Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 81 ⊰❉⊱

Our conversation from weeks past had been weighing on my mind. Not in a way that constricted or scared me, in the way that gripped me as something left unfinished. It was intolerable. Especially when it came to her.

We were not traditional–Quinn and I. But that did not mean I wouldn't honour her with anything less than a ring of significance. 

"You can promise me you... You. Tara Fletcher. I want you."

I'd been through the heart of Covent Garden and all the major jewellers across London but none met the expectations I had for her. None captured her elegance, her subtly and her colour well enough. These were not petty words or actions and we were not in the business of making them.

I pocketed my hands in my suit pants as I descended the stairs into my vault.

I had a century worth of history, of moments and pieces of time in this space. There must be one that could represent our love in the right way. I flicked on the surround sound in the vault and played a timeless piece of jazz from the 1920's that floated effortlessly between the rows of artefacts. 

I passed the disarmed warhead, a few shell casings from artillery, even a tank turret... but I smirked when I saw a crossbow–that was a strange choice for the enemy. As it turned out, a wooden stake to the heart was not a sufficient way to kill us but I had to credit his creativity.

I stopped before the illuminated cabinet with countless previous metals on display. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies... None of it was what I thought of when I thought of her. Diamonds just made me roll my eyes. How cliche. 

Even gold made me want to turn from the room.

I rounded another corner to interrogate more pieces before my eyes stopped on a finely made pair of boots, ran up more Paragon tailoring until I met the blue-gold eyes of Selena Helland.

"I didn't invite you in here." I murmured, ignoring her and resuming my appraisal. It certainly explained why I didn't hear her enter.

She joined me silently and tucked her hands behind her back, staring at the cabinet beneath us.

"You have excellent taste in music." She answered instead, running her fingers with the notes of the piano. "–and I don't think you came down here to appreciate the past."

I remained silent, getting more irritated with her intrusion or the lack of a suitable ring–I couldn't tell which yet. I pressed my hands against the glass before pushing off it with a sigh through my nose.

"I didn't take you for a jewellery woman either–"

"Is there a point to this or are you going to assault me in my own vault?" I demanded, whirling on her and watching her gaze at a silver necklace below. She propped an elbow of her military jacket against the cabinet and smirked at me.

"Come with me." She uttered, flicking a finger over her shoulder.

"Why on earth would I do that, immortal?" I demanded, flexing my fingers and watching that back heel of hers as she walked away.

"You need to trust me." She called over the jazz.

I debated letting her walk away, but I was getting nowhere down here and I knew I was running out of trinkets. I didn't collect many shiny things after all. But Selena... that was a woman attracted to shiny things if ever I saw one–her house alone was a testament to that. Her vault promised to be something else entirely.

I cut the music off and followed her back out the way we'd come.

A car was waiting for us on the other side of the street. It was hardly discreet.