Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
The elevator bell dinged, the doors opened, and Beth Harper stepped into a short hallway on the twentieth floor of the high-rise. Thirty minutes earlier she had returned Sapphire Angel's car to its hidden garage, raised a fist to the base of her neck, and transformed back to her regular attire in a blinding flash of light.
As she exited the elevator, to her left a window overlooked the train station and the seedy side of the city. To her right sat the intersection with the main hallway, which ran the length of the building. She moved to the long hall, turned left, and headed to the last door on the right. She knocked, and in a few seconds the door opened.
A young man, about her age, greeted her with a smile spreading across a thin, lightly tanned face. He wore his straight dark hair parted haphazardly on one side.
"Thanks for staying up, Ethan" Beth said. "I really needed someone to talk to."
She slipped off her black overcoat as she followed him to the sofa. She placed the coat over one arm of the sofa and sat next to him.
Beth Harper's attire presented a sharp contrast to the stylish and revealing costume of Sapphire Angel. Beth wore a pair of grey wool slacks and a pink sweater, and wore her hair pulled up on top of her head. The pants flattered her figure, without being as eye-catching as her superheroine costume. Beth dressed in a classic style, conveying a sense of modesty without being too stodgy. She didn't need a tight costume to radiate beauty.
"Issues with Conner, huh?" Ethan asked.
"You're a mind reader as usual," Beth said with a groan, and tilted her head back on the sofa.
Ethan shrugged. "I picked between three guesses — problems with Conner, a story you're writing, or a case Sapphire Angel is having trouble cracking. With your love life being your biggest problem lately, I liked my chances."
"I was stupid even thinking I might be able to date someone, like a normal person does. I hate lying every time I can't be with him. He's getting frustrated, and I can't blame him."
"Have you considered telling him? He'd keep your secret."
Beth shook her head. "No way. We've only been dating a few weeks. He'd never understand."
"He might surprise you."
"What happens if we break up and things get nasty? How well do I know him? Would he intentionally screw me over and reveal my secret?"
"No matter how things got between you two, I doubt he'd put you in danger by spilling your secret. He's not petty like that."
Beth wrinkled her nose as she considered Ethan's point. No, Conner would never betray her, no matter what happened between them.
"I worry more about his safety than mine," she said. "What if he lets slip that he knows Sapphire Angel's real identity? Somebody might go after him to get to me. I can't carry that kind of guilt. I shouldn't have told you, for the same reason."
"You don't have to worry about me. Nothing is going to slip. And isn't it Conner's choice to make? His job has risks, too. He can take care of himself."
Conner worked as an investigator for the Pennsylvania Office of Corporate Oversight and occasionally found himself in dicey situations. But Beth still shook her head.
"He can take care of himself," she said, "but he hasn't faced anything like he'd face if the wrong people found out he knew secrets about Sapphire Angel. Do you have any idea how many people want to take me down?"
"Pretty much every drug ring or crime boss around here. But that's not what I'm worried about, because Conner will keep his mouth shut. You two are great together. I'm worried that if you don't open up to him, you'll lose him. I don't want you to spiral down another path of loneliness."
"I'll always have you," she said, forcing a smile.
"Yes, you will, but don't change the topic."
Beth looked at Ethan, and for a moment imagined what life would be like with him. He was kind and loving, and understood her better than anyone. And she found him to be attractive, too. But Beth forced those thoughts from her head as quickly as they formed. Ethan might be perfect, inside and out, but their friendship was too special to risk over some unlikely chance of romantic feelings some day in the future. Beth's friendships with women in town, developed over the past several months, didn't come close to the connection she felt with Ethan. She could never allow herself to even ponder if there could be more.
"Ethan, I appreciate being able to talk to you. I didn't come here looking for you to fix it for me, though. I just needed to get this off my chest and hear myself talk. I'm not telling Conner I'm Sapphire Angel. End of story. Maybe some day, way down the road, but not now."
Ethan stared at her, his mouth drawn in a thin line and his eyes full of worry, and nodded. Her heart ached to see his concern. Why did her life always cause worry in those she loved?
"Please, Ethan, don't fret about me," she pleaded, reaching over and taking one of Ethan's hands in her hands as she held his gaze. "I vowed to myself that I'm going to take a two-week break from Sapphire Angel, and focus on my relationship with Conner."
A look of resignation came over Ethan's face, and he nodded. "You need to tell him, then. Not that you're Sapphire Angel, but that you want to focus on the relationship."
A few weeks ago, his support for the relationship with Conner would have surprised her. Conner could be cocky and headstrong, which contrasted with Ethan's soft-spoken, down-to-earth nature. But now Ethan understood Conner enough to see the good person underneath the bluster.
"I'll call him first thing in the morning and ask him to meet for breakfast. I'll tell him, face to face, that I'm all his for the next two weeks. Things will be fine."
Beth said the words, but deep down, she didn't believe them. Sapphire Angel's activities had shattered several similar promises over the last month. Ethan's raised eyebrow told her he didn't believe her either.
End of Chapter 4
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Even though I disapproved, it genuinely seemed like Beth and Conner were going to be a great couple in the Power Play Epilogue.....it sucks to hear that they’re going through problems. Believe me, I’d get wanting to spend a two-week break from superheroing---it can be a pretty difficult job, after all---but, like.....what happens if someone needs help and typical law enforcement has their hands tied? It all really brings to light the difficulties that could come with having superpowers and choosing to use them for good; contrary to what most spectators would believe, it’s not all fun and games.
Any chance of a “normal” relationship is likely going to go out the window unless she spills her secret. At least Ethan was there for her to talk to.....? Maybe he would’ve been a better option, and Conner could’ve been the investigative partner.
Right now, Mark Devlin gives off strong Xavier Wheldon vibes---then again, I’m only on Chapter 4 of.....who knows how many. It’s been a good month, but he’s DEAD, right? Not defeated, DEAD.
That brings me to another thing that I like; Sapphire’s definitely not a killer, but the events of these stories play out in such a way that the bad guys end up taking care of themselves rather than her having to finish the job:
• The silver-eyed man causes a blast that kills Demarco Dominick
• Xavier Wheldon shoots and kills both Jake Rockford and Mark Bishop to preserve their silence
• Wheldon himself dies in police custody from a heart attack or something (.....I personally would’ve written that differently, but that’s just me; at least he’s reunited with his brother now)
They practically dispose of themselves without Sapphire needing to feel any guilt/remorse. I’m probably forgetting something, but we’ve yet to see Sapphire physically kill a main antagonist herself.