“When—“ she cut off, her eyes narrowing. “That’s why we’re heading for Colci’s.”
Mo’ata looked away again.
“What else aren’t you telling me?” Normally, she would be ecstatic to get an assignment, but something about Mo’ata’s manner was throwing her off. Why did he look like a little boy caught sticking a frog in his mom’s bed?
Vivi pressed to Felix’s knees and Garfield half crawled in Mo’ata’s lap. Why was her cub-baby with the clansman? She was the one he was hiding things from.
Felix and Levi stared at the red-headed man with hard eyes. Okay, not the only one he’s keeping things from. But still…
“It would be better if the Boss briefed you all himself. As much as I know how you hate it when we say this, but it is complicated.” He sighed and leaned toward her. “We weren't meeting him until tonight, and as Levi said, I didn’t want anything to distract from today. It is simply… bad timing.”
Bad timing. Okay. “I assume my plans for sleeping in and finding some dancing lessons are going to have to wait?” Which, if she thought about it, was a valid reason for dimmed enthusiasm…
“I am afraid so, shopa.”
“Damn.” Leaning back against the seat, she crossed her arms. What could this be? Did it have to do with the Academy? Or maybe the Fausts? Should she not have agreed to sign their agreement? No, Mo’ata would have said something if that was the case.
A long-fingered hand settled on her thigh, just above her knee. “Don’t over think it, pet. We’ll know soon enough.”
She rested her head on his arm. “You’re okay with this?”
“It happens. This is what it means to be an agent of the Order. The Boss calls, you answer. The machinations within the Alliance don’t check our schedules.”
“Fair point.” She looked out the window, trying to see where they were. Pedestrian walks, lights, and stone flashed past too quickly for her to make out any details.
“We have about twenty more minutes, shopa.” Except for that one moment, her clansman still would not meet her gaze. There was something else he wasn’t saying, something he was afraid to say… And, he’d already made it clear he would not be sharing what he knew. Not yet.
“Forrest?”
“I knew something was coming since last night, but not what exactly.” He turned to face her. “It’s something you’re not going to like, and it’s something to do with Felix, but that’s all I know.”
Was it his father? Blue exchanged a look with her mercenary and clutched her much smaller hand around his.
Light and voices spilled from Colci’s door as they approached. There was a crash, and something thudded against what Blue guessed was a wall. Laughter sounded.
A typical night at the mercenary bar.
Felix pushed open the door and paused. After scanning the crowd, no doubt to make sure fists had stopped flying, he stepped inside. With a hand to her back, Mo’ata ushered Blue after him, staying close behind her. Forrest was next, and Levi brought up the rear. The piquets kept pace with Mo’ata and Forrest, ears forward and eyes wide.
Armored mercenaries and shady-looking merchants looked up before going back to their drinks.
“If it’s not little Blue and Forrest!” a voice called out. Theo, the bartender, waved, beckoning them over.
Blue returned the wave, then pointed to the back. “Later,” she mouthed at the cheerful man.
Theo’s eyes flicked toward the back, and his expression fell into blank lines. He waved his hand and gave them a nod.
Weaving through the crowd, she dodged feet, legs, fists, and even one head. Is this some kind of game? Dodge the mercenary body-parts, ten points if you can get in a hit of your own without being stopped?
Levi grunted behind her and she twisted to look back. A foot had found his thigh and he stumbled.
“Seriously? What’s with this?” she asked. Scanning the room, she noted that only the men and women they passed on their way to the rear of the bar were flinging their body parts willy-nilly. Everyone else sat at their tables and sipped their drinks, all limbs kept to themselves.
A leather clad woman wearing her hair in tight braids stood from her seat at the table beside Levi. Only a few inches shorter than the Prizzoli, her muscled arms were covered in scars and tattoos. She was like some Nordic goddess come to life. The woman bared her teeth in a fierce grin and held out a hand.
Am I supposed to shake it or dodge it?
The woman reached over and clasped Blue’s wrist. On instinct she returned the gesture. “Well met, Blue Faust. I am Toriani.” The woman’s eyes flicked toward Felix. “I’ve heard about you, but the few times you came around I was out on assignment. We’ll have to get together some time.” Her gaze scanned Blue’s form. “Maybe do some training. It will be fun.”
Blue swallowed. “Right. Training. Fun. Ummm, sure.” She retrieved her hand.
“Blue.” Mo’ata’s deep voice cut through the buzz of the mercenary’s chatter. “We don’t want to keep the Boss waiting.”
“Right. I’ll, uh, see you later, Toriani.” Blue hurried after Mo’ata, laughter following her. She only had to dodge two more fists and one foot before she’d cleared the tables and stood before two mercenaries, their stance screaming ‘bodyguard.’
“Jana!” Happy to see the familiar face, Blue couldn’t hold back the exclamation. This was the woman mercenary who’d helped Annaliese back on Falass.
Jana inclined her head. “Blue.” She turned to Mo’ata and waved her hand. “He’s waiting.”
A shadowed figure sat in the back booth. As she drew closer his features took shape. Dark hair going to grey at the temples framed a rectangular and lined face. Broad shoulders that were a match for her clansman. Standard mercenary armor.
This was the Boss? He looked like every other mercenary in the bar. Blue had expected something more… more.
The Boss’s head tilted and their gazes met. His was cold, unyielding, maybe even disdaining. And it held dark secrets and more knowledge than one man should have. O-kay, I can see it now.
Blue shook off the fanciful thoughts as she came to stand at the edge of the booth. The stare-down continued until the Boss leaned back and crossed his arms. “Sit down, girl. We don’t have time for your games.”
Her brows rose. Her games? Who was he—
Mo’ata nudged her. Right. He was the Boss. Felix had already slid into the booth. Blue joined him, and Forrest took the spot on her other side. Mo’ata sat across from them next to the Boss. A moment later a waitress appeared with a chair for Levi.
“Now that we’re all here.” Boss tapped a folder in the middle of the table. “Read it. Tell me what you think.” Suddenly his eyes went wide and he jerked.
Satisfied amusement entered her mind. Not like Boss. An image came to her of not-so-little piquet teeth wrapped around an ankle. Leather and armored cloth blocked the razor edges from flesh, but she was sure Garfield could inflict some damage if she gave the signal.
Thank you, baby, but not tonight.
Later?
Maybe. Let’s see what it is he wants us to do.
Hurt pack like last time?
I hope not.
Keep safe.
The Boss grunted. “You better get this animal off me, girl.”
“I’m working on it.”
“You’re sitting there with a blank look on your face.”
“You really don’t want to push her right now,” Mo’ata muttered. “Give her a moment more.”
The Boss’s mouth closed and a muscle in his jaw ticked.
You’ll get Mo’ata into trouble. Let go baby.
I help.
Not like this. I think later there will be even worse people to protect us from. This man, as rude as he is, is not one of them. And he could make it difficult for you to come with us when we travel.
Sure?
I’m sure.
A warm animal body pressed against her legs and Garfield’s purr vibrated
up through her.
“He won’t hurt you now,” she reassured the Boss.
A grunt. “Looks like I was correct in my estimation of you.”
“And what was that estimation?” Oh, how she wished she could raise one brow. It would be perfect for this situation.
“That you stir things up.”
Oh. “That’s… good? Thank you?”
He waved a hand. “Read,” he ordered.
She flipped the file open.
It took her a while. A lot of the terms she had yet to learn, and there were references to places she’d never heard of. Someone who was more familiar with Cularnian society and the guilds would no doubt be able to glean more from the pages of print outs and photos.
When she got to the photo of Felix, she froze. His hand slid around her back and she looked up at him. “I’m fine, pet,” he said.
“You know this Ekarill?”
“Yeah, he’s my eldest brother’s… I think the Earth term is godfather. Second Father. Designated guardian. I grew up with his daughter. Our two families would share vacations together.”
Her finger scanned over the woman pressed against her Felix. “Is this her?”
“That’s Portia.”
She was beautiful. Blue could see how any man would want her. “Oh.”
The Boss snorted.
Blue glared.
Garfield growled.
Mo’ata and Felix groaned.
Forrest laughed.
Levi just watched them all.
“Girl. I gave you probationary agent status based on Mo’ata’s recommendation. However, I do not need an agent who is more concerned with her love life than the assignment. I also do not need one who can’t keep her priorities straight. And I have no vested interest in keeping you happy.”
So this was a test of some sort? She thought back over everything she had just read. The Audals knew Ekarill, who was connected to Pakesh. Both had had contact with Miyari…
“Actually, you do need me.” He wanted her to think like an agent, did he? “You need me and you need Felix. You want to use our connections to get to these men. Not exactly sure how that will help you. While Felix could get us in places, I think we’d have too much attention on us to be able to go sneaking around. I mean, the prodigal son of a general returns with an inappropriate fiancé on his arm, or whatever the term is. Not exactly good for staying under the radar…”
The Boss didn’t move. He didn’t blink, didn’t twitch.
“You want us to attract attention. You want us to stir things up.”
The corners of his mouth tightened.
She was right. He wanted to use Felix’s past, and his current involvement with Blue, to create a bit of chaos and see what fell where. As he’d just implied, he had absolutely no care for what effect this would have on her and Felix’s life, outside what it would gain this investigation.
Her heart pounded and her blood rushed. Both piquets growled from under the table. They were perfectly happy to go for the tender bits…
Felix laughed. “Oh, pet, while I love that you are ready to leap across this booth and go for the Boss’s throat for my sake, he does have a point.”
That was not the tender bit I was thinking of.
She blinked and only then realized her lips had pulled back from her teeth and she was doing her best imitation of a cranky Vivi who’d been denied that day’s portion of blueberries and canob.
Felix tapped the photo. “The memory isn’t clear, but I do remember my parents arguing about something twenty years ago, something that my father and John both claimed would raise Cularna’s position in the Alliance. My mother opposed it. Something about not being able to abandon all of her principles.” He stared at the Boss, his expression blank to match the older man’s.
Her Felix had gone into mercenary mode.
Was she over-reacting? It didn’t feel like it, not to her. Was this really what being an agent of the Order was like? Disregarding people as people and maneuvering them however you saw fit?
“You think there are other experiments happening,” Forrest said, his tone flat.
Oh. Oh, shit. They had to do this. They had to. She made the decision in an instant. This wasn’t only about her ruffled feathers and Felix’s past, or even about the delicate state of their continued relationship. This was about Forrest and Levi—about finding them some closure and making sure what happened to them didn’t happen to anyone else. And, this was about Mo’ata’s life as an agent of the Order. He loved what he did.
This assignment affected her entire prida. For the sake of balance, she would need to swallow her anger and dislike of the Boss and do what needed to be done.
One of her hands found Forrest’s. She looked first to Felix, who nodded, then to Levi, whose own gaze was fixed on Forrest. When her Prizzoli gave her a slight bow of affirmation, Blue turned her attention to Mo’ata and nodded.
They would do this assignment, because they had to, for too many reasons.
It didn’t mean she appreciated the Boss’s handling of her and the guys, nor was she ready to let go of her anger.
“I assume we get to keep this?” Blue nodded to the papers scattered before them.
“Actually—“
“I like to work with paper. It helps me think, and sort through things.”
The fine wrinkles at the edges of the Boss’s eyes deepened.
“Dude. You should see the lists. The diagrams.” Forrest’s voice lowered to a horrified whisper. “The sticky-notes.”
Blue pinched his thigh, but allowed a smile to slip through.
“They help.” Blue and the Boss spoke at the same time, then glared at each other.
A snort came from one of the two bodyguards stationed a couple yards away.
“Take it,” the Boss finally said.
Blue nodded. “Are we done here?”
“We are,” the Boss said.
Good. She was done. The last two days had been one thing after another, it seemed. The family meeting, the confrontation with Felix and his confession, the exhibition, Dorani and Brendan Faust… the Asshole Boss and a new assignment. All things that needed to happen, yes, but she was going to have to recharge before the next thing hit.
So much for me cutting back and taking it easy. A wry laugh escaped her as Levi and Forrest stood, allowing her to slide out of the booth.
“Shopa?”
“I was right. I’m taking back my apology for taking on too much. I probably should have been doing more.”
He frowned but didn’t say anything more. Garfield and Vivi crept from under the table. Vivi headed for Forrest, while Garfield looked between Mo’ata and Blue. Pack-mother and pack-father not good?
How was she supposed to answer that? How did parents handle arguing in front of the kids? You weren’t supposed to do that, right? Are we even arguing? Panic of a different kind gripped her. Shit, I should never give birth.
With an ear flick at Blue, he went to Mo’ata’s side.
“If I can speak with Mo’ata for a moment, alone?” the Boss asked with an eye flick toward the piquet.
Blue crossed her arms. “Garfield goes where Garfield goes. But, yeah, I guess we can hang out with Theo for a few minutes.” She turned on her heel and headed back into the crowd. As Blue passed the female mercenary, Jana gave her a wide grin. “Bring sticky-notes next time,” she whispered. “He probably uses them faster than you do.”
Blue’s step hitched. The image of the Boss surrounded by colorful sticky-notes would have been hilarious if she weren’t still contemplating tender bits and the best way to damage them. “I’ll try to remember that,” she said, settling for a neutral tone, before continuing on her way.
“Hello there, little Blue,” Theo greeted her. “What can I get you?”
“A soda water and a good book of Cularnian swear words. Looks like I’m going for a visit.”
Theo smiled. “That I can do.”
DEMIL
When the gi
rl was out of range, he allowed the smile to spread across his face. “She doesn’t like me.”
Mo’ata rolled his eyes. “You were acting like an ikpul, so, yeah, she doesn’t like you.”
Demil shrugged. “I only said the truth.”
“In the most aggravating way possible.” The clansman stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders. “And you are not the one who has to go home with her tonight.”
Silver-blue eyes stared at Demil from a furry face. A furry face that was no doubt contemplating tearing his off.
“She’s got a quick mind,” he conceded.
“Told you.”
“Needs work on controlling her emotions.”
“Can you blame her for this one? Culan’s bones, even you try to keep agents away from anything that touches on their personal lives, especially the trainees. This is a wholly unique situation, and you know it. You were the one to say it.”
Demil grinned again as he recalled her expression just before Felix stepped in and calmed her down. She had been about to leap across the booth. She could be fierce, he’d give her that. “Point.” He drummed his fingers on the table. Did he really need to say this next thing? Demil huffed. Yes. “Mo’ata?”
“Boss?”
“You know I wouldn’t be sending you if I didn’t think this was the best course of action, for everyone?”
The clansman’s lips quirked up. “I know.” He tilted his head toward the bar, where the girl now chatted with Theo. Her stubborn disgruntlement was melting away under Theo’s banter. As they watched, her pout morphed into a slight grin, which soon became a laugh.
“Doesn’t hold onto her anger well, does she?”
“Oh, she’s still pissed,” the clansman said.
“How can you tell?”
“Garfield and Forrest. I’m pretty sure Garfield stayed with me because he thought I needed protection more than her, and Forrest hasn’t taken his hand off her since they left the booth.” Gentle warmth filled the clansman’s tone as he spoke of the youngest members of his prida.
Demil wasn’t certain what to think of the felines, but they were treated more like family than pets.
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