no phones that could now be traced... My car was another matter but I would not keep it here long. I would find that secluded and removed village in the high mountains and leave her with the purest mortals that had once helped me find my own peace in this world.