“With my life.” Jenira didn't hesitate, the male designation not surprising her in the least. Many assumed all the powerful techies were men, and the unfair discrimination benefited them. Her response seemed to satisfy him, but he wasn't done questioning her.
“What about the tech you use? Your magic doesn't negatively affect your surveillance system?”
Jenira hesitated, considering the implications if she answered. An honest answer would confirm her mage identity out loud and reveal Cat's abilities. He had to suspect the truth; she'd used magic and tech at the same time during their meeting last night. He'd noted her earpiece and microphone with a talent akin to x-ray vision, and she'd phased while wearing the instruments.
“That was two questions,” she argued instead of answering.
“So it is,” he said amiably, surprising her. “Back to the assignment, I have suspicions which implicate powerful people. I would like you to attend me this Friday night at a convention. The gathering will enable you to scout the Elite under disguise. No one pays much attention to the eye candy on my arm, and I'm certain you'll play the role well.” His gaze traveled from her blonde hair to her high heels, heating with familiar manly appreciation, but Jenira couldn't decide whether his observation was an insult or a compliment. “It's a formal event so I will wire money to your account to purchase an appropriate gown. Can you meet me on the roof of the Rialto again? My security is discreet; they'll believe you entered the building earlier that day and stayed in my penthouse.”
Jenira's heart raced. She hadn’t appeared in public since they'd relocated to the East. A few former jobs had required undercover operations but none this extensive. She would be labeled as Rennert's latest floozy, but that was the least of her worries. The prospect of her magic being revealed and the high level of security caused her the most anxiety. “Is this a public event? I thought you didn't make public appearances.”
“I don't.” Dissatisfaction laced his voice. “I am making an exception this time because the event is important. My top suspects will be in one place at the same time, and I’m hoping we can uncover some significant information. Our faces won't linger on any media site; I am skilled at making things disappear.” His tone implied the statement was a private joke. Jenira nodded; Cat would hide what he didn't.
“Can you mask yourself well enough?” The question had plagued her since she’d first glimpsed his eyes. He smiled, a predatory curl of his full lips that was far sexier than it should have been. The magic in his eyes and aura blinked out of existence, and Jenira uncoiled her talent to test his. She sensed a slight undercurrent of power, but many techies purchased amulets and protection spells off the integrated black market which emitted more magical energy than he did at the moment. Her power balked; irritated it couldn't find what it was looking for.
“Impressive,” she praised. Rennert released the shield, his eyes flashing again. Her magic surged in response, and she pushed it down forcefully.
“How do you disguise your power?" He turned the question to her, analyzing her like Cat did her schematics. The attention was disconcerting.
“Practice.” She spoke the half-truth with a shrug. The entirety of the truth exposed her to be an anomaly herself. Her eyes and aura had never reflected the extent of her magic, and the innate skill caused others to think her weak and underestimate her power. Everyone in the West had written her off as a failure until the reality manifested with drastic consequences. Rennert’s rumbling hum suggested suspicion, but she didn't elaborate.
“We are agreed then? You will join me Friday night?”
Jenira despised making important decisions without Cat's input, but the money at stake could make this their last job. If her true identity were unveiled, she and Cat would disappear. She’d always wanted to infiltrate the corrupt population of the Techie Elite; she could gather intel at the same time. “I will meet you on the roof of the Rialto Friday night.”
Rennert nodded in satisfaction and heaved his bulk from the chair. She followed, glancing at the time. Cat would get antsy soon. He walked beside her, so close his sleeve brushed her arm, and the casual contact caused her skin to tingle.
“Until Friday night then. Be here at 8 pm.” He didn't stop at his door but escorted her to the outer lobby. Rock eyed them curiously, and Rennert seemed to belatedly remember the women awaiting him. The gaggle sighed collectively, and he stopped short. His sudden expression of fright nearly prodded Jenira to break out in uncontrollable laughter. She restrained it to maintain her character; she was also worried it might crack her fake flesh. She settled for a small chuckle instead, and Rennert frowned when he noted her amusement at his expense. As the elevator doors closed behind her, she heard him inform the women he no longer required their services. Jenira breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him silently. If she had to share the elevator with three jealous harpies, her blade might have reappeared.
Chapter Six
Cat
Cat paced the small living room. When Jenira's voice finally sounded through the com, she dove for the un-mute button. “What happened?” she demanded.
“He had jammers.” The distant connection added metal to her sister’s voice. Cat collapsed into the chair. She'd imagined horrible things when the com-link faded. Although they'd discussed the possibility, few systems could jam her specific frequency. She wanted to trust Davin Rennert, but he frightened her. She preferred being in control of a situation as much as her sister and having her communication severed felt like a personal slight.
“How did it go?” She suspected Jenira wouldn't relate any pertinent information until she was safely inside the bungalow among Cat's own jammers, but she was starving for news.
“I need to get laid,” Jenira grunted in frustration. Cat stared wide-eyed at the com before dissolving into laughter.
“He must be attractive,” Cat murmured. Not many men impressed Jenira. They flocked to her like moths to a flame, and she cycled through them as fast as her work clothes. Black leather didn’t hide blood stains very well.
“No, he's not, not really. It’s not his looks.” Jenira argued with herself over the connection before it quieted for a couple seconds. When she spoke again, her voice was low and thoughtful. “It's because he's, you know, like me.”
Cat twirled a pencil in her fingers. Her sister had explained the differences between intimacy with a mage versus a mundane. According to Jenira, the difference was night and day. Sex with another mage was risky, though, because controlling and hiding power proved difficult in the throes of passion. Despite Jenira's considerable talents, her shields dropped in the heat of the moment. If her partner were a mage, he would sense her magic and power called to power. Magic acted like a pack animal in its survival tendencies; it was attracted to others with power, and when it connected, it grew stronger. Jenira only selected low-level techies or mundanes as sexual partners to avoid inadvertently merging her magic with another mage. Her targets considered themselves lucky when Jenira turned her eye their way. Cat couldn’t judge because her experience consisted of one sloppy kiss.
“Anyway,” Jenira continued when Cat didn't reply, “I'll be home soon with the rest of the conversation.”
“Ok, sis.” Cat fidgeted with a circuit board while she waited, but her mind was on the information Jenira had learned. Her sister entered through the front door instead of phasing inside and kicked off her high heels. One hit the far wall and cracked the plaster before bouncing to the floor. Jenira adopted a comfortable sprawl in her favorite armchair while Cat scowled at the spidery line inching across the yellowed surface. They'd have to pay for that.
“Those damn shoes, I don't know how women do it.” Jenira grasped for the border of the fake flesh on her cheek and Cat leaned forward to help her find the edge. Tearing it from her face, Jenira winced as the sticky putty peeled free. “Damn shit itches,” she grumbled. Cat enclosed the thin strip in a small case. If they cleaned it correctly, the costly substance was reusable.
&nbs
p; “I swore he saw right through it.” Jenira's thoughtful gaze rested on the package in Cat's hands.
Cat's brows rose. “Really? This is the best on the market.”
“I realize that, but the man has remarkable vision or some form of magic I'm not aware of. He finds what is hidden with alarming ease, and he noticed the earpiece again.” Jenira turned her head, tucking her bangs behind her ear. The earpiece was scarcely visible, even less so than the night before. “Rennert is an enigma. He admitted the inventions are his.”
“Really?” Disbelief colored Cat’s voice and filled her mind. While she had suspected so, her education and recent reading rebelled against the idea. Jenira could identify magic, but Cat could see signatures on technical pieces. Rennert’s inventions shared the same signature; if he created one, he created all of them. “Wow.”
“Yes. Even as a mage, I understand the significance of this.” Jenira relayed the entire conversation, and Cat filed the information in her brain. She'd known there was a link she had been missing. Now that she knew all the victims had worked for Rennert, she could narrow down potential targets. Her fingers itched to return to her research.
"Integration products?” The two words immediately captured Cat’s attention. She wiped her sweaty palms on her leggings. “Are you certain? I wasn't aware Rennert industries was working on Integration.”
“It's not public information, which suggests that our killers possess an inside source. Rennert wouldn't want to arouse suspicion in the techie world because he's a Magitech. Why does this make you nervous?” Jenira questioned, noting Cat's sudden fidgeting. “Are you worried because of what you're working on?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it's just as well you're not working for Rennert then,” Jenira said flippantly, and Cat's eyes slid away. She wouldn't tell Jenira the idea had crossed her mind more than once. Her invention neared completion. If Rennert was a Magitech, he could provide valuable insight into the stumbling blocks she'd encountered. Jenira sensed her paltry evasion tactics. “Cat? Catrianna?”
Cat sighed. She hated when her sister used her full name. “I considered talking to him. If he's a Magitech, he might be able to help me with the problems I'm having.” Cat chewed on her pencil. Her compilations seemed to work when Jenira used them, but failed in random testing and always broke soon after completion as if they couldn’t hold together. It was a breakthrough that Jenira could put a malleable spell into a tech device in the first place, but whenever Cat tried to replicate the results, it always self-destructed.
Jenira stood, towering over her sister. “No; you’re not talking to Rennert. He is dangerous; the whole situation is dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near him.”
“But what if I can't finish my project without him? He's the only inventor in the history of the Territories who has successfully trapped magic within a technological device. Granted, it’s a dead spell, so it’s not exactly what I’m trying to do, but if he’s working on it, I know he’ll get there. I'm missing something, and I feel like he has the answers.” Cat whined in disappointment, clawing at the torn hem of her shirt.
“No,” Jenira repeated. She crouched in front of Cat, meeting her sister’s gaze. “After we've solved this case, if you still want to talk to him, we'll talk about it. But we will wait until the killers are caught. We need to know for certain whether we can trust him, and I don't want you to become a target.”
Cat groaned in frustration. She was so close, but she had to admit Jenira had a valid point. Making the list of potential targets was not something she wanted to do. She wasn't a mage, but her work could be seen as a threat if the killers were against Integration. If Jenira finished the job and forced a move, though, her invention would be unnecessary. She needed to convince Jenira of her invention's usefulness before that happened. Her mind computed scenarios, ways to get information without exposing herself.
“Ok,” Cat agreed reluctantly. Guilt sank in when Jenira released a sigh of relief and collapsed back into her chair, and she scrambled to change the subject. “So, a formal convention with the Techie Elite? What are you going to wear?”
“Ha, good question. I have no idea. Rennert said he would wire money to pay for something appropriate. Can you research what the trending fashions are in the Elite circle? Do we have some of that itchy shit left? I can't show up with my scar showing.” Cat nodded to both questions. “I’ll also need to arm myself; what about those needles?”
“We still have about five.” Months ago, she'd made Jenira darts tipped with a heavy sedative. The drug was difficult to find, but she'd called their anonymous underground contacts in the Western Territory to harvest the ingredients and had them shipped secretly to the East. Cat remained proud of the invention because they were easy to hide in Jenira’s thick hair or the seam of her clothing. Jenira mastered in offensive magic but spellcasting would be obvious, and her magical signature could be traced by a sensor mage. Spirit mages recognized signatures in spells just as Cat saw an inventor's unique stamp in circuitry, schematics, and code.
“Excellent. I need to run and work-out; maybe I'll spot a cute guy to distract me for a while.”
“Good luck, sis,” Cat responded with a smile. She trusted Jenira to be careful and discreet when seeking her pleasure. Cat didn’t interfere with her sister's love life or lack thereof.
Once Jenira left the bungalow, Cat turned back to her computer. She had researched Rennert Industries while Jenira met with the company's boss, trying to ease her worries about the jammed communication. One program had caught and held her attention; the layers of encryption baffled her. Rennert's mainframe had been easy to hack, and she'd evaluated the public products Rennert Industries specialized in. The company excelled in Magitech security – so called because it combined magic and tech but not in the way Cat wanted to.
The picture of the invention that caught Cat's eye when it burst onto the market and caused a stir on both sides of the border filled her screen. Non-threatening enough to prevent Rennert from being sued or fined for violating Integration laws, the product held a lot of promise. Its drawback was that the spell couldn’t be changed; it was static. Although it could be triggered numerous times, it couldn’t be modified in any way. Still, Cat was enthralled. She had schemed for years to accomplish something similar. Cat suspected the invention's usefulness to the Elite dissuaded them from posing sanctions upon it.
The small object projected a magic barrier with the push of a button. The design appeared simple, but no working spell had ever been contained in an electronic machine before this invention. Spells were either alive or dead; they couldn’t generally be triggered by tech. Magic was volatile when cast and explosions were frequent, sometimes leaving the user injured or dead. Non-electronic, natural materials were imbued with magic to form amulets or charms, but those spells remained frozen in time. After the charm's creation, the spells couldn't be manipulated by anyone but the mage creator. Even with their prejudice of magic, techies regularly flocked to magic stores to buy spell amulets.
Cat re-assessed the encryptions on the file, her eyes crossing as the code streamed across the screen. Holding her breath, she typed a command and crowed in triumph when the words “access granted” appeared. The folder’s contents were a mystery, but they had been cleverly hidden. Cat had learned protected files were either useless or useful; a middle ground didn't exist. Techies safe-guarded masses of irrelevant information under high encryption, but she hoped this file was worth the protection. She held her breath in anticipation and clicked the first link.
Quickly scanning the contents before opening the next folder, her nimble mind calculated the complex formulas and layers of codes and schematics. Her eyes widened at the implications of the file. The complicated files wouldn't be of any use to most brilliant techies because they involved a subtle understanding of magic, but Cat had spent her childhood around magic and comprehended the basics. The file's subject was familiar to Cat for another reason, however. The calculati
ons bore a remarkable resemblance to her current invention of combined magic and tech. She didn't know whether to be intrigued or cry. Question marks highlighted a few issues she had solved, she noted smugly; her computations could fill blanks in the data. The new information brought her and the workers at Rennert Industries closer to solving the mystery, but it still wasn't complete.
Pop. A small text bubble floated at the bottom of the screen. She froze, the blood running cold in her veins. “WHO ARE YOU??” The message blinked steadily. Her presence in the files had triggered an alarm.
Cat burst forward with a speed Jenira would have admired, severing the connection. Her hands shaking as she tapped keys, she covered her retreat from the network by layering several blankets over her intrusion. She backed out meticulously, rerouting IP’s and addresses through servers in both York and Calhigh. Finally, she switched off the power.
Her computers typically always stayed on, but the message rattled her. She'd thought herself immune and hidden from mechanical eyes. She manipulated the system time and time again, hacking into complex systems with a skill expert hackers envied. There was really nothing she couldn’t do. Guilt and morality prevented her and Jenira from living a life of luxury on siphoned funds from corrupt corporations, and they'd argued countless times over the difference between killing bad guys and stealing from computers. While Cat didn’t want to become a thief, she would if it meant Jenira could stop killing.
After many years, Cat stopped arguing with Jenira and allowed her sister's obstinacy to override her suggestions and protests. Her sister wouldn't admit that killing and fighting helped relieve the tension created from living in a tech-driven society. All mages experienced a similar conflict, but Jenira's repressed high power level made her especially sensitive.
Her hands still shook from the surprise text message, and Cat praised her sister's stubborn nature. The timely warning reminded her she wasn't invisible from everyone. If they found her today, they could find her in the future. With grim determination, she checked the jamming devices in the house. Then, she sat down with the high-powered frequency interrupter she had been tinkering on before the business with Rennert started. Jenira might be the strong one, but her role in keeping them both alive was just as crucial.
Worlds Collide (Magitech Book 1) Page 5