Five hours later, James parked Hailey's car in front of an empty office building in East Tremont. James had told her it was an Arrow extraction point, where he'd requested Vasic to pick them up and teleport them to a private location in order to discuss her abilities and his visions.
This early in the day, the only people walking down the streets where those who'd finished their shift working at a comm factory a couple of blocks down the road, and some of the homeless Psy that roamed through the Bronx. Most of them were addicts, their addiction originating from the time before Silence had been broken. Hailey's Psy colleague had once explained that the addicts had chosen substance abuse over a life without emotions.
The things we do to fill the void…
She shook off her thoughts and unfastened her seatbelt. "Maybe it's possible for me to actually access the PsyNet if I use my powers to a moderate extent, connecting myself through you." She met James' eyes after she'd stepped out of the vehicle. "Could that be a possibility? For me to control it enough that I can use bits and pieces instead of it in its entirety?"
James walked around the car and cupped her face as he leaned against the vehicle. "I don't see why not, seeing that other abilities can also be used in several gradations."
But of course, that would require a certain amount of psychic control. Hailey pulled a face. "I should really get back on track with the training schedule, then." She already figured out her vision contained different information, even though it shared the same outcome as James'. She'd told him about the images where he'd been hurt, where his blood had trickled along the corner of his mouth. She'd also told him about the sharp stabs of pain she'd experienced…and still they weren't closer to finding an answer to what was going to happen.
Hailey shuddered.
James' eyes softened as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. He'd told her she accidentally used a small amount of her powers to channel his F-abilities, causing the telepathic images to trigger an actual vision.
It made sense to her, but that hypotheses did contain one major issue: Hailey hadn't been aware of tapping into the draining part of her abilities. It posed a serious problem if she couldn't gain more control over herself, since she could accidentally switch her ability on and off at any given moment, instead of only having to worry about it when her emotions spiked.
Feeling a bit uneasy because she still didn't understand how her powers worked even though she was discovering more facets of it, she leaned into James' caress and placed her hand around his wrist. Whatever would happen, he'd keep her safe.
Safe from everything but your death.
Hailey mentally gave the stupid voice in her head a roundhouse punch. She wouldn't ever hold James responsible if anything happened to her. It wasn't his fault and they'd figure it out. Together.
His deep voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you alright?" The dark timbre warmed her from the inside.
Yes. She tipped up her head to meet his gaze. You're here with me.
You're mine, Miss Logan. Forever.
His possessiveness made butterflies flutter in her stomach, but she couldn't help playing with him a little. I haven't seen a ring yet.
James' eyes lit up in interest, the curiosity noticeable to her through their new-formed bond. Do you want to get married?
Hailey bit back a smile, happiness bubbling in her bloodstream at the idea of claiming him in every possible way. You'll find out if you ask me.
She laughed aloud when James hauled her into his embrace and kissed her, his mouth possessive and demanding, the taste of him her addiction. She melted into him, tunneling her fingers through his hair a–
The clearing of a throat made both their heads snap up. Heat rushed to Hailey's cheeks when she saw Vasic had arrived. His grey eyes had seemed cold to her when she'd first met him, but now she saw something change in his expression while he looked at James, as if Vasic was happy to see his fellow Arrow experience life, love.
Badass soldiers with big hearts.
"I could come back in a few minutes," Vasic said.
The dry comment made Hailey blush even deeper and she pushed herself out of James' embrace. Big hearts and big mouths, apparently.
James let her go–except for the hand he kept on the small of her back. The contact made her skin warm. How was it possible that man made her respond so much to him?
Shoving aside that ambiguous thought, Hailey looked at the teleporter in front of her.
"That won't be necessary," James said. "We'll reschedule."
A snort left Hailey's throat as she elbowed James. I can't believe you just said that!
James' face was a blank mask when replied. He knows we're physically intimate. Remember, he gave me a manual as well.
You're terrible, she hissed while Vasic asked if they were ready. Just because he knows, doesn't mean you have to tell him when and where! Boundaries, love, she said pointedly.
James shot her a look Hailey could only describe as boyish, a smile in his eyes and his lips twitching, making her heart melt into a puddle. She leaned into him as they were teleported. The air around them shimmered before the world slid together into a coherent place.
Hailey didn't understand why she reacted this badly to Vasic' teleports when her stomach churned. Just like the first time, the travel made her disoriented and nauseous.
When James glanced at her, she shook her head. It's nothing. Probably has something to do with my abilities or because my psyche works different from yours. "Where are we?" Hailey asked aloud when she looked around at the rows of trees standing on a neatly cut lawn, the sweet scent of apples in the air. An orchard.
Vasic started walking through the trees. "Ivy and I live here." Hailey followed him as James moved his hand from her back to clasp her hand. Breathing in deeply, Hailey inhaled the crisp air and felt the nausea pass.
They walked towards a house at the end of the orchard where Ivy stood in front of the large verandah, clad in dirt-stained overalls. She removed her gardening gloves before wiping her hair out of her face. "Hailey, James! It's good to see you." The warm smile from Vasic' E made Hailey feel instantly at ease.
She released James' hand and walked towards Ivy. "It's beautiful here," she said as she turned around to look at the green and red fruit hanging in the trees, the scenery creating a moment of peace in her chaotic life.
Ivy's smile grew. "It's a lot of hard work, but it's worth every minute." She looked at James and Vasic, who were standing silently next to each other. Hailey felt her lips twitch at the sight of these tall, dangerous men, watching their small, strong-willed women.
Ivy grinned and shot her a knowing look. "Let's go inside."
An hour later, Ivy's smile had disappeared after hearing about James' visions and Hailey's story. Frowning, she got up to refill their drinks. "Let me see if I get this straight," Ivy muttered before putting a carafe of water on the table. "You drain abilities and you guys think someone, somehow, found out about it, and now they want to kill you?"
Hailey nodded after taking a sip from her glass. "I know, it sounds like something straight from a movie. I can barely grasp the idea of me having these abilities in the first place." She frowned. "I really don't understand how anyone–aside from some of the Arrows–knows about them."
Ivy sat down at the large dinner table next to her husband and shot Vasic a glance. Vasic gave her a small nod. "There has been a previous situation where an Arrow went rogue," Vasic said. "We can't be sure if there is someone that wants to eliminate the threat of what you can do."
Hailey noticed James' shoulders stiffen. She touched his hand under the table. Was it someone you were close with?
No, was his immediate reply. But it has been suggested in my file that I could have gone rogue, given my disobedience concerning teleportation. He gently squeezed her hand. Let's focus on the problem at hand.
Hailey glanced at him for a moment before she replied to Vasic. "But how can they know the full scale of it? I barely understand how any of it works myself, and as far as I know, I'm the only one whose abilities ever manifested this way." She bit her lip in thought. "I was told it was a side effect of leaving the PsyNet. New abilities were shut down in the Net by the Council."
Ivy pursed her lips. "Well, maybe that's your answer. Maybe someone doesn't want these new psychic abilities to emerge, thus staining the Psy genetic legacy."
"You're thinking PurePsy fanatics are behind this?" James asked, his frown slight. "They have been taken out of the equation some time ago. Consortium seems more likely to me."
"It could be a possibility," Vasic answered. "Especially since your visions suggest it is organized by highly trained individuals with high-Gradient abilities." He looked at James. "How else could they possibly take you down?"
Hailey thought about that. "You were still alive in the vision I saw, before I died." She shuddered at the memory of the pain inflicted on her, at the shattered look in her Arrow's eyes.
James reached out and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. I won't let anything happen to you. Determination colored his voice and his strength pulsed through their connection.
We'll figure this out, she assured him. She'd fight with every fiber in her being to avert the outcome of their visions. We're not done just yet.
When Hailey turned towards Ivy and Vasic, she saw they were debating something telepathically as well. Vasic looked at her. "Are you able to drain my teleportation abilities?"
"In theory, I think so," Hailey answered. "I could try it, but I don't think the ability 'sticks' for longer than a few moments." She wasn't even sure if that were true, since she'd never been able to manage the power she duplicated beyond the single outburst. Even though the duplicating of Evan's ability was the exception to that rule since the valley had frozen in place for a longer amount of time, the actual moment she'd experienced Evan's energy flow through her head had only been a short second.
"No." James' voice was steel as he faced Vasic, whose face betrayed nothing.
Hailey stroked James' arm and felt his rigid muscles though his leather-synth jacket. "Don't shut us out, that's bad manners," she chastised with a slight frown.
James stared at her with familiar hardness in his eyes; it was the look that told her he wouldn't budge on this point. "I was telling Vasic I won't let you do it."
Hailey raised her eyebrows. "Really? You won't let me?"
"No, I won't." Absolute and confident. "I'm the expert when it comes to teaching psychic abilities. You don't get to make the call." His tone was arctic.
She turned to James, uncaring of Vasic and Ivy as spectators, and poked her index finger in his chest. "Don't you fucking dare to pull rank on me. That's not how any of this works." Equality, so it seemed, was a word James didn't have in his vocabulary. Yet.
Arrogant man.
He faced her and grabbed hold of her wrist. "It should." And she could tell he was dead serious about that.
The defiance within bared its teeth at James' inexorable tone, but then Hailey sensed something through their connection.
Distress.
Frowning, she changed her approach as she tugged her wrist free. "Why?"
"You have no control over where you'll end up. It might be in the middle of the ocean," his gaze turned glacial when she smirked a little, "but it also might be in front of a train."
Oh…
Even though teleporting somewhere sounded like a fun and extremely useful skill–if it wouldn't make her feel so sick when doing it–Hailey hadn't considered that aspect. She nodded and turned back towards Ivy and Vasic, who were staring at the both of them with equal amounts of amusement and amazement. She ignored their looks and said, "Okay, so no teleporting."
"No," James clarified, his voice still coated in frost, "no draining, period. Not until you gain more control."
Ivy shook her head and spoke up. "You can't put her in a glass box, James. I know you want to protect Hailey, but stopping her from using her abilities won't teach her anything."
James looked like he wanted to break something, his jaw hard as stone. Hailey's respect for Ivy grew as she watched the empath stare down James. Then again, Ivy held up her own in meetings with Nikita Duncan and Kaleb Krychek. She was probably used to a little resistance if she could deal with the ruthless, ice-cold businesswoman and the most dangerous man in the Net.
Hailey's lips twitched at the thought of Ivy fighting for her race with abandon. Regardless of her gentle nature, The empath was no pushover.
"Maybe," Hailey placed her hand on James' thigh, the muscles rigid under her touch, "we should let this all sink in a little." She ignored James' cool glance and looked at Ivy. "Could you show me the rest of the orchard?"
Ivy nodded. "Of course." When she stood up, Hailey followed her lead and walked outside.
Ivy and Vasic invited Hailey and James to stay over for the night. Because James had obligations at the valley, he returned to the Arrow facility for a couple of hours together with Vasic.
"I'll be back later tonight," he had said as he'd brushed his knuckles past her cheek. She'd nodded and had watched the men vanish as Vasic teleported them out.
Several hours later, Hailey and Ivy returned from walking a second time through the orchard, this time together with Rabbit. The small dog was panting as he ran to the front of the house to drink some water out of a small bowl.
Hailey looked at Ivy. "I'll never get quite used to the teleporting."
Ivy's copper eyes sparked with humor. "It took me a while too," she said as she tugged down the sleeves of her wide knitted cardigan. They took a seat on wooden lawn chairs in front of the verandah, after Ivy lit a laz-fire to add a little warmth to the chilly evening. Rabbit walked over to Ivy's chair and, after huffing out a deep breath, flopped down in front of it.
Hailey flipped up the hood of her sweatshirt and folded her legs underneath herself. "You have a lovely home. Thank you for letting us stay here."
Ivy smiled. "Luckily I can get a lot of work done from here so I don't have to leave all the time." She frowned as she switched topics. "You seem calm considering the circumstances."
Hailey shrugged. "The whole idea of someone kidnapping and killing me is so foreign, I think my mind can't really process it, even though I experienced it in the vision." A slight smile appeared on her face. "Are you getting that vibe through your abilities?"
Ivy thought about that for a moment before she replied. "I think my abilities are so intertwined with my observational skills, I often use them subconsciously." She leaned down to pet Rabbit, which made the small dog puff out another deep, satisfied breath. "Have you thought about leaving the city?"
Hailey shook her head. "I can't avoid what's coming. I don't want to run from it just to keep looking over my shoulder at every turn." She blew out a frustrated breath. "I just hate that I can't get a grip on my abilities. They would be extremely useful if I could utilize them when I get attacked."
Rabbit yawned and Ivy leaned back in her chair. "I'm sure you'll find a way." A warm smile. "If you're determined enough to capture a stubborn Arrow, you'll be able to handle the draining."
Hailey grinned. "He is stubborn, isn't he?" She pursed her mouth. "Though, I must be doing something right if he went from calling me fat to calling me beautiful in a matter of weeks."
Ivy made a choking sound, her eyes big. "He did what?"
Laughing, Hailey suddenly felt a warm hand on her shoulder, oak moss and sandalwood mingled with the crisp air. She jerked and looked over her shoulder. James stood behind her, watching her with his eyebrow slightly raised.
"Jesus!" she exclaimed, a hand splayed on her chest. "Were you guys sneaking up on us?" Hailey looked from James to Vasic, who had appeared right behind Ivy's chair. "You guys are ten years old, you know that right?"
James' lips twitched when he bent down to kiss her pouting mouth. I'm glad you're happy to see me.
Hailey nipped at his lower lip. Shut up, the sting taken out of the comment since she was grinning at his very unArrow-ish behavior.
Vasic' voice drew her attention away from James. "You called her fat?" He looked at James with such a blank stare, Hailey had to bite her tongue to stop laughing. "I always believed you were highly intelligent. Now I'm severely starting to question my observational skills."
Ivy scowled at James. "I can't believe you said something like that!"
Hailey tipped up her head to azure blue eyes that were staring daggers at her. Hiding her snort in a cough, she managed to pull a straight face before saying, "I know, it's such an inappropriate thing to say, right?"
I'm going to punish you for this, James said. The dark promise made her shiver and her stomach clench.
Hailey stood up from her chair to face her Arrow. "Well, love. Please, do tell us what you were thinking."
James narrowed his eyes a little. Your punishment will be slow.
Hailey's stomach flipped. When you make a promise, you better intend to keep it.
In the blink of an eye, James sat down on the chair with Hailey on his lap, her legs towards one side so she could face Vasic and Ivy. James had moved so fast, she didn't even have time to gasp. Hailey saw light spark in Ivy's eyes, as if she was laughing inwardly.
"Miss Logan has a way of doing the exact opposite of what she's instructed to do," James said as he ran his fingers across her spine. "It was far more effective to give her proper incentive–to show me wrong–then to ask nicely." His fingers slightly brushed her butt as he ran his hand up and down again. "And I believed provoking her had a higher chance of success, since she'd eventually use her training in sparring sessions."
Hailey shook her head. "You're crazy. You thought I would train more effectively if I could get satisfaction out of hitting you for making stupid comments?" Laughter bubbled out of her. "That's the most messed up way of coaxing a woman I've ever heard." You better not give the other Arrows this ridiculous advice when they're attempting to date, she telepathically warned.
James pulled down her hood and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. "It worked, didn't it?"
Hailey pulled a face. "Of course not."
Ivy snorted but managed a straight face when Vasic shot her a look.
Hailey cupped James' face, aware that he still didn't see his worth, didn't consider himself to be good. Luckily, she was there to remind him.
I fell for you because you were there for me when I needed you. You cared for me and protected me. She scrunched her nose. "But it does help that you're really, really pretty, ma Flèche."
His eyebrows rose. "You speak French?"
Didn't find that in your background check, did you? she smugly said while vocally adding, "Mais bien sûr. Ne me sous-estime pas, chère," reminding him not to underestimate her–even though she'd had to look up the French word for Arrow. "I thought Canadians were bilingual. Should I translate it for you?" she offered sweetly, getting another snort of laughter from Ivy before the empath turned to her mate to discuss something privately.
"Merci pour l'offre, je me débrouillerai," James now said, unabashed arrogance, his native language rolling off his tongue in a lazy cadence, making her want to kiss the words off his mouth.
"You'll manage?" A small sniff, then a rueful smile. "If you turn it up a notch, I won't be able to follow," she admitted.
"Where did you learn?" Ivy asked.
Sparks of laughter in her chest. "Snowboarding trips," and she looked at James, knowing by the smile in his eyes that he, too, was reminded of the time where he'd dared her during her class after which they'd had their first training session together. "Europe has some very nice ski resorts."
Your social skill has vastly improved since then, Hailey said to her mate.
Your focus hasn't, was the quicksilver reply.
She stared at him with an open mouth. "You did not just say that!"
Open amusement in his eyes, as the man who owned her heart played with her. "I haven't been able to gauge the levels of your control for some time now."
"If you keep this up, that level will be close to zero," she threatened. Hailey bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing when James arched his eyebrow in pure dare, but couldn't hold it in when she saw Vasic look from her to James with an alien expression, as if he stood perplexed by the game they had been playing.
Ivy shot her a warm smile, and Hailey felt light in her heart as she leaned into James and enjoyed the evening of normality, even though shadows were lurking in the distance.