by Jane Cousins
“Me?” Brodie was bewildered. “How am I responsible for some woman getting lost on her way to a yoga class?”
“She’s not lost. Gaia turned up here first thing this morning, insisting I train her. Blathering on about protecting her baby, and being the first line of defence when the apocalypse comes, or some such nonsense.”
Oh, come to think of it, that did sound vaguely familiar. Well, except for the apocalypse part. “Um…”
“Did you talk to Gaia?” Fen’s cerulean eyes shifted to Brodie. “Last night in the car park at the Marina?”
Oh, yes, the wailing chubby blonde. “Well, I might have said something.” Brodie shifted uncomfortably as both men eyed her as if she were insane. “She wouldn’t stop making that high pitched noise when she was perfectly safe and healthy… thanks to your efforts.” Brodie acknowledged Fen.
“Leave me out of this.” Fen waved off Brodie’s compliment. “I’m pleading ignorant and innocent.”
“Oh, please.” Brodie rolled her eyes, focusing back on Gaia’s efforts to make any sort of contact with the computer generated Ninja. Flinching as the woman pivoted wrong and almost ended up on her butt. “She’s going to get hurt if she keeps this up.”
Elijah shook his head. “It’s on the lowest setting there is, the one I use for little kids, plus, she’s not wearing a pain stimulation vest. Gaia might sprain an ankle, but that should be the worst case scenario.”
“But she’s pregnant.” Fen grimaced as Gaia tried for another big swing… and missed by a mile. “What about the baby?”
“When one of the guys mentioned it to Gaia, she went ballistic, raving on how if Hadleigh could still be working full time as an Enforcer, then she could too. I rang Nell, to double check, but she said low impact exercise was good for both baby and the expectant mother.”
“She wants to be an Enforcer?” Fen bit back an incredulous laugh.
“I have no fucking idea what she wants. And every time I’ve tried to make a suggestion regarding her technique, she gets defensive and starts tearing strips off me. So...” Elijah turned once more to stare at Brodie. “Like I said. You caused this… now go fix it.”
“I…” Brodie watched as Fen began striding towards the exit doors. “Where are you going?”
“It looks like you are going to have your hands full for the foreseeable future, and I have work to do. I’ll be back to pick you up in a few hours… have fun.” Fen flashed her a broad, cheeky grin and disappeared with all haste.
“Hey.” Brodie held her hand up, commanding Elijah to halt. “And where do you think you’re going?”
Elijah rubbed his temples. “I’m going to track down some painkillers, lots and lots of painkillers.”
“But-” It was too late, he was gone. Shit. Brodie turned just in time to watch Gaia hit the dirt and start pounding the ground in frustration with her practise sword… shit. The computer generated Ninja figure stood at attention a few feet away, waiting emotionless and ready.
Freyja, you try and give a little sound advice and it backfires. That will teach her to try and talk to people in the future. Next time, she’d just introduce them to Raven and Reaper and let her swords do all the talking.
Sighing, Brodie walked over to tap the arena computer, turning off the training simulator, disappearing the Ninja, before leaping over the barrier.
Walking towards Gaia, who was still beating at the ground in frustration, Brodie tried not to dwell on the hundreds… nay, thousands of things she’d rather be doing right now. Coming to a halt over Gaia, she crossed her arms over her chest and waited… and waited. No wonder Elijah had a headache, that bloody awful screeching was irritating.
Finally, she could take it no more. Timing her words for Gaia’s next inhalation of breath she spoke loudly and clearly. “You’re an idiot, you know that, right?”
Gaia fell quiet in mid-screech, her brain having taken a split second to process Brodie’s words. She drew in a ragged breath, dropping the sword in her hand to the ground, blinking up in confusion, which was quickly replaced by outraged anger. “What did you just call me?”
“An. Idiot. A big one. If there was a prize available you would win it, no contest. All other idiots would bow before your eminence.”
“I… you…” Gaia struggled to her feet. Dirt was smeared across one tear stained cheek. Her long blonde plait had started to come undone.
Brodie kept her expression cold and impassive. “What exactly did you hope to achieve by barging in here this morning?”
“You… you said my baby was in danger.”
Brodie checked her first response. She recognised that look in Gaia’s blue eyes, the woman was terrified. But here she was determined to step up. Problem was, her approach was doomed.
“So you stormed in here. Disrupting the scheduled training, picked up a sword and… what exactly? Thought you’d become an Enforcer in five easy steps?”
“No.” Gaia looked around for help. Eyes widening when she realised the arena was empty except for herself and the cold eyed, looming Valkyrie. “I…”
“Enforcers train for hours every day. With weapons, without weapons. They run until their hearts feel like exploding. They lift weights until their blood vessels burst. They learn how to take a fall, how to take a punch, how to fight through excruciating pain, because they know pain is preferable to death. And then the next day… they get up and do it all over again.”
Gaia sucked in another ragged breath. “I… just want to keep my baby safe.”
“Understandable.” Brodie acknowledged. “Noble even. But is this really the way to go about it? How often do you imagine you’ll be out and about with the baby in one arm and a sword in the other?”
“Well… I…”
“And along comes a threatening but patient Ninja who will wait for you to put the baby down, draw your sword, and make the first move?”
“Well… I-”
“You’re an idiot, is what you are. Repeat after me, I’m an idiot.”
Colour flooded Gaia’s cheeks, she straightened her spine. She was barely five foot tall, but she met Brodie’s gaze and glared at her hard. “Stop calling me that!”
“Then stop acting like one.” Brodie shook her head in disgust. Leaning down she hefted up the sword Gaia had been practising with. Twirling and spinning it in the air for ten seconds she shook her head in disgust. The balance was off, the edges were dull, and it was way too long and heavy for someone of Gaia’s stature.
“Teach me to do that.” Gaia’s gaze had locked on Brodie’s display of swordsmanship.
“No.”
“No?” Gaia’s mouth dropped open in genuine shock.
“No.” To emphasise her point, Brodie sent the sword hurtling through the air. It landed point first in the dirt, right by the exit gate, about hundred feet away. “You don’t need to learn fancy sword moves, or even how to use a sword for that matter. If an attack comes, it will come with no warning, no time to prepare. Your response will need to be immediate. There will be no polite rules of engagement.”
“So you think I should carry a knife? Will you teach me how to use one?”
“No, and no again.” Brodie rested her hands on her hips. “You keep thinking of going on the attack. That’s not what defending yourself or your baby should be about. It should simply be a matter of training to react… in the quickest, dirtiest, most surprising manner possible. One that will lay your attacker out, so you and your child can make a quick getaway. To find somewhere safe, somewhere you’ll have time to call in the professionals to deal with the threat.”
“Oh.” Gaia’s shoulders slumped for a moment, as her dream of being magically transformed into an awesome, skilled, killing machine dissipated. One hand unconsciously slipping down to cradle her still svelte belly. “So will you teach me that then? To react? To fight dirty?”
Brodie waved off the request casually. “I’m sure this place offers any number of self-defence courses. It has an ice rink for pity sake.
”
Gaia frowned. “Actually, it doesn’t. Besides all the recreational stuff, there’s only the Enforcer training program.” Gaia’s face lit up. “A self-defence course! What a great idea. And you can teach it, I’ll be your very first student.”
“No.” Brodie shook her head so emphatically the room began to spin. “I’m not a self-defence instructor, I’m a Valkyrie. Just yesterday I bested your Enforcers at a training session.”
“Exactly.” Gaia’s face glowed with delight. “You’re the best of the best, just who I need.”
“No way.” Brodie frowned at Gaia’s response. “What are you doing? Why are you scrunching your face up like that? If you think making that annoying screeching sound will-” Brodie looked on in horror as first one tear rolled down Gaia’s cheek, then another. “Crying? You know that won’t work on me, right?” Disgust tinging her voice.
“This isn’t for you.” Gaia smiled despite the tears that were now flowing freely down her cheeks. “Which way did Elijah go?”
“Wait!” Brodie held up her hand. Elijah would only turn around and tell her to fix this problem she had created. “Fine… I’ll show you a few tactics, just switch off the waterworks.”
“Yeah.” Gaia clapped her hands happily.
Brodie sighed grimly. Despite herself she was kind of impressed with how Gaia got everyone to do what she wanted. Pity the woman couldn’t use that skill to defeat the bad guys. “What is it you do anyway?”
Gaia straightened her t-shirt and smoothed down her workout pants. “I make relishes, chutneys and sauces. I sell them through gourmet food shops in the district and I share a stall at the Saturday market, in Reverie Valley, with my cousin who makes jams. I grow everything myself, that’s my magic, making things grow fast.”
Interesting, Brodie’s eyes narrowed for a moment, fast… how fast? “Before we start, explain to me exactly how this power of yours works.”
Gaia blinked in momentary confusion and then shrugged. “Okay.”
* * *
Fen stepped out of the small bare closet sized room that read Maintenance, it was located directly across from the entrance to the Enforcer training arena. He’d just come directly from the Fire Station. If someone was monitoring Brodie’s movements, travelling by Portal would be their best bet at keeping her safe, and hopefully further property damage to a minimum.
Besides, he loved his truck, and the Chief had hidden the keys to his BMW.
Hesitating for a moment, he rubbed his weary eyes. Sifting through evidence all day, or in this case, tonnes and tonnes of ash from the arson crime scenes had been time consuming and useless. If there had been any evidence, it was well and truly obliterated by the molten heat factor at each of the scenes.
Yet, it had to be done. He’d grabbed a quick shower before leaving, changing into fresh blue jeans, boots and a khaki t-shirt, that didn’t smell like ash or char. His short dark hair was still damp but he’d been in kind of a hurry. Guilt at leaving Brodie to fend for herself all day at the training centre had plagued him.
Oh, he was more than sure that Brodie could look after herself. It was everyone else he was concerned about.
Shoving open the double doors to the viewing area, he came to an abrupt halt. Elijah was there, beer in hand, feet up, large smile on his face, watching something on the far side of the arena. This was the second time in a matter of days he’d seen Elijah smile.
Could… was his cousin falling for Brodie? They were both highly trained warriors who liked to kill stuff… if that wasn’t a recipe for romance, he didn’t know what was. And why did the thought of Elijah hooking up with his Valkyrie make him want to lash out, call hurricane force winds and sweep his cousin away?
Hold on, had he really thought his Valkyrie?
Brodie wasn’t his. So he’d bested her in a challenge. That didn’t mean he owned her or anything. And he’d refused her offer of sex - groan, it still made his body ache in memory - more than once. She had a perfect right to move on. And if she had to choose someone other than him, then his cousin was pretty much her ideal match.
Elijah looked over at him, raising his beer in greeting. “I love that Valkyrie.”
It took all of Fen’s willpower not to sweep Elijah up and smash him against the nearest wall like a bug. Whoa, he didn’t get jealous, ever. He thought women were pretty darn wonderful, but he always kept it casual, light. He liked variety. He didn’t get possessive or… care about them.
“Yeah?” He clenched his hands into fists, stomping over to collapse into the seat next to Elijah.
“You gotta watch this.”
Fen looked to where Elijah was pointing, to the far side of the arena. That particular area was studded with real trees, bushes and plants. In the middle of a small clearing stood Gaia, looking sweaty, dirt smeared and yet, surprisingly happy, as Brodie leapt out from behind a nearby gumtree and ran at her, sword raised.
“Shit.” Fen tensed, fuck, she was going to kill Gaia. He couldn’t blame her, but… shit. He started to rise, Elijah grabbed hold, yanking him back down.
“Wait for it.”
Fen’s mouth dropped open in shock as a large tree root shot out of the ground, wrapping itself around Brodie’s right ankle and yanking her to a halt. What the…?
“No!” Brodie’s voice could be heard clearly. “Big deal. You stopped me. Now I’ll just use my sword to cut this bloody thing away and keep coming at you. What have I been telling you?”
“Fight like I mean it.” Gaia yelled back. “Blood equals pain… but-”
“I don’t want to hear it… hurt me!”
A root shot out of the ground to Brodie’s left, in a split second it would skewer her. Valkyrie reflexes were amazing to watch as she fluidly stepped to one side, brought her sword around and sliced the root in half. “Yes! Much better.”
“Fuck.” Fen whispered. Sweet - Mother Earth loving - Gaia was capable of that!
“I know, right?” Elijah grinned, reaching down to the trash can full of ice next to him, grabbing a beer and handing it over to Fen. “No one else could work with Gaia except Brodie. She’s relentless, doesn’t give into the tantrums, and knows exactly which buttons to push to make Gaia want to kill her. They’ve been working out there for six solid hours.”
Fen twisted the cap off the beer and took a swig. It was disconcerting to watch Brodie stride around the arena. She didn’t have a hair out of place, looked like she’d barely broken a sweat and yet… she kind of looked like she belonged. There was a vitality about her, an intensity that had been missing when she battled the Enforcers yesterday, and Declan the other night. A smile lurked at the corner of her lips as she yelled more commands at Gaia.
The woman it seems, was a born drill sergeant. His body hardened at the thought of what she’d be like in the bedroom. Relentless, he was sure. And Goddess save him, she already knew which buttons to push.
What could it hurt to sleep with her? They’d bang out all these… feelings, this frustration and move on. Well, Brodie would move on, right back to the other side of the world where she belonged. And he’d move on too of course, find a bevy of beauties to entertain him… once the danger of being melded had passed.
Hmmm, what was that sudden hollow feeling yawning in his gut? Was he getting attached to Brodie? Sure, having her around was never dull. But she was just a woman. A six foot, curvy, gorgeous Valkyrie, with a funny, dry sense of humour, legs that went on forever and eyes like fractured snowflakes falling on a blue sky day.
Fuck, he needed to put a brake on all these alien feelings, keep the tempting midnight haired Valkyrie at arms length, find the Firebug and… shit, find someone acceptable for Brodie to have sex with so she could get back to her life. It would have to be someone worthy, but not anyone she could possibly develop feelings for, or get serious about.
Not Elijah of course, he didn’t want to have to kill his own flesh and blood, but there had to be someone in the Sanctuary suitable to knock boots with Brodie… someone�
�� anyone… as long as it wasn’t him.
Chapter Ten
It was disconcerting to step out of the Fitness Centre Portal into the living room of a cosy, tastefully decorated - not even close to being rustic - cabin.
A howling, white-out storm was raging outside. The large picture windows showing nothing but snow, snow and more snow. Fen was obviously familiar with the place, as he immediately walked over to the large fireplace and struck a match to the carefully laid wood, flames leaping high in an instant.
“Is this your place?” Brodie looked around with interest at the abundant plush neutral coloured rugs covering the pitted, gleaming, wooden floors. There were three large charcoal velvet sofas, clustered around a low rectangular coffee table, each of them artfully covered with faux fur cushions. Overhead, a large wrought iron candelabra hung, studded with those fake candles that worked off electricity.
The fireplace was huge and already emitting a lot of heat. Brodie’s eye instantly drawn to the marble statues on either side of it. One was a young boy, rugged up against the cold, wearing ice skates, an exhilarated smile gracing his lips. So life like, it seemed any moment now he would skate across the room.
The other statute depicted a young girl, likewise bundled up in a sensible heavy jacket, she too was on skates, but she was twirling in place, her skirt flaring up, one arm raised gracefully towards the heavens. A dreamy smile of contentment on her face.
“It belongs to my brother Locke, actually.”
That made sense, it looked too perfect and slightly bland to her eyes to be Fen’s place. “And where exactly are we?”
“Not far from Aspen. We should be safe here for the night. And the Chief will call me if there’s an emergency or any news.”
Brodie was doing the math in her head and liking the odds. Just the two of them alone, finally, in a snowed in cabin. Was Fen coming around to her way of thinking? No, not by the way he was studiously avoiding eye contact. Damn. How did women go about seducing a man? Grr, she should have watched more sappy romantic films, but they too often bored her silly.