The Mentor (Regenerate #4.5)

Part I

He's sitting on my couch when I return home, feet up on the coffee table like he just breezed through my new security system.

"Dr. Intrigue," I say. I'm too tired to attack him. Besides, if he wanted to kill me, he probably would have done it by now.

"You look awful," he says.

"Good to see you too."

He smirks. I sort of prefer it when he wears his mask, because then watching him isn't quite so much like looking at my own reflection.

"Don't tell me that you're still shook up over your encounter with Siryn," he says.

I ignore that. Actually, I usually try to ignore Dr. Intrigue. Most of the time it doesn't work.

He stands. "You're too soft. Despite that ridiculous costume you wear to intimidate people, you are weak. That will always be your downfall."

"Were you here for a reason?" I ask. "As you already noted, I'm quite tired. I'd really rather get whatever this is over with."

"Social call," Dr. Intrigue says. "I just like you to remember that you're only free to run around while I permit it."

"Think that if it helps you sleep better at night," I say. Even though that's one of the many things that keep me up at night.

"I'm surprised you haven't inquired after the health of the good doctor."

"Dr. Grey isn't exactly a friend," I say.

Intrigue begins playing with a decorative clock on the mantel, dissembling it. "All the same, with your sense of self-righteousness, I assumed you'd want to make sure I hadn't killed him."

I shrug. "And I assumed that if you wanted to kill him, you wouldn't have bothered taking him captive in the first place."

"True," Dr. Intrigue says. "I thought he might prove useful, though. Imagine the secrets he must have stored in that brain."

"And you intend to pry them out."

A smile creeps up his face. "Not my style. Though if I did want to interrogate him, I'll take my cues from your interrogation of Thalia, perhaps. Now that was an interesting video feed."

He watched all of that on our security feed.

Despite my better judgement, I find myself flying for Intrigue. He shoves me back, almost effortlessly. Then I'm on the floor, and Dr. Intrigue is looming over me. 

"Of all your weaknesses, your affections for Thalia are my favorite to exploit," Dr. Intrigue says.

I try to kick his feet out from under him, but he dodges easily.

"I do enjoy our chats," he says. "But I'd best be going."

He starts walking away, and pauses, just before reaching the door.

"The new security system was cute," he says. "I especially like the attempt to make a psychic attack."

And then he waltzes out the door, tripping the psychic alarm that I'd installed.

The psychic alarm feels like it's piercing through my skull, debilitating.

So much so that I'm grateful when I pass out from the pain.