We head out to the taxi where Cole is waiting with his ever cheerful smile.
“Nice to see you both again.” He greets warmly, his tone casual and tinged with genuine friendliness.
“And may I just say, you’re looking much better, young lady.” He adds. I nod back politely, offering a smile.
“Well, it helps that no one has tried to blow me up in a couple of days.” I respond wryly. Cole laughs, the sound light and unforced.
“Fair point. Hop in, both of you. I’ll get you where you need to go, and I suppose you have questions too.” He says casually as he climbs into the driver’s seat, I exchange a glance with Lukas before sliding into the backseat. Cole remains as strange as ever, and a small, irrational part of me still clings to the hope that he’ll suddenly decide to kidnap us, saving me from this dreaded family lunch.
“Where to?” Cole asks, glancing at us in the rearview mirror.
“My parents’ house.” I say, my reluctance in my tone.
“It’s at-” I begin, but Cole cuts me off with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“I know where it is.” He replies confidently, pulling out onto the road with a smooth turn of the wheel. I blink, momentarily stunned.
“And… Why do you know where my parents live? Or who they are, for that matter?” I ask, doing my best to keep my voice calm despite the unease creeping in. Cole shrugs, his tone nonchalant.
“I make it my business to know useful things. One of those useful things happens to be the locations of powerful witches’ homes. Although, until we met the other day, it hadn’t occurred to me that it might involve you.” He says thoughtfully. I frown, caught between suspicion and confusion.
“I’m not powerful.” I argue quickly, though Lukas’s scoff interrupts me.
“I beg to differ.” He says softly, his voice carrying an edge of conviction that surprises me.
“I’m not.” I insist, crossing my arms over my chest.
“That display the other day was a fluke. A one time thing. I won’t be able to do anything like that again.” I say firmly. Lukas shrugs, but Cole chuckles, shaking his head.
“In my experience, if you can accomplish something once, you can usually accomplish it again, given time.” He points out. I frown. Technically, I suppose that’s true. But it would take me months to build up that kind of magic again, and if this situation drags on for months, I’ll be very annoyed. I’m already blowing through all my accrued leave at work, and I don’t need another crisis to add to the pile.
“Who are you?” Lukas suddenly demands, he asked this question last time, but I suppose he’s hoping for a better answer. Cole hums thoughtfully, as if weighing his words.
“I already told you that. I’m Cole.” He replies casually, fiddling with the air conditioner controls. The car is already freezing, and I silently hope he’s turning it off. Lukas isn’t deterred.
“You told us your name, but who are you really?” He pushes on.
“I’m no one anymore.” Cole answers quietly, a note of sadness creeping into his voice.
“Anymore?” I ask curiously.
“Who did you used to be?” He hesitates, then sighs.
“I used to be important. Powerful, even. But not anymore.” He admits. I glance at Lukas, I figure that he has more questions, but he gestures for me to keep going, sensing that Cole seems more inclined to open up to me.
“What happened?” I ask gently.
“I learned what it was to be important to someone, not because of power, but because of who I am. So I gave it all up.” He explains, his voice soft and most definitely unhappy. I frown, his words sparking more questions than answers.
“How does that make you no one? Surely you’re still someone to the person you gave it all up for.” I question. I’m not sure I’m even digging for information anymore, I just want to understand this strange person. Cole sighs heavily, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.
“No, that was part of what I gave up.” He admits, his voice barely above a whisper. The weight of his words settles over the car. Why do I suspect that this person he’s talking about is a woman? And why do I suspect that he’s more than a little bit heartbroken. I’m not sure how much I trust Cole, but I definitely feel bad for him, and I desperately want to cheer him up.
“What about your friend? You said you were worried about a friend.” I remind him, hoping to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. Cole tenses visibly, his jaw tightening.
“That particular friend doesn’t know I’m a friend.” He says, his tone guarded. It seems like this is a sore spot that he doesn’t want to talk about too much, so I don’t force it.
“Well, if it helps at all, you’re not no one to me. If you hadn’t shown up the other night, I might very well be dead. And whoever this person is that you care about… They’re lucky to have you.” I say softly. Cole doesn’t respond immediately. For a moment, the car is silent except for the hum of the engine and the distant sound of tires on asphalt. Finally, he glances at me in the rearview mirror, a small, grateful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Thank you.” He says simply, then he reaches out and turns up the volume on the radio, not so subtly indicating that he’s done talking.
We pull up at my parents' house, and I immediately feel like turning and running away. The house looms large and welcoming, a picture perfect place that I used to adore. I fight the urge to groan aloud, gripping the car door handle as if it might somehow anchor me. Lukas pats my hand reassuringly.
“It won’t be so bad, and I’ll be there with you.” He says, his tone calm and steady. His words are meant to be comforting, but they barely register. I glance at him, appreciating the gesture even though it doesn’t help one bit. Still, I made my decision earlier and I’m not backing out now. I take a deep breath and reluctantly climb out of the car. Cole, still seated in the driver’s seat, gives us a cheerful smile.
“How much do we owe you?” I ask, reaching for my purse. Cole laughs, waving a dismissive hand.
“Your money’s no good to me.” He replies with a twinkle in his eye. Why is it that whenever he says something, it feels like it has a dozen different meanings.
“But-” I start, already feeling guilty for owing this guy yet another favor.
“No, seriously.” He interrupts, his tone firm but kind. “
I don’t need it. But…” He trails off, hesitating for the first time since we’ve met. There’s something unusually serious about his demeanor now.
“But?” I prompt, leaning slightly forward. Lukas steps closer to me, clearly just as intrigued as I am.
“The two of you…” Cole begins, his voice quieter now.
“You’re looking for someone terrible. And I’m inclined to think that eventually, you might find what you’re looking for.” He pauses, letting his words hang in the air. Lukas and I exchange a glance, silently urging him to continue.
“If you do, then, as a favor to me, I’d like you to remember something.” He hesitates again. I tilt my head, curiosity burning.
“And what might that be?” Lukas asks, his tone careful but direct. Cole leans back in his seat and sighs heavily.
“Remember that there are terrible people, and there are good people who make terrible mistakes.” He says each word carefully and clearly. Then, before either of us can ask what he means or why it matters, Cole shifts gears.
“That’s all. Take care of yourselves.” He says lightly, his cheerfulness returning as abruptly as it had faded. Then, without giving us time to respond, he drives away, turning around the corner and vanishing from sight. He leaves us standing on the curb with more questions than answers.
“I have no idea if that was useful or not.” I comment. Lukas shakes his head, his expression thoughtful.
“Me either. He’s a strange man.” He agrees. There’s a pause before he adds, almost to himself, “But… I don’t think he’s bad. If anything he just seems… Sad.” He concludes.
“I couldn’t agree more.”