Satisfied that they were all on the same page and feeling a bit of temptation to mess with Wells, she smiled calmly. “I want to say how much I appreciate all of your willingness to hold these meetings here at HSI. With Agent Bosk and I going undercover, it could be dangerous for us to be seen entering other agencies. However, since we still work here, having ‘given our notices and wrapping up our case loads’, there should be no suspicions about our coming and going from here. That will be helpful as people will no doubt be watching us closely.”
Since the original plan had been to rotate the meetings between all three agencies, she had just kicked the anthill. Wells clearly wanted to protest, but Detective Watkins, who had remained silent up until this point, nodded and said, “Makes sense. No use blowing your cover right away. However, are you sure there won’t be any danger to you going in undercover? I’ve looked at your record and you’re a fine agent. Hate to lose you because we didn’t think through all the angles first.”
She was surprised that he had bothered to look at her record, but ridiculously pleased by his praise and concern. “I’m fairly new to HSI, but I try my best. As for any danger, there was a lot of confusion surrounding why I left a career that I had pursued for many years. People will merely think that I’ve been brought to my senses, disillusioned by what I’ve seen on duty.”
He grinned and it transformed his face, making him look like a friendly bartender that people would willingly spill all of their secrets to. “You outran a moon mad ogre. Very few people can claim to have done that, especially on their first few weeks on the job. A trial by fire, if you will, but you passed it with flying colors. Sure you don’t want to come work for BCA?”
She groaned but before she could answer, Wells snorted. “I wouldn’t want Agent Sheridan in my department. She brings trouble wherever she goes, and it looks like it followed her right to HSI.”
Watkins just chuckled. “That’s a narrow-minded view. Interesting people all have interesting things happen around them. Sheridan’s not a problem; she’s a challenge.”
Lirim chuckled, but his eyes held a challenge. “Yes, Agent Sheridan is a challenge. She’s also my partner, so you’ll have to recruit someone else for your department.”
Aletta shook her head, wondering if anyone else heard the emphasis on my. Territorial Fae nonsense. She shared a longsuffering look with Detective Jones. Miriam elbowed Alan gently. “Enough of that; we need to work together and that won’t happen if you keep trying to recruit people. Wait until after the case is over, then you can try again.”
Alan subsided with a grin at the rest of the table, although it turned sharp at the edges when he glanced at Wells before mellowing out again. Aletta noted the shift with interest. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who Wells rubbed the wrong way.
Calling the meeting back to order, Aletta focused the meeting back onto hashing out the details that were necessary for the operation to succeed. It took them a few hours, but they finally got everything worked out to everyone’s satisfaction, even Wells’, although he was being unnecessarily picky.
Watching the last of them file out of the room, Aletta slumped in her chair. Lirim shut the door quietly and made his way back over to the table, obviously contemplating putting his feet up on the table as he sat down.
She voice was flat, “Don’t.”
He whined, “But I was good.”
She stared at him incredulously, “That was you being good? You provoked him at every turn.”
His eyes glinted with satisfaction. “But nothing I said was outright rude. If he took offense, that’s his fault. You were right, he’s a thoroughly unpleasant man.”
She snarked at him. “We could’ve been rid of him hours ago, but no, someone had to keeping poking and prodding at him.”
He tried to look innocent and injured, but the wicked twinkle in his eyes ruined the effect. He gave up the attempt and shrugged. “He was so easy to bait, pompous prat. I’m surprised they trust him with younglings; he has the air of a bully.”
“Unfortunately, he is very good at appearing one way and then acting another. And most of those he picks on are too young or too new to adequately protest his behavior. After this is over, I’ll lodge a complaint with IA, although I don’t know if it’ll do any good when I’ve left the force already.”
Lirim said, thoughtfully, “It’s worth a try. At least there will be a record to compare with if anyone else complains.” He twirled in his chair and changed the subject. “So, what’s next on the schedule?”
Aletta reached up and loosened her hair from its confinement, almost groaning at the easing of the tension. She rebraided it loosely so it would be out of the way and replied, “See if Lacroix sent anything, then I’m calling it a day. I forgot how exhausting politics can be.”
Lirim nodded, “Not to mention magic training. Your control has improved, but I have a question. Were you using it earlier when we were talking with Canticum?”
She frowned slightly. “Well, yes and no. Awena said that all Sheridans use a slight amount of power continuously, a passive scanning of their surroundings, if you will. There is no active intent behind it, it’s just kinda keeping an eye on things. However, your aunt did say that we expended a huge amount of energy yesterday, so maybe the slight drain pulled on me more because I haven’t completely recharged. Don’t know.”
Cyrus chose that moment to stick his head into the conference room. “Ah, there you are, little one. Don’t forget, 9 a.m. tomorrow.” Smirking at her groan, he nodded to Lirim and left as abruptly as he’d appeared.
Before Lirim could even ask, she said, “After the Ogre incident, Cy insisted that I learn more about how to defend myself. So every Saturday at nine, we get together and he pounds on me in the name of ‘training’. I still say that hand-to-hand combat won’t do much good in that situation, but he won’t budge.”
Lirim nodded approvingly, “That’s a good idea. Besides, he’s only looking out for you as both a pack sister and a friend. Mind if I tag along tomorrow? We can head straight to your parents’ house tomorrow that way.”
Aletta sighed and nodded her acquiescence. A beating and interrogation all in one day. Oh goodie.
* . * . *
Lacroix had come through, surprising Lirim with his swiftness. However, he knew Aletta was tired from the long day. He made a copy of the lists for each of them and one for Ian, then drove her home and dropped her off. He knew she was tired enough that she probably wouldn’t be able to investigate the lists despite her best intentions.
After making sure she had entered the building, he shot his aunt a quick text asking about a Sheridan’s passive field, then headed for his apartment. Quickly making his way through the normal city bustle and traffic, he thought back over the day, mentally examining all the things they had learned and analyzing the people he’d met.
Although the incidents looked as if they were interconnected and carried out by a single perpetrator, he would have to examine all of the evidence closely before making a call one way or another. He had glanced over the lists of stolen items. They seemed to be random and totally unrelated. If he had to venture a guess, he’d say that the thief had taken them in hopes of throwing them off the trail of whatever it was they really wanted. He would need to get into all the places that had been ransacked in order to get a feel for what the suspect might have actually been after. Lirim couldn’t rule out the fact that one of the company’s members might have suddenly developed kleptomaniac tendencies, although that probability was quite slim indeed. Still, it couldn’t be ruled out entirely.
His thoughts turned to everyone that they had met. He had agreed with Aletta’s impressions of DuPont and Lacroix. However, Elizabetta of the fake French accent had dismayed him for other reasons. Even based on their brief acquaintanceship, he could tell that the woman was totally self-serving. Her inviting glances and coy gestures made him shudder. Even if she was moderately pretty, there was a calculating coldness in her that warned hi
m to stay far, far away. Despite DuPont’s belief in her innocence, he knew he would be keeping a close eye on her. Not only for the investigation’s sake but for Aletta’s. A jealous woman could be a very dangerous woman, and the prima donna was deeply envious of Aletta.
He pulled into his apartment parking garage just as his aunt called. Sliding into his assigned space, he answered, “Hey Auntie Awena. What can I do for you?”
He heard the fond exasperation in her voice as she spoke. “I thought I told you to stop calling me auntie years ago. Anyway, what do you need to know about a Sheridan’s passive field?”
“Leta tired easily today, and she was ravenous. I asked her if she’d been using her magic and she said no, but that all Sheridans have a passive field that keeps an eye on their surroundings. Can you explain that please?”
“Hmm, that’s a question with a somewhat complicated answer. First off, she should be fine. She just felt it more today because you two used so much magical energy yesterday. The passive field literally cannot kill a Sheridan because if the mage is too low on magic, it will grow smaller and eventually vanish entirely until the mage’s power replenishes.”
He let out the breath he didn’t even realize that he’d been holding. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“It can go either way. A Sheridan’s gift is not a combat gift. It cannot defend its user like other types of magic, nor is it a defensive magic. It has one very specific purpose and that is seeking. Now, some Sheridans are lucky, and their secondary gift ends up being either combative or defensive magic.
However, since Aletta’s second gift seems to be healing, it would probably be excruciating to even try using it to attack or defend. Healers are sworn to use their gifts only to help, not to harm. However, there is also a magical reason for this since healers who have tried in the past to harm someone have had their gift turn on them and destroy them.”
This was a whole new worry that he hadn’t even thought about. “Does that mean that she can’t defend herself at all?”
Awena snorted, surprising him. “No, it means that she cannot use her gift to attack anyone. She should be able to physically defend herself just fine. Some healers shy away from causing anyone else harm, even in defense of themselves or others, but healing is her secondary gift, so it shouldn’t affect her that way. It’s all guesswork, but that’s the feel that I’m getting from her.”
“So why would her passive field shrinking be a bad thing?”
Her voice turned thoughtful, “Because a Sheridan cannot attack or defend, their gift protects them in a different way. Depending on the strength of the Sheridan, they have a passive field anywhere from five to one hundred feet around them in all directions. It serves as an early warning system, and the Sheridan is often unaware of it. It scans their surroundings and feeds the information back to them, giving them the impression of having a scary amount of awareness of those around them, when it’s really just background feed from their gift. When that field diminishes and eventually vanishes, it leaves the Sheridan somewhat blind to those around them and can cause them to be a sitting duck. It’s almost like losing one of your senses.”
“Does it hurt when it happens?”
She sighed, a tired sound. “Rarely, just as they are unaware of it scanning, they are unaware of its absence. It’s often likened to having the nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten something more than any pain. I promise you, she is fine, and for the most part, it will not even be a consideration. It’s just while she’s training her gift and using more magic that the magic drain will surface occasionally. The more control she gains over her gift, the less magic she will end up using.”
Gentling his tone, he said, “All right, thanks Aunt Awena. That really helped clear everything up. I really appreciate it. Now get some rest; it’s obvious that we’ve worn you out trying to keep up with us misbehaving children. Love you.”
“Love you too. Brat.”
As he hung up, his phone beeped, indicating its low battery. He tucked the information he’d gained away in the same place as all the other tidbits that he had learned about Sheridans. He really needed to do some research, but it looked like their schedules wouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Picking up his train of thought from before the phone call, he moved on to the second meeting of the day. The detectives from BCA had been a pleasant surprise. They were relaxed and had a sense of humor but were very smart as well. Their input had been invaluable in the planning; they had made several observations and additions that increased their odds of success substantially.
He lips curved down into a frown. What he didn’t like was the other fae trying to poach his partner from him. Although he knew that Aletta was an incredible asset, Watkins had no idea that she was a Sheridan. The BCA agent had no idea how much of an asset she truly was, but she was part of HSI and his partner. Until Aletta requested a change, she was going to stay that way. He wasn’t willing to give up a partner that not only dealt with his quirks but accepted them too. If that made him selfish, so be it.
Pushing aside his irritation, Lirim’s thoughts turned to the Isenton PD officers. His first was pity for Martins. The kid was obviously new, and being paired with Wells was not helping him any. However, given a chance, he was decidedly intelligent and well-spoken. Lirim wondered if he’d been chosen specially for the task force or because he was partnered with Wells.
He sneered at the thought of Wells. The man was a petty tyrant with an overinflated sense of worth. He had tried to outmaneuver Lirim but thanks to Aletta’s request that he behave himself, he’d been able to turn all Wells’ efforts back on him. It had been all too simple to do it too. Knowing how the man had treated Aletta when she joined the force only added to the disdain he felt for the officer. All by himself, Wells had managed to secure Lirim’s ill opinion. It was going to be a long operation trying to deal with him. He only hoped that they caught whoever was behind this quickly, before he lost his patience with the man.
While he’d been thinking, he’d assembled a light dinner for himself. Settling himself at the island, he spread the case files out so he could read and eat at the same time. He had a lot to study before he met up with Aletta for her session with Cyrus tomorrow.
Eight
Aletta groaned as she landed hard on her right knee. Cyrus rumbled disapprovingly deep in his throat and helped her back to her feet. “Come on, little one. You should have dodged easily, not wobbled and fallen like a newborn calf. Have you forgotten everything you learned?”
With both her knee and pride now aching, she sighed and resumed her defensive stance. Cyrus crossed his arms and studied her. “Is it Bosk? Is his presence distracting you?”
She shrugged. “A little bit. You said that I should keep track of my surroundings at all times, and he keeps moving around the ring.”
He scowled at her and she flinched. “Out on the street, you have to be aware of your surroundings at all time. But you should also have a partner keeping an eye out for you as well. Here? Here is safe, little sister. So here, in this ring with me, you forget everything else. There is no Bosk, no HSI, no investigation. There is only you, me, and this ring. Right now, you are training your muscles how to move, how to respond and think during a fight. That way, when you are actually in a fight, you can use your head and your body will know what to do. You are training right now not to think, but to act. There is a saying: ‘He who hesitates ends up meditating in a horizontal position.’ So, are you ready?”
Closing her eyes, she took three measured breaths and then opened them. Pushing everything aside like he’d instructed, she focused completely on Cyrus. “Ready.”
He mirrored her position. “All right, let’s try again.”
He struck without warning, but she stepped nimbly aside, deflecting his strike with a well-placed outward block. He grinned, and Aletta knew that he was going to put her through her paces. They circled each other for several minutes, trading a flurry of blows and blocks. Al
l too soon, she ended up flat on her back staring at the ceiling, her body aching with the force of her landing despite her use of a break fall.
He merely stood there watching her, so she reluctantly rolled over so she was on her hands and knees. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath, then pushed herself up until she was back on her feet. She groaned, “You’re a monster.”
He grinned at her, taking care to flash all of his teeth at her, including his large canines.
She grumbled, “Yeah, yeah, you’re a Lycan. That doesn’t make you a monster. Making me repeatedly meet the mat does.”
He chuckled. “Ah, don’t whine. You’ve improved a lot. You could almost take a pup on and win now.”
She bared her own teeth and growled at him, causing him to laugh more. “Is that supposed to be scary?”
She started circling again, refusing to let him bait her into attacking. That’s what he wanted her to do. He grinned at her again, the humor in his eyes mixing with a hint of approval. She clenched her teeth and wondered why she had agreed to this. Oh yeah, because he had threatened that he would tell the healers to refuse her street clearance unless she agreed to self-defense training. Of course, she didn’t realize that in the course of learning self-defense, she would be attacked repeatedly.
She darted in and feinted a hook with her right, following with a step-through left uppercut, but he managed to evade both easily. She sighed. Cyrus was strict because he cared about her and her safety, but there was seriously no middle ground with him. Here in the ring he pounded her into a puddle, repeatedly. Outside of the ring, he treated her like a pup that was just taking her first steps.
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