Beau rolls his eyes just as my phone buzzes in my jeans. I quickly pull it from my pocket and hold it up to my ear, as Beau raises a curious eyebrow.

"Hello?" I ask, cringing when a loud voice blasts through the speaker and into my ear.

"Hey Harper, it's Rene! Since your evaluation is Sunday, I was hoping we could meet up one last time to go over some exercises and make sure you're fully prepared."

"Oh hello Rene," I say, moving the phone to my other shoulder so I can pick up my fork to begin eating my cherub salad. "I actually think I'll be fine for the evaluation, so we don't have to meet up before."

I stab a few leaves with my fork, now that I made a deal with the devil, I won't have to worry about panic attacks anymore.

Not unless you screw up, his voice chides in my head.

"Are you sure? This isn't exactly something you should leave up to chance," Rene warns, but I shake my head.

"Don't worry Rene, I've made a significant amount of improvement this week, both physically and mentally," I promise, as I lift my fork to my mouth. "I'll be 100% ready for whatever Harks throws at me."

"Alright, well if you're confident, then I'm confident. But do let me know if you change your mind, okay?"

"Will do, I'll talk to you later," I tell her, before hanging up.

"You sure that was a good idea?" Beau asks across the table, as I stab another leaf on my plate.

"Yup, though I think we should spend at least a little bit of time practicing combat tomorrow. I just want to make sure that I'm completely over the whole gun thing, and... see where I'm at when it comes to being in close proximity with you."

Beau's lips press into a fine line, but then he shrugs as he plays with a piece of ham on his plate. "It's your funeral, after all. I'm just here to make sure someone else doesn't kill you."

I shoot him a scathing glare as he leans back to give me a lopsided grin. "You know, the whole 'oh I'm your protective bodyguard' shit is already getting annoying, and it's only been a day. You better watch yourself, or I will go out sniffing for trouble just so you can get yourself shot playing my faithful knight in shining armor."

Beau snorts and points his fork at me. "Now you call me your knight in shining armor? How... migononne, my love."

I immediately recoil back into my chair, as my lip curls in disgust. "Did you just call me cute?"

"Yup, and what are you going to do about it?" Beau teases, lifting his eyebrow when I move my hand to where my pistol presses against my hip.

"I could do many things," I warn, when suddenly a phone rings again, and this time it's not mine.

Beau frowns as he glances down at his black jeans, quickly digging out his phone from his pocket. His eyes widen when he sees the caller ID.

"Who is it?" I ask, as Beau lifts the phone up to his ear while simultaneously giving me a silencing look.

"Superior Harks, what can I do for you?" he asks as I lean forward, his eyes quickly darting away when Harks says something on the other end of the line. "Wait what? Tomorrow? I'm sorry sir, but that's really short notice-"

What? I mouth to Beau when he glances back over to me, but he quickly shakes his head as Harks says something I can't quite make out.

"A set date? And why is that?" Beau questions, his eyebrows drawing together as he slowly shakes his head. "Alright sir, we'll be ready tomorrow. Yes sir- he is? Tonight?" Beau's jade eyes finally flick to mine as I press my forearms against the table, desperately trying to get close enough to listen to their conversation. "Okay sir, we'll finish up here and then get back to training, then Harper can see-"

Beau pauses, as I hear Harks ask him a question. "Yes sir, she's sitting right next to me... would you like to talk to her?"

I frown as Beau nods again. "Okay then sir, we'll see you in a bit." Beau hangs up as I run my hands through my hair, slightly startled when my hands quickly streak through it.

"So? What did Harks say?" I demand as Beau sets his phone down on the table and crosses his arms.

"There's been a new development in the Serpent's Circle. Apparently one of Harks' sources has said that the Serpent's Circle has a list of target agents they intend to kidnap, and that they have a set date they all need to be captured by."

"What? Why is there a list, and not to upset you, but why don't they just kill the agents instead of trying to capture them all?" I ask, as Beau spins his fork in circles on the table.

"We're not quite sure, but apparently our double agent says that this date is being moved up, and it's been confirmed the leader of the Serpent's Circle will be at the Louvre Ball Sunday night."

I chew on the inside of my lip as I stare at Beau in confusion. "The Echis Viper? But barely any of the Circle's assassins have even seen him! He's one of the most elusive leaders history has ever known, and he's going to show up to a ball of all places?"

Beau shakes his head as he streaks a hand through his curls. "Yes, which is why an emergency meeting is going to be held Saturday to brief all of the agents going to the ball, and Harks is going to move your evaluation to tomorrow so hopefully you will be able to sit in on the meeting, in the event that you pass of course."

"Tomorrow?" I snap, gripping the fork in my hand as I stare at Beau. "But we planned on having another day for training!"

"Yes, but you seemed pretty confident when you told Rene you didn't need to meet up," Beau points out, causing me to grind my teeth together.

"There's a difference between a pointless therapy session and a training session that could increase my chances of passing, don't you think?" I ask as I draw my phone back out of my pocket and look down at the time. "Look it's two o'clock right now, so why don't we head back to the sector to do one last training session... just for insurance."

"That's fine with me," Beau says, as I stand up to flag down a waiter for the check.

***

Beau and I quickly walk towards the crosswalk, a box with the leftovers of our lunches in each of our hands as I lean over to press the button on the stoplight. A light breeze blows my short hair past my face as the light over us turns green, and the crosswalk chirps to signal us to cross.

"I should be ready for the evaluation tomorrow, the only thing I'm slightly worried about is you triggering another panic attack," I tell Beau as we stride across the crosswalk and both step up onto the curb of the sidewalk.

"Well, we haven't really worked on anything physical yet, so I think I'm a tad bit more worried than you are," Beau admits as he glances over at me, his tawny leather jacket flapping open into the wind. "But I also believe you know what you're doing, so if you aren't worried, then I won't be either."

I can't help but grin as shift the to-go box to my left hand to give him a mock salute with my right. "Good choice soldier."

Beau rolls his eyes, but I still catch the slight smile lifting up the corners of his lips. "Whatever, you're so full of yourself Agent Medley."

I laugh as we walk up to the entrance doors of the Raven Sector, and pull open the door for Beau to step through as another gust of wind blows into our faces. "I could say the same thing, Agent Allard."

We walk down the hallway until I reach my room and Beau steps up to his beside me. "Alright, change and meet here in five?"

Beau raises a confused eyebrow as I dig around in my pockets for my room key, my wrist brushing against the cool metal of my pistol.

"Can women even get ready that quickly?"

I pause in my search for my room key and slowly look up at Beau with my eyes narrowed, my hands still thrust into my pockets as his grin grows larger.

"You wanna say that again you little shi-"

"Don't cuss!" Beau exclaims, wagging a finger in my face. "We just finished the lunch you'd owe me," he pauses to gently flick my nose as a glint of laughter dances in his pale eyes. "It's too soon for you to owe me another."

I scowl and softly slap his finger out of my face. "Touch my nose again and you die."

Beau snickers as I give him a warning glare and pull my key from my pocket. "You do remember I have a gun right?"

Beau grins as I insert my key into the handle of the door and gently shove it open. "Yes, but I know that you would miss my charming nature too much if you shot me... I am your knight in shining armor after all." he teases, giving me a sly wink.

My lips press into a thin line as I walk through the door of my room and set my leftovers box onto the wooden dresser on my right. "I'm never going to live that down am I?" I call over my shoulder, hearing Beau unlock his door.

"Nope!" he calls back, as I kick the door shut behind me with a snort.

That man... I think, as I rake a hand through my hair and pull open the top drawer of my dresser.

Careful, you sound almost comfortable with him. His voice whispers, but I quickly shove it away as I grab a pair of black leggings and a white crewneck sweater from the drawer, setting them on top of the dresser to reach down and unbuckle my gun sling.

Oh be quiet, is really all that bad if I have the basic level of familiarity with him? He is going to be my mission partner after all, and I'm afraid it just won't work out if I have him hating my guts for the duration of the time we have to work together.

I set my pistol and the leather sling into the drawer, before pushing it shut and lifting my clothes from the dresser to turn towards the bathroom.

Just be careful, our deal only remains if you honor your end of it. The second you lose yourself to him, I will take full control, and you will not like it.

My teeth grind together as I pull my T-shirt over my head, my silver necklace softly thumping against my turtleneck. My eyes lock onto it in the mirror, before I quickly look away and pull off my turtleneck.

I wish you would just leave me alone. It would be nice to remember you by the man I loved all those months ago, and not by the parasite you have become now-

I gasp as my chest painfully constricts, all of the air fleeing from my lungs. Do not forget yourself and your mistake. You are the reason I am dead, after all.

My hands fly to my throat as my turtleneck hangs loosely around one of my arms, my lungs desperately fighting to draw in another breath and relieve the pain.

I-I'm sorry, I think, my eyes glazing over as my chest constricts even more.

That's what I thought, he whispers in my mind, and I suck in a breath when my lungs finally release. If you truly believed I was a parasite, I wouldn't be here.

I shake my head as the palms of my hands slam down onto the smooth white sink in front of me, a single tear trailing down my cheek as I glare at the reflection of the mirror. I loved you so much, but there's nothing I can do now to fix what happened.

That's not true, and you know it, his voice snaps.