by Viola Grace
“I think so, too, but I am waiting until I have a few years in the XIA under my belt. We have joined more than lodgings; we have linked lifespans. I have a bit more time than most humans are granted.”
“So, you are thinking of having kids?” Emily tried to be sly.
“Of course. Tremble has already volunteered to be the house husband, but none of us are in a rush. We can’t be. We have no idea who the father of the first would be.”
Emily blushed. “So you.. all together?”
“No. But it is fairly serial. One sets off the others and so on.”
A sly female voice from behind Benny murmured, “It sounds like a circus.”
Emily stiffened and turned with Benny. “Maggie, you were not invited to speak.”
The woman was beautiful, golden and had the sly look of an ex-girlfriend.
If Benny didn’t have such a good opinion of her own worth as a female, she would have been intimidated. As it was, she smiled slightly and extended her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Maggie narrowed her eyes and sneered. “I don’t shake hands with mongrels.”
Emily’s shoulders stiffened. “You are speaking to my soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
“Madam Alpha, you are going to have to choose between pride and family. You can’t have both. Eric deserves better.”
Benny lowered her hand; her brain was smug in the knowledge that Maggie didn’t call him Andrew. That was the name he preferred, and if she didn’t use it, she didn’t know him all that well.
Benny smiled. “He does deserve better. He chose better. He has three loyal partners, and we would all fight to the death for him.”
Maggie’s features shifted for battle, and she lunged forward. “Prove it.”
Chapter Eleven
Benny shifted to keep Emily out of the line of attack, and she let her other form out.
The half-shifted, charging lioness’s eyes widened in shock as she was facing a demon king with fey eyes and vampire calm.
It was almost comical to see the woman go from aggressive to grovelling as Benny grabbed her, flipped her and pinned her to the ground with one hand in her hair and her head back. It was a submission pose and Maggie didn’t fight it.
Emily cleared her throat. “Well, that was unexpected.”
Benny looked at her new sister. “Apologies. I had hoped to ease you into this particular manifestation.”
Emily waved it off. “Not you. Them.”
Benny looked over to where the guys were standing and the demon manifestations were exceedingly obvious.
“What did you do to my brother?”
Benny wrinkled her nose. “We are all bound together. It was necessary, but we now share portions of all the others in our odd little unit. The demon manifestation is me, fey is Tremble, and Argyle’s teeth and calm come in handy. We get enhanced senses and claws from Andrew.”
Emily hugged her belly. “All that is just inside you?”
Benny held Maggie in the twisted position and smiled. “Of course. I only let it out on special occasions. It was important for Andrew’s family to know what we had become, together.”
Emily exhaled. “Well, you don’t seem like a ravening beast, and you don’t seem evil.”
Benny didn’t mention that she wanted to snap Maggie’s neck as casually as you would swat a fly. She smiled and looked down at her prisoner. “Are you going to behave?”
Maggie nodded slowly and as much as should was able to. “Yes.”
Benny whispered a charm to lock Maggie in her half-shifted form for a day. “Now, you are going to have to deal with having your furry face on display for a day. Twenty-four hours from now, you will regain control. Never attack me or mine again. It is not worth your life to try and gain position by aggression.”
Maggie scuttled back the moment that Benny let her go.
Benny looked at Emily and slowly receded back into her normal skin. It was a little disturbing that it was coming so easily when she wanted extra power. Reaching for her demon side wasn’t her favourite means of defense.
Andrew came up to her and wrapped her in his arms. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I am fine. She didn’t lay a claw on me.”
Maggie was sitting on the ground with her hands on her face, her claws a little too near her eyes for Benny’s liking.
Emily sighed. “I will look after her. Thank you for not killing her.”
Benny nodded toward Emily. “It was a near thing...wait how did you know?”
He chuckled and rubbed his chin on the top of her head. “When you change, we can feel what you feel through our binding. It is definitely not the way we imagine you normally think. It is far more aggressive.”
She sighed. “Sorry.”
Dornan cleared his throat. “Well, since I have seen the power that you bring to our pride, welcome once again, Beneficia Ganger.”
She gave Andrew a quick look before turning in his arms and opening his embrace.
“We bring you power, allies and magic. What does your pride offer us?”
Dornan blinked. “We offer you companionship, allies and family.”
Benny stepped forward. “Right answer. Welcome to the family, Alpha.”
He bent his head, and they rubbed cheeks for a moment. He smelled like dry oak leaves and musk with a hint of sunshine.
“Welcome, sister.”
“Thank you, brother.” Benny smiled and returned to Andrew’s embrace, tucking his arms around her. They had some time to formally meet the rest of the available pride, but then, work called. Benny was looking forward to taking on the minutia of the XIA. Tomorrow was going to be stressful, so she wanted to bury herself in the boring details of extra-natural law enforcement.
When a little girl tapped at her leg demanding an introduction, Benny grinned. She was now an aunty. Today was definitely a distraction.
Back in the SUV, Benny enjoyed the sucker that little Melody had given her. Benny had responded by enchanting a few strands of braided grass into a flower that would change its appearance every six hours. The little girl had hugged her and immediately taken off to show every lion on the premises her new flower.
Andrew chuckled. “I am getting all kinds of ideas watching you with that sucker.”
She opened her mouth and crunched down on the candy.
Three voices said, “Ouch.”
Argyle had a strange expression not accounted for by her candy assassination.
“Argyle, what’s up?”
He smiled slightly. “I haven’t been out like this in actual daylight in an extremely long time.”
He had been wearing a hood that sat on his shoulders at the moment, but his skin hadn’t burned or even heated up. Even his eyes didn’t show their normal irritation from the sun.
“Oh. I am guessing you have gotten better?”
He grinned. “I got something.”
Tremble chuckled. “You sound like it is an STD.”
They all laughed at that.
Argyle shrugged. “I suppose I will have to get used to being nearly human again, so to speak.”
Benny smiled. “Consider it adjusting to daylight and leave it at that. I don’t think any of us qualify for human anymore.”
Tremble snorted. “I never was human, nor was Andrew.”
Andrew turned and gave Tremble a look. “I was for a few years. I mean I was raised in the pride, but shifting didn’t kick in until puberty.”
Argyle cleared his throat. “I was twenty-six. I was human. I remember human. I don’t know what to do with it now.”
Benny blinked. “If you want it changed, I am sure that we could supress the humanity.”
He shook his head. “No. I am just wondering where the nearest beach is.”
The occupants of the vehicle chuckled and pulled into the XIA. In ten minutes, they were logged in, changed and armed for the evening. The skies were red and the shenanigans were about to start.
Benny cuffed the nymph that had been seducing he
r way through the park in an effort to find her way home. It was an odd means of location, but it worked for nymphs. Someone would eventually help her get home.
The boys had to hang back on this one. The nymph could seduce simply by looking into a man’s eyes. Benny was going to have to hang onto her until the collection wagon arrived.
“This isn’t really fair.” Benny kept her grip on the nymph while the others interviewed participants in the unlawful sex acts. They were all going to get a summons to appear.
Tremble shrugged. “Sorry. It is you or us. I think your odds at resisting her are greater.”
Benny snorted and waited for the pick-up.
Two female officers were driving the collection vehicle tonight. One of the females was a porcupine shifter, and she wasn’t going to take any guff from a lonely nymph looking for directions. It was the public sex that had been the problem, all six times.
Benny made sure that her charge was tucked away and her cuffs were retrieved before the transport left.
“Are you guys finished with your gawking?”
Tremble shrugged. “You are best suited to dealing with females with seduction on their minds.”
She snorted and winked as she slid into the passenger seat to type in an incident report. “I thought that was your job.”
Argyle leaned against the doorframe next to her. “Only when we are allowed to act on it and only with you.”
Agent Smith got behind the wheel. “He isn’t wrong. Aside from the enjoyment your wrestling with the nymph provided, it was your body we wanted.”
Blushing and concentrating were difficult things to do at the same time, but she managed to get the report details down to the transport vehicle number and agent designations.
“Right. Done. What’s next?”
Argyle cleared his throat. “Since I am riding shotgun today, let me check.”
She blushed and got out of the passenger seat and waved him in. “Apologies, Agent Argyle.”
He stroked her arm and settled in his position. Benny scampered around the car and headed for her position behind the driver.
A moment later, they were in motion and Argyle was sending them to the park where they had entered the demon zone. Apparently, the goblin fires were still burning.
Tremble gave her a side-glance. “What can we do about the goblin fires?”
Benny shrugged. “We will see when we get there.”
Argyle looked at her. “What does that mean?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I said we will see. I can’t guess until I see the actual blazes. I do know we need to go out with fangs and claws.”
Smith glanced at her in the rear view mirror. “Why?”
“Goblins only pay attention if you are scary. It is what they are wired for. Demon aspects are too scary, so we just need to be pointy.”
Everyone in the car chuckled. It seemed that the demon aspects were something that they were getting used to. It would set them apart for the rest of their lives, but now, they were apart, together.
Chapter Twelve
Benny checked her watch, and at the minute mark, she stepped into the flames. Around the park, her team did the same.
Ah, mistress, what do you wish of me?
Oh, fire djinn, element of the burning desert, we wish for you to cease your flickering flame and take yourself to where the population isn’t.
The focus of the wish was the important thing. When you dealt with magical, living flame that you had only read about in books, it was best to stick to the formalities.
This place provides plenty of magic and a new wave of it is nearly upon us. I like it here.
You are disturbing the population and frightening children. They do not know what or who you are. There is no place for you here.
The flame wreathed her hands and arms. Where will I go? It was magic that summoned me here.
From across the park, Benny felt an idea blossom in Argyle’s mind.
I accept your offer.
What? What offer?
To reside at your home until the wave comes and I can take a body again.
The flame rose up, and the dozens of fires across the park wove together into a column that swirled away and streaked through the sky.
Benny knelt on the scorched ground and caught her breath. Her fumbling hand pulled out her phone, and she made a quick call.
“Hiya, Mom.”
Her mother’s voice was amused. “Hello, Benny.”
“Argyle offered our family property to a fire djinn as a resting place. It is on the way.”
“It is already here, Benny. He is very polite and has accepted the ruin at the back of the property as his domain for the time being.”
“That was quick.”
“He is fire, Benny. He moves quickly.”
She paused, “Are you ready for tomorrow night?”
Her mother sighed. “They are offering me immunity from prosecution as an accessory if I testify against him.”
“Are you going to take it?”
“Your father wants me to, and he has that look in his eyes that he knows something I don’t, so I think I will.”
“Good. Well, I had better get back to work. Take care of our new companion.”
Her mother laughed. “I will use him to clear the poplar cluster at the back of the property.”
“Thanks, Mom. Night.”
“Night, baby.”
Benny hung up, put her phone away and got back to her feet. The other three were staggering toward her.
Smith shook his head. “Why am I so tired?”
Tremble answered him, “Because all of your body heat was consumed by the djinn. I have never met one before, but it was just as described.”
Argyle looked from one of them to the other. “Shouldn’t that have killed you?”
Benny studiously brushed dirt from her knees.
Three voices said, “Benny?”
She looked at her nails and then flicked glances at them. “It was Tremble’s contribution to our group. Fey are immune to the effect of the djinn.”
Tremble blinked. “What?”
Benny wrinkled her nose. “I will show you the book when we get home. There is a reason that fey are in my family line; aside from being pretty, you are surprisingly sturdy.”
Tremble blushed, and they all returned to the vehicle. Argyle gestured for Benny to sit behind the computer. “I have no idea how to describe what we just did.”
She settled in behind the computer and started typing. “Big words from the guy who offered to let a djinn settle in our back yard.”
“I don’t know why I suggested that.”
She chuckled and patted his shoulder. “He planted the idea. Djinn are known to grant wishes, but most of those wishes are their own.”
Argyle watched the words flow from her tapping fingers, and he chuckled as she outlined the very basics of what had occurred, including requesting the elemental being to leave. She did not fill in the departure details or where it was currently located.
When she was done, she sent the report and slid past Argyle, patting him on the arm. She wanted desperately to kiss him, but they were on duty.
She settled in her spot and leaned back with her eyes closed as they started moving.
A hand shook her gently, and the scent of tacos brought her all the way around. Benny sat up and blinked at Tremble’s face.
“Come on, Benny. This should wake you up. We had him make it to your standard requirements.”
Benny moved slowly and exited the vehicle, leaning on Tremble as he supported her to the picnic tables in the empty lot.
Argyle and Smith were waiting and drawing a bit of a crowd. Apparently, the locals were not yet used to XIA agents finding their little out-of-the-way taco truck.
Tremble supported her to the seat, and Argyle slid the tacos practically under her nose. She picked up her first target and started to eat.
Smith and Tremble started in on their own food, and Argyle kept wa
tch over the whispering crowd.
Benny barely registered the food as she made her way into her serving. Normally, she should have been sweating, but her guess was that the djinn took more heat than she had been aware of. She was in thermal shock.
She had no sooner realised it than Tremble pressed against her left side and Smith on her right. Argyle didn’t have any body heat to contribute.
When she finished four brain-meltingly hot tacos, Tremble got her a refill. She kept eating until the final drop of grease hit the paper. Warmth was returning.
She drank her peppered soda and sighed. “Thanks. I needed that.”
Tremble nudged her with his thigh. “We could feel it.”
“It was probably why the djinn left so suddenly. He knew he had taken too much.” Smith’s voice was grim.
She nodded. “Probably.”
“It is nearly dawn. We were in that fire for three hours.”
Benny groaned and flexed her hands. “That would explain it.”
Tremble nudged her again. “The captain wants to speak with us before we go off shift.”
She nodded and balled up the remains of the food wrappers. “Ready when you are.”
Argyle tidied up, and they headed back to the vehicle.
No one spoke during their trip. Benny suspected that the meeting had to do with her family troubles, but she couldn’t be sure until they actually talked to Matheson.
The XIA was surprisingly calm when they arrived. They made it through security and were knocking on the captain’s door without anyone speaking to them.
When “Come in” sounded, they walked into the office where four chairs were arranged in front of the captain’s desk. He was sitting and scribbling notes in a book.
“Good. Sit.”
Bemused, they took seats with Benny sitting across from the captain and the others to the left and right with Argyle nearest the door.
The captain leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Your little team is weird but effective, even for the XIA.”
They waited.
“With Agent Ganger’s parents’ inquest beginning tomorrow, I am afraid that that effectiveness will be compromised during the proceedings. You are suspended from active duty until the matter is closed.”