There was the sound of a computer chair rolling over and she looked up automatically to see Captain Banderas next to her. He was one of the few people in the station that didn’t loom over her, being only 5’5”, dark hair kept at an almost military cut, skin naturally dark because of his Hispanic heritage. Javier Banderas had proven to be kind and patient since her arrival. She liked being around him.
“Arashi. I got emailed last night, and it seems that they’ve finally found a partner for you.”
“Did they? That was quick.” And for the Gældorcræft Forces, it was. Noriko had expected it to take at least another month. “Did they give you any specifics?”
“The full file is supposedly coming today, I only got a name and a rank. Harmony Cameron Powers, D-4.”
Harmony? So her new partner was a woman? “It’s unusual to see a female Dwolcræft.”
“I know it. But then, it’s unusual to see a male Mægencræft, and your friend Stoliker is one.”
True. It wasn’t like it was an ironclad rule that Dwolcræftas were only males and Mægencræftas were always females, it was just that statistically that’s how it normally worked out. Only 17% of Mægencræftas were males, and the ratio was about the same for female Dwolcræftas. Of course, it was also highly unusual to go through all of the education and training to be a certified Mægencræft without forming a partnership in school, but there she sat, partner-less.
“Explain to me, again, how you managed to get stationed here without a partner? I know you said that you didn’t have a chance to find a partner as a teenager, but the odds of getting into your twenties without one are slim.” There was no condemnation in the captain’s voice, just honest curiosity.
“I’m from a very small town in Tennessee,” she explained patiently. “And for whatever reason, Mægencræftas outnumbered Dwolcræftas three-to-one. It’s why my friend Tye came here without a partner too.” Although that had changed by day two.
“Huh. Still, you’d think that your parents or your school would have made an effort to find you guys partners.”
They had. It hadn’t gone well, at least not for her. “So when does she show up?”
“I’m not sure. I mean, I think she only got the notification yesterday, a few hours before I did. They give you about a week to get to station, so depending on where she’s from, she might show up anytime between today or sometime next week.” Banderas leaned back and regarded her frankly. “I’m not sure how good of a match you two will be, but this partnership isn’t set in stone, remember that. I need my people to be in sync with each other. This isn’t a job where you can set personal feelings aside and just deal.”
Truly. Dwolcræftas depended on Mægencræftas to give them the power that they needed in order to do magic. They couldn’t store enough on their own. Because their magic power came directly from another human being, the emotions of both partners played heavily into it. Mægencræftas especially had to be careful because one error on their part and they risked doing serious damage to the Dwolcræftas. Noriko wasn’t one to let emotions dictate her actions, especially where work was involved, but she appreciated the captain’s sentiments. “We’ll see when she gets here. Will she be in the dorms too?”
“I think so. Most land there first until they figure out where they want to live.”
Noriko certainly had taken advantage of it. The station wasn’t big, just a two story building for the precinct and another, separate building that served as a jailhouse. But it had a three-story apartment building that gave housing to anyone that needed it. Mostly it was the new members of the station and any single people that had found moving elsewhere to be too troublesome.
Banderas’s wristwatch comm buzzed with a message. He double tapped it with a blunt index finger. “Banderas.”
“Captain, your new Dwolcræft is here.” Gena’s voice sounded tinny through the tiny speakers. “A Cameron Powers.”
“Oh? That was fast. Thanks, Gena.” Banderas stood, straightening out his dark blue shirt as he moved. “Speak of the devil and she appears. She must be from nearby to get here this fast.”
Noriko moved as he did, wanting to meet the woman. Just how fast had the Dwolcræft packed? It was barely afternoon after all, and she couldn’t be from Tehachapi itself—Banderas would know her if she was.
The glass double doors opened and a man strode through, tall enough that he almost didn’t clear the door frame. He had a surfer’s build and look to him—sun bleached blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, tanned skin, and a lackadaisical grace that spoke of natural athletic ability. He took in the cluttered office with its desks crammed together, the people inside of it, and then zeroed in on Banderas. “Captain Javier Banderas?”
Banderas’s eyebrows tweaked upward before he smoothed his voice out. “That’s me. You are?”
“Thought the receptionist buzzed you?” The blond’s head cocked even as he made a beeline for them. “I’m Cameron Powers.”
Wait. This was Harmony Powers? Noriko’s jaw dropped and she mentally hiccupped. This was so not a female partner. What kind of parents named their son Harmony?! She blinked, making her brain move past that, and took a better look at him. Certainly good-looking enough with a slightly hippie vibe to him. He didn’t appear to be nervous at all. She took him in from head to toe and was fairly impressed with what she saw on just the surface. He was indeed a D-4 to be able to radiate power like that.
“You’re Cameron Powers.” Banderas had a slightly doubtful face, although he was obviously trying not to.
“My first name threw you, huh.” Cameron’s face split in a quick grin. “Happens a lot. Everyone assume I’m a girl at first. What can I say? I was born after thirty-one hours of labor complications. Doc tried to talk my mom out of it, so did my dad, but she started threatening to sue the hospital if they didn’t let her name me what she wanted to.”
Banderas gave a responding smile and held out a hand. “Sounds rough. You go by Cameron, then?”
“Or Cam, pick whichever.” He took the offered hand in a firm clasp before letting go.
“Cam it is, then. This is Noriko Arashi, your new partner.”
Noriko shelved her surprise and offered a hand with what she trusted was a professional enough smile. “Nice to meet you.”
His hand almost swallowed hers. “Hey. Nice t’meetcha, partner.” Brows twitching into a frown, he paused and stared at her steadily, almost unnervingly. “Huh. Hang on.” Using her hand, he pulled her into his chest and wrapped her up into a hug. She stifled a squeak and froze against him.
Not that he didn’t smell nice, but seriously, what was he doing? Five seconds after he’d met her? “Um, Powers?”
“Yeah.” He bent his head closer to hers, hands still strong against her back, holding her in place.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, temper rising.
“Checking something.” He finally let go and she wasted no time in taking a step back. From the nonchalant expression on his face, it didn’t look like he’d just been sexually harassing a woman he’d known less than a full minute. “You’re supposed to be an M-4, right?”
Oh, was that what he’d been doing? Strictly speaking, they could see enough of each other that they could make a good guess what the other person’s ability was. A Mægencræft’s and Dwolcræft’s aura was a living thing. When they actively used their talents, their aura became very pronounced and glowed all around them like a second coat of skin. When inactive, it lay more subdued and internal. But physical touch gave them direct access to the other person’s power, so it was a more accurate way of getting a measurement. Not that it excused him, he should have asked first, and why on earth had he hugged her like that? Noriko gave him an elaborate look that said she didn’t appreciate being randomly pounced on. “Right.”
The look did not faze him. “No way. I don’t think they tested you right. ”
“I’m inclined to agree, but…” The captain cleared his throat and gave Cameron a flat sta
re. “Powers, be more aware of your conduct. What you just did was not appropriate.”
“Really?” This scolding just bounced right off, although he did shrug and tell her, “My bad.”
She began to see how he’d gotten to twenty-one years old and remained without a partner. The guy was weird. As long as he could work, though, she’d put up with the weirdness. “Where are you from? We’re surprised to see you this early.”
“Los Angeles. Riverside, to be exact. I’ve been basically packed for about a week, waiting for someone to tell me where to go, so when I got the call yesterday I just threw it all in the car.”
Wait, huh? “You didn’t get an assignment when you graduated boot camp?” They’d assigned her on the spot.
“Well, they did,” Cameron admitted with a wry smile and shrug. “And then the partner I was supposed to have got injured in a car accident on the way there. Rather than have me sit around six months waiting on her to get through rehab, they shifted my assignment to here.” He reached into the messenger bag hanging over his shoulder and pulled out a slim thumb drive in a sealed case, which he handed over to Banderas. “They said this goes to the captain.”
Banderas flipped it over and gave it a glance. “So it does.”
Was Noriko the only one disturbed by the idea that this man was originally not supposed to be her partner but someone else’s? And that the Powers-That-Be were perfectly fine playing chess with people to fit the situation?
Apparently she was, as Banderas didn’t even blink. “Alright, Powers, let me introduce you to the other two people you’ll be working with. This is my partner Charlie Parker.”
Charlotte pushed away from her desk and strode over. She stuck a pen into the messy bun at the back of her hair as she moved, freeing up one hand, although she kept the other glued to her coffee cup. As a mother of two teenagers, it was hard enough trying to find time to sleep, but working here made it even more of a challenge. Charlotte drank coffee the way some people breathed air.
“Cameron, pleasure. I’m an M-5 although you’re welcome to hug me too to make sure.” She winked, flashing him a white smile. “What my husband doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
He shook hands, but Cameron denied, “Nah, I can tell from here they got you ranked right. Nice t’meetcha though.”
“And this is Lars Torvald,” Banderas continued. “He’s a D-5 and who you’ll be working with the most for the foreseeable future, until you get the hang of things.”
Lars didn’t look like a Dwolcræft, not fitting the stereotype of ’paramilitary soldier’ that most people envisioned. He looked more like a young teen that had somehow escaped into this strange work world. His baby face was legendary in town. Lars was fit enough to pass the exams, but short for a man, and on the cute side. His pale skin and spiky brunette hair only made him look younger. He held out a hand to Cameron with a smile that promised mischief when the adults were no longer watching.
“Cam, welcome. I won’t be the only person you work with, of course, we have one more Mægencræft on this team as well. She just stepped out to file the report for us.”
“Cool. They gave us a rundown in school about what to expect but I don’t think California really fits most job descriptions for Dwolcræftas. So anything you can tell me would be awesome. I’m all ears.”
Well. That was a refreshingly nice response. Noriko wasn’t sure what to think of him because of his interesting reaction to her, but he seemed sincere enough in his desire to learn what needed to be done. Especially here, that attitude was necessary. Cameron was right; California by nature had a very different set of needs than most places.
Banderas double tapped the phone bracelet on his wrist. “This is Banderas.” He listened intently for a moment and the whole team froze and watched with baited breath.
Noriko felt a rising sense of excitement. Was this her first real assignment on the job? So far she’d been doing nothing but reading and meeting people. She was antsy and anxious to get out and start actually working.
“Got it. Where exactly in Mountain Park? Copy that, on our way.” Ending the call with a quick tap of a button, he made a circular motion with a finger. “Load up people. We got a bear stuck up a telephone pole.”
…What?
She couldn’t have possibly heard that right.
“Ah, boss?” Cameron’s face lit up in a slow grin. “I think the joke’s supposed to go ‘we got a cat stuck up a tree.’”
Banderas bent a look on him although his mouth twitched. “I don’t know how life is in LA, Powers, but you’re in the mountains now. We don’t get regular pussy cats stuck up trees. We get bears and mountain lions.”
“Lions and bears, oh my,” their team coordinator, Jack Torstein, deadpanned as he hefted a backpack and strode for the door.
Noriko choked on a laugh. What, the man had a sense of humor? She’d mistaken him as a breathing AI when she’d first been introduced to him.
“I,” Cameron declared expansively, “am going to love this job. Okay, where’s the bear?”
“Mountain Park. Powers, are you ready to work now or do you need a day?”
“My car’s fully loaded and parked out front. Is it safe to leave it there? If it is, I’m game.”
“Move it to the side parking lot, it’s got a locked gate,” Charlotte suggested. “Only fools would try to steal in front of a police station, but you never know.”
Cameron didn’t seem all that worried and shrugged. “I’ll move it. Where do I meet you?”
“Side parking lot,” Banderas answered dryly.
“That makes life easy.” Whistling an airless tune, he skipped back out the door.
Noriko had only an idea of what ‘essentials’ were supposed to be in a kit. They’d run them through it at boot camp various times, of course, but depending on the area you were assigned to the necessities changed. She had three bottles of water, two power bars, a first aid kit, sunscreen, and an old-school radio as a backup. Hopefully that would do her for this task.
What did one need to get a bear unstuck, anyway?
They met up at the van without issue, loaded in, and headed toward the mountains. Jack was the one to punch their destination into the van’s autopilot system, and since no one else even attempted to sit near the front, Noriko took it that this was one of the jobs their coordinator always did. When Banderas had said ‘Mountain Park’ it had not given her any indication of direction as Tehachapi was ringed by mountains on all sides. So she took note of which direction they headed—due west—with interest. It would be the first time since her arrival that she had left the town proper.
Cameron was settled in next to her, stretched out with his ankles crossed, not at all nervous. Or at least on the surface he wasn’t. Noriko was a little envious of this as she had butterflies duking it out in her stomach.
“So what kind of name is Noriko Arashi?” he asked casually. “Sounds Japanese.”
“It is Japanese. I’m first generation American.” Which was also why she was so short compared to most Americans. Him especially. He made her feel like a dwarf.
“Oh? Cool. Where you from?”
“Tennessee.”
“From any city?”
“Not one you’d know, no.” Manchester was hardly on anyone’s radar unless they lived there. Noriko wasn’t sure what to think about this chit-chat. Was he just trying to get to know her better? She didn’t mind that, in fact it was a good idea, but they were about to work together for the first time. Wouldn’t it be a better idea to ask different questions? Deciding to take lead on this, since he wasn’t going to, she asked: “Before we do anything, talk to me about your comfort level,” Noriko requested. “How many merlins should I be feeding you, max? Or minimum?” Saying that someone was a certain level didn’t automatically mean that she knew what they were comfortable in handling. They were judged by the max amount of power they could draw in one second. But no one could sustain that kind of energy for long, and they didn’t need the
max amount of power for every task anyway. Sometimes they only needed a few centimerlins to complete a task. Sometimes they needed several kilomerlins. It depended on the situation, which was why she felt it proper to ask what the other person’s preference was.
“I like to have enough to do the task I want without needing to think about stowing the extra.”
“Good to know. What’s the max you’re comfortable sustaining?”
“My comfortable max is about 50 KMs. In an emergency, when it’s all hit the fan, I can handle 78 KMs for about three hours before I’m tapped out.”
Her eyebrows climbed into her hairline. Three hours? This statement cemented the attention of everyone in the van. Noriko couldn’t blame them for openly listening in—after all they needed to know this information too, but it did make her shift a little uncomfortably to be at the center of attention. Striving to ignore it, she focused solely on Cameron. “If you can handle that many merlins of power, then why are you ranked at a four? You’re a borderline three.”
“Lack of experience,” he said easily. “They said in five years or so I’d probably go up another level.”
Oh? She’d been told something similar. Perhaps they were closer in ranking than she initially believed. “In that case, what should I start out with?”
“Gimme just a little juice.”
A specific number would be nice.
“You two talk more later,” Banderas requested. “We’re almost there, so we need to plan out a strategy.”
2nd Merlin
Banderas gestured toward Lars. “I defer to our bear expert to explain the standard tactic for rescue.”
For some reason Lars gave their captain a pained look. “Once, just once, that cub latched onto me. You can’t let it go, can you?”
“Never,” Banderas promised with an evil smile.
Cub? Noriko looked to Lizzie, Lars’ partner, hoping for the full story.
“The first year we were here, we had a black bear and a cub get stuck up a telephone pole,” she explained, also with a mischievous smirk on her face. “The mother bear unfortunately got shocked before we could get her down, but we got the cub to earth, and it somehow knew that it was Lars that had saved it. The cub latched onto his leg and no matter where he went, the cub tried to follow. It was completely adorable.”
Call to Quarters (A Gaeldorcraeft Forces Novel Book 1) Page 2