ENSHROUDING LIGHT

THE MOVE

CHAPTER 18

THE MOVE

Nevaeh looked up at the flames, eating away everything they owned, her hand covering the ache in her chest. 'All Tom's birthday presents!'

'I'll replace them.' Mark patted her shoulder. 'Everything he had.'

Her eyes locked with his. 'I can't let...'

'Don't be silly, Nev. My money is to make people happy.'

She turned to the flashing lights and sirens slowing to a stop behind them. As firefighters ran from the engine, and began putting out the flames, the paramedic rushed from the ambulance. 'Do you need any help?' he asked Mark but, once he'd taken a closer look at his skin, he furrowed his eyebrows. He checked Tom and did the same.

As if the flashing lights woke her from a daze, a fresh reality hit. He wasn't her Mark anymore. He was one of them! A spy who'd been following her. And here she was feeling grateful towards a man that had betrayed her all along! Her muscles flaring, her heart pounding in her ears, she pushed herself from his arms.

As if he noted the change, Mark tried to pull her back towards him.

'No!' She yanked herself free. 'You lied to me!' She looked at him like he was from another planet. Her heart felt like it was shrinking as she sat back to look at him with new eyes. She'd lost him. Although, come to think of it, she never had him to begin with.

No wonder he looked at her like it was the last time he would see her. No wonder he asked her at what point did withholding the truth become a lie. All along, he must have seen her turning white when she was near him, just like Tom could. He didn't love her! He was just keeping her close to be near Tom, making sure she was doing a good job keeping their magical weapon safe. And he didn't love Tom for his personality and quirkiness; it was because he was the Bright One, a being sent to destroy their Corrupter! Tom said he was blinding and she stupidly presumed it was because he loved her. It wasn't just her home—it was as if her whole world was crumbling down beside her.

'You're bright all the time!'

'Pardon?'

Adaeze's words came back to her. Moderators don't come here to have relationships. Mark was an older version of Tom, a magical being who'd only come to Earth to carry out a mission. This was the real reason he'd never asked her out; he couldn't! If she'd have known he could never have loved her the way she loved him from the start, she would have never craved for him to. 'I've been so foolish.'

'Nev.' Mark was up on his knees, trying to grab her hand. 'It doesn't change anything between us. I'm still the same pers—'

'It changes everything!' She yanked her hand from his. Her face, neck, and ears felt impossibly hot. Why couldn't she stop herself acting so irrational? This was embarrassing enough without the fact that she must've been reflecting the attitude of one of the silly girls at school...the ones who would fall for the boys who they knew would never reciprocate that love. How strange that she could now, at this age relate.

Mark's face filled with distress and hurt, as his beautiful eyes welled with tears. He stared intently at her, showing her every inch of the love he did hold for her, yet a Moderator's love was somehow not the same.

'You really fooled me!' Tears rolled down her cheeks. 'No wonder you love Tom. No wonder you weren't freaked out by him. You're not a super nice person who loved him for what he was! You're the same as him!'

He looked at her like she'd shot him. 'The last thing I wanted was to fool you. I tried to show you. I kept bringing all those books, hoping you'd click I was the teacher in the order. When I mentioned the classroom, I thought you'd realised...'