by TL Reeve
“You got me here, tell me all about the guys,” Calli said, sitting forward. “I want all the deets.”
“Uh... Okay, here goes.” Fallon rubbed her arm. “I think something is happening at the house.”
Calli’s eyes went wide. “I knew it! You’re getting down with all three of them, aren’t you?”
“Shut up,” Fallon hissed, glancing around to see if anyone heard her overzealous friend. “No. I’m not. It’s the farthest thing from my mind.”
“Mmhmm.” Calli gave her a knowing looking. “What is the weird thing going on then?”
“Well, it’s complicated.”
“Isn’t everything?” Her best friend snorted. “Spit it out.”
Fallon explained what happened the other night with Warren and Abraham. “I had no control over my body. When I woke from the trance, I stood outside their door, and they were having sex. Loud sex.”
“Where was Suān ní?” The excitement she’d seen in her friend’s features quickly morphed into concern.
“Patrolling.” The wispy ends of Suān ní’s shadow twined and flowed from her body, allowing him to take shape beside Calli. “Had I known; I would have rushed to Mistress's side. Next time, I will be more prepared.”
Calli placed her hand on Suān ní’s. “It’s okay. How could you know? You’re very good to Fallon. She’s lucky to have you.”
Suān ní puffed out his chest. “Thank you, Calli of the witches.”
Calli giggled. “You’re welcome.”
“Anyway,” Fallon started, drawing Calli’s attention. “Grainger wants to kill me on a regular basis too.”
“Mistress! I had no idea things were this dire. I will avenge you when we return to your domicile.”
Fallon facepalmed. “It’s a turn of phrase. I don’t mean he literally wants to kill me. I don’t think he likes me very much is all.”
“Then Mistress likes Warren and Abraham? I would like to offer my assistance.”
“Yes,” Calli murmured. “Let Suān ní help you. I bet you before you know it, you’ll be climbing Warren and Abraham like a tree.”
“Oh no, Mistress. You would get hurt. What if you fell? Plus, they are not trees. They are incubi and vampires.”
She opened her mouth when Luc approached the table and placed their food before them. Suān ní licked his lips. Even though he’d been with her for a year, eating modern food confused him. He sustained himself on fresh game while he hunted in lion form and traditional Chinese meals, most of which had been updated through the years. “You pick it up with your hands and eat it. Watch.” Fallon put her sandwich to her mouth and took a bite. “You try.”
Suān ní took a tentative bite then moaned. “This is most delicious. This sandwich of the ham and cheese. I must have more.”
Her and Calli dissolved into a fit of laughter. “I’ll have to remember to pick up some lunch meat at the store later so you can have another sandwich of the ham and cheese.”
“Thank you, Mistress. You are by far my kindest owner.”
Fallon frowned. She didn’t own Suān ní. He was her familiar. One she didn’t need because she didn’t have an ounce of magic in her body, yet, she also enjoyed having him as company. She didn’t feel as lonely anymore when he was around. “I’m not your owner, Suān ní. You and I are partners. I’d go so far as saying we’re friends.”
“Friends.” He tilted his head. “I enjoy this word. It makes me feel bright. Important.”
“Then we’re friends.” Fallon grinned.
“Can I be friends with Calli?” he hedged. “Is such allowed?”
“Yes,” Calli answered. “I am honored to have you as my friend Suān ní.”
She’d never experienced such a swelling of love and light within her until the moment Suān ní smiled. He was handsome and though he was her protector and familiar, she wondered if she could ever catch feelings for the gargoyle. “Then it’s settled, we’re all friends.”
They continued to eat their lunch while also talking about the boys in Fallon’s life. It was a little odd to be explaining the issues about the others in front of Suān ní, but on the other hand, it also gave him a chance to stretch his social interaction wings. Since she’d been bound to him, she’d gone to Mrs. Chen’s shop to ask her about the familiar gargoyle. Fallon had wanted to know everything she could about Suān ní, but most importantly which dynasty he’d been a palace guard. According to Mrs. Chen, Suān ní was a guard during the Ming Dynasty. He’d become a familiar after he was killed trying to protect Emperor Taizu from Mongolian invaders.
Suān ní was only nineteen when he perished. From there, he’d had many masters. Some were kind, others were ruthless and had a thirst for magic and power. When Mrs. Chen saw the lion gargoyle at an auction house being sold as though it were a curiosity from a Dynasty long forgotten, she’d seen Suān ní’s spirt dwelling within and had to protect him. Now, it was Fallon’s responsibility.
By the time she took Calli home, she was nowhere near the answers she needed about her team, plus she had the budding curiosity about Suān ní as well. When she got back into the Enforcer after making sure her friend got into her house safely, she turned to Suān ní. “We should talk.”
“I like this talking. I have learned amazing things from you, Fú zé. I am grateful.”
Fallon wrinkled her nose. “It’s Fallon, remember?”
“I like Fú zé. May I please use your name in private? It truly is a beautiful name. One you should feel no shame over.”
“I don’t feel ashamed.” She shook her head. “It’s different. My parents used it all the time and now they’re dead.”
“You miss them.”
“Every day,” she whispered, tears burning the corners of her eyes.
“Then I shall endeavor to help ease your sorrow.” He gave her a small smile.
“You already are.” She touched his hand and enjoyed the spark of magic binding them together. “So, about today. The conversation we had in the cafe, is only for us. Okay?”
“Only for us?” Suān ní threaded his fingers through her and gave a happy sigh. “What does this mean?”
She removed her hand from his momentarily so she could put the Enforcer into gear then returned her hand to his hand. “It means no one is to know about it. It’s girl talk.”
“Girl talk?” He turned over the phrase then frowned. “I am not female. Should I not listen to such conversations?”
It would make it easier for her. Although, how did Suān ní learn about the modern world if he didn’t experience interactions between friends or carry on conversations with others around his age? “You can. I think you should be able to modernize yourself. The Ming Dynasty was almost seven hundred years ago, don’t you want to explore a little?”
“Modernize myself? What does this mean?” He tilted his head.
“Well, your speech patterns is very old and your style.” She motioned to his clothes. “You've got killer taste. You should explore colors and cuts of clothing.” His long, silky black hair was pulled back into a severe bun at the nape of his neck. She'd been grateful to Jochi Zhao-Winters for all of his help when it came to trimming and combing Suān ní’s hair. It'd been crazy long and out of control from a lack of care over the years. The poor lion had been stepping all over his it every time he moved around. Now, at least it came to the middle of his back and appeared healthier. “You could even cut your hair more, you know if you'd like. No one will be angry at you if you decided to.”
He touched his hair and frowned. It was kind of shitty of her to even suggest he cut his hair. However, she knew from history that long hair was a sort of submission to the state. His chains of submission were broken the minute he perished while trying to protect the Emperor. Shouldn’t he explore his freedom a little more? “No. I enjoy this.”
“If you ever change your mind, I'm here to help you.” She reassuringly squeezed his hand.
“Many thanks, mistress.”
After c
hecking in on Ji and to let Kalkin she’d returned for the night, she stepped back into the house and found Suān ní talking to Warren, Abraham, and Grainger. Their animated conversation set her at ease while also confusing her. Suān ní had taken to staying close to her at all times. Their bond made it almost impossible for them to be more than a mile apart. The only reason she knew the exact distance was due to them figuring out the strength of their bond. According to Suān ní, the farther the distance, the weaker the bond. The closer, the stronger. A mile for them seemed such a short distance and lately, the closer he was, the more settled she’d been.
She slid the door closed behind her at the same moment Suān ní laughed. “We ate lunch with Calli at the YoJo. It was delicious, these ham and cheese sandwiches. Have you tried them?”
“I have.” She could hear the happiness in Warren’s tone.
“Then you know!” The excitement vibrating through their connection infused her with hyper energy. “It is so good. I insisted mistress buy more of this ham and cheese concoction.”
“Did she buy you more?” Abraham took a sip of his beer.
“She did!”
Warren chuckled while Grainger frowned. “What else did you talk about at lunch?”
Suān ní frowned. “That is the girl talk. I am not supposed to speak of it.”
Pride bloomed within her. He remembered.
“She won’t find out,” Warren hedged. “Tell us.”
She held her breath.
“No, I should not. Mistress trusts me.”
Warren grunted. “Fallon won’t open up to us. She tells us what we want to know and then stops herself. Please, Suān ní. Help us understand her.”
Standing there, still partially hidden from their view, she mulled over what Warren said. Had she only been going through the motions or only going so far, when she thought she’d been overly talkative? She frowned. Perhaps they weren’t making as much progress as she thought they’d been.
“We promise this conversation will stay between us,” Abraham said. “Agent’s honor.”
The battle raging within Suān ní filtered through their link. She’d encouraged him to socialize, but also had him promise not to say a word to the guys. She’d put Suān ní into an awful predicament, and she could kick herself for it. “The Calli of the witches said something about mistress climbing Warren and Abraham like a tree. But, I do not see branches or ledges to place feet.”
Oh, God. She was going to kill her familiar. Could she kill her familiar? She didn't have an answer to her question; however, it didn't matter. It was bad enough having the strange experience with Warren and Abraham, now they'd also know she liked them. What are you twelve? Act like an adult.
“She did?” The sensual heat of Warren’s words swirled around her, trapping her. “Well, buddy it means she wants my body.”
“Wants your body? How does she acquire it? Can she transfer her essence into you? Are you, too, a familiar? Who is your owner?”
Abraham whistled. “You’re almost seven hundred years old, how did you not learn about this?”
Warren laughed. “Hold on there, buddy. One question at a time. She can’t transfer her essence into me. I have no owner and I’m not a familiar like you. As for what I mean, she’d like to have sex with me.”
“No!” Suān ní snapped. “Mistress is not concubine! She does not participate in the He Qi.”
Embarrassment sizzled across her skin. She didn’t need her familiar ratting her out or standing up for her after spilling her secrets. She wanted to curl up into a ball and die of mortification, yet, she also found Suān ní’s ability to protect her endearing. I'm losing my ever-loving mind.
“I think you’ve done enough damage,” Abraham said. “It’s slang, Suān ní. It means Fallon is attracted to Warren and he shares the same interest.”
“But, you are the incubi’s betrothed. How can you be so calm?” The anger bled from Suān ní’s tone. “Should you not be angry?”
Abraham shrugged. “What if I said I like Fallon too?”
Curiosity and understanding snapped through their shared connection. “We have a word for this. It is called polyamory. Do you have such a word in modern terms?”
“We still use it, buddy,” Warren murmured. “We also use the term ménage.”
“Ménage.” Again, Suān ní turned the new word over as though trying it out and learning its function. “She is not concubine.”
“We’d never treat her as such or call her one,” Abraham said. “She is our team member first and foremost. We have her back.”
Suān ní frowned. “How can you have her spine when she lives?”
Abraham laughed. “It means we’ll protect her as much as you do.”
Grainger grunted and stormed off. Typical. He'd made his feelings known the minute he entered the interrogation room. He hated her guts then but only tolerated her now. She didn't care. Not everyone would like her, and she'd made peace with it. However, as Abraham said, they were a team and they were supposed to be working together. Once she'd had sufficient training Kalkin would send them out on missions. She couldn't be out in the field worrying about whether or not Grainger had her back.
She cleared her throat. “Suān ní, what did we discuss earlier?”
The expression of his face became one of contriteness. “I spoke out of turn, mistress. Forgive me.”
“Yes,” Warren said, ensnaring her with his gorgeous blue eyes. “Forgive him.”
She crossed her arms. “Don't boss me around. It's not becoming of incubi.”
“Oh, Fallon, there is so much for you to learn about my kind.” He chuckled. “Suān ní is trying to learn how to be a modern man. We were having a guy conversation, which you were eavesdropping on. Perhaps, you owe Suān ní an apology for overhearing his confessions.”
Fallon gapped at him. “What?” How had she gone from being the one being talked about to becoming the bad guy in the situation? “You lost me here. I don’t understand.”
Warren crossed to her. In his human form, he'd been imposing. In his incubi form, he was scary. Blur skin rippled along his tan flesh. The horns she'd seen several times pierced his forehead, peeking out. “Is what he said true?”
She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “I’d rather not answer. Besides, any answer is tainted, because you put one of your spells on me.”
Warren blanched and took a step back. “I did what?”
She sighed. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You sent your feelers out. When I came to, I was at your door willing to open it.”
Abraham coughed. “Sorry.”
“Fallon...” Warren took another step back. “I’d never force you to join us.”
She smelled the regret and sorrow pouring from Warren. “I didn’t think you did, but it’s unnerving.”
“I promise, from now on, I will shield you better.”
“Can we stop with all the idle chitchat,” Grainger said, storming back into the living room. “Kalkin called. He has a mission for us. We’re to meet him at Vigilante.”
The idea of having a mission to distract her from whatever happened in the living room with Suān ní, Warren, and Abraham helped. Excitement and worry filled her, pushing away the lingering embarrassment as well. Before they left, she had to tell Ji she was leaving, even though he barely talked to her anymore.
Fallon went to her room and gathered her things. When the door opened and Suān ní stepped into her room, regret filled their connection. “I am sorry, mistress. I meant no harm. I—” He made a frustrated sound. “You are aroused by them. You become excited when you see Abraham and Warren, even Grainger when you don't think anyone notices. Do you not believe they should understand your feelings and attempt this ménage arrangement?”
“I thought you said I’m not a concubine?” She cocked a brow as she grabbed her bag and one for Suān ní.
“You are not.” The fierce protective nature of his shot through their link.
“Can I ask you a question, Suān ní?”
“Anything, mistress,” he replied.
“Have you ever HeQi?”
A crimson blush crept into his cheeks and down his neck. Bashfulness snapped to life within her. She shouldn’t have been surprised he was a virgin. He’d been young when he died, and he’d also need a palace guard. He probably never had time to have sex. “May I explain later, when we have time? Unfortunately, my answer is involved, and I do not wish to hurt you.”
She nodded. “I understand.” Though she didn’t because his answer made no sense at all. “If you ever get curious, watch porn.” She lifted her chin in the direction of the door. “Let’s go. We have a meeting to get to.”
Suān ní bowed. “Yes, of course. Thank you, mistress.”
Chapter 4
“It’s time.” Kalkin’s tone held a note of foreboding and with the majority of PRA in the conference room, something happened, and her time was up. All of her training had led to this moment. “We can’t wait any longer.”
Fallon adjusted herself in her seat, the suffocating tension in the room overwhelmed her. She'd seen angry Kalkin and frustrated Kalkin, this, however, she couldn't put a finger on it. He appeared resigned. Maybe weary. Whatever it was, everyone, including his twin, Caden, were on edge. She glanced at Warren, hoping he'd give her some indication as to what was happening, but even he didn't give anything away. When she looked to Abraham, the same impassive expression filled his features along with Grainger's. Could it be, this was how all of their meetings went? High tension, stone-face and aloof?
Jerome Blackhorn stepped forward. “This afternoon we received information about Aurin and Bain.”