by Viola Grace
The men looked at each other and then turned accusing eyes to Benny.
“I can’t rein her in. I am her daughter, not her jockey.”
Her dad pitched in. “She is also an only daughter. She will have the best we can give her, and that is quite considerable.”
Andrew asked, “What kind of a timeline are we looking at?”
“Well, it has to be during a full moon, protective spells have to be laid in and invitations need to be issued with all of your full names and ranks mentioned. We could wait for the blue moon, but who really wants to?”
Lenora slid the paperwork toward Andrew. “Damp or not, I need everything. And then, the rest of you.” She flicked her fingers around the tub.
Tremble gave her a salute and Argyle inclined his head.
Benny smiled at her mother. “Can you fill mine in?”
“Of course, baby.”
She beamed at her partners, as they all had to fill out the paperwork with their names on it.
“Thanks, Mom.”
The guys turned one by one and filled out their details.
When the paperwork was filled out, Lenora took it back and smiled. “Let me know if there is anyone in particular you wish to invite. I will offer each of your leaders ninety spaces that must include all relatives willing to travel. Nobility and anyone else comes second.”
The guys all nodded.
Benny quirked her lips. “So, when do you think?”
“One month from Wednesday. We can get it all done.”
Benny cleared her throat. “You will be on your own for most of it. I start work as an Agent of the XIA tomorrow night.”
Her father looked worried, but he always did when he thought about her being in any dangerous situation. He didn’t stop her from doing what she needed to, but he didn’t encourage her to take unnecessary chances. Only the absolutely most necessary ones.
Lenora sighed. “Well, I will simply keep the meetings with the seamstress and tailors to the appropriate hours. Argyle, how are you doing with sunset?”
He shrugged. “I am even waking up early afternoons now.”
She laughed and nodded. “Good. I can get the formal wear preferred by your court and work from there.”
Andrew cleared his throat. “My pride simply engages with human formal wear.”
“We can do better than that.”
He nodded. “Excellent.”
Tremble piped up. “I included my king’s court and my top ten guest choices.” He smiled.
Benny muttered, “Kiss ass.”
He grinned. “Maybe later.”
Lenora chuckled. “Benny, you have to pick the flowers and the dress.”
Benny nodded. “Right. Moon silk and blue irises with pink roses.”
Lenora grinned. “Good choices. I will get the family to volunteer your dowry.”
The men looked at each other, and Andrew scowled. “I don’t understand.”
Tremble smirked. “Old tradition of families paying for the upkeep of the woman across her lifespan. The longer the lifespan, the greater the dowry.”
Argyle grinned. “Vampires used to pay the dowry in human servants. I am not advocating it, but the idea was to keep strain off the mate and the local economy, not to mention the population.”
Andrew snorted. “The lioness bring the territory and the alpha protects it. There is no other exchange of properties.”
Harcourt smiled. “We do things a little differently. There has been a financial calculation of every habit and projected interest that Benny could develop in the next few decades. Being a mage is an expensive proposition, and Benny is one of the best.”
Benny was suddenly the focus of three pairs of eyes. “What? Do you think exotic plants and geological samples are the kind of thing to be given for birthdays? It takes quite a bit of time and money to gain a useful collection. For now, I have depended on my mother’s collection as well as Minerva’s, but I will have to work on my own.”
Lenora smiled. “The house started her lab off with the basics, but for anything more exotic, Benny will need to buy or trade for the objects she needs.”
Harcourt chuckled. “Hence the dowry.”
Benny shrugged. “You knew that this wasn’t going to be easy when we first bonded, guys. I am about to become a very expensive lady.”
Tremble smiled. “I would never have guessed that a ride-along would have turned into a life sentence.”
The gathering laughed, and Benny was content for that one moment. Everything felt right.
Chapter Four
The next afternoon, Benny and the guys arrived at the XIA building and walked through security.
One by one, they walked through the scanners and none of them set off the demon sensors. They each picked up new identification packs at security, just in case. Benny made a face at her identification, but she smiled at the badge. It was always weird to see her full name spelled out.
She folded the identification into the leather cover and headed for the locker room with the rest of her group.
The quartermaster gave her the uniforms and her locker key. When she was changed, she would get her gear, but she wasn’t being given weapons for a while.
Locker seventy-six was in the far corner of the change room. Benny stripped off her t-shirt and jeans before sliding on the matte black of the XIA t-shirt and the matching loose trousers. The belt snugged in her waist, and she put on her calf-high boots.
Benny pulled a marker from her purse and slipped it into a pocket of the jacket. As she slipped her identification into the interior pocket, she also grabbed her cash wallet. Everything else was going to be locked and sealed in the locker room. Her cuffs were snugged at the base of her back. As she latched the locker, she took the marker out and traced a small line. The itty-bitty bit of magic would keep anyone from messing with her locker.
She met the guys on the other side of the locker room, and Agent Smith whistled low.
Agent Argyle smiled. “Looking good, Agent Ganger.”
“Thank you, Agent Argyle.”
Agent Tremble finished wrapping his hair into a tight braid, and he flicked it behind him. “Ready when you are.”
They left the room and were heading for the hall that led to the parking lot when Captain Matheson stepped in front of them. “Come with me.”
Bemused, Benny led her group into a boardroom and they had a seat in the chairs across from the captain.
The captain sat down and then got up again, pacing. “How did you do it?”
They looked at each other and shrugged. Tremble asked, “What?”
“How did you dampen the traces of demon blood? We know about the demon blood, but the scanners didn’t pick it up.”
Benny scratched the side of her nose. “From what I have observed, the scanners don’t look for the blood; they look for what could be called a demon tie. A bond to a demon king. I no longer have that.”
The captain paused. “How is that possible?”
Smith chimed in, “It wasn’t easy.”
Argyle snickered.
The captain ran his hands through his hair. “Damn. Well, unfortunately, it is well known that Agent Ganger has strong demon blood. The security officer was a little confused when none of you popped positive.”
Benny leaned forward. “If you want to know how to design a demon detector, ask my dad. He designed the original systems, but as long as you are still looking for connections to a high king demon, you will be finding people who can be influenced by blood.”
“And that is no longer the case with you.”
“Nope. There was a spell and ritual that managed to release all of my family line from the high king’s influence. From his blood to my blood and beyond, we are now free.”
Captain Matheson pinched the bridge of his nose. “I do not want to know what was involved in that particular manoeuvre, do I?”
“Not particularly. Simply know that my father, mother and myself are no longer susceptible to dem
on influence, though my father and I may manifest the physical traits now and then.”
Matheson looked at her partners. “You all are okay with this?”
They looked at each other and shrugged before stating, “Yes.”
Benny didn’t smirk, though she did want to. She straightened her shoulders.
Captain Matheson inhaled, “Well, as you are our only mage-equipped team, you will have to take over the crossover calls. The seers have been going crazy, and we think another wave is building. The city is on alert.”
Benny leaned forward. “Is there any idea of the location of the incoming wave?”
Matheson grimaced. “We don’t know where, we don’t know when, we just know it is close in all respects. It is why we needed you back so quickly. We need you on duty when and if it happens on a night shift.”
Argyle nodded. “Right. Not a problem.”
Benny looked at him with her brows raised. “Glad you have confidence, Argyle.”
The other two laughed.
Matheson’s expression turned from tense to amazed. “You are all bound together.” He thudded into his chair again, obviously picking up on the mingled scents through is senses.
Benny shrugged. “My contract says we could, so we did.”
Tremble chuckled. “I am sure that you will be invited to the wedding.”
The captain leaned back. “So, that kind of binding.”
Benny nodded. “Yes, Captain. Are we cleared for duty this evening?”
“Yes. By the way, Argyle, I am surprised to see you here so early.”
Argyle got to his feet. “Benny has brought light back to my life, in several ways. My new tolerance for sunlight is one of them.”
The rest of them got to their feet, and the captain remained seated. “Have a good shift.”
They all nodded and filed out of the boardroom.
Smith signed out the vehicle, and they all signed out a black bag filled with replacement clothing and, for the guys, additional weaponry.
Benny had her singular weapon tucked into the top of her boot. The folds of her trousers hid the small, narrow hilt and grip.
She put her bag next to theirs in the back of the SUV, and she headed for the rear seat on the driver’s side.
Smith stopped her. “Agent Ganger, you are going to be manning the computer.”
She grinned and headed for the front passenger seat, buckling in. The computer was on a support, and she opened it up, searching the system for any active calls.
Smith was smiling at her.
She sighed. “Nothing yet. Drive. Head for the waterfront. It usually goes off as soon as the sun goes down.”
“Yes, Agent Ganger.”
He backed out of the parking spot and headed to the waterfront. When the ping came, they were almost on top of it.
“Agatha’s Charm School. They have an incursion.”
He hit the gas and came to a halt in front of one of the weather-beaten buildings on the waterfront.
She slipped in an earpiece and listened to the emergency call. “Two eagle shifters are looking for money and protection spells. The owner is confined in her office.”
Smith and Argyle moved quickly, Benny unbuckled and kept listening to the call. The woman was panicked. The shifters had threatened to come in and abuse her if they didn’t find what they sought.
She left the car and spoke to Tremble. “I am going in for the shopkeeper.”
He nodded and followed her. “Stay out of the way. If they come at you, duck.”
Benny nodded and slipped into the shop, the dim light caused her to blink for a few seconds, but the scent of blood and magic pulled her onward. She heard the collision of bodies in the rear of the school, but she turned toward the office.
The soft sobbing in her ear continued and that in itself was wrong. The caller had been informed that there were XIA agents in the building, but she hadn’t stopped weeping.
Tremble nodded when Benny gestured for them to be silent as they approached the office door.
The door had a chair in front of it, a theoretical blockade. The problem was that the door opened inward.
Tremble pushed past Benny, and he drew his weapon. He silently moved the chair away and prepared to enter.
When he nodded, he opened the door and rolled to one side an instant before a fireball blazed outward. Benny ducked in after the flame receded and threw herself to the floor.
She heard a startled cry, but the sobs continued in her earpiece. The blood scent led her to a bottle where a two-inch tall Miss Agatha was crouched and hiding. The glyphs on the bottle made it impervious to damage.
Benny looked to the right and saw the third member of the break-in team. A young woman had a recorder next to the phone and left it playing while she took aim at Tremble.
Benny whispered a communication spell and called for a pick-up wagon in a matter of seconds. As the woman prepared to attack, Benny whistled sharply to draw her attention. Tremble came through the door, and the woman was struck with enough glamour to knock her off her feet and have her licking her lips while crawling toward him.
Benny grabbed her cuffs and locked the woman’s hands behind her back.
Tremble chuckled. “Nice work with the cuffs.”
“Thanks. Getting in and out of them took practice.”
The woman’s body started to change shape under Benny’s hands.
“Tremble, get me a length of leather from the third shelf to the left of the door.”
He got up and was back in a moment with the thin leather tie.
“What good will this do?”
Benny straddled the fighting shifter. “This is a charm shop, dumbass.”
She laced the leather around the woman’s neck and wrapped it around her biceps, pulling them tight and whispering the constriction spell.
The attempt to shift stopped, and the young woman shrieked.
“Clear!” Argyle and Smith called out as they hauled their opponents to the door.
“Clear here.” Tremble called out.
Benny got up and let Tremble take the shifter. “I will get the proprietor.”
Benny walked over to the bottle in the corner of the office, and she bowed. “Your business is clear.”
The woman nodded and started chanting. She went from two inches tall inside the bottle to five feet tall outside the bottle. Benny was unprepared for the hug.
“Oh, thank you. Thank you. I wasn’t able to finish making the call.”
“What your automated charms did was enough. I am sure your insurance can handle any damage that was caused by the break-in.”
Miss Agatha leaned back. “Do I know you?”
Benny patted her on the shoulder. “I am Agent Ganger with the XIA. I came here once with the Mage Guides.”
Miss Agatha nodded and straightened her tunic. “I thought you looked familiar. Good work on that short-range will-casting. You have a knack for it.”
She escorted the woman out of the shop to where the thieves were being loaded into the transport under the care of some nulls.
“What charms were they after?” Benny whispered to Agatha.
“Persuasion and affection. I don’t keep many in stock, but they can be useful in their particular line of work.”
Benny quickly went to the nulls and spoke to the driver. “When they are searched, look for small squares of paper or pearls or any combination thereof. They may have gotten some persuasion or affection charms in their heist.”
“Understood, Agent. Have a good night.”
Benny turned to her partners. Smith and Argyle were a little clawed up, but otherwise fine. Tremble gave Miss Agatha a business card and gestured for Benny to get back in the SUV.
She slid into her spot next to the computer and keyed in their completion of the dispatch order. Once they were confirmed as back on duty, the screen refreshed and the guys piled in.
“So, how did you know that the call was fake?” Smith was keeping his voice casual.
“I wasn’t sure, but I have met Agatha, and she is not the type to sob uncontrollably.” Benny watched the screen and she identified another position. “Sixteenth and Harcourt. A neighbourhood party has turned into a brawl. Goblin and giant.”
The guys groaned, and they started to loosen up in preparation for the match.
It was quite the start to her first day.
Chapter Five
Giant drinking songs were not for the faint of heart, but since the fight had broken up before Smith had gotten them there, it was a good sign.
XIA relationships with the community were sometimes tense, but tonight, Benny played rock-paper-scissors with one of the goblin children. She had to play it two handed, and it was best three out of five. She lost and rubbed the goblin at the base of her skull for a few minutes.
Argyle was having an in-depth conversation with the combatants, and Smith was answering questions on what it meant to be a shifter.
Tremble was staying at a polite distance from the goblins. Not all of the fey got along with them, and it was better for him not to cause an incident.
After admonishing the group to keep things to community standards, they returned to their vehicle.
Benny filed them as complete, and the system refreshed again.
As they pulled away from the gathering, she sighed. “Stop.”
Smith stopped the vehicle, and Benny got out. She untied the balloon from the antenna and walked it back to the laughing giants. “Here you go.”
She winked and headed back to the SUV. The laughter increased in volume, and she didn’t glance back.
She slid into the car again and buckled up. “It wouldn’t do to have a hot pink balloon on the antenna.”
She heard giggling, but she didn’t look around. “Next call is up on Gravemercy Way. We have an unlicensed rising. The mages should take it, but they are bogged down. They won’t make it in time to stop it, and we need to stop it.”
Smith hit the gas, and she confirmed that they were on their way.
“Gentlemen, we have a student necromancer attempting to raise her twin. The twin died in a drinking incident at the school, and it has taken Miaka this long to gain the necessary spells in order to raise him.”