by S. E. Weir
As Masha entered, she assessed the man who sat behind the desk reading a report.
Greyson Wells, their boss and leader, reminded her of an older version of one of her teenage idols, Wesley Crusher on Star Trek. He could have come from almost any culture aside from East Asian or Scandinavian. He was attractive but not a standout...until he opened his mouth. His ability to blend in was part of what made Greyson a great spy.
The man at the desk, Jack Kaiser, more resembled the quintessential movie spy: handsome, rugged, and distinguished. He could be charming, militant, gregarious, or cold at the drop of a hat. He was well trained, well dressed, and well respected in Spy Corps. His job was to make sure the Corps ran smoothly when Greyson was off on missions.
Her personal interactions with the man were a little different. They worked together well enough and handled things between them so that nothing fell through the cracks. However, even though there was only a five-year difference between the two of them, Masha often came away from their conversations feeling like that gap was closer to twenty. She couldn’t figure out if it was how he treated her or her perception. It left her feeling frustrated, and drained her good mood away.
Jack peered over the top of his reading glasses to give her a frown. “Did you need something?”
Masha left her thoughts behind and straightened with a nod. “Greyson is coming back shortly before the advanced training classes begin.”
“That’s nothing out of the ordinary.” He turned back to his report dismissively. “The man shows up when he wants, but he’s usually here for that.”
Masha barely kept an eye roll in check. “This time, he’s bringing Phina.”
Jack finally showed interest in the conversation. “Oh? That’s his special-interest recruit, correct?”
“Yes.” Masha wanted to sit down, but that setup always made her feel like she was a student being scolded. She remained standing, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “He’s bringing her to train with the other recruits.”
“Hmm.” The older spy pulled off his glasses and tilted his head speculatively. “I had told him he should bring her here, but he refused. I wonder what made him change his mind?”
“I asked him.”
Jack focused on her face. She muscled past her discomfort and continued, “I met Phina at Maxim’s wedding. She’s his wife’s best friend. She seems to have been trained well in fighting, but I believe she’s floundering somewhat on the spy skills we normally teach. I thought we could help, so I suggested he bring her here.”
“Are you familiar with her combat skills? It sounds like you had a chance to observe her in action.”
“A little,” Masha confirmed. “There was an attack during the wedding. She took out her fair share of the attackers.”
Masha wasn’t certain why she had stretched the truth. She instinctively knew that Greyson didn’t want everyone to know the extent of Phina’s skills. Masha didn’t even know how far those skills went, but she had been impressed by what she had seen in Phina. In truth, she wanted to include Phina in Spy Corps circles because she thought the younger woman could use the connections and had a lot to teach as well as learn.
“Interesting.” Jack mulled the information over before speaking. “Tell me more about this attack.”
Masha would rather have kept the information to herself, but she had no good reason to deny the request that wouldn’t sound childish. Masha opened her mouth to explain when the man used his glasses to point at her.
“And sit down. You’re hovering. Hovering irritates me.”
Masha didn’t suppress her glowering glare, but she sat down. As she gave him a carefully edited version of events, she decided that she had her answer as to who was at fault for making her feel like a child in their interactions.
It was definitely Jack.
Etheric Empire, QBBS Meredith Reynolds
Sundancer raced out of the bedroom in time to see his human disappear.
Who had dared to take his human away?
He darted forward to sniff the spot where she had been kidnapped.
He tilted his head, pink triangle ears perked, listening for her mind. He remained connected to her, though the connection was muffled like he was sensing her from behind a curtain that dampened sound. It felt like...
Sundancer took a step and slipped between dimensions, something that he had only recently learned how to do after doing some stalk...ahem...spying on the Empress. She had caught him, which had been a great blow to his ego.
The Empress had been kind and taken him into the Etheric with her. She’d stepped over and back a few times to show him how the trick worked. Sundancer had been eager to learn something new, and it now came in handy.
Sundancer landed in the mist with his back arched and his ears tipped forward, ready to fight. Phina was the first thing Sundancer saw after stepping through.
Phina didn’t sense Sundancer since she was locked down. She stood a few feet away from her kidnapper, controlling her emotions as she spoke. “What is this place?”
“My workshop,” the human who had kidnapped Phina answered as she turned to the device Todd had placed on the long counter in the center of the room.
Sundancer relaxed now that he knew she was unharmed.
Todd linked his hand with Phina’s. Sundancer ignored the ever-present affection between his human and her mate and explored the area for himself.
The long counter where the kidnapper stood held drawers of varying sizes underneath. To the side of that, there was a table large enough for three people and chairs. The whole setup was made of non-metallic materials like plastic and silicone. Shelves made of the same materials were placed on the far side of the counter and held varying devices and gadgets in differing states of disarray.
Sundancer was distracted by sparks behind the shelves and realized that the walls were made of the mist. He pondered how cloud-like mists could be made to maintain the solid state. The sparks of energy that shot through the walls forked like tiny bolts of lightning.
Since Sundancer and Phina were permanently mentally connected, he knew where they were the instant she recognized the location.
“Fudging crumbs. We’re in the Etheric.”
“We are.” The huge creature the voice belonged to rounded the corner of the counter and sat by the kidnapper, who was poking at the device Todd had brought. “That’s what the humans call it, anyway.”
Sundancer arched his back and froze at the sight of the massive creature, whose voice came from the device attached to her collar. While Phina’s mental reaction told Sundancer she was almost as surprised by the creature as he was, Todd merely smiled in welcome.
“Hello, Jinx.”
The great furry being tilted her head curiously, ears perked in interest, causing Sundancer to realize that this Jinx was a dog. A giant dog.
“We have seen you before,” Jinx offered.
“Yes. I’m Todd. I’m good friends with Peter.”
At that name, both woman and dog groaned. The sound gave Sundancer assurance that he didn’t need to be on the alert for an attack. He allowed his back to return to its normal curve, his tail swishing slightly.
Todd chuckled in amusement at their reactions. “Still having training pains?”
“Not as much as before, but his lessons tend to stick,” the kidnapper answered.
Sundancer heard the name “Anne” through Phina’s thoughts as the woman in question glared at Todd in suspicion.
“You weren’t involved in the plan to put Jinx in that horrid vest from hell, were you?”
“No,” Todd responded, raising his free hand to swear by it. “I did tell John Grimes it was a mistake, though.”
“Hmm.” Anne continued to appraise him but let it go and turned back to the device.
Sundancer felt his human growing impatient and wasn’t surprised when she spoke up.
“So, what do you think? Is it usable?”
Using the distraction of her q
uestion to slip closer to the big dog, Sundancer quietly took in information through his senses.
“I’m still looking. I’ll let you know when I’ve finished.” Anne spoke distractedly, causing Jinx to huff in resignation.
Sundancer took the opportunity to move closer. When he was only a few feet away, Jinx whirled her head around.
“What are you doing?”
“What! You can see me?” Sundancer could have been bowled over with a feather. No one ever saw him if he didn’t want them to. Not in years.
Jinx cocked her head in confusion. “Of course I can see you. You’re right in front of me.” She padded over and sniffed him, then snorted and stepped back. “You smell funny. Like...” She turned her head to look at Anne, who mirrored the movement.
Sundancer suspected they were linked mentally like him and Phina.
After a long moment, Jinx turned back more confidently and sniffed Sundancer again. “Yes, like smoke and space.”
“This is Sundancer,” Phina told them as she glanced at them curiously. He knew she had been following his train of thought subconsciously. “He’s paired with me. Similar to how you two are paired, I’ll guess.”
Anne paused at her task and crouched to speak to Sundancer. “Hello, Sundancer. I’m happy to meet you.”
“Are you sure? You seemed happy enough to ignore me a minute ago.”
He felt Phina’s mental sigh and gentle “can’t take you anywhere” admonishment. Anne just smiled.
Jinx gave Sundancer a doggy grin. “I like you. You’re funny.” She paused, then added, “For a cat, anyway. Dogs are much funnier.”
Sundancer straightened to his full height, ears flicking in disdain. “I am not a cat. I am a Previdian, dog, which is not the same thing as a cat at all. I am a mysterious and majestic being of the ninth family of Previdia! You should worship my magnificence and consider yourself lucky to be in my presence!”
Anne struggled not to laugh but failed. Jinx didn’t even try to contain her amusement. “Yes. You’re very funny. Dogs don’t worship cats, and we don’t demand to be revered, either. We just are friends with our humans.”
Sundancer’s ears pressed back. He couldn’t take any more. He turned and walked away, his tail flicking in agitation. He threw a glare at Phina since he could hear her mental chuckles as he passed.
You are all ignorant creatures. You’re on your own, Phina. See if I come running to your rescue again.
Ears and tail held high, he stepped back over to Phina’s apartment.
A cat. He sniffed. My magnificence is never appreciated.
Chapter Six
Etheric Dimension, Anne’s Workshop
“Did we scare the fancy cat away?”
Phina shook her head at Jinx’s question. “Sundancer does his own thing, but he is protective and caring in his own way. He came because he was worried about me. His ego was poked, so he left.” She shrugged and grasped Todd’s hand a little tighter. “He’ll be fine. If I was in trouble he wouldn’t hesitate to come back, no matter how grumpy he gets.”
She sent a wave of love and appreciation to Sundancer. Are you all right?
The connection felt muffled but she got a wave of affection back, so she figured her Previdian friend wasn’t terribly upset and turned her attention back to Anne.
“So, how are we in the Etheric?”
Anne paused to scan Phina uncertainly before she reached down to wrap an arm around Jinx’s neck. “Would you rather hear the long version, the short version, or the extremely short version?”
“How about somewhere between short and extremely short so I get the big picture, and then I’ll ask questions?”
As Anne thought about where to begin, Phina opened her filters to get a sense of the reason behind the woman’s uneasiness. She wasn’t aiming to intrude, but she wanted to get a general sense of Anne’s thoughts and feelings so she didn’t overstep. To her surprise, Anne had strong mental shields of her own, like Bethany Anne.
Phina switched to the mental connection between her and Todd.
Todd, is she a Nacht? A vampire like Bethany Anne?
Yes. He nodded as he answered, which triggered amusement. She sent affection through their link as she absorbed that new fact along with what she had gained from Anne.
Though the woman felt more closed off than anyone Phina had met before, she had received a sense of wariness, reluctance, and a pang of something soft that she recognized all too well. She lifted her chin, meeting Anne’s gaze.
“You have a hard time explaining new things to new people because hardly anyone gets you.”
Surprise flashed across Anne’s face. “How did you know?”
Phina gave her an easy smile and a light shrug. “I often have the same problem. I used to have hardly anyone to talk to aside from my best friend, and now I have more.” Phina glanced at Todd with a happy smile that he returned as she continued, “All lovely people. But when I’m problem-solving or figuring out how something works, it’s hard to describe my thought process in a way people understand because my brain makes connections differently than others do. Sometimes I think I need to throw in three diagrams and a color-coordinated flowchart.”
Anne smiled and Jinx’s ears perked up in interest when Todd leaned over to whisper, “Didn’t you do that once?”
“Shh. It was one time!” Phina huffed as she pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. “It didn’t even work because I don’t organize the same way others do, either. No one could follow it.”
Jinx and Anne laughed while Todd wrapped an arm around Phina and tugged her closer, smiling as he whispered, “My beautiful genius.”
Phina basked in the warm feelings she received from Todd and gave him a blinding smile of appreciation before turning back to Anne and offering her answer.
“Perhaps start with why you decided you needed to move your workspace here?”
Anne nodded with a shy but pleased smile, then proceeded to explain while she continued examining the translocation device.
“I’ve been working with the Etheric for...hmm...almost thirteen years now. As you may have noticed, it is an inexhaustible energy source.” She glanced at Phina, who nodded, then Anne waved a hand around the room. “Well, all this started with wanting to change kinetic energy into Etheric energy so Jinx wouldn’t get thrown around as much when we fight.”
Anne’s jaw tightened as if remembering the times when her friend had been hurt. Phina noted that Jinx physically comforted Anne by pressing her furry body against her friend, even though Jinx had been the one to get hurt. After a few ear scratches, Anne continued.
“We have a workable vest now, but it doesn’t stop the more powerful weapons. Anyway, this isn’t the long story, so let’s just say that experiment led to a few different side trails that allowed us to begin storing and eventually manipulating Etheric energy with the help of my friends and employees, Stevie and Tina. However, it’s harder to work with Etheric energy outside of the Etheric without blowing things up.”
“So, you decided you needed to find a way to create a lab inside the Etheric,” Phina concluded.
“Exactly.” Anne had grown more relaxed and open the longer she talked and was now showing excitement about having someone who understood the process. “The problem we had was finding a way to manipulate the energy into creating the space we needed within the Etheric. It took a few years of experimenting before I was able to create the walls. A few months later, I got them stabilized.”
“Hmmm.” Phina mulled that over as she perused the area again. “What materials are you using here? I don’t see any metals.”
“That’s right.” Anne glanced at Phina curiously. “You seem less freaked out about being in the Etheric than others, and you recognized the Etheric. Has Bethany Anne brought you here, or can you cross over yourself?”
Shaking her head, Phina peered at Anne as she removed an inner panel of the device to examine what lay underneath. “Neither. I haven’t been here in pers
on, but while I was in a coma, my consciousness was transferred into the Etheric. It was like a dream that was also real.”
Anne glanced up from unscrewing another panel. “That sounds both interesting and strange.”
“Tell me about it.” Phina groaned.
She and Anne chatted about their Etheric experiences, Phina peppering their discussion with questions about how the structure of the walls came about. Todd had squeezed her hand before moving over to have a conversation with Jinx, occasionally glancing around uneasily.
Phina and Anne had moved onto childhood struggles when Anne finally opened a smaller inner panel and stared in surprise at the contents.
“What is it?” Phina asked, wondering if Anne had found a bomb or something equally devastating.
“This device runs on Etheric energy, but it’s not using any material I’m familiar with.” She spoke slowly and thoughtfully. Alight with interest and speculation, Anne tuned everyone out while she worked.
She suddenly swiveled toward Jinx in surprise. “We never got through that huge list of materials to test, and I’m wondering which one this is. Maybe we can replicate the manufacturing process and adapt it to upgrade the vest so you’re protected.” Anne turned back to Phina.
Her movement was faster than Phina anticipated, and she barely kept herself from reacting.
“How soon do you need this device?” Anne asked.
Phina grimaced, seeing Anne’s excitement and feeling strangely reluctant to disappoint her. “As soon as possible. We are leaving in the next few days. We can’t put it off.”
Anne repressed her disappointment as she glanced back at the device with longing. “Are you certain you need this device for your mission?”
Nodding, Phina answered quietly, not wanting Todd to overhear. “It could be the difference between death and making it out alive if things go badly. I’ll be on my own most of the time.”
Phina and Anne’s gazes connected, allowing Phina a little more of a glimpse into the loyalty, compassion, and curiosity that lay within this younger Nacht—who Phina hadn’t seen any sign of in any of the files she’d accessed in her years of hacking.