His avatar’s fingers worked their way through the beads and pushed them absently them along the string that connected them. “It sounds interesting. Are you offering?”
She thought about it for a second, ran through a mental list of the technicians she’d encountered, and decided that other than Emerson, he was easily the most skilled, even if there was some overlap in their abilities. There might be a more complementary colleague out there, but she doubted she’d find a better one. “Yes. Contingent on the boss’s approval.”
He went still, and she wondered if working for a corporation had surgically removed his formerly dependable impulsivity. Then, he grinned. “I’m in. Go do your confirmation.”
She clapped and spun into a cartwheel to show her enthusiasm. He laughed as her avatar mimicked it. Her ponytails swung and the jacket gaped a little more than she’d intended. Whoops. Corsets and gravity need each other. Well, it’s only pixels. It’s not like we’re pulling a real-life Janet Jackson here. She pointed at him. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I’ll be in touch.”
He spread his arms wide with a laugh. “Yeah, it’s my fault you chose that avatar, dressed her like that, and decided she was a gymnast.”
“Shut up, you.” Kayleigh killed the connection with a broad grin and removed the goggles. She immediately realized from the morning sounds above that she’d lost track of time. Her windows were all covered in blackout fabric so she hadn’t noticed the sunrise. In the game, she had paid no attention to the pulses on her wrist that informed her of the passing hours while her attention was focused on play.
She yanked on her ponytail to make sure it was tight and marched up the stairs. Diana sat at the dining room table and a large mug of coffee steamed at her hand. Her bedhead was impressive and strands of dark hair stuck up in every direction. She swiped on a tablet in front of her, one of the secure models Kayleigh had distributed to everyone so they could access important materials outside the base. Her boss and housemate sounded grumpy as she turned to face her. “What? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”
The tech sat diagonally across from her, lifted the mug, and took a large sip. Diana raised a threatening eyebrow, and she laughed in response. “Oh, please. Everyone knows you’re useless in the morning.”
Her boss mumbled something under her breath that sounded like, “See if you can be that snarky while on fire.”
Kayleigh drummed her fingers on the table until her boss paid attention to her again. Diana sighed. “Is there something I can do for you? Perhaps you’re planning to move out?” The hope in her voice was clearly inserted to make fun of her. Ninety-nine percent sure. Okay, Ninety-three.
She adopted her most innocent look. “I found us a magic tech. He said yes.”
The other woman straightened. “You already offered him the job?”
“Contingent on your approval, of course.” Kayleigh shrugged. “But this is my area, so I assume my opinion outweighs that of you Luddite types.”
Diana frowned. “I embrace technology wholeheartedly.”
She tried and failed to contain her snort. “You wouldn’t be able to program your watch without my help.”
Her boss leaned back and folded her arms. “Only because you designed it that way.”
Kayleigh waved to dismiss the thought. “That’s irrelevant to the topic at hand. Tell me you confirm my choice and I’ll get it done.”
“You know, we do have rules.”
“That you personally break on a more or less constant basis, miss run-off-to-another-planet-without-backup-to-save-her-friend.”
“Good point. Are you absolutely sure he’s right for us?”
She nodded. “Positive.”
Diana shrugged and picked her coffee up, drank the rest of it, and set the mug back on the table. “Okay. I trust you. But if he doesn’t work out, you’ll be the target in the next training run. And you’re gonna wear one of the painful suits.”
The tech laughed. “Deal.”
Her boss pushed the mug toward her. “Now, go refill this, coffee thief, and I won’t be forced to write you up for breaking the rules.” Kayleigh rolled her eyes but took the mug and headed to the kitchen, unable to contain her anticipatory grin. If you think I’m hard to deal with, wait until you see what trouble Deacon and I get up to together.
Chapter Two
The summons from Nylotte had come before she’d even finished her morning coffee and after Kayleigh had already stolen far too much of it. Diana rushed to shower and dress in her typical tactical pants, boots, and concert T-shirt ensemble. The Clash today. Train in Vain, sure. Way to be subtle, subconscious. She portaled to the Kemana without delay to obey her teacher’s call and stepped from the rift into the basement of the Drow’s shop.
The underground training space was in twilight as always, lit by fixtures mounted on wooden columns around the periphery. The floor was stone and seemingly changeable at the Dark Elf’s whim. It had been filled with glyphs once before and featureless at the other times she’d been there, including today. She scanned the room and discovered her mentor watching her from a darkened corner. The black sheen on her leather pants and boots glistened under the bright red splash of her long silk shirt. Ebony skin and ivory hair completed the picture.
Diana kept her outward visage calm while inside, she scrambled to plan for a surprise attack, but none occurred. Instead, the woman gestured for her student to move to her customary starting position slightly aside from the center of the circle. As she did so, her teacher stepped into her own place a few paces away and raised an eyebrow in query.
She nodded and took a deep, focusing breath.
Nylotte’s voice lacked even the hint of softness or caring. I don’t need effusive praise every time or anything, but a hello would be nice now and again. “Fire.” The woman raised her hands and spread her fingers wide, and the dark nails glittered like poison darts on the ends. A jet of flame emerged from each digit and spiraled together to form a large sustained cone that stretched directly toward the agent’s head.
Diana swirled her palms from the inside out—Wax on, wax off, Daniel-san—and sparks trailed them to outline two giant circles, each nearly her full height. She crouched behind them and allowed her teacher’s fire to collide with her own. The flaming assault pushed against her defenses, but her resistance was sufficient to hold it at bay. As soon as the pressures equalized, the Dark Elf increased the flow to shove her back. She stumbled but managed to keep her footing.
The ordinary sounds of the room were buried under the roar of the fire, and Diana almost lost her focus completely when Nylotte spoke loudly into her mind. “Do not resist the power. Instead, make it your own.”
Telepathy. Awesome. Exactly what I need—my teacher knocking around in my brain.
“There’s hardly any room and already too many of us in here, anyway,” her inner voice interjected and she rolled her eyes.
It’s always lovely to hear from you but maybe shut the hell up. I’m trying to concentrate here.
She narrowed her focus onto the place where her defense met the Drow’s attack and scrutinized it. The differences between their powers registered almost like different octaves of the same note. Or, she realized, different octaves of the same chord was a more accurate description, as each was far more complex than a single note could ever be.
Her teeth gritted in concentration, she searched for a way to connect that vision to the power that threatened to overwhelm her. Suddenly, she recalled playing Rock Band with Kayleigh and Rath, and the images of the game’s streaming symbols leapt into her mind. She saw the trail of her own magic on the left and Nylotte’s on the right. The notes were different colors and proceeded at slightly varied rates. Can it really be that simple? She imagined drawing the two together, speeding up the one that was lagging, and overlapping them in the center.
When they merged into a unified track, she felt the other woman’s magic flow into her as pure energy and was able to redirect it out into her own attack.
Diana cycled each pulse to continually steal the woman’s strength and force it back at her, which required her to increase the power she committed simply to maintain the stalemate. Success was assured, and she couldn’t resist the slight grin that stretched her lips.
Without warning, a series of small hailstones struck her from above. She retreated and redirected one of her flame shields when she realized her teacher had quietly switched the attack to ice and banked the projectiles off the ceiling. In the moment that her shield interposed itself, the fire assault ended and a blast of cold pounded into her chest where she’d unthinkingly left herself uncovered. It hurled her against the rear wall and she dropped onto her knees and elbows.
Diana pushed up with a groan and raised her gaze to her teacher’s amused expression. The Drow’s perfectly white teeth were irritating. “You’re progressing well, protégé. But overconfidence still seems to be a problem.”
Overconfidence this, wench. She used a blast of force to launch herself from the ground and landed smoothly on her feet. Without pause, she thrust both hands forward to eject high-speed darts of that same power from each finger at her opponent. Nylotte laughed and made a broad gesture to create a curl of ice between them that shattered and consumed the threat. The woman’s voice was full of mockery now. “Your skin seems thinner than usual, as well. Sonic.”
The agent’s eyes widened as her teacher raised her palms and a shrill buzz built in the room. It seemed to ripple through her flesh and immediately alarmed her at the way it made her bones hurt. She could vividly picture the scene—her body would crack and fall apart under the onslaught and her head would roll to land at her benevolent attacker’s feet.
Her teeth gritted, Diana closed her eyes and envisioned the protective bubbles she had used before. A force shield appeared an inch away from her skin to dull the effect of the noise. She sensed the soundwaves probe as they sought crevices through which to return. She pushed to extend the shaped barrier outward and layered another false skin inside. The attack dissipated, and the Drow nodded.
“Very good. You’re improving. Now, force.”
She called her buckler up, ready to turn the incoming strike back on itself, and realized she’d been played. I really need to learn not to trust her when we’re training. The magical form she most hated—freaking shadow tentacles—whirled in from both sides. The moment of distraction cost her and dark orbs pummeled her shields and forced her to focus on defending against them.
Before she knew it, she hung upside down in the grasp of the half-transparent appendages. Her teacher’s voice spoke in her head again. “And yet, you are not yourself. This is an attack you ordinarily would have caught. Relax.” The tentacles guided her gently to the floor, and Nylotte summoned the cushions and the low table that traditionally ended their sessions. Diana was pleased to have the practice truncated, as her mind had skittered around like an insect on the water rather than focusing like a shark in the deep. Great. Now I’m using her metaphors, too.
Her teacher stepped out of sight momentarily and returned with a tea service. Diana looked carefully to ensure it wasn’t the mental-barrier-lowering drink that heralded a trip inside her mind, but this seemed to be a different variety. She took it as a sign that apparently, the Drow had already spent enough time in there to be satisfied.
Nylotte lowered herself to sit in the lotus position on the cushion, then tucked her white hair behind each of her pointed ears. She poured and extended the two cups. Diana accepted the one on the right, as she always did, and they sipped together. It was green tea of some kind, but far more flavorful and vibrant than any she’d ever tasted. Her pleasure must’ve shown on her face because her teacher grinned.
“It’s from the forest that surrounds the bunker we invaded.” Diana had a moment of fear that her mentor quickly assuaged. “It’s perfectly safe. I am thoroughly acquainted with the various plants that can cause damage, and this does not. In fact, it is a stimulant for both physical power and magical power. You should feel restored after drinking it. Well, somewhat anyway.” The woman took another sip, then set the delicate cup on the tray in front of her and rotated it until its position met her expectations. She raised her gaze to Diana’s. “So, what is distracting you today? Hopefully not that boyfriend of yours.”
She didn’t choke on her tea, but only because she’d come to expect almost anything to emerge from the other woman’s mouth. “Quit rummaging around in my mind.”
Her teacher’s laugh was short but enthusiastic. “No rummaging was required. It’s right there at the edge of your thoughts. They practically shout about him to anyone with the ability to hear.”
She scowled. “Whatever. No, not him. Well, not only him.”
“Explain.”
Diana sighed. “A friend of ours—technically, our boss—is in the hospital in a coma. The doctors have no confidence that he will emerge from it, so we’re stuck waiting.”
“One of your least favorite things.”
“Admittedly. I would prefer to have everything resolved and in its proper place. Who wouldn’t?” She shrugged.
The Drow nodded. “Of course, you refer to the loss of the armor and its use against you.”
“Naturally.”
“That is worth worrying about but not worth obsessing over until there’s something you can do about it.”
She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “And when will that be? The next time the mysterious unknown villain steps in to turn our victory into defeat?”
Nylotte scowled. “Don’t be dramatic. It was a stalemate, at best. However, I hear the question you are really asking. Yes, there is an action we can take. We can seek Rhazdon’s Vengeance.”
Diana remembered the woman’s description of the sword, Fury, and the daggers, Angel and Demon, all artifacts. “I wouldn’t begin to know how.”
The Drow grinned. “Fortunately for you, I would and do. The trail begins at Nehlan’s bunker, and we shall follow it from there.”
“It would be good to have a potent weapon against Rhazdon’s defense.”
She chuckled. “Be careful what you wish for, my student who forgets that artifacts have a will and purpose of their own. If yours is not in line with theirs, it can provoke a battle far more dangerous than any physical opponent.”
Diana shrugged. “There’s no sense in worrying about it until we get there, right? Maybe the weapons want nothing more than to carve up the enemy.”
Nylotte lifted the teapot and refilled their cups. The lack of response didn’t make her feel any better about the notion of searching for the artifacts, so she changed the subject. “When you whispered in my mind today, it reminded me of something. Last time I was in DC, I visited my old dojo. While I was sparring, I heard a whisper that suggested specific magical counterattacks at each moment.”
Her teacher rewarded her with a smile. “That is exactly as it should be. You continue to synchronize with the power inside you. As the connection grows, so will your awareness of it and its awareness of what you are doing. In this case, it recognized that you were training and offered options. If you had been in a battle, it would have manifested as instinct rather than choice.”
Diana’s eyes widened. “You speak of magic as if it is separate, somehow. Or has a personality of its own.”
The Dark Elf shrugged and finished the tea in her cup before she repeated the process of setting it down and positioning it perfectly. “Is that so unusual? You are already the sum of many parts. Your professional voice and instincts, your personal voice and instincts, and your romantic voice and instincts. What are they all if not competing voices that clamor for your attention? Some are simply so familiar that you no longer perceive them as separate. Someday, perhaps, you will bring them all into synthesis. Not many do.”
Diana snorted. “Of course you have, O wise one.”
Her teacher raised an eyebrow. “No, actually. The reluctance to kill those who annoy me is still a voice I must fight against almost constantly th
ese days.” Diana had no doubt that she caused the emphasis on her teacher’s final words. Before she could reply, the woman changed the subject completely. “I have spoken to Kienka. It seems your paramour has visited her recently. She says he appears sad, doubtless pining for the love he misses. I can only assume that’s you.”
She groaned. “So, is that what humans are to you? Something for amusement?”
Nylotte laughed. “No more so than most Oricerans. The Drow have long made a practice of observing the actions of others, and it is true. Your kind does provide a wealth of distraction.”
Huh. Arrogant much? “It’s easy to forget you have a past beyond your time here in the Kemana and apart from teaching magic and selling objects of power.”
The woman stood and gestured for her to rise. “It would be good for you to keep that in the forefront of your mind, especially should you decide to pursue Rhazdon’s Vengeance. Don’t overlook the fact that I was acquainted with Nehlan as well. If you assume you know the truth of me, you open yourself up to surprise and disappointment.”
Point taken, but you’re not nearly as enigmatic as you think you are, sister. “Gotcha. Do I get an energy potion for the road?”
A flat stare met the request. “Your level of effort doesn’t deserve one. Perhaps next time, you’ll train at an intensity worthy of reward.”
“Ouch.” Diana stepped quickly through the portal Nylotte had created so she would have the last word and re-materialized in the corner of her bedroom always kept vacant for that purpose. She smirked, pleased with herself, right up until the moment her teacher whispered in her head.
“Maybe consider working on your mental defenses, as well, protégé. You don’t want random people…what was it, rummaging around in your thoughts.”
She fell back onto her bed with a deep sigh. If the bad guys aren’t the death of me, Nylotte will be.
The Drow’s laughter echoed in her skull for several seconds before it faded.
Chapter Three
Covert Ops Page 2