More than Temptation

by Taige Crenshaw

  She uncoiled the whip from around her wrist, then held onto it with one hand as she focused on the golden falcon. She beckoned it to come forward, fingers crooking in a ‘come here’ movement. The bird raised its head and shrieked before flying straight at her. She materialised her blowpipe and blew a dart. It caught the powerful bird between the eyes, causing the falcon to plummet to the earth. It collided with the hard ground and shifted back to human form.

  With a burst of power, she spun back towards the others. Kalina changed her blowpipe into a gun, the cool metal resting in her hand a comfortable friend, the tranquilising bullets lending a different balance to the weapon than the regular ones would. She sighted down the barrel at the earth shifters as they sprang into the air. They flew at her, their energy moved along her skin but it was different. She realised the man who hadn’t shifted amplified their power. Kalina shook her head. He used them as bait, to test her. She didn’t care. She would do her job, then get the fuck out of this hellhole.

  In quick succession, she pulled the trigger, tranqing each of them between the eyes. They collapsed, shifting back to human form. Stilling the whip, Kalina stared down at the man below her. He hadn’t moved from his stance with his hands on his hips, legs braced apart, watching her with a lust-filled gaze. Kalina stifled a sigh at the typical reaction.

  “Come on down and let me have you, my little Amazonian princess,” he yelled. The stranger’s voice rolled over her like decadent cream.

  Kalina arched an eyebrow. There was no way for him to know what she was, or how close to the truth he’d come. She glared at him and flipped him the bird.

  The man blinked before anger filled his face. With a roar of rage he bent his knees and shot straight into the sky.

  Third rule of combat broken—Never get emotional.

  He caught the end of the whip dangling below her and began climbing hand over hand. Surprised he had the balls to even touch it, Kalina amped her power, lighting the whip with fire and waited for his scream.

  The man smiled menacingly yet kept advancing, the intent to reach her clear on his face.

  Kalina narrowed her eyes. Only two beings could withstand her fire and neither of them resided in this realm. He was almost upon her when she got a look at his eyes through the orange flames. They were burning—not a reflection of her fire, but from deep within him.

  Swearing viciously, Kalina dampened her power before spinning in the air and flipping to the ground. She yanked the whip from his grasp taking it with her. She turned back and glared at him. He stared back, his crimson wings widespread, laughing while his body lit up in a red and orange wash of flames. With a massive shift of power he rose from the fire—a majestic and deadly bird. Growling at the sight, Kalina fought for control over her rage. He raised his head, singing his song of death—one she had prayed never to hear again—the tune whispering on the wind.

  “Hhhhtttaaeeeddd.”

  At the sound, Kalina shook and every coherent thought but one went out of her mind—It must die.

  With a fierce burst of power, she flew into the air. He swooped towards her, his claws spread in a deadly arc. She spun out of the way before lashing out with her fist, hitting him in the side of the head.

  He tumbled through the sky across the clearing, hitting a tree—the tree bursting into flames. The bird glanced at her, then rose into the air, wings spread. It opened its mouth, breathing fire in her direction.

  Raising her arms out from her sides, Kalina let it come, let the flames engulf her. She controlled them, letting the fire trail along her body, before funnelling it to her mouth. Opening her lips, she sucked in the heat and fear flashed in the bird’s eyes. She spat the fire out and the power hit the ground as ice, shattering on impact.

  The bird flew at her again, its wings making flames burst among the trees. Raising her hand she materialised her sword, then flew up to meet him. She slashed at him and missed, but managed to punch hitting him mid-body. She infused it with all her strength and felt the give of crumbling muscle and bone on impact.

  The bird shrieked and tumbled backwards before righting itself, then came at her in a fierce rush. She waited for him to close the distance, anticipation coursing through her. Seamlessly, Kalina spun out of the way, materialised her stunner, flicked it higher and pressed it against the bird’s temple. Closing her finger on the trigger, she zapped him. The bird wavered, then turned, eyes burning bright, and fell to the ground.

  Kalina spun sideways, then flipped, hitting the ground and straddling the prone bird. It shifted and she focused on the eyes of the man.

  “Give me one fucking reason not to kill you, Firebird.”

  The man watched her, his smile a vicious twist of his lips. “The PIA gives you all a short leash. So take me the fuck back to lockup.”

  Lowering her eyelids, she smiled slow and deadly. “Wrong type of agent, asshole.”

  She lashed out, hitting him with two fingers in the middle of his forehead with her spell. His eyes rolled back in his head, his head flopping to the side.

  Fury bubbling, Kalina slowly stepped away. She wanted to finish it, kill him. Taking another step back, she took a deep breath, trying to control her instinctual need to eliminate the Firebird. She glanced around at the area littered with bodies. She had accomplished her mission with minimal damage.

  Kalina looked at the surrounding trees. They were blackened by fire. She raised her arms and murmured words as old as time. The trees filled out, whole and healthy again.

  At the sound of movement, she turned quickly, materialising her dagger. The man had awoken and attempted to get up. Reacting instinctively, she threw the dagger, watching as it hit home embedded in his chest. He fell back, blood spilling out of his mouth.

  Kalina strode over to him then bent to retrieve her weapon, pulling it free of the corpse. “You should have stayed asleep.”

  How did he come out of my compulsion spell? It shouldn’t have happened.

  A gold glint on his wrist caught her attention. She raised the man’s sleeve to get a better look at the object. Bright light flared and instinctively Kalina shielded her eyes. After a few seconds, they adjusted and she lowered her hand, examining the bracelet. It seemed too delicate for the man’s arm. The trinket of yellow-gold had intricate hieroglyphics etched in white gold on the surface. In its middle sat a flawless topaz stone. Light seemed to radiate throughout it. Kalina touched it but jumped back as heat emanated from it.

  The jewellery shimmered for a moment then disappeared. “Shit.” Unease filled her. She reached out with her senses, searching for the bracelet, but felt nothing. “Fuck.” She stood slowly and looked around the clearing again. The feeling that something was off would not leave her.

  She glanced at the bodies littering the clearing. “Why would you be in the middle of the Amazon?”

  With one more look around, Kalina then strode back through the foliage. She pulled her com unit off her belt. “PIA Lia confirmed subjects acquired. Request prisoner containment and medical crews, my coordinates.”

  “PIA Lia, acknowledged. Report immediately to headquarters,” a voice on the com unit replied.

  Surprised she didn’t have the usual week off before reporting, Kalina frowned then replied, “Acknowledged. PIA Lia out.”

  She broke the connection before she returned the com unit to her belt. She strode behind the foliage, flicked her wrist and brought up her shades. A soft clink made her look down. Surprised, she lifted her hand. The man’s bracelet was now on her wrist. A sense of dread filled her. She hadn’t detected the bangle’s presence. Somehow, the piece of jewellery had got past her shields.

  She tugged to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge. She examined it more closely. It appeared to just snap on with a simple closure but she couldn’t pull it free. Narrowing her eyes, she infused her stare with enough power to break even the strongest metals. The bracelet hummed, then the topaz flared. It sucked in her power, yet returned it to her at the same time.

  He
aring a noise behind her, Kalina stopped and glanced over her shoulder. The air glowed, accompanied by a popping sound. The speed of everything around her seemed to increase as she spied the teams she had requested beginning to arrive. She stepped deeper into the foliage and put her shades on, then shimmered away.

  In moments Kalina transported, cloaking herself so she was invisible, then she returned to form in front of the inconspicuous-looking building that was headquarters. The Phoenix Intelligence Agency looked like any of the other corporate buildings that lined the Wall Street area in New York City. No one knew it housed a secret agency sanctioned by the supernatural government. Only a select few of the human race knew of their existence—the President of the United States wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t in the ‘need to know’ category.

  Striding across the sidewalk, Kalina unshielded herself in the throngs of people bustling in the area. No one gave her a second look as they went about their business. She arrived at the front glass doors of the building, and noted the sign that read, ‘Phoenix—Attorneys at Law’. Her lips quirked as they always did at the partial truth. They upheld the law when it suited them. At other times, agents like her handled the dirty work.

  She stepped inside and took in the marble floors and huge reception area. Without acknowledging the receptionist, she strode across the lobby. No one could get past the reception desk without prior approval. Not only was the area warded, various oracle shifter witches staffed the reception desk. They could evaluate your business at the agency and, if you were human, make you leave without being aware you had entered. If you were a supernatural, they could get rid of you without needing security. They were truly that powerful.

  At the elevator, Kalina stepped inside as soon as the doors opened, then pressed ‘Z’. She waved her hand over the panel of buttons, making the elevator bypass all the floors between her and her destination. She ignored the grumbles floating through the doors as she passed each floor. Anyone wanting to ride the elevator would just have to wait. She rarely rode with others.

  The doors opened and she walked out into the quiet area, the near-silence making her itch. She strode down the hall. She preferred the lower floors where it looked and felt like any other bustling law enforcement agency, where the various supernatural and not-so-natural beings spewed their hate at you. It was easier to breathe when surrounded by hostility.

  Which was why she would never accept the promotion they offered. She couldn’t take the politics and stuffiness behind the job. Phoenix Intelligence Agency wasn’t merely a covert law enforcement organisation. It was the agency for the supernatural government, and the place the humans who knew of them called when they came upon a criminal, be it human or super, they couldn’t handle. They were the ones who were willing to do the dirty work when others baulked at getting their hands messy. They were responsible for the defence of all the realms and dimensions.

  The Phoenix Intelligence Agency had the most technologically advanced systems. They had many different divisions and areas, were ruthlessly organised and efficient with only the elite of various races as part of the agency. Once you joined, you had to stay on top of your game. They often gave surprise evaluations, both physical and psychological. If you failed any of the tests, they stripped you of all knowledge of the agency location, what it entailed and any secrets. Wiping was one of the things all agents feared.

  Kalina kept her face blank while fear bubbled inside her. She’d barely passed her last evaluation. They had called her the same way they had today. Since she hadn’t had an eval in a while, she should have expected it, but then again, no one ever did.

  The itch intensified when one of the ‘suits’ passed her. They always looked as if their tight collars were choking the life out of them. He returned her gaze, taking in her outfit, and she resisted self-consciously touching her clothing as she continued down the hall. Although she didn't like wearing a suit, she wished she had thought of putting on a shirt. Too late now. She refused to give them the satisfaction. Her ‘don’t care’ reputation was at stake. They would just have to see her in what she liked to call her ‘hunting clothes’.

  The darkness of her skin-tight, deep rich red leather vest made it almost appear black. The garment stopped halfway to her navel. From below her breasts to where the vest ended was a metal plate compartment where she stashed extra supplies she couldn’t create with her power. Her matching pants rode low on her hips and curved in the middle leaving the bottom half of the tattoo over her navel and the top part of her stomach bare.

  Her mouth went dry at the thought of testing. Although she wanted to turn around and leave, she didn’t, but continued heading in the direction she had been summoned to. They would start with a psych eval first, the hardest part for her by far. The Oracle Psychiatric Investigators—OPI—could see anything, everything. It freaked her out when they exchanged their silent looks, which always seemed full of pity. Her hands clenched into fists. They didn’t know crap—there were some things even they couldn’t uncover from her mind.

  Despite her hatred of them, the surprise evals were for the best. They protected the agent, and the public they had sworn to protect. As part of the Phoenix Assassination Unit, she didn’t doubt her judgement—to do so could cost her life.

  Tiredness seeped into her, almost making her stagger. She barely managed to stay on her feet, but Kalina kept walking. She hadn’t expended enough power to be this weak. Something was wrong. The feeling passed almost immediately, but Kalina frowned, thinking she might have to make a trip down to medical. But the thought of prodding and probing made her heart beat harder. She hated doctors.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a guard in the shadows. He acknowledged her with a nod before fading, disappearing before her eyes. Kalina kept her face empty despite the shock coursing through her. She hadn’t seen a Shadower this close to the agency leaders before. Their presence was unheard of let alone as guards. Shadowers were power-hungry, and could strip any being of its power. They usually tried to take over the world. For him to be this close to the director, they had to trust him.

  Kalina shoved open the door at the end of the hall, then walked through the waiting area with only an abrupt nod at Cairo, the receptionist at the desk in front of the director’s office. She moved purposefully towards the closed doors, but they opened before she could saunter in as planned. Without slowing her pace, she walked in and went right up to the director’s desk. She stood relaxed, silently watched her boss, waited for him to acknowledge her. It didn’t take long.

  “Why did you kill the Firebird, Kalina?” Christos Shalamr’s gaze remained steady, studying her as he waited for her to respond to his question.

  The bluntness of his enquiry threw Kalina for a moment. Although Christos rarely minced words, his delivery was usually smoother. She tried to figure out the trick in his question.

  Relying on the intuition that had saved her often in sticky situations, Kalina shrugged and answered with the truth. “Instinct. He woke up with death on his mind. It was either him or me.”

  Christos looked at her, seeming to search for something, then nodded abruptly. He sat back and steepled his lean fingers under his chin.

  “Do you know why you were called to my office?” The cool unemotional tone matched his expression.

  Matching him, Kalina spoke. “For testing.”

  Christos’ arched an eyebrow then he smiled. “Do you want to be tested?”

  Kalina thought for a second about lying before discarding the idea. “No.”

  Christos’ lips twitched. “You’re honest. I like that about you. Have a seat.”

  Reluctantly, Kalina did as requested.

  “Relax. This will be painless, I promise.”

  Kalina watched him with narrowed eyes and pursed her lips. “For you, maybe.”

  Christos shook his head. “You’re not going to testing.”

  The tension filling her dissipated. Relief almost made her almost miss what else he had to say.
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br />   “You’re going out on another case. You and your partner—”

  She interrupted him. “I don’t work with a partner.”

  “For this you will.”

  Steel imbued his tone. Uncaring, Kalina stood her power flared and her chair flew across the room.

  “Fuck you. I quit.” She spun on her heel, heading for the door.

  “Fine. Report to the Wipers.”

  Kalina stopped, stiffening. The Wipers would take all her knowledge of the agency. She closed her eyes then clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. As a threat, it was a powerful one. The agency had become her home, and she could not return to her past. Swallowing, she turned, staring at him. He appeared unruffled at the idea of losing her.

  In a fluid motion, Christos stood, then strolled around the desk. Kalina watched him guardedly. His movements looked like those of a shifter, but she knew better. He hadn’t called his power, although he had every right to. Christos stopped in front of her and cupped her face gently.

  “Kalina, why must everything be so difficult with you?” His voice was silky, smooth.

  Kalina jerked away, putting some distance between them. She couldn’t handle his touch. The tenderness would remind her too much of what she’d lost.

  Christos sighed and leaned against the closed door. “It’s okay to care. He w—”

  “Leave it alone.”

  Her harsh voice cut through the room. Closing her eyes, she fought to hold back the pain. Ruthlessly, she squashed it down. She opened her eyes looking at him once again calm.