by A. Blythe
Paulette was Mix's ex-girlfriend and the unregistered mage who helped Hugo Munson murder innocent humans and supernaturals in an effort to create an unstoppable Frankensoldier. With Mix's help, I managed to stop them before they could finish their deadly project.
I hesitated. "Doubtful." Oscar wasn't a particular fan of mine and I doubted he'd be happy about souping up my weapons, especially when I was about to take him to task for choosing Pinky to compete in the games.
"Let me guess," Flynn said with a smirk. "You pissed him off."
"Not yet." That wouldn't happen until our meeting. I practiced a few martial arts moves with the yantok. "Order me a set of retractables, Farah. Then we'll see about doping the hell out of them." I froze mid-move. "What if Kieran Morrow's drug wasn't recreational? What if he was doping? That would explain why the drug was untraceable."
"The Enclave doesn't have a system for detecting performance-enhancing drugs?" Farah asked. "I find that hard to believe."
"They wouldn't have detected this one," I said. I left out Ziggy's role in identifying it. I knew they'd chastise me for getting in touch with a former Shadow Elite employee, especially given Jamie's recent death. I was supposed to be laying low, not reaching out to people I hadn't seen in years.
Flynn flipped a throwing knife in the air and caught it by the handle. "I'm surprised I haven't heard about it."
I was too. He was always knee-deep in the dirt.
"You should ask someone on Luciano's team," he said.
"Maybe Kieran was trying out a sample," I proposed. "Hoping for an edge in the games?"
Flynn shrugged. "Every experiment needs a guinea pig."
I pulled out my phone and he groaned.
"Alyse, we're in the middle of training. Do you need to make social calls now?"
"It's not a social call," I said. "I want to pass this information along and then we can get back to business."
Flynn's blue eyes glinted. "You mean pass it along to the Naphil Boy Scout so he can earn his Just Say No badge? Doesn't he have anything cooler to do besides good deeds and making the world a better place?"
Flynn wasn't a fan of Captain Reed. As a djinni who walked a shady path, he avoided the Nephilim in general, but he seemed to take an instant dislike to my new acquaintance.
"He would definitely make my world a better place," Farah said. Unlike Flynn, she'd taken an instant 'like' to the good captain. All you had to do was look at him to understand why. The chiseled features, the wavy, blond hair, the deep brown eyes with flecks of gold. He was a walking, talking aphrodisiac.
"I'm texting Detective Thompson," I said. "It's her case."
"Oh." Flynn seemed mildly embarrassed by his assumption. "Well, while you're playing good cop, I'll text Tessa to let her know what time to expect me for dinner."
I rolled my eyes. Flynn was trying so hard to play house with his human girlfriend, Tessa. It was only a matter of time before that house of cards collapsed.
Not to be left out, Farah whipped out her phone.
"Who are you texting?" I asked as I hit the send button.
"That Shaitan I met at Viper Pit the other night. The one with the tiger eyes."
"What was his name again?" I asked. I met him briefly, when he was in the kitchen the next morning in nothing but his boxer briefs. The human body had been rock solid and his visible animal part was more understated than most Shaitans. In fact, most women probably didn't notice his tiger eyes. They were too focused on the rest of him.
Farah stopped typing for a moment. "Lars? Bjorn? Something Scandinavian."
"You're texting him, but you don't know his name?" Flynn asked.
"Forget texting," I said. "She slept with him and doesn't know his name."
"I knew it at the time," she replied, unconcerned. "It just didn't stick."
"Speaking of sticks," I said, reaching for the other yantok. I made a big show of twirling them in front of me. "Let's get back to work."
Flynn grinned as he slid his phone back into his pocket. "I'm already picturing your next bruise. Purple brings out the color in your eyes."
9
For my visit to the Enclave, I sported a bruise on my cheek. Since Flynn pictured it around my eye, I considered the change in location a small victory.
Pinky and I walked to LOVE Park where she set me up with her magical version of twilight. At least this time, I wasn't alone. As promised, I didn't fall completely unconscious, but I was only vaguely aware of my movement. I assumed Pinky used a cloaking spell to transport me from the park to the Enclave's underground headquarters. I felt strong arms lifting me into a car and had a vision of Pinky's blond hair beside me. That was the extent of my awareness. When I finally returned to my coherent state, I was face-to-face with the happiest young man I'd ever met. Justin, Oscar's bow-tied receptionist.
"Welcome back, Miss Winters," he chirped. "It's not often we get repeat visitors."
"Lucky me," I said.
"Pinky will meet us on the way to Oscar. I've been instructed to escort you down the hall."
I stood and was pleased to note I didn't wobble or feel sick to my stomach. Score one for Pinky power.
I noticed the training rooms were empty today. The last time I was here, Pinky was teaching basic cloaking spells to a room full of magicians.
"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Are they cloaked?"
Justin chuckled. "No, Miss Winters. Basic training classes are on hold until after the games. Everyone's focused on the team."
My stomach churned. The Colony Games were clearly important to them. If they wanted Pinky to participate, I had a feeling it was going to be difficult to dissuade them. Wouldn't stop me from trying, though.
"Oh, good," Pinky said, hurrying down the hall to meet us. "You're not green." She handed me a bottle of water.
A stocky brunette with a face full of overdone makeup came toward us clutching a clipboard. She wore a fluffy blouse and a pencil skirt that reminded me of a Fifties secretary.
"Pinky," she said, "you know how busy Oscar is with the games. Why would you bring a distraction?" She gave me a pointed look.
"Hi Gina. This is Alyse Winters."
"I know who she is," Gina snapped. "What's she doing here?"
She knew me? That was interesting because I didn't know her. Maybe there was a familiar face under all that blush and eyeliner.
"She needs to speak to Oscar."
"About Kieran," I added. It was only a partial lie.
"What about Kieran?"
I spun around to see Oscar behind us.
"Pinky, I understand you brought a guest," he said. His eyes narrowed when he saw me. I guess she didn't tell him who the guest was.
"Can we talk somewhere in private?" I asked. The Enclave Headquarters was designed with glass walls and open doorways. Although I wasn't certain there was a private place to talk, it was worth a try.
Pinky lightly touched his arm. "Quarantine?"
Gina dropped her clipboard to her side. "Quarantine isn't a place for idle gossip." Her cool gaze shifted to Oscar. "You're scheduled to be in training room three in fifteen minutes."
"I thought Justin was your secretary," I said to Oscar. The look on Gina's face was priceless.
Oscar adjusted his collar. "Justin is the official receptionist of the Enclave. Gina is my second in command."
"Oh. My apologies. I've never seen a second in command carrying a clipboard before." Did anyone carry a clipboard anymore?
Oscar gestured to Pinky and me. "Let's go."
We followed him down one of the long glass corridors until we reached an elevator. Instead of steel doors, we were met with more glass.
"The architect must own stock in Windex," I joked.
We stepped inside and went down three levels. Quarantine was its own floor.
"Nobody's sick today?" I asked as we entered the empty room. Oscar pressed his finger to the elevator button and uttered a word, locking the elevator door behind us.
"How can I
help you, Miss Winters?" he asked.
"First, I want to let you know that a drug was found in Kieran's system." I hopped up on one of the examining tables and made myself comfortable.
Oscar was taken off guard. "No, that isn't right."
"I'm afraid it is. PTF had a second autopsy done. Have you heard of a drug called X-caliber?"
Oscar unfolded his handkerchief and blotted his forehead. "No. What do you know about it?"
"Nothing, other than your guy was pumped full of it. Did Kieran feel under pressure to perform well in the games?"
"They all feel pressure. Wouldn't you?"
"Is there a reason you can think of that he might have felt he needed an artificial advantage?" I asked. "Maybe he wasn't performing as well in training as his teammates."
"Kieran's performance was excellent," he said. "I noticed nothing unusual during his training sessions."
I doubted that was true. Kieran didn't suddenly shoot laser beams without a crowd of mages noticing. "Detective Thompson and I are following up on a few leads regarding the drug's origin." She just didn't know it yet.
His jaw clenched. "Please let me know what you find."
"And please keep an eye on your members. If anyone else is indulging, we need to know."
He nodded. "And second?"
I kicked a foot out toward Pinky. "Why would you choose her to compete? She's just a kid."
"It's a great honor to be chosen," Oscar said. It sounded rehearsed.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure that's what the Mayans told all the virgins they sacrificed."
Pinky looked at me. "But I'm not..."
I held my hand over her mouth.
"I don't see why the Enclave's business is any business of yours," Oscar said. "The Marida have never been involved in the Colony Games."
"And I'm not much involved with the Marida," I said.
"Then why this meeting?"
"Choose someone else," I insisted. "Pinky needs more time to train." Years, in fact.
"And what makes you qualified to say so?" Oscar asked, not unkindly. He was admirably patient.
"I've seen her potential," I said. "I know she'll be a great mage one day, but this could doom her before she even begins. The rules turn on a dime during the games. Pinky could find herself in real trouble without the proper experience."
He clucked his tongue. "I don't hear much faith in your words."
"Faith is an illusion," I snapped. "Pinky is real and she's going to get herself killed in the name of a stupid game."
"It isn't stupid," Pinky said quietly. "I want to compete."
"There, you see," Oscar said. "You needn't have involved yourself in Enclave affairs after all."
My jaw dropped open. "But Pinky, I saw the look on your face when the message arrived. You were scared to death."
"That's only natural," she said quickly. "Once I had time to process it, I realized what an honor it is."
"Bullshit," I said and Oscar shot me a disdainful look. Like he was too good to swear. Gods almighty, he was a mage, not a Naphil.
"Pinky believes in herself," Oscar said. "I would think someone like you would be supportive of a young woman's growing confidence."
"Not when her growing confidence is going to land her in a stadium full of bloodthirsty supers with years of experience."
"You're not my mom," Pinky said, careful not to look at me.
No, not even close.
"Regardless, Pinky is eighteen now," Oscar said. "Even her mother couldn't stop this."
"Was this your decision?" I asked him. "To select Pinky."
"Ultimately."
So her participation wasn't his idea. "Is there a nomination process?"
"There was. After Kieran's unfortunate demise, we had to shortcut the process for a replacement."
"And you voted for Pinky?" I pressed. "All of the talented, experienced mages in your Enclave, and you chose Pinky?"
He gave her a gentle smile. "If I had my way, I'd choose Pinky for everything. She's shown great promise."
Promise being the optimum word. "Pinky, tell him you don't want to do it."
"She already says she does," Oscar interjected. "You heard her."
"I want to make the Enclave proud," Pinky said and my stomach lurched. She had no clue what she was getting herself into. Or she was delusional. Either one was a death sentence.
I threw my hands in the air and hopped off the table. "Fine. I can see my opinion means very little here. I may as well be back in the Marida court."
"You and your prince are not always on the same page, I understand," Oscar said.
I snorted. "We're not even in the same book."
"My experience tells me he's strict and merciless, yet he seems very tolerant of you." His tone suggested he was interested to know why. I had no clue, nor did I care as long as Prince Poppycock's attitude swung in my favor.
"Strict and merciless," I repeated, not rising to the bait. "That about sums him up."
Oscar turned to Pinky and his features softened. "Pinky, I expect to see you in training first thing in the morning."
She gave him a mock salute.
"You know, your boss is strict and merciless," I told Pinky, using my best stage whisper. "Yet he seems very tolerant of you."
She grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the elevator before I could embarrass her any further. She may be a powerful mage-in-training, but she was still a teenager.
The door was still locked and we had to wait for Oscar to reverse the spell. I could feel Pinky's tension as we rode up the elevator together. Despite the outcome, this visit wasn't entirely wasted. At least now I had a firm grasp on what was happening.
Once we were safely away from their headquarters, I turned to Pinky. "You know he's too old for you, right?"
She blinked in confusion. "Who?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't play dumb blonde with me. Oscar. I can tell you like him."
"Do not," she said. "He's like my boss."
"Exactly. You wouldn't be the first girl to develop a crush on her boss." I never had, but I knew a few djinn in the Academy with major crushes on their mentors or group leaders. All resulted in major heartbreaks. I doubted Pinky's situation would turn out differently.
"I've known Oscar since I was twelve. It's not a crush."
Twelve. "Is that when you registered?" All mages have to register with their colony's Enclave once their abilities kick in, whether it happens at birth or puberty. If a mage turns eighteen and doesn't register, the mage risks penalty payments. A complete failure to register risks a permanent ban from magic.
"Yep. My mom brought me. My dad had left detailed instructions on what to do."
"Your dad sounds like he was a real planner. What was his name?"
"I don't know his true name, but he was Ansel Edwards to us."
I didn't even know Pinky's last name was Edwards. Some partner I was.
"I don't recognize the name," I said. "Was he always in the Mid-Atlantic Colony?"
She shook her blond ponytail. "He came from Switzerland. He met my mom at a jazz festival during a visit to the U.S."
"And he didn't go back?"
"They got married when she found out she was pregnant with me."
Married. That was unusual. Most male djinn quickly moved on from their human conquests. That was why there was such a high percentage of mages raised by single mothers. Ansel Edwards was a rare Marid, indeed.
"Did he ever appear at court?" Prince Simdan would have demanded the presence of a powerful djinni in his colony.
"I don't know. He didn't talk much about being a Marid. Or a djinni for that matter. He and my mom seemed really normal. We went to the movies, took family vacations. We went to DisneyWorld every year until I was seven."
I hated to ask my next question, but I went ahead anyway. Tact wasn't my strong suit. "How did he die?"
Pinky stared straight ahead. "Don't know. Mom won't talk about it."
"She won't tell you how he
died?" That seemed a bit cruel, unless the way he died was crueler. The thought wasn't comforting.
"I've never asked."
A beloved, deceased father. A handsome, older mentor. Definitely a crush.
"Well, you can't put your life on the line to get Oscar's attention," I told her. "You're not going to kiss anyone if you're dead."
"I already have his attention," Pinky replied with a haughty shrug.
Then it dawned on me. Her involvement with the crime syndicate and now with me. These weren't teen acts of rebellion. And her reluctance to deviate from Oscar's training program. Her agreement to join the team. These were all designed to get and keep Oscar's attention. Misguided tokens of affection.
I heaved a sigh.
I didn't need to tell Pinky the old adage that love hurts. She would find that out soon enough on her own.
10
For the first time in my life, I dreamed about Jamie. Technically, it was a memory rather than a dream, but I was asleep, which made the entire experience more vivid. We sat in a restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. The name escaped me, but the environment was clear as a bell. Loud and crowded with lots of unhealthy food masquerading as American cuisine. Jamie loved a good cheeseburger. Medium well with cheddar and thick Canadian bacon.
"Your ticket and hotel are booked," Jamie said. "Here's everything you need to know."
He slipped me a hot pink envelope. I knew there'd be a birthday card inside. The kind that played music when you opened the card, except mine wouldn't play music. Instead of a sound chip, my card would include a microchip with Shadow Elite instructions.
I opened the envelope and pretended to admire the garish card with its brightly colored flowers and birds. Happy birthday to a wonderful niece. No doubt the inside had a sappy message.
"You don't need to read it now," Jamie said, which I interpreted as don't read it now. I slid the card into my black Alexander Wang clutch.
He watched me close the purse. His expression suggested he had more to say.
"Anything else?" I prompted.
His focus moved from my purse to my face. "Ever think about doing something else?"
"You mean a new career?" The thought hadn't occurred to me. In my mind, I hadn't been working as an agent long enough to contemplate change. That moment was twenty years down the road when I was jaded and burnt out. Not now, when I was still high on life and riding high on my powers.