"Dance?" I cry, as Beau raises an eyebrow beside me. "Here? In the sparring room? There isn't even any music-" not to mention that would be extremely awkward, I think to myself, as Harks merely shrugs.

"We're not going to be judging your dancing skills Medley, we just would like to see how you have improved... if at all." Burris gives me an encouraging nod, causing me to give him an annoyed glare.

"But why do we need to do this now?" I ask frustratedly, "We still have the evaluation tomorrow!"

Harks snorts and runs a hand through his hair. "Ah, but how convenient is it that we have you two in this room right now? We've pretty much already covered the first half of my assessment, so why not just finish it off?"

I turn to glare at Harks, as Burris steps forward to place a hand on my shoulder, causing Beau to step back slightly. "Wouldn't you rather just get it over with Harper? That way, we can use tomorrow and Sunday to fully prepare for the mission."

I grit my teeth, even though the warmth that pulses from Burris' hand seems to help me relax slightly. I breathe out a furious sigh, blowing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes.

"Fine," I relent, turning to Beau. "Do you even know how to dance?"

Beau's pale eyes narrow slightly as he opens his mouth to answer, but Harks quickly cuts him off. "Of course he can dance! He's french for god's sake!"

"That doesn't mean he can dance," I drawl, as I hold my hand out towards Beau, who remains silent. "Are we going to do this or not?" I say irritatedly, trying to ignore the warning signals going off in my brain.

It's going to be fine... I'm going to be fine. I affirm in my head, as Beau takes my hand and draws it up to hold near his chest. I set my other hand down on his broad shoulder as he looks down at me, jade eyes hesitant as he places his left hand on my waist.

I press my lips together at the odd look he gives me, as we begin to move in a simple box-step pattern, my eyes darting over to where Burris and Harks watch us. Just when my eyes flick to Harks, Beau squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to him.

"You alright?" he says softly, glancing down to where his hand rests on my hip, as he guides me through the simple dance.

I stiffen slightly in remembrance, waiting for him to grip me by the lungs and squeeze until I collapse, but nothing happens as I continue to dance with Beau, staring into his bright jade eyes.

I can't help but smile slightly as Beau breathes out a sigh of relief.

Well thank god for that!

I glance back over to Harks and Burris to see if we can stop our awkward dance, my eyes taking in Burris' narrowed eyes and Harks as he taps his finger against his pursed lips. After a few seconds, he uncrosses his arms and gives me a satisfied nod

"Well, it seems you both have made progress," he says, taking a step forward. But just as Beau begins to let go of my hand, Harks hooks his foot under Beau's ankle and yanks it out from under him.

Beau gasps as he falls backward, my hand and waist pulled down with him when he crashes to the floor. My hands slam against his chest to keep our heads from colliding, as Beau looks up at me startledly.

"Harks what the hell!" I hear Burris yell, seeing him dart towards us from the corner of my eye. But Harks throws out a hand to stop him from reaching us, as more heat begins to pulse from Beau's body and seep into my skin.

"Just watch," Harks mutters, as my cheeks begin to flame.

My eyes dart between Beau's jade ones, waiting once again for the dreaded vine to wrap around my lungs as both Harks and Burris stare at us intensely.

But again, nothing happens, as a bead of sweat rolls down Beau's forehead.

"Harper-" he suddenly gasps, placing his hands and my arms. "You're... crushing me," he flinches, causing me to quickly scramble off him.

"Sorry," I mutter, rising to my feet beside him and holding out my hand. I pull Beau to his feet just as Harks rubs his chin thoughtfully, Burris glaring daggers into the back of his head as he takes us in.

"Well, I'd say you passed," Harks says. When he glances back at Burris and tsees his deadly glare, he merely shrugs. "What? Now we know for sure," he says, as Burris crosses his arms and takes a step towards him.
"That was still uncalled for. You may be able to rough handle your agents," Burris growls, stabbing a finger into Harks' face. "But you do not have to authority to do the same with mine."

Harks frowns as he stares at Burris, before shrugging. "Have it your way, but remember not to get too attached to your agents." he jabs, turning back to Beau and I.

"Well, good work Miss Medley, you've passed my evaluation," he says, giving me a small smile. "You are now bumped back up to your position as mission leader. We will begin preparations for your mission tomorrow." Burris crosses his arms as Harks gives us a dismissive nod. "I would suggest that you two get a good night's sleep, because we have a lot of work to do."

***

I did not, in fact, get a good night's sleep. I suppose making a deal with the devil doesn't seem to get rid of all of your problems.

I was currently running down the white-flashing halls of an empty hospital. I could tell that I was in a dream, but still... it all felt so real. My footsteps were hauntingly silent as I huffed out a breath and glanced back over my shoulder.

Chasing me was a dark figure, covered in dark splotches of red.

"Please!" I screamed over my shoulder, my cheeks streaked with tears. "I'm sorry for not saving you! I-I'm sorry," I choked out. One of my feet accidentally hooked around my ankle and sent me stumbling forward.

I tried to regain my balance, but something leather-like snaked around my ankle and yanked me to the floor. I felt myself gasp as I looked down to see a dark red vine wrapped around my foot, attaching me to the dark figure hovering over me.

"Some help you were," the figure darkly chuckled, as they stalked closer. My palms desperately slapped against the tiles of the hospital floor as I tried to scramble back, but the vine around my ankle suddenly dragged me forward toward the figure.

I stopped right before the person, as they knelt down and grabbed me by the chin. With a firm yank, the figure forced me to look up into their face, the lights above us flashing on to reveal him.

A pair of dull cobalt eyes stared back at me, a fraction of the brightness they used to be when he was alive. Bloodied strands of blond hair fall into his face as he looked down at me. My eyes flicked down to his chest, drawing in a sharp breath when I saw multiple bullet holes oozing blood.

"Greyson," I whimpered, my eyes flicking back up to look into his cobalt eyes as a sob rattled my throat. He huffed out a breath as I slowly lifted my hand to his face to cup his cheek. "I'm so sorry," I croaked, more tears dripping down from my eyes.

"That's the first time in a very long time that I've heard you say my name," he whispered, the white lights above us creating a heaven-like halo around his head as I stared up at him.

His cobalt eyes flicked down to my lips as I stroked his cheek with my thumb. "You know I never meant to let you get hurt, right?" I whispered as Greyson leaned forward slightly.

His lips began to form the beginnings of a word when suddenly he winced and pressed a hand to his chest, falling to his knees. The lights above grew brighter as Greyson rocked to the side, pressing a hand to the bloodied wounds on his chest.

"Greyson!" I gasped, catching him just before he hit the floor. "Greyson, I-" I bit my lip as I looked over his wounds. "How-what-"

"Harper," he whispered, causing me to still. His cobalt blue eyes flashed open to look up at me one last time as his lips parted. The hospital room around us blurred together as he repeated my name again, the sound too much for me to bear.

My vision completely cut out as a loud buzzing noise grew in my ears. A voice next to me said something urgently, but the loud noise in my ears drowned it out. Suddenly, a hand curled around my bicep and gently shook me.

"Harper? Are you listening? We don't have much time-" I heard Greyson say, but before he could finish the lights above us cut off, the darkness becoming an overwhelming pressure on my eyes.

"Greyson?" I called, no longer feeling his body in my hands. "Greyson!" I screamed, stumbling to my feet in the darkness.

So you do still care, how interesting. A familiar voice echoed through the hallway.

"Greyson?" I called again, as a dark chuckle rang through the hallway. I twisted around in the darkness, trying to feel for him, anything, when suddenly the floor dropped out from under my feet.

"Ah shi-" the rest of my cursing was swallowed by the wind whistling as I bolted through complete darkness. When I opened my mouth to scream, nothing came out, causing me to panic even more.

Suddenly I felt my body jolt, and when my eyes flashed open I realized I had closed them all along.

Now, I'm standing in the sparring room filled with agents, from both the Raven Sector and the Blue Jay Sector. I gasp and press a hand to my chest, stumbling back slightly when every eye in the room turns to look at me.

"Harper?" A voice asks to my right. I turn to see it's Amber as she steps forward and places a hand on my arm. "What's wrong, are you okay?"

I draw in a deep breath and start to open my mouth when suddenly everyone in the room is crowded around me, asking me if I'm okay. My eyes land on Burris, who gives me a concerned look, then to Beau, who reaches forward to place a hand on my shoulder.

In a few seconds, everyone is reaching out to me, their hands extended as their mouths repeat in sync are you okay?

My head throbs from the attention of every eye on me, every person trying to pry the walls of my heart open just to glimpse what I've fought so hard to hide. My breaths come quicker as I turn and try to run from the room, but more hands circle around my arms and wrench me back.

"Harper? Harper what's wrong?" Beau calls out behind me, as more fingers curl around my limbs and pull me back. They all chant together, are you okay, are you okay, are you okay?

"I'm fine!" I try to say, when suddenly something falls out of my mouth. I quickly lift my hand up to catch the object, realizing that it's one of my teeth.

I gasp, trying to reach up to press a hand against my mouth to keep more from falling out, more and more fingers curling around my wrists to wrench them down at my sides.

"Let us in," the people surrounding me chant, as I struggle against their pull.

"Let me go!" I try to scream, but my words only end up slurring together, as the last of my teeth fall past my lips.

My chest heaves as the crowd begins to push me to the floor, more and more people crawling on top of me. I reach up a hand, calling, begging for anyone to save me.

Help-

"Harper! Open the door!" I hear a voice shout, as I jolt up from my bed.

With a gasp, I press my hand to my mouth, sighing in relief when I feel that all of my teeth are still there. My eyes flick down to the gap between my room door and the floor, the bright light of a flashlight bleeding into my room. Shit, they're coming for me! I think, as I dart out of bed and reach for my pistol on the wooden drawer.

Before I can think twice, I cock the hammer of the pistol and fling open the door, pointing the gun at the intruder. My eyes narrow as I take in the man before me. His sandy curls are a mess, as he stands barefoot in the hallway with a pair of black jeans that look like they've just been hastily thrown on, and no... shirt?