Chapter Text
Shadow pulled the door of the penthouse shut behind them and fastened the locks. Rouge peered over his shoulder and raised her eyebrows. ‘Have you thought about adding a crossbar police lock?’
‘Yes,’ Shadow said. ‘But you said it would look terrible, and that it would be a pain in the ass to install –’
‘I was joking, hon.’
Shadow sighed and spun his keys on one finger, slipping them into his pocket as they walked off. ‘Hmph.’
Rouge put her arm through his and pulled him closer as they walked. ‘You would install an automated turret outside our front door if I let you. What are you honestly expecting to happen?’
The crimson carpet passed beneath their feet, and the subtle gold finishes on the apartment doors glimmered beneath the dim downlights. Despite himself, Shadow tensed. He couldn’t help it. Every time they left their home, his ears pricked up and his pulse quickened. He might not be expecting anything to happen, but his body was. Old habits died hard – and in his case, they also died slowly.
‘… You’re the one who decided to settle for a shell-shocked military veteran,’ Shadow muttered. ‘Don’t be surprised that it does what it says on the tin.’
Rouge dug her fingers into his arm. ‘I don’t settle, darling. And I’m not surprised.’
They drew to a halt, and Shadow pressed the button for the elevator. He still remembered when he and Rouge had first moved here. She’d originally moved in with him at another apartment in Central City. She had been the one who had helped him find that apartment – a place that he could call his own. She had helped him so many times over the years. Bittersweet as it was, he supposed that it was only fair that the time had come for him to return the favour.
‘What are you thinking about?’
The elevator bell dinged, and Shadow gently flicked one of her ears as they stepped inside. ‘I’m surprised you can’t hear my thoughts with those oversized ears of yours.’
Rouge leaned against the railing of the elevator cage and glared at him. ‘Oh, very funny. Do tell me what I’m missing out on.’
Her retort was so swift that it caught him off guard. He coughed, masking a laugh, and the doors slid shut. ‘That was uncalled for.’
Rouge began ticking things off on her fingers. ‘You don’t need to tell me. I can guess what’s going on up there.’ She gave him a wry smile. ‘Your bike, your guns, and protecting the world from total annihilation.’
‘Most people can hold four separate things in their working memory at once.’
Rouge rolled her eyes. ‘Spare a thought for your poor Chao, then, you deadbeat –’
‘I’m not “most people”. I can hold at least five.’
‘Oh, really?’ Rouge bit her lip, no doubt biting back a laugh. ‘Then what’s the fifth?’ When he didn’t answer right away, her smile faded. Maybe she was wondering if the fifth thing wasn’t a thing at all, but a person – one whom he had lost over a century ago. Rouge wasn’t entirely wrong. He had been thinking of a person, but it wasn’t who she thought it was.
‘It’s you.’ Shadow leaned against the railing as well, and their hands touched. ‘But you’re not fifth. You’re first. You’re the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning.’ He glanced at the rows of metal numbers above their heads. As the floors fell away, the numbers illuminated one by one. ‘If I take one of my rings off, maybe I can manage six –’
Rouge kissed him so suddenly that it caught him off guard. Adrenaline flooded his body, and he had to remind himself that he was safe. He’d spent so many years working in the field, operating with hair-trigger reflexes and a body wracked by the symptoms of PTSD. Even after all this time, he still had to force his fur to lie flat when he got startled.
He slipped one hand around Rouge’s waist and kissed her back, tasting faint traces of roses and sugar. It was only earlier this morning that he’d told Rouge his startle reflexes weren’t as bad as they used to be, and it was true. Even so, muscle memory was a hard thing to fight. He had been wired to be a weapon. He had been built for a purpose, but he had slowly learned how to rebel against the anger and violence that was coded into his very DNA. More often than not, he found himself slipping his fingers into the handle of a French press rather than beneath the trigger guard of a gun.
He had found a new life and a new purpose … and it was all thanks to her.
Reluctantly, Shadow broke the kiss. The elevator would reach the ground floor at any moment. While he and Rouge had no reason to hide their relationship, he still preferred to show his affections behind closed doors. She had earned the right to see this side of himself, but the rest of the world had not.
Rouge tipped her head to one side, studying his eyes. Then she grasped the zipper of his leather jacket and began to lower it. A faint, metallic clicking filled his ears.
Shadow placed one hand on hers, forcing her to stop. ‘We don’t have time for this.’
Rouge gave him a flirtatious smile and said, ‘You have the power to stop time. I think we’ve got a few minutes.’
Shadow could see his conflicted expression reflected in Rouge’s eyes. He had all the time in the world, and they both knew it. But even after all these years, he still struggled with letting himself be vulnerable. He could bring all of time to a grinding halt in order to safely lower his guard, but it never felt like enough. It never felt safe enough. He knew that he had enough power to protect Rouge and himself from any threat … but his body refused to accept reality, and making excuses was easier than admitting his own weaknesses.
‘I thought you didn’t want me to waste my powers on trivial things,’ Shadow said quietly.
For an instant, Rouge hesitated. Despite how close they had become, it was rare to see her falter. She was so confident, alluring and suave that it was hard to tell where the persona ended and where the woman began.
’My “wants” aren’t trivial,’ Rouge said. ‘And I want you.’
Shadow’s heart skipped a beat. Green light flooded the darkness, like a swirl of fireflies on a summer evening, and the world turned grey. The two of them stood in deafening silence, like two technicolour characters in a monochrome film. He hadn’t materialised the Emerald, nor had he said the two words that would bring time to a halt. His powers had manifested on their own, born out of a subconscious impulse.
For years, he had only allowed himself to fulfil his basic needs. His wants had been inconsequential. He hadn’t felt like he deserved the luxury of pursuing his desires. He had prided himself on his self-discipline – a meagre consolation during difficult times. Rouge, however, was his complete opposite. She was his foil. She selfishly and unabashedly pursued anything and everything she wanted, whether it was a jewel, a treasure or a person. She wouldn’t stop until she got what her heart desired. She valued her own happiness … and she had taught him how to do the same.
Shadow let go of Rouge’s hand, and the zipper pull gleamed in her gloved fingertips. ‘Far be it from me to stand in the way of what you want.’
Rouge’s gaze warmed, and with a final, metallic click, his jacket came undone. ‘Good boy.’
‘Good boy?’ Shadow asked dryly. ‘I’m 36 years older than you –‘
She silenced him with a kiss and slipped her hands beneath his jacket. Her fingertips travelled the contours of his chest, and his breathing became laboured. ‘… Less talking, darling.’
Shadow felt himself beginning to soften. She had changed so little, even before her illness. She still flirted with him like the young woman who had never known how to take no for an answer. She had always lived like she was going to be young forever, even before her understanding of time became clouded. The two of them were living outside of time, but in very different ways.
Shadow abruptly entwined his fingers in the belt loops of her jeans and pulled her closer, steadying himself against the elevator railing as they kissed. She pressed into him, and he felt the familiar weight and warmth of her denim-clad hips between his thighs. The metal railing felt like ice against his back, and he could feel the gentle thud of his pulse echoing through his body. He slipped his hands beneath her jacket, caressing the bases of her wings.
He still prided himself on his self-discipline, but he could feel himself weakening. He was tempted to hold her close and whisk her back to their bedroom in a prismatic green flash … but he had been the one who had said that they would have all day and all night together.
‘You’re awfully quiet,’ Rouge murmured. ‘No one can hear us, you know.’
Shadow loosened her jacket with a twitch of his hand, and it gathered around her elbows, baring her shoulders. ‘You’re right.’ He lowered his head and kissed her neck so deeply that he elicited a startled gasp. A faint laugh rumbled in his chest. His hands met behind her back, beneath the soft cotton of her halter top. His fingertips grazed a hook-and-eye closure, and desire stirred in the pit of his stomach. He could feel his self-control beginning to slip.
How was it possible to want someone so badly when they were already yours?
Shadow exhaled, lowering his hands to her waist. His breath clouded against the elevator’s mirrored walls. Then he gently pulled her jacket back up over her shoulders. ‘Come on. It might be easy for me to stop time, but it’s not effortless.’
‘What’s the big hurry?’ Rouge rested one hand on his chest, against his heart, and her gloved fingers sank into his white fur. ‘It’s not like we have anywhere to be.’
‘I’m not holding up the elevator just so we can keep making out –’
She kissed his neck, and for the briefest instant, her fangs grazed the tender hollow above his collarbone. It wasn’t a bite, but the sensation still made him feel like there was electricity arcing between his bones. His knees buckled, his resolve faltered, and he couldn’t stifle the soft noise that escaped him.
‘Are you sure about that?’ Rouge asked. Her breath was gentle on his neck, and the green glow that briefly swirled around them undermined his words. ‘Because that’s not what it looks like.’
Shadow felt himself weakening even further. He had known from the very beginning that opening his heart to someone else would be a risk. The bonds that people forged while working together in the military were so strong that sometimes, they became something even stronger – love, not camaraderie. But those bonds could also become a double-edged sword. If your love was strong enough, then you might prioritise your partner over the outcome of a mission. Some people weren’t strong enough to make the right choice when torn between saving the world and saving the person they loved.
He didn’t know what would happen if he ever had to make that choice. He had come dangerously close several times. But he hoped that if nothing else, his strength and power would allow him to save both. He hoped that he would never have to choose between protecting the world that Maria had loved and saving the woman that he adored.
Shadow held Rouge in his arms and briefly closed his eyes, feeling the weight of her head against his shoulder and the delicate pressure of her fingertips on his chest.
Rouge might be his weakness … but she had given him the opportunity to live a semblance of a normal life. It was a gift that he would always be grateful for. He wondered if she realised that she was the sole weakness of a living weapon – if she truly knew that she was capable of causing him to become wholly, completely and utterly undone.
Shadow let her go and gently removed her hand from the zipper, fastening his jacket once again. He briefly ran his hands over his quills. ‘Have some self-restraint, would you?’
‘You’re one to talk,’ Rouge drawled. ‘And that’s not how your powers work, by the way.’
‘Come again?’
‘You said you weren’t going to hold up the elevator. But by the time that time resumes, the elevator will never have stopped moving …’ She held her finger to her lips with a coy smile. ‘… And as far as anyone else knows, this rendezvous will never have occurred.’
‘It was a slip of the tongue.’ Shadow glared at her. ‘Are you attempting to explain my own powers to me?’
‘Someone has to. You’re still failing to grasp their … potential.’
The elevator bell chimed, and she flitted through the doors, winking at him over his shoulder. Shadow realised that his mouth had fallen open, and he promptly shut it with a sharp click of his teeth. As he followed her, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirrors. His fur was still ruffled, and his face was flushed, illuminated with warmth.
… You’re one to talk.
Shadow’s expression immediately darkened, and he strode after her, tightly crossing his arms over his chest. He could still feel her warmth within the depths of his leather jacket. He had to bite the inside of his mouth to suppress a smile.
He fell back into step with Rouge, and she slipped her arm through his once again. Their shoes clicked on the marble foyer of the apartment building, and the background noise of conversation filled his ears.
‘Where are we going?’ Rouge asked.
The question took Shadow by surprise. Both then and now, she usually took the initiative. On the rare occasion that he took the lead, it was often because she had coaxed him to. ‘Where do you want to go?’
‘Nice try. I asked first.’
Shadow listened to the rumble of street traffic, shielding his eyes against the sun that was pouring through the foyer windows. ‘All right. Can you walk in those shoes? Or should we take the motorcycle?’
Rouge raised her eyebrows. ‘Sure … I’d love to ride your motorcycle.’
All of Shadow’s efforts to cool his ardour immediately collapsed, and he walked face-first into a marble column. A loud crack echoed through the foyer, drawing a baffled glance from one of the apartment building’s receptionists.
Shadow staggered backwards, and Rouge steadied him. He rubbed his jaw with a wince. ‘… You truly are shameless.’
‘Don’t I know it? I’ve been saving that one up, you know.’ She bit back her smile and brushed traces of marble dust from his shoulder. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine,’ Shadow muttered, and they walked towards the doors of the foyer.
‘Wonderful.’ Rouge smirked and said, ‘I thought I might have used that one already, but clearly not.’
‘… Is it a special occasion?’
‘Oh, come on. You look cute when you’re flustered, and I’ve already got you hot and bothered –‘
‘Damn it all to hell,’ Shadow muttered. ‘I hope you like walking, because I’m not letting you within a 100 yards of my bike after this.’
The doorman opened the doors for them, and Rouge gave the man a sunny smile. ‘Thank you … Earl.’
The man’s eyes widened. He had been mistaken for James, the previous doorman, many a time. A broad grin broke out on Earl’s face, and he said, ‘Always a pleasure, ma’am.’ His gaze flicked to Shadow, and he added, ‘Sir.’
Shadow fought the urge to wince. The young man was only in his thirties, and he knew that his own age was an ill-kept secret. In a few more years, Shadow would have outlived the oldest living person on Earth. He gave Earl a quiet nod, and he and Rouge began to descend the steps.
The familiar soundtrack of Central City washed over them – footfalls of pedestrians, blaring horns, and the beep of pedestrian crossings. He could taste second-hand smoke from cigarettes. The ground gleamed, still wet from yesterday’s rainfall.
They began to walk down the sidewalk, and Rouge squeezed his arm, saying, ‘You never told me where we were going.’
‘You’ll see soon enough.’
Central City had changed in many ways over the decades, both large and small. The city’s famous tramlines had been transformed into suspended monorails. The Radical Highway Bridge still stood strong, but the iconic red paint was peeling, and the metal was becoming engulfed by rust. Even at street level, there were tiny differences. One of their favourite cafes had relocated to another district. A jewellery shop that Rouge frequently haunted had relocated to the opposite side of the street. The phone booths had been replaced with digital billboards.
Rouge tightened her grip on Shadow’s arm, looking around with wide, alert eyes. While her memory might be foggy, her eyes were still sharp. She’d always had an eye for detail, and she could always tell that the city they lived in wasn’t quite the same as the city that they’d known.
Shadow rested his hand on hers and gave her a brief kiss on the temple. She glanced at him, and her gaze was warm. There was only so much he could do to distract her. And from his own experience, he knew that if you used distractions as a crutch, then that crutch would break one day. Instead of distracting her, he tried to be a comforting presence – an arm to lean on as they walked through life together.
Shadow glanced around, keeping one eye on their surroundings and one eye on his partner. He knew Central City like the back of his hand, but it never hurt to be cautious. Admittedly, he was looking for different types of danger these days. He slipped a hand around Rouge’s waist, steering her away from a deep crack in the pavement. He heard the sound of a motor revving behind them, and he appeared on Rouge’s other side in an instant, walking along the shoulder of the road. A moment later, water splashed his legs, and a speeding car shot past.
‘Oh, dear,’ Rouge sighed. ‘You can’t catch a break today, can you?’
‘It’s just water.’ Shadow bit the inside of his mouth, forcing a neutral expression. ‘I needed to cool off anyway.’
Rouge was so startled that she nearly tripped over another crack in the concrete, and he swiftly steadied her. It occurred to him that for all their military training and skill, the two of them were still susceptible to … distraction.
They turned the corner, and Shadow caught a glimpse of a familiar blue awning at the far end of the street. Rouge’s illness wasn’t static – sometimes she remembered things that they had done mere days ago, and sometimes she was simply living in the past. But regardless of whether she remembered this particular cafe, she always enjoyed the coffee and pancakes there.
Ahead of them, an older man drew to a halt, checking his watch. He was dressed in a navy suit, and he had a grey crewcut. His posture was straight, as though he had a steel rod down his spine. As they drew closer, the man looked up sharply and his mismatched eyes widened with recognition, as did Shadow’s own.
Rouge let go of Shadow’s arm and ran forward. Her feet left the ground, and she joined the man with a swift flap of her wings, shaking him by the shoulder. ‘Abe! I almost didn’t recognise you out of uniform!’
For a moment, the sound of the traffic faded. Shadow stood in silence, staring at the two of them. Then he snapped back to reality and slipped his hands into his pockets, walking over to join them.
The man froze, and he glanced at Shadow. Then he exhaled and gave Rouge a reluctant nod. ‘… Agent Rouge.’
Shadow reached out, taking Rouge’s hand as she alighted on the ground. He took a deep breath and looked up. A strange, indescribable emotion filled his chest. There were slight differences, of course. The lines on the man’s face weren’t quite as deep, and his gaze wasn’t as tired … but the person standing in front of them was still the spitting image of his grandfather.
‘… Commander Tower,’ Shadow said.
‘Gosh, you’re so formal,’ Rouge complained, leaning on Shadow’s shoulder with her elbow. ‘Why don’t you stand at attention while you’re at it?’
The commander gave Shadow a stiff nod. ‘Agent Shadow. I trust you’ve both been keeping well.’
‘Sure, sure. It’s not like we’ve been keeping busy.’ Rouge gave the commander an unimpressed look. ‘Don’t you have any missions for us?’
Confusion flashed across the commander’s face. Then he cleared his throat. ‘Your combined efforts have made things more … peaceful than they were. I’m afraid that there simply aren’t that many missions available that require agents of your calibre.’
‘Come on,’ Rouge pleaded. She took the commander’s hand, and he looked down at her in surprise. ‘We’ll take anything. Code-breaking. Demolitions. We’re bored out of our minds, Abraham … and it’s not like we don’t know how to amuse ourselves.’ She gave Shadow an unsubtle wink, and he glared at her, slicing one hand across his neck.
The commander coughed. ‘I’m sorry, but there isn’t anything on offer. We’ll be in touch if and when something comes up.’ As he disentangled Rouge’s fingers from his hands, he stared at Shadow. His expression was unreadable.
‘Ugh, fine.’ Rouge turned her back on the commander and beckoned to Shadow. ‘Come on. Let’s get out of here.’
Shadow glanced between her and the commander. He hesitated. ‘You go on ahead. I’ll be with you in a moment.’
‘But –‘
‘There’s a jewellery shop next to the cafe –’
Rouge spun on her heel and flitted down the street before he could finish his sentence. Shadow leaned against the wall beside the sidewalk, keeping one eye on the doors of the boutique. He exhaled and glanced at the commander.
‘What do you want, Jacob?’
Abraham Tower’s grandson adjusted one of his cufflinks, then he rested his hands in his suit pockets. ‘I wanted to talk to you … but I imagine that you would prefer it if Rouge wasn’t present.’
Shadow narrowed his eyes. ‘I’m not helping you unless you actually need my services. You better have a damn good reason for bothering me –‘
‘I said I wanted to talk. If I wanted to offer you another military contract, then I would be upfront about it.’
Shadow forced his hackles to lie flat, and he sighed. ‘So? You’ve got five minutes until Rouge steals everything in that store. Start talking.’
Jacob followed Shadow’s gaze, and they saw a dark flash of Rouge’s wings behind the shop window. ‘Have you both actually been keeping well?’
Shadow’s brow creased. ‘As well as can be expected.’
‘You know … If Rouge is looking for something to do, there are plenty of other three-letter agencies who would want to work with her.’
‘I’m aware.’
Shadow caught a glimpse of GUN’s former headquarters in the distance, between several skyscrapers. The organisation had dissolved during the War to Take Back the Planet, and numerous agencies and paramilitary groups had sprung up to fill the resulting gap. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, but Shadow had made his peace with the fact that there were very few differences between these organisations and GUN itself. They had all attempted to do good in spite of themselves, and they were just as corrupt and incompetent as each other.
Shadow cleared his throat and said, ‘We’ve had this conversation before. Rouge is already retired, even if she doesn’t realise it.’
‘The FBI and CIA don’t have upper age limits for certain roles.’
[
‘She’s not fit for combat.’
‘… I wasn’t talking about field work. We’re always looking for new people in cryptanalysis and cyber operations, and she’s one of the most brilliant operatives we’ve ever worked with –’
‘You don’t get it, do you?’ Shadow glanced up as a monorail glided past above their heads. ‘Each time you give us one of these offers, the world has changed even more. The programs you want her to hack into have evolved. The codes you want her to break are virtually unrecognisable. Hell, the bombs you want her to defuse are even more dangerous. She’s more than capable of relearning all of this new technology with each and every mission you can give her, but …’
A delivery robot rolled down the sidewalk, bumping into Shadow’s shoe, before continuing on its way. A self-driving car cruised past in silence. The camera lens above a nearby digital billboard glittered, scanning their faces and loading an advertisement for a men’s cologne. Shadow grimaced and said, ‘… But what’s the point of using a person for this kind of work when you can just use a machine?’
Jacob looked the billboard up and down, and he raised his eyebrows slightly. Then he shrugged. ‘We do use AI for codebreaking and hacking now. But it’s a brute-force method. It’s like using a battering ram instead of a lockpick. People can see things that machines can’t.’ His expression softened slightly. ‘… And Rouge can see things that we can’t.’
‘… Rouge isn’t bored, despite what she says,’ Shadow muttered. ‘She’s just living in the past. She’s happy … most of the time.’
‘And what about you?’
Shadow stiffened, and he crossed his arms. ‘She’s not a child who needs to be kept occupied, and I enjoy spending time with her.’
‘That’s not what I said.’ Jacob narrowed his eyes, and Shadow saw a brief flash of Abraham’s stern gaze. ‘I didn’t say anything, for that matter. I only asked how you were doing.’
Shadow glared at him and began to tap one foot on the ground. ‘I know that you’re only doing your job. But you need to tell your superiors that if they keep trying to recruit Rouge, then I won’t assist you any more –‘
‘My job?’ Jacob scoffed, and he seemed to be in disbelief. ‘Unlike my grandfather, I’m not married to my work.’ His expression tightened. ‘I’m not here as a commander or a colleague. I’m here because my grandfather asked me to look out for you and Rouge before he died.’
Shadow’s hands fell to his sides, and he stepped back. He and Jacob had worked together many times over the years, whether in the field or in the headquarters of a military organisation. There was an unspoken agreement between them that when all else failed, Shadow would briefly leave Rouge’s side and undertake what could only be described as suicide missions if he weren’t immortal. There was also an unspoken acknowledgement of the shared history between their families – the Robotniks and the Towers.
‘Is this your idea of looking out for us?’ Shadow muttered. He bit his lip and said, ‘I’ve lived many years in service to the dying wishes of others. Neither Abraham nor I would want you to make the same mistakes that we did. Even if you’re trying to help … harassing me and forcing Rouge out of retirement isn’t the way to go about it.’
Jacob leaned down and put a hand on Shadow’s shoulder. Unlike Abraham, his movements weren’t stiff. The awkward tension that had derived from the bad blood between Shadow and GUN’s former commander simply wasn’t … there. ‘You know that’s not what I’m offering you. Hell, we could even send Rouge some packets of test cryptograms to give her something to do if you let us.’
Shadow gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to crack a smile. ‘Her memory may be worsening, but she’s too smart for that. She’d know that the codes aren’t real.’
Jacob sighed. ‘It’s that level of intuition that makes her skills so valuable, but I digress.’ He squeezed Shadow’s shoulder. ’The offer will still be on the table if you change your mind.’
‘Don’t hold your breath.’
‘I wasn’t planning to.’ Jacob stared down at Shadow for a moment, then he heaved a sigh. ‘Look, Shadow. My parents aren’t as young as they used to be. My little sister is the one who takes care of them, but I know that being someone’s full-time caretaker isn’t easy. I know that you must be taking good care of Rouge, but … just don’t forget to take care of yourself too.’
Shadow stared down at Jacob’s hand, fighting the urge to shrug it off. For a fleeting moment, he wished that Abraham were able to see what kind of man his grandson had become. Jacob may have followed in Abraham’s footsteps and joined the military … but he hadn’t let the tragedy of the past consume him. With each generation that passed, the rifts between the Robotnik and Tower families were gradually beginning to close.
Shadow heard the sound of chiming metal, and he turned to see Rouge stroll out of the door of the jewellery store. ‘I have to go –’
‘Shadow.’ Jacob removed his hand, and he began to twist one of his cufflinks.
‘Make it quick.’
‘My grandchild was born last week.’ Jacob’s gaze softened, and for a moment, Shadow was falling through time, hearing Abraham’s voice saying the exact same words in his earpiece, all those years ago. ‘I was wondering if you’d like to meet her … For old times’ sake.’
Shadow cleared his throat, fighting a surge of emotion. ‘What’s her name?’
‘… Saiya.’
Shadow said nothing for a moment. Then he turned and walked off, raising one hand in farewell. ‘I’ll think about it.’ He reappeared on the other side of the street in a flash, taking Rouge’s arm as though he’d never left.
She laughed and fell into step with him. A new necklace glittered above her cleavage, and Shadow gave the cashier inside the jewellery shop a half-hearted wave. The woman’s eyes widened, and she spun around, staring at one of the display cabinets. Then she threw up her hands in resignation and waved back. Shadow heaved a sigh as he and Rouge walked beneath the awning of the cafe next door. He must have a tab open at every jewellery store in Central City by now.
‘Well?’ Rouge asked. ‘What did the commander want?’
‘He asked me if I wanted to meet his granddaughter.’
Rouge’s mouth fell open. ‘Abraham has a granddaughter now?’ She leaned past Shadow, but the commander had already left, disappearing into the city’s backstreets. ‘Oh, that’s precious. Did he tell you what her name was?’
Shadow swallowed a lump in his throat and said, ‘Her name is Saiya.’
Rouge’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, sweetheart. “Saiya” means –’
‘I know what it means,’ Shadow said abruptly.
Rouge rapped her knuckles on one of his inhibitors and sighed. ‘These rings are meant to inhibit your powers, not your emotions.’ Then she acknowledged the waitress waiting to seat them with a dainty flick of her fingers. ‘Table for two, darling.’
Shadow followed her inside, casting one last glance over his shoulder at where the commander had stood mere moments ago.
’Saiya’ had numerous meanings in different languages. One meaning was ‘strength’. Another meaning was ‘always with you’. But one of the most well-known meanings was … ‘shadow’.
Shadow felt Rouge slip her arm through his, and he half-smiled, following her through the cafe’s doors.