I'll Protect You (Re-Edit #2, 2016)

Don't you dare serenade me with 'Call Me Maybe'

"You say that like it's such a bad thing," Logan grumbled.

"It is. I have become the thing I have hated."

"Now you're just being mean."

"Trust me, that's barely touching the word 'mean' in my dictionary."

Logan should feel lucky that I hadn't unleashed the wraths of the seven circles of hell onto him when I heard what he had done. I know what you're all thinking: "Park, don't you think the fires of the Underworld are a bit much? You're a princess, shouldn't you be used to attention?"

Of course I'm used to it--when I'm actually Park Sparrow, that is. At the moment, however, as I stood on this bus donning a disguise, I was Alex Finch: an ugly wallflower in the background, insulted on upon first glance, unnoticed for the rest of the night. Now I was the damn Mona Lisa being showcased at the Louvre for every tourist passing through France to see.

That meant curiosity. I had intrigued people. They'll be wanting to know more and the last time someone ended up with more information than they should, there had been quite the explosion of trouble.

The bus pulled into its second to last stop on its route, stopping right outside Madame Lerona's Fortune-Telling shop. I pushed my way to the front and hopped off, my boots slamming onto the pavement.

"Why are we getting off here?" Logan asked as he joined my side. "Are you meeting your archaeologist father's friend again?"

"Oh, you're hilarious," I said. "I'm actually meeting someone quite important."

"Whoa, Alex Finch has friends? Who would've thought? Certainly not me because she spent the entire day chewing me out on why she doesn't have friends."

I punched Logan on the arm as the two of us continued down the sidewalks of the city. "Do you know who Elijah Bishop is?"

"Elijah Bishop, your cousin?" he asked while stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "I ran into him a few years back on a mission--why?"

A scowl crossed my face as I realized my cousin had known about Logan's secret life and hadn't uttered a single word to me about it, nor dropped any hint that Logan would be my bodyguard.

Logan kept nudging me in the arm but my lips were sealed as we stalked through the city--I was too busy mentally cursing my cousin into the depths of Tartarus to listen to Logan.

Finally, I turned into a crowded coffee shop called Paradise Coffee, lit by dangling golden lights that gave the interior a cozy glow. Tables were crammed with high school hooligans, academy study groups, college nappers, or regulars flipping through books. An acoustic piece was being played in the background, a song I recognized as one of Elijah's favorite tracks.

"Do you see that tall, black-haired guy with the glasses?" I said to Logan, pointing to the said boy behind the counter, who was greeting a customer with the friendliest of smiles on his lips.

"Did you really bring me here to gawk at the hot barista all the girls are in love with?" Logan groaned, shooting me an exasperated look.

Amusement shot through me. "Wow, even you know about the guy."

Logan simply rolled his eyes. "Sixty-six percent of Cross Academy's population are girls. You think I don't hear what they say every day?"

"Look at you, Gossip Girl," I snickered, making Logan grimace. "Well, put this on your blog--that Elijah behind the counter is also my cousin."

Logan glanced back to Elijah with a skeptical look. "No way. That is not the Elijah Bishop I know."

"I'm pretty sure it's him," I countered. "Unless I've been living with a total stranger for seven years. That sounds a little dangerous, don't you think?"