“Hey Jake, can we have a minute?” Jake looked up and found Prism and Fade standing in the entryway to the dining room.
“I’m not done yet.” He dipped his head towards the still grimy pan.
“The other two can finish up,” Prism said. “We need to talk.”
“Sure.” Jake passed the pan to Laleh. “Looks like you get to do this after all.”
She scowled at him. “I’ll be faster than you at least.”
With a laugh he followed Prism and Fade upstairs to the computer room.
In his cage, Wherezit popped into his visible form for a moment to chatter at them before disappearing into one of his tunnel-tubes to play. Prism pulled out one of the desk chairs then motioned for Jake to sit in it. Her grim expression—along with Fade’s more typical stoic one—made Jake’s stomach twist.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She let out a breath. “DOSA just officially informed your brother that you were killed during the incident in San Diego.”
Cold washed through Jake. “They did?”
“Yeah, congrats, kid, you’re legally dead now,” Fade scoffed.
Jake swallowed. “Did Caleb ... do you know how he reacted to the news?”
“I’m afraid they didn’t give me any details,” Prism answered. “I’m sorry, Jake. I know this must be rough, but it’s the only way to—”
“It’s okay. I understand,” he interrupted, not sure he could handle it if she pushed the issue further. “How does that work, though? Won’t Uncle Vic figure out that it’s a fake when the guy who was supposed to kill me never checks in?”
“I got a look at the official report DOSA is intentionally leaking,” Fade said. “The story is that DOSA made it to the location in time to take down your killer but not in time to save you.”
“I guess that would explain it.”
The room fell silent. Jake’s throat constricted as he thought of his brother. Would Caleb even mourn him? After all, he’d been the one who had told his uncle about Jake’s supposed softness. “Do you think Caleb knew ... when he told my uncle about me, do you think he knew what Uncle Vic would do to me because of it?” he whispered.
Fade rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s hard to say. Your brother drank the Sand Fox Kool-Aid. That can do stuff to a person’s sense of right and wrong. It’s possible he didn’t realize how far your uncle would take it though. He might’ve thought you’d be okay.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Jake’s chin dipped towards his chest. “So what does it mean, me being legally dead?”
“It means a fresh start.” Prism smiled. “You can stay at the camp as long as you need to, and after that, the world is yours. You’re not Jake Lucas, Sand Fox, anymore. You’re just, well, Jake.”
“Though trust me, as someone who tried to do the single word name thing for a while, you’re going to want to pick a new last name at some point,” Fade added.
Mischief quirked the corner of Jake’s mouth. “I heard Greg Curran isn’t taken.”
Prism giggled. “You’re right. That’s an option.”
“I think you can do better though,” Fade added.
Jake brushed his brown hair back from his forehead and shifted in his seat. “Yeah, maybe—what about ... well ...” He raised his eyes to Prism and Fade’s. “What about Powell? We could share?”
Prism melted, gripping her husband’s arm to help her stay upright.
Chest suddenly constricting, Jake couldn’t respond. He stood and gave a brief nod. A moment later he found himself pressed between Prism and Fade in the tightest hug of his life. His breath left him, but in a good way.
“We’ll work towards that,” Fade said softly.
“Yes, please,” Prism whispered.
Jake sank into the embrace. Pasted between his guardians, he didn’t know exactly what his path forward looked like, but he knew, in the moment, he was home.
The End
The Supervillain Rescue Project will return in book 2:
Power Play.
ABOUT H. L. Burke
Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
For information about H. L. Burke’s latest novels, to sign up for the author’s monthly newsletter, or to contact the writer, go to
www.hlburkeauthor.com
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Also by H. L. Burke
For Middle Grade Readers
Thaddeus Whiskers and the Dragon
Cora and the Nurse Dragon
Spider Spell
For Young Adult Readers
An Ordinary Knight
Beggar Magic
Coiled
Spice Bringer
Ashen
The Nyssa Glass Steampunk Series:
Nyssa Glass and the Caper Crisis
Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors
Nyssa Glass and the Juliet Dilemma
Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid
Nyssa Glass’s Clockwork Christmas
Nyssa Glass and the Electric Heart
The Elemental Realms Series
Book One: Lands of Ash
Book Two: Call of the Waters
The Dragon and the Scholar Saga (1-4)
A Fantasy Romance Series
Dragon’s Curse
Dragon’s Debt
Dragon’s Rival
Dragon’s Bride
The Green Princess: A Fantasy Romance Trilogy
Book One: Flower
Book Two: Fallow
Book Three: Flourish
Ice and Fate Duology
Daughter of Sun, Bride of Ice
Prince of Stars, Son of Fate
To Court a Queen
Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians’ Rivalry
Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians’ Trial
Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians’ Reckoning
Fellowship of Fantasy Anthologies
Fantastic Creatures
Hall of Heroes
Mythical Doorways
Tales of Ever After
Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales
Match Cats: Three Tails of Love
Supervillain Rehabilitation Project
Relapsed (a short story prequel)
Reformed
Redeemed
Reborn
Refined
Reunion
Blind Date with a Supervillain
On the Run with a Supervillain
Power On