by I. T. Lucas
Atzil pursed his fleshy lips. “I could use some help around here.”
“So, do we have a deal?”
He arched a brow. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.” She offered him her hand. “Deal?”
He shook it, his large hand grasping hers gently.
The guy wasn’t tall, but he was stocky, and he must spend hours in the gym on a daily basis. Even his neck was muscular, and his jaw was so broad and square that it looked like it could slice bread.
“Let me show you where everything is, and what you are allowed to touch and what you are not.”
When the short tour was over, Kalugal walked into the kitchen. “I need a word with you, Jacki.”
She nodded and turned to Atzil. “Thank you for showing me around.”
“Jacki and I will eat in the library,” Kalugal said. “Can you send someone with a tray when lunch is ready?”
“You’ve got it, boss.”
“Thank you.” Kalugal motioned for her to accompany him.
As they walked down the corridor, Jacki wondered whether Kalugal was planning to revoke her cooking privileges.
He hadn’t looked happy when he’d walked into the kitchen and saw her talking with Atzil, but then it might have nothing to do with her. Maybe his talk with his mother had been disappointing?
“Please, take a seat.” He waved his hand at the couch.
Sitting on the edge, Jacki felt like she’d been summoned to the principal’s office for sentencing.
But for what crime?
“How was your conversation with your mother?”
“Too short.” He walked over to the bar and poured himself a drink. “Can I offer you something?”
“Do you have soft drinks in there?”
“Perrier or coke?”
“Coke, please.”
He pulled out a can and handed it to her. “When I told Kian that I wanted to take you out shopping and dining, he said that you are a wanted woman and that I should have you shop online and order in. Would you like to tell me what that is all about?”
Jacki let out a breath.
So that was what had Kalugal’s panties in a wad. He thought that he’d just invited a criminal into his house, and on top of that he was paying twenty-five thousand dollars a day for the privilege.
No wonder he was pissed.
“It’s not what you think. I ran away from a job, not the police. But since my employer was the government, and I was part of a paranormally talented team that they’d assembled after a painstakingly long and expensive search, they want me back."
“Why did you run away?”
Jacki popped the ring pull and took a sip. “The director of the secret paranormal program had a brilliant idea. If he could pair up compatible talents, they could produce super-powerful children. His recruiter was a compeller like you, and she helped him with that. I’m immune to mind manipulation, so I wasn’t affected, but Jin dated a guy she would have never chosen if not for the compulsion. Not only that, they drafted very young people, teenagers. Anyway, I figured out pretty quickly that they were never going to let any of us out. So, when Jin’s sister found her and offered to help her escape, I asked to join them.”
“Was the program located in a secret and isolated facility?”
“It’s not really secret, but it’s not well known. It’s a huge underground compound the size of a small city that was built as a fallout shelter. Someone came up with the idea of utilizing it for various secret programs during peacetime, and ours was just one out of many. Nevertheless, we were sworn to complete secrecy, and none of the families knew where the recruits had been taken. My teammates were compelled to keep the secret by that recruiter I told you about. Naturally, I wasn’t, but I pretended that I was. I figured out early on that I should keep my immunity to myself.”
“How did Jin’s sister find her?”
“That’s a long story.”
“I’m in no hurry, are you?” He took a sip from his drink.
“Damn, where to start? I assume that you already know that immunity is not my only talent, right? I’m sure that you had a recording device hidden somewhere in the room I shared with Arwel, and that you heard me talking about it.”
He nodded. “I didn’t hear you say it, but I was told that you mentioned having visions of the future.”
The guy was clever with his words. He neither confirmed nor denied the hidden recording device.
“Mostly, my visions are pretty useless because they are never about my own future. They are usually about the futures of people I know, but hardly anyone listens to me when I warn them about something that’s about to happen to them. They think I’m nuts or that I’m making it up. But when I told Jin that her sister was coming for her during one of our Saturday leaves, she listened. Probably because she knew that paranormal abilities were real. It’s hard for those that don’t have them to accept that some people can see the future, read thoughts, see auras, or tether their consciousness to someone they touch. Although that one’s unique. No one has ever heard about a talent like Jin’s.”
Kalugal smiled indulgently. “Does it make you nervous to talk about it?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because I’ve never heard you talk so fast.”
Jacki nodded. “I’m not used to talking about my paranormal abilities so freely. But what really makes me nervous is talking about the abilities of others. I feel like I’m betraying their trust, but that’s stupid because you already know all about that.”
34
Kalugal
Jacki was being honest with him, and Kalugal felt that he should respond in kind. To build trust, it had to go both ways.
“Frankly, I don’t know as much about paranormal abilities as you might think. Most immortals can thrall and shroud to some degree. It’s a survival mechanism that is necessary for living hidden among humans. My abilities are stronger than most, and I inherited them from my father, who is even more powerful than me. Other than that, I know that some immortals have strong empathic abilities, and others have telepathic or both, but that’s about it. I’ve also never heard about tethering or about hearing echoes of conversations embedded in walls.”
Jacki shook her head. “It worries me that you are telling me all that.”
“Why?”
“Because you can’t make me forget anything. It’s like the murderer showing his face to the victim. It doesn’t matter if she sees it because he is going to kill her anyway.”
Instinctively, Kalugal leaned forward. “I’ll never harm you, Jacki. You have my word.”
She shrugged. “I don’t think that you are going to kill me, but you are not going to let me go either. And if you do, Kian won’t. I’ll never be free again.”
“Free to do what?”
“Live among humans.”
He was tempted to tell her that she didn’t belong with them, but it was too early for that.
“What’s wrong about living among immortals? We are not so bad.”
“So you are not denying it?”
“I’m neither denying nor confirming. Let’s take it one day at a time, shall we? Maybe you’ll decide that you are more comfortable living with immortals than with humans. You won’t have to hide your paranormal talents anymore, and you’ll be free to express yourself in any way you want. Normal, or paranormal. That’s liberating.”
She smiled. “You’re right. I’ve never considered that angle.”
“Things are rarely black and white, or even shades of gray.” He waved his hand. “They are as nuanced and as varied as all the colors of the spectrum.”
“I like your analogy.”
Kalugal wasn’t an empath, but after many years of negotiating business deals, he was good at reading human emotions. Jacki’s speech had slowed down to its normal speed, which meant that she was no longer nervous, or at least not as anxious as she had been at the start of their conversation.
“You’ve told me about
how you knew that Jin’s sister was going to show up and help you escape, but you still didn’t tell me how she knew where to find Jin.”
“I don’t have all the details about that. What I know is that they somehow found the recruiter, caught her, and got her to tell them where they could find Jin.”
“Interesting. I assume that by 'them' you mean the clan?”
Jacki smiled. “They told me that they were a group of paranormally talented people who were saving others like them from the government’s clutches. That seemed a reasonable explanation to me. And then you spilled the beans when you told me that Arwel was an immortal. He told me a little about your history, but I still don’t know much about you.” She chuckled. “Talk about a trip down the rabbit hole.”
“You are taking it remarkably well.”
“What else am I supposed to do? Freak out? That’s not going to help me.”
“Very true.”
The door to the library opened, and Rufsur came in, holding a large tray. Shamash followed behind him with a smaller one.
“Where do you want me to put it?”
“Over there.” Kalugal got up, walked over to the games table, and moved the chessboard to its dedicated stand.
Rufsur put the tray down and pulled out a chair. “Miss Jacqueline?”
“Thank you.” Jacki rewarded him with a bright smile.
Shamash put the other tray down. “Enjoy your lunch.” He turned around and walked out.
Regrettably, Rufsur stayed.
Pulling out a chair for himself, he sat down. “I told Phinas to come, but he chose to dine with the men today.” Rufsur unfurled a napkin and draped it over his thighs.
Kalugal wasn’t happy.
He and Jacki had been making good progress, and Rufsur was intruding. “Why don’t you join Phinas?”
“Nah. Phinas told me that Jacki is going to cook for the four of us and that we are going to dine separately from the men. I like that.” He cast Jacki a charming smile. “When should we expect your first creation?”
“If it’s all right with Atzil, I can make today’s dinner.”
“What are you going to prepare?”
“I’m not sure yet. I need to check what I have to work with.”
“I’m sure that whatever you make is going to be a treat.”
As Kalugal listened to Rufsur laying on the charm, he decided that he would have no choice but to have a serious talk with his second-in-command. He would have preferred for the guy to bow out gracefully, but Rufsur was playing dumb and pretending that he wasn’t aware of Kalugal’s claim on Jacki.
Still, he would have preferred to avoid issuing a command in regard to a personal matter. Perhaps Rufsur would back off if Kalugal told him that Jacki was a possible Dormant and that he planned on marrying her if she was?
Or, he might not.
Rufsur might argue that he had noticed her first and had as much right to pursue her as Kalugal.
In a democratic organization, that would have been true, but not in Kalugal’s. He was the leader, and his men were there to serve him. He hadn’t forced any of them to stay, and those who had chosen to do so were generously compensated for their services. But that didn’t mean that he owed them anything other than their wages.
It was true that they were like brothers to him, but even among brothers, there was a hierarchy, and they were not equals.
Bottom line, Jacki was his, and Rufsur would better get it through his thick head sooner rather than later.
35
Rufsur
When they were done with lunch, Jacki put her plate on the tray and reached for Rufsur’s.
“I’ve got it.” He lifted his and Kalugal’s. “But you can help me carry the smaller tray to the kitchen.”
Kalugal cast him an annoyed glare, but he pretended not to notice. Now that Jacki was sleeping in the boss’s old office, getting to talk to her privately would be next to impossible, and Rufsur needed to know where he stood with her.
If she’d chosen Kalugal then he would step aside, but if she hadn’t, let the best man win. The boss was tough competition, but he had his flaws, and Jacki was smart enough to realize it.
For starters, the guy had an ego the size of the Milky Way, and he wasn’t nearly as much fun to be with as Rufsur, if he said so himself. Kalugal tried to project an easy-going attitude, but that was a thinly disguised act. He was intense, way too cerebral, and valued his damn artifacts more than he valued relationships. He preferred spending time in his dusty archeological digs to having fun with his friends in clubs and chasing women, which was every normal immortal male’s favorite activity.
For an immortal, Kalugal was still very young, but he had the soul of an old human.
Jacki lifted the smaller tray with the empty cups and bottles. “Lead the way.”
“When you are done, please come back here,” Kalugal said. “We are not finished with our conversation.”
“Do you mean Jacki or me?” Rufsur knew the answer to that, but he asked anyway, knowing that it would irritate Kalugal.
“Jacki. You have work to do.”
“Yes, sir.”
When they were out in the hallway, Jacki leaned closer to him. “Is everything all right between you and Kalugal?”
“Sure.” Rufsur grinned. “He doesn’t mind a little competition.” His words were meant for Kalugal’s ears more than Jacki’s.
Jacki affected an incredulous expression. “Is that what this is all about? You guys are competing for my attention?”
Thinking about how to answer her, Rufsur walked into the kitchen and headed for the sink. For some reason, Jacki had sounded angry. A beautiful young woman like her should be used to guys fighting over her. It was flattering, not insulting, and it was natural.
Leaning against the counter, he waited for her to put the cups in the sink.
She grabbed a dishtowel and started to wipe the tray clean. “How old are you, Rufsur?”
“In immortal terms or human terms?”
“Actual years that you’ve spent on this earth.”
“One hundred and thirty-two. But just so you know, that’s considered young for an immortal.”
“And how old is Kalugal?”
“Younger by several decades.”
Atzil, who up until now had been listening to their conversation, ducked into the walk-in pantry and quietly closed the door behind him.
Jacki either hadn’t noticed his departure or just chose not to acknowledge it. “Still, that’s old enough to act like adults and not like teenage boys.” She leaned against the center island, facing him.
He arched a brow. “Fighting over a woman is not childish. As long as a man is not taken and thinks that he has a chance, he’ll keep competing for the most desirable females. It’s in our nature.” He smirked. “The best man wins the best woman and so forth. You could think of it as an evolutionary process. Survival of the fittest.”
She put the tray aside and looked him up and down. “You are reducing relationships to animal instincts. Thinking people are more complicated than that, and many factors influence their choice of a desirable partner.”
He waved a dismissive hand. “You’ve just confirmed what I said. Who do you think the best female is? For every male, it’s a different set of attributes. The best woman for me is not necessarily the best for another guy, but high quality is high quality. There will always be stiff competition for that.”
Jacki shook her head. “You don’t know me. I can be a horrible person, selfish and stupid. Like every other male, you see the exterior, and you don’t care about anything else.”
“You are not selfish because you ran after Kalugal and me to save a guy that wasn’t even your boyfriend. And you are not stupid either.”
She chuckled. “I’m surprised that you think that. Running after you and your boss to save Arwel was incredibly stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking. I had no chance.”
“In retrospect, you know that you didn’
t, but at the time, you thought that we were regular human guys and that you could take us on. You had bear spray, and it might have worked on someone with slower reflexes. I found your courage admirable, and so did Kalugal.”
She grimaced. “Lucky me.”
“I think that you are. You have two great choices, but naturally I think that you’ll be happier with me. I’m more your type.”
“Oh, yeah? And you know that how?”
“Simple. You are more like me than like Kalugal.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “In what way?”
“Easygoing, unassuming, not stuck-up, quick on your feet, loyal, resourceful. Like me, you are the live-and-let-live type of gal. You and I, we jive.”
He wanted to add good-looking but stopped himself in time. Jacki thought that men wanted her only because of her beauty, and that was probably true, but he liked the whole package, and he wanted her to know that it was more than her looks that he was attracted to.
“Thank you. Those were all very nice things to say, and I’m glad that you’ve noticed them about me, but I’m not interested in a romantic relationship with you or Kalugal. I would very much like to be friends with you both, though.”
“Do you think it’s possible? I know that I’m attracted to you, and so is Kalugal. And you are attracted to one or both of us as well.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not.”
“Did you forget about this?” He tapped his nose.
Her cheeks got red. “Damn you and your sense of smell. You are like dogs.” She huffed out a breath. “My excitement wasn’t in response to either of you. The library reminded me of a sexy scene from a movie.”