“We both need to get out of here,” said Malcolm. “But… I’m going to need to explain a few things to you, soon.”
“What does that mean?” asked Rose.
Malcolm shrugged.
“Oh man,” he said. “Where do I even start?”
CHAPTER 41
Second Wind waited outside the apartment that was now technically his, watching for anything suspicious. He knew it was redundant, given the instincts of who he was on his way to meet.
He went back inside the apartment, unlocking the door with his keys and slipping through. Malcolm was leaning against the arm of the couch and quirked up his eyebrows as he met the gaze of his copy.
“So…” said Second Wind. “Are you here to kill me?”
Malcolm chuckled. “I realize that you’re joking, but if I was, you’d already know,” he said.
Second Wind shrugged.
“It’s possible that we could have chanced enough in the time we’ve been apart for that to be an issue,” he said. “To be honest, I wasn’t totally certain when I got the email you sent. Nice touch on proving it was you, by the way.”
“Who else would know about my illicit crush on Ms. Maxine back in the fourth grade?” asked Malcolm. “Kept that one pretty close to the chest.”
Second Wind smiled. A bit of tension hung on the air, the unnecessary, awkward kind.
“Danny’s dead,” said Malcolm. “For real this time.”
Second Wind flinched back. He brought a hand up to his mouth and closed his eyes.
“That’s how…” he muttered. “Of course. I should have guessed.”
“He died a noble death,” said Malcolm. “I buried him a couple of days ago. He’s in his actual grave, you know. The one the insurance company paid for way back when our house exploded. I figured there was no reason to waste it.”
“He saved you,” said Second Wind.
Malcolm closed his eyes and slowly nodded.
“I didn’t have time to explain it to him,” he said. “You know how Danny is. But because of him, and his sacrifice, I managed to pull it off. Rain Dancer is dead.”
“Good,” said Second Wind. “I didn’t trust him to keep his word.”
“I know,” said Malcolm.
A couple of seconds of strange silence went by before Second Wind finally cleared his throat.
“Tapestry is mad at me,” he said. “Or, uh… I guess, us?”
“How unexpected,” said Malcolm, dryly.
“I think what she really wanted was for me to rally the champions and make one last stand against Rain Dancer and his minions,” said Second Wind. “When she realized that I actually intended to take her advice and stay in hiding… she got weird.”
“She’s not always honest with herself about what she wants,” said Malcolm. “She’ll forget about it in a couple of days.”
Second Wind nodded, but it was clear that he still had a question on his mind. “So… What happens now?”
“This is where things get interesting,” said Malcolm. “I told Rose about you.”
“You did?” Second Wind furrowed his brow.
“I did,” said Malcolm. “And I don’t think we should tell Tapestry.”
Second Wind ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to mull it over for a few seconds before giving a noncommittal shrug.
“You’re probably right,” he said. “I don’t think she’d react so well to it. But it is another secret that we’ll have to keep from her.”
“A secret that you’ll have to keep,” said Malcolm. “And a secret that ties up another secret.”
“Is this how I sound to other people when I explain my plans?” asked Second Wind. “Just come out and say what you mean. I haven’t thought about this for long enough to guess at where you’re going.”
“You’re taking my place,” said Malcolm. “As Wind Runner. You’ll continue living as a champion and help Tapestry, Morph, and Wax rebuild.”
“What about you?”
Malcolm held his hand out. He used Danny’s power create a small flame over the center of his palm.
“I’ll do whatever needs to be done,” said Malcolm. “The things that you can’t do, either because they involve Rose, or having to go up against the Champion Authority’s hard line.”
“And you’re planning on using Danny’s power,” said Second Wind. “That’s clever, except for the fact that you’ll be recognized as Wind Runner as soon as someone sees you in the daylight.”
Malcolm grinned.
“That’s why I’ll wear a mask.”
Chaste Widow
Edmund Hughes
This digital book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this title with another person, please purchase an additional copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Edmund Hughes
Kindle Edition
CONTENTS
Chaste Widow
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 1
The car’s tires let out a hideous screech as it skidded around the corner, ricocheting off a parked car as it went. A car alarm began sounding an instant later, no doubt waking half of the sleepy Vanderbrook neighborhood.
Malcolm was in pursuit. He pushed himself through the air with his wind manipulation, sizing up his fleeing opponents. There’d been a botched robbery that night. Several people had been shot dead in a liquor store, including the owner, and the perpetrators had only escaped with a few wallets after discovering that the cash register was practically empty.
The car was a four-door sedan with five people in it. He felt bad for whoever was being pulverized in the center seat in back, especially given what he was about to do next. Malcolm adjusted his speed with the wind, matching the car’s speed, and then carefully descended, landing prone on top of its roof.
“Hey!” he shouted, banging down with his fist. “Pull over, morons. You can’t escape me.”
He wasn’t sure if they’d heard him or not, but one of them had stuck his head out of the window, and had definitely seen him. Malcolm’s costume was simple, consisting of just sweatpants, an ironically named “wind runner” style jacket, and a black ski mask.
But it was also very recognizable, given how often he’d been on the news over the past few days. They knew that the “Gifted Vigilante,” Vanderbrook’s renegade defender with unorthodox methods and unknown motives, was after them. What would they do next?
Several bullets blasted through the car’s roof, one of them missing Malcolm’s crotch by about an inch. He made a noise of mocking disbelief, less because he didn’t think that they’d shoot at him, and more over the fact that they’d fired a gun multiple times inside of a car.