Wish (Wishing Well #1)

Chapter 35

"What happened?" Emily asked again once she and Angela had settled the boys on the couch. Angela shifted from foot to foot, absently rubbing her arm. Emily couldn't help the ache in her chest that her closest friend felt so ill at ease around her. It's her own fault Emily thought bitterly.

Are you sure? A weak voice asked, gently pushing into her mind. Emily's eyes snapped to Taehyung, who was still and quiet on the couch. Under her gaze, his eyes slowly opened into slits. I bet she couldn't tell you. I bet she wanted to open up to you more than anything, but as dangerous as it is for Jimin and I to reveal ourselves to you, I can only imagine how much more dangerous it is for her.

Emily quirked an eyebrow at him. More dangerous? Why would it be more dangerous??

Taehyung looked at Angela, brow furrowed in concentration. Angela whipped around and stared intently at the lanky man. Emily knew they must be having their own internal conversation about this whole mess, and she hated it. Stop being a hypocrite she told herself. You were just having a silent conversation about Angela with Taehyung and excluded her, you can hardly be annoyed if they're doing the same about you.

Emily was shaken from her internal monologue when Angela sighed heavily.

"It's more dangerous for me," Angela said, resignation evident in her voice and the way her body seemed to droop like a wilting flower. "Because Ralph, Jin rather, and I have been on the run and hiding from Wishing Well for years. Exposing myself like this, using my powers at all, makes it possible for them to track me down, and they know wherever I am Jin will be there, too."

"Jin?? Ralph's real name is Jin?? Why are you on the run?" Emily asked, confused. "And what is Wishing Well?"

"Wishing Well is the organization we work for," Jimin said startling Emily with his sudden interjection. "If you break the rules or expose yourself. . . Well, I don't really know what happens."

"If you do either of those things," Angela said, "They either terminate you and wipe you from everyone's memories, or, possibly even more cruel, they strip you of your powers and not only wipe you from everyone else's minds, they wipe your mind as well. At least, that's what Jin and I have gathered they're doing now. And yes, Ralph's real name is Jin."

Emily felt her mouth gaping open. Not only were these people she considered her friends magical, but there were more magical beings and they worked for a corporation?? A corporation that would kill people or strip them of their magic if they were exposed or didn't follow the rules.

"That's terrible!" Emily exclaimed. Thrusting her arms in front of her she looked at each person in her living room, completely flabbergasted, "Why would any of you work for a place like that?"

Before Jimin or Taehyung could answer her, Angela answered, "Because it wasn't always like that, and Jin and I are probably the only two beings left in existence that remember those days. This isn't the time for a history lesson though. You wanted to know what happened to Taehyung, right?"

Baffled by the sudden shift in gears Emily nodded wordlessly. Angela thrust her chin at Jimin, "Ask the genie."

Jimin shot Angela a look somewhere between annoyance and appreciativeness. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I was at home when it felt like my body was being broken from the inside out. I transported to Taehyung without thinking and watched a car drive off after they hit him I'd assume."

Emily heard a choking sound and realized it was coming from herself. Horror and panic were seizing her throat and she almost couldn't breathe. She found herself lowering to the floor, before she could collapse. Before she could start hyperventilating she felt a soft hand patting her head. Looking up she saw Taehyung, smiling down at her before lowering himself to the floor next to her. Breathing hard he thought to her, it's okay now. I'm okay.

"How," Emily croaked, wrapping her arms around her friend, and hugging him as gently as she could.

"Magic," Jimin said simply. "Mine wasn't enough and I was sure I had lost him, but then Angela showed up talking about a distress signal and helped me heal him."

"You're lucky it was me that got your signal and not someone else," Angela told him softly.

"To be fair," Jimin answered, "I didn't even know I'd done it, or could do it for that matter."

As Emily hugged Taehyung, she felt tears leaking from her eyes. She felt her thankfulness for his survival start to thaw the ice in her heart that had turned her so against Jimin and Angela. They knew the consequences of exposing themselves and they'd done it in the middle of the street to save Taehyung. She knew they hadn't done it for her, but that didn't matter; they could have let him die and kept themselves safe and they hadn't. Understanding and forgiveness blossomed in her chest. Angela's dishonesty. Jimin's deception. None of that mattered. They were guarding their lives and those of the people close to them, in Angela's case. Who was she to hold that against them?

Pulling away from Taehyung, Emily shakily rose to her feet. "I am so, so sorry," she sobbed. "I should never have held your secrets against you."

Her sobs choked off her voice as her tears came faster. "It isn't my place to judge or condemn you for keeping from things from me, especially when you were just protecting yourself."

Emily bowed her head in shame, guilt eating away at her. She shot together when she felt arms wrap around her. Angela's curly hair brushed her face as she embraced her. Emily's heart broke just a little more when she realized that Angela was crying, too.

"I forgive you, Emily." Angela whispered. "I understand why you were so upset; I wanted to tell you so many times, but Jin thought it best if I didn't. No matter how much I trust you, we have to be careful, now more than ever."

Emily squeezed her friend tight, before pulling back, "I'll do everything in my power to protect your secret. I would never do anything to jeopardize your safety."

"We know," came Jimin's tired voice from across the room. "The only reason any of us are still here and you have your memory intact is because we know what kind of person you are; we know you wouldn't intentionally put us in harm's way."

Angela and Taehyung nodded their agreement. Emily looked over at Jimin. He was sitting up now, but was very pale and looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Turning her gaze back to Angela, Emily wrung her hands in the bottom half of her t-shirt.

"What's the matter, Em?" Angela asked.

"Well," Emily started, looking at her feet and chewing her lip, "I was hoping that, maybe once everyone is feeling better, we could all get together and you guys could explain more about Wishing Well? And maybe help me work on keeping my thoughts to myself? I don't mind if you guys hear my thoughts, but if there are any other people from your company around I don't want them to accidentally hear my thoughts about you guys."

"That isn't a terrible idea," Jimin said. Angela nodded her agreement.

"I'll ask Jin if he would join us." Angela told them.

"Uh, no offense," Taheyung said, "But why are we inviting him?"

Angela shot him a look that seemed to ask if he was stupid, "Because he knows more about Wishing Well than almost anyone. He was one of the ones that founded it."