p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Angel's voice./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She called from somewhere in the forest, beyond the mist. Nox squinted, her eyes trying to cut through the distraction around her. She hated these mortal eyes. Her clothes were damp and clung to her skin, her hair frizzy and speckled with misty dew. An icy current tickled the back of her neck. Over her shoulder, she gave the thick fog a long, distrustful look./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Angel?" Nox called her name. "Angel! Where are you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox whirled around, then inhaled sharply. Angel's tiny silhouette strolled through the fog. She was walking away from her. Nox darted towards her child. "Angel! Turn around!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mum?" Angel picked up her pace, but she was headed in the wrong direction./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Angel, I'm here! I'm here!" Something was holding Nox back, as if she were trying to walk underwater and her legs wouldn't move fast enough./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mum?" Angel's voice called out again, but it sounded even more distant, the echo ricocheting off the trees. By now, she was a speck of brown dust in the fog, fading away./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox's foot caught against an tree's root protruding from the ground. She collapsed on her stomach. When she looked up again, Angel was gone. Nox screamed Angel's name at the top of her lungs, but her cries went unanswered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox slammed her fists into the dirt, cursing herself for not running fast enough. For failing to protect Angel. For leaving her alone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Then, footsteps. Somewhere within the fog./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Through the sudden tears that blurred her vision, Nox's eyes flicked up. Angel was walking back towards her. Her white glowing eyes sliced through the mist like knives./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox uttered a sigh in relief. "Thank God. I thought you were lost forever. You scared me so much!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Angel didn't respond./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox squinted again, then gasped./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior's silhouette towered beside her. His hand clasped her shoulder, almost possessively. Perfectly straight white teeth gleamed through the mist. "She's mine now. And so are you. Come quietly, and I can promise you a painless process."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" He reached out, seizing her throat and dragging her to her knees. His vice-like grip shut off her airway. Through hazy vision, she saw his steely, cobalt blue eyes burn into hers./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She gave a strangled cry. "No— No!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sat upright in her dorm bed. "Lloyd!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She glanced beside her. Lloyd wasn't there, only cold wrinkled bed sheets. The clock read 3 AM./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sighed, burying her face in her hands. She wasn't used to not sleeping beside Lloyd, and without the comfort of Angel near. 48 hours had passed, and there was still no sign of Angel, or the Superior. Not even Timber could track her down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She threw the sheets off her and slipped out of bed. After tugging on her rebel uniform and combat boots, she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and checked the hallway./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The corridors were dark, and she could faintly hear the team snoring from their dorms./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox quietly made her way past their rooms, stopping to check Lloyd's dorm. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, murmuring incoherent words. His arms were extended to the side, and she briefly remembered him saying he was used to sleeping like that. While living as a prisoner of war, he would be left in chains and often slept that way for days. She felt a twinge of guilt in her heart, but then reminded herself why she left him. Nobody was safe as long as they were together./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She slipped past security cameras and made her way outside, into the forest. The humidity immediately overwhelmed her, her uniform sticking to her skin. Her hair was matted, and she shivered against the freezing air. A full moon crested above the distant mountain terrain, casting moonlight and jagged shadows across the landscape. Her breath crystallized into the air./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She had to do this; Angel was depending on her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Footsteps./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox whirled around, prepared for anything— Then she realized she left her weapons back at the base. Not like she was avoiding getting captured. Nox caught a familiar whiff in the air. She didn't need powers to know the scent of demolition ashes. "Boomer?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Silence reigned for a few long moments. Then, Boomer leaped down from one of the tree branches, his white shirt tightly hugging his broad shoulders and lithe body build. He watched Nox with soft blue eyes. "It's late. You should be back at base."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox crossed her arms and scoffed. "Shouldn't emyou/em be back at the base?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer was silent for a moment. "Etrius assigned me watch duty for the night."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox slapped her forehead. Of course. There was always someone up during the night hours, patrolling the base. She should have been more careful and taken the back exit./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Without warning, Boomer closed the distance between them, his close proximity so painfully familiar. "Nox. You don't have to do this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox's breath caught. "Do—What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Don't play stupid, Nox. I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work. The Superior won't simply give back Angel because you forfeit your life. He doesn't play by those rules. He doesn't play by any rules."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox curled her hands into fists. "emWhat do you expect me to do/em?" She hissed. "Just sit here and do nothing? Angel is still out there, alive. I can feel it. And don't ask me how, I just can. I won't rest until I have her back, and by God I'll relinquish my own freedom if it comes to that." She didn't realize she was crying until her vision became a hazy blur./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer stroked her arms, bringing her into a gentle hug. Not a crushing, relentless one that usually broke someone's neck. But one that was soft, deep and caring. "Nox… Look what you're doing to yourself. It scares me to see you like this. As much as I hate that bastard Lloyd, I finally saw that you were happy with him. You denied yourself that happiness, and now you're willing to give up your freedom and possibly your life. Please, stop. You're hurting the team."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox shook her head. "I can't be with Lloyd."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Why not?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I already told everyone. The longer we stay together, the worse it will be for us, for the team, and for Angel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Something undecipherable stirred in Boomer's eyes. After a heartbeat, he said, "You divorced Lloyd to make it easier. So when you gave yourself up to the Superior, it would make your time more bearable knowing you're not married."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes. I mean, no. I mean— …It's complicated."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "It always is."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox frowned, shoving Boomer away. "Stay out of my way, Boomer. I mean it. This is my decision, and I'll do as I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" A pair of hot, smoldering lips met hers, immediately melting away her defenses. Her eyes widened, but she couldn't bring herself to argue back. A secret world opened up between them, one that was strange as it was familiar. She felt a hollow hole in her heart become mended, filled with light, passion, and unspoken promises. She felt herself drown within him, and it took all her mental strength to simply breathe./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox didn't open her eyes until the moment Boomer withdrew. He quickly glanced away and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry," He said quickly. "I didn't know how else to react. But I can't let you go, Nox."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox remained silent, her lips burning where Boomer had kissed her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I shouldn't have done that. I know. You belong to Lloyd, and—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I don't belong to anyone," Nox interjected without emotion. "Lloyd and I are divorced. There's no changing that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer held her close, holding her head fervently. "Please don't go. We'll find another way. You told me before that there's emalways/em another way, and you've proved that so many times."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sighed, the heaviness in her soul being lifted. "Alright. I'll stay, but we continue looking for Angel. She's our top priority now."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" For a long time, they said nothing. But the empull/em was always there, roiling them in, growing stronger with each heartbeat. Beneath the surface was a reeling undertow of beauty and rage, of love and fury, of passion and wrath. The icy chill of night surrounded them, drifting on as if they didn't exist, although the two couldn't have been more aware of each other./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Boomer?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mm."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Can you… Is it alright if you stay around? A little longer."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Always."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She called from somewhere in the forest, beyond the mist. Nox squinted, her eyes trying to cut through the distraction around her. She hated these mortal eyes. Her clothes were damp and clung to her skin, her hair frizzy and speckled with misty dew. An icy current tickled the back of her neck. Over her shoulder, she gave the thick fog a long, distrustful look./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Angel?" Nox called her name. "Angel! Where are you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox whirled around, then inhaled sharply. Angel's tiny silhouette strolled through the fog. She was walking away from her. Nox darted towards her child. "Angel! Turn around!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mum?" Angel picked up her pace, but she was headed in the wrong direction./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Angel, I'm here! I'm here!" Something was holding Nox back, as if she were trying to walk underwater and her legs wouldn't move fast enough./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mum?" Angel's voice called out again, but it sounded even more distant, the echo ricocheting off the trees. By now, she was a speck of brown dust in the fog, fading away./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox's foot caught against an tree's root protruding from the ground. She collapsed on her stomach. When she looked up again, Angel was gone. Nox screamed Angel's name at the top of her lungs, but her cries went unanswered./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox slammed her fists into the dirt, cursing herself for not running fast enough. For failing to protect Angel. For leaving her alone./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Then, footsteps. Somewhere within the fog./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Through the sudden tears that blurred her vision, Nox's eyes flicked up. Angel was walking back towards her. Her white glowing eyes sliced through the mist like knives./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox uttered a sigh in relief. "Thank God. I thought you were lost forever. You scared me so much!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Angel didn't respond./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox squinted again, then gasped./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The Superior's silhouette towered beside her. His hand clasped her shoulder, almost possessively. Perfectly straight white teeth gleamed through the mist. "She's mine now. And so are you. Come quietly, and I can promise you a painless process."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" He reached out, seizing her throat and dragging her to her knees. His vice-like grip shut off her airway. Through hazy vision, she saw his steely, cobalt blue eyes burn into hers./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She gave a strangled cry. "No— No!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sat upright in her dorm bed. "Lloyd!"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She glanced beside her. Lloyd wasn't there, only cold wrinkled bed sheets. The clock read 3 AM./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sighed, burying her face in her hands. She wasn't used to not sleeping beside Lloyd, and without the comfort of Angel near. 48 hours had passed, and there was still no sign of Angel, or the Superior. Not even Timber could track her down./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She threw the sheets off her and slipped out of bed. After tugging on her rebel uniform and combat boots, she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and checked the hallway./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" The corridors were dark, and she could faintly hear the team snoring from their dorms./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox quietly made her way past their rooms, stopping to check Lloyd's dorm. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, murmuring incoherent words. His arms were extended to the side, and she briefly remembered him saying he was used to sleeping like that. While living as a prisoner of war, he would be left in chains and often slept that way for days. She felt a twinge of guilt in her heart, but then reminded herself why she left him. Nobody was safe as long as they were together./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She slipped past security cameras and made her way outside, into the forest. The humidity immediately overwhelmed her, her uniform sticking to her skin. Her hair was matted, and she shivered against the freezing air. A full moon crested above the distant mountain terrain, casting moonlight and jagged shadows across the landscape. Her breath crystallized into the air./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" She had to do this; Angel was depending on her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Footsteps./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Behind her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox whirled around, prepared for anything— Then she realized she left her weapons back at the base. Not like she was avoiding getting captured. Nox caught a familiar whiff in the air. She didn't need powers to know the scent of demolition ashes. "Boomer?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Silence reigned for a few long moments. Then, Boomer leaped down from one of the tree branches, his white shirt tightly hugging his broad shoulders and lithe body build. He watched Nox with soft blue eyes. "It's late. You should be back at base."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox crossed her arms and scoffed. "Shouldn't emyou/em be back at the base?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer was silent for a moment. "Etrius assigned me watch duty for the night."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox slapped her forehead. Of course. There was always someone up during the night hours, patrolling the base. She should have been more careful and taken the back exit./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Without warning, Boomer closed the distance between them, his close proximity so painfully familiar. "Nox. You don't have to do this."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox's breath caught. "Do—What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Don't play stupid, Nox. I know what you're trying to do, and it won't work. The Superior won't simply give back Angel because you forfeit your life. He doesn't play by those rules. He doesn't play by any rules."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox curled her hands into fists. "emWhat do you expect me to do/em?" She hissed. "Just sit here and do nothing? Angel is still out there, alive. I can feel it. And don't ask me how, I just can. I won't rest until I have her back, and by God I'll relinquish my own freedom if it comes to that." She didn't realize she was crying until her vision became a hazy blur./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer stroked her arms, bringing her into a gentle hug. Not a crushing, relentless one that usually broke someone's neck. But one that was soft, deep and caring. "Nox… Look what you're doing to yourself. It scares me to see you like this. As much as I hate that bastard Lloyd, I finally saw that you were happy with him. You denied yourself that happiness, and now you're willing to give up your freedom and possibly your life. Please, stop. You're hurting the team."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox shook her head. "I can't be with Lloyd."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Why not?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I already told everyone. The longer we stay together, the worse it will be for us, for the team, and for Angel."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Something undecipherable stirred in Boomer's eyes. After a heartbeat, he said, "You divorced Lloyd to make it easier. So when you gave yourself up to the Superior, it would make your time more bearable knowing you're not married."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Yes. I mean, no. I mean— …It's complicated."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "It always is."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox frowned, shoving Boomer away. "Stay out of my way, Boomer. I mean it. This is my decision, and I'll do as I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" A pair of hot, smoldering lips met hers, immediately melting away her defenses. Her eyes widened, but she couldn't bring herself to argue back. A secret world opened up between them, one that was strange as it was familiar. She felt a hollow hole in her heart become mended, filled with light, passion, and unspoken promises. She felt herself drown within him, and it took all her mental strength to simply breathe./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox didn't open her eyes until the moment Boomer withdrew. He quickly glanced away and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry," He said quickly. "I didn't know how else to react. But I can't let you go, Nox."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox remained silent, her lips burning where Boomer had kissed her./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I shouldn't have done that. I know. You belong to Lloyd, and—"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "I don't belong to anyone," Nox interjected without emotion. "Lloyd and I are divorced. There's no changing that."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Boomer held her close, holding her head fervently. "Please don't go. We'll find another way. You told me before that there's emalways/em another way, and you've proved that so many times."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" Nox sighed, the heaviness in her soul being lifted. "Alright. I'll stay, but we continue looking for Angel. She's our top priority now."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" For a long time, they said nothing. But the empull/em was always there, roiling them in, growing stronger with each heartbeat. Beneath the surface was a reeling undertow of beauty and rage, of love and fury, of passion and wrath. The icy chill of night surrounded them, drifting on as if they didn't exist, although the two couldn't have been more aware of each other./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Boomer?"/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Mm."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;" "Can you… Is it alright if you stay around? A little longer."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: #fffffa;""Always."/p