Vex (Regenerate #4)

Chapter 17

 There's no celebration after this victory. Nobody orders food or suggests we do something relaxing. We all are quiet as we trickle back to our homes. Vanessa is already at Lorna's when we make it back, and she and Mikayla quickly retreat into their room.

I wait a little while for Lorna before falling asleep.

With how exhausted I am, it's not surprising that I sleep for hours and hours. When I wake next, it's almost lunch time. There's a note from Lorna saying she's gone to try and clean up our headquarters a little bit.

I look through my phone, which I haven't had on me since we went undercover from Mantis. There's a new message on there from a number I don't recognize.

As soon as the message starts playing, though, I know who the voice belongs to. Dr. Intrigue.

"Congratulations on defeating Siryn," he says. "I don't normally care what your little dog and pony show does, but Siryn does seem like she could have been a bit of a nuisance to me. So my thanks for eliminating her for me."

The message ends.

Dr. Intrigue and his ego. What a pretentious message to send. But despite all the sleep I've gotten, I find I'm not really in the mood to worry about him right now.

I go check on Mikayla and Vanessa. They're fine. Quiet, but fine.

There's a knock on the door.

Derek.

The duffle bag he's carrying tells me everything before he even says a word.

"You're leaving?" I ask.

He nods. "I don't want this. I'm tired of other people getting in my head. And I just..."

I open my mouth to argue, to tell him to stay. Then I close it. Because honestly I can't blame him for wanting to leave.

"I need to go," he says. "But I thought I at least owed you a good bye. After everything."

"Thank you," I say. "I understand. I want you to be happy, you know?"

"Yeah," he says. "I want the same for you."

I stare at my feet. "What if we need you again."

"I think you'll manage without me," Derek says. "And even if you couldn't, I don't think there's anywhere I could get to that Mantis couldn't track me down."

I half smile at that. "Probably not. He's a little hard to get away from. But I hope you keep in touch. You have my number."

"I will," Derek says. He pulls me into a hug. We stay like that for a bit, and then he pulls away.

"Try not to get into too much trouble," Derek says.

"I make no promises," I say. "In fact, I think I'd find myself bored if I didn't get into trouble every so often."

"Fine," Derek says. "Then just don't get into any trouble you can't get back out of."

"That sounds like a deal," I say. Because that's what we do sometimes. We make promises we can't keep.

"I'll see you," Derek says.

"See you," I say.

And before I know it, he's turning the corner of the street and out of sight.