“Dean is here of his own volition, aren't you, Dean?” Jayesh leaned over Livia's desk to give her a level look.
“Yeah. I signed up for the fast track,” Dean muttered. “I just didn't realize you'd be teaching me.”
“If he doesn't want to train with me, he shouldn't have to.” Tessa couldn't look Dean in the eye. She'd longed to see him again. But not like this.
He blames me. Tessa couldn't fathom why he would think any of this was her fault.
“You two need to work out your differences, and get yourselves focused on the job you both signed up for.”
“Who is our new employer?” Tessa finally asked.
“Vivian Dyson and her Complement, Fletcher.
“Michael and Ryan's mother? That Vivian Dyson?” She and her Complement ran Valkyrie Enterprises, a Fortune 500 company. They also ran a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the environment. Tessa couldn't have hand selected a better first assignment. The rainforests of South America were exactly where she and her gift belonged.
“Ryan will escort you to her complex in a remote part of the Columbian jungle in just a few days. That gives you two some time to get reacquainted. You are dismissed. Dean, you will go with Ms. St. James. She will get you settled. Remember everything we've discussed?” Jayesh gave him a lingering gaze.
Dean nodded. “I've got it under control, Jayesh. Thank you for all you've done for me and my family.”
Jayesh nodded. “I wish I could have done more.”
Tessa didn't like the vacant, lifeless look in Dean's eyes, nor the odd exchange between the two men.
Tessa helped Dean to his feet and led him silently from Jayesh's office. She had no idea where to go from here, but she wouldn't lose focus on what was important. She'd finally received her first assignment. She would have to deal with the fact that Dean seemed to despise her now. Whatever had passed between them before needed to stay in the past.
~~~
“You can sleep in my bed until you're feeling better. I'll sleep on the couch.” Tessa helped Dean into her apartment. The silence between them was deafening.
Maybe I should have taken him to the solitary dorms. But she couldn't do that to him. Those rooms were like prison cells.
“I'll take the couch.” Dean gingerly lowered himself onto the white leather. “Nice place.”
His demeanor changed the moment they stepped into her home. She couldn't tell if he was actually glad to be here or if he still hated her. She busied herself with calling the front desk to avoid making eye contact.
“Eric, hi. Can you please send up a new recruit bag with clothes and toiletries for a man?”
“Seriously?” Eric's voice went up three octaves. She imagined his eyebrows shot right up to his hair line, too.
“Yes. Sizes should be large, and he's pretty tall, too.”
“Seriously? Tessa, what the hell happened in that meeting?”
“Just send up the bag, please? And a first-aid kit.”
“Oh, I'm coming right up.”
Tessa ended the call and grabbed an icepack from the freezer.
“Put this on your eye. It'll help with the swelling.” She couldn't understand why he wasn't healing on his own, and she didn't want to think about all the ways one might keep an Immortal from healing. Or why anyone at Soma would resort to such brutal means with a new recruit. What could Dean have possibly done to deserve this?
“Tessa.” Dean grabbed her hand. “I know this isn't your fault.”
She sat on the coffee table in front of him, relief flooding her body.
“You seemed so angry with me.”
“I didn't want you to get in trouble for not recruiting me when you were supposed to.”
“Why are you here?” She placed her hand over his. “Why does your face look like that?”
“I thought you liked my face?”
“This isn't a joke.” Her eyes burned with the threat of tears.
“It's okay, Tessa. Let's just say this was the better choice of two evils, and I'm not super excited about being here. But I am happy to see you again.”
“I don't understand this.” She brushed his bruised face with her fingertips. “I've never seen anyone treated this way before.”
“Don't concern yourself with it. There were … extenuating circumstances you don't need to know about.”
“You're really coming on assignment with me?” She would get to see him everyday. Her heart fluttered with the possibilities, and then her hopes sank like a stone in her stomach. This couldn't happen. Not now.
“Looks that way.” He held her hands, massaging her palms with the pads of his thumb.
“Listen. I-I've worked for years to get where I am now.” It took everything she had, but she pulled her hands away. “I can't have any distractions.”
“I understand.” Dean lay back against the sofa with a sigh.
“You should never have come to Amrita,” she whispered. “I'm so sorry. You caught their attention. They can be relentless in their recruiting.” Who was she fooling? She knew when Soma wanted someone, they got them. And Dean's face was all the proof she needed to see just how far they would go to collect a new recruit.
“This has nothing to do with Amrita, Tessa. Please don't worry about me. Let's start fresh. Get a few things straight.” He sat up. “I am your student. I'm sure there is a lot I can learn from you. When we are working, we will be professionally distant. Courteous and polite. Nothing more. But when we are alone, let there be no pretenses. We are friends. Allies.” He took her hand again. “It doesn't have to be anything more than that.”
She didn't know how he understood her position, but he got it, and she appreciated his honesty. “Where we are going, we will need to present a united front. Completely professional and we must stick to our roles. I am the teacher, and you are the student.”
“Understood.” He nodded. “And anything that happened before tonight doesn't matter. Except that one night at Amrita. That still matters a great deal to me.”
“Agreed.” She stood at the soft knock on the door. She understood Dean was asking her not to ask any questions about his arrival. She could give him that. But there were too many things about Soma lately that just didn't add up. And this was one she wasn't sure she could overlook.
“Thanks, Eric.” She grabbed the new recruit bag and tried to shut the door in his face.
“Come on, Tess,” Eric protested. “You gotta give me something.”
“I have a new student. He's injured. I'll talk to you tomorrow.” She slammed the door shut, feeling only a little guilty for her rudeness. She just couldn't deal with Eric tonight.
“How about a hot shower and a change of clothes before bed?” Tessa asked.
“Depends.” Dean cocked his head. “Will you be joining me?”
“I will not.” She dropped the duffel bag into his lap with a smile. “There's a first-aid kit in there if you need it. Bathroom's through there.” She pointed at the door. “Towels are in the cabinet. Help yourself.”
“Worth a shot.” He struggled to his feet. “I'll be good as new after some food and a good sleep.”
“I'll make us some sandwiches.” Tessa stepped into the kitchen and busied herself with making dinner. She needed to occupy her hands and her mind. There was so much to do to prepare for this assignment. She couldn't let herself get caught up in thoughts of Dean and a hot, steamy shower.
~~~
“That is one amazing shower.” Dean joined her at the bar, smelling fresh and clean.
“The extra jets really come in handy after a hard day training.” She set a plate of warm panini style sandwiches between them. She'd managed a decent salad and fresh fruit plate, too. Dean needed clean, wholesome foods to help him heal. They had a huge day tomorrow, and she needed him back in shape.
“What's the plan? I can hear the wheels spinning in your head.”
“We'll begin training at five a.m., so you need to get a good night's rest. I insis
t you take my bed, at least for tonight. I probably won't sleep much anyway.”
“Well, if you insist.” His wry smile gave her goose bumps. She had to get past these ridiculous reactions to having him near. She could not show up at her new job drooling over her student.
Three days? How can so much happen in three short days? While she was gone, her entire world changed. She was about to set off for South America with the guy she was madly crushing on to do a job she'd trained for her whole life.
“Jayesh said your gift was a lot like mine. How does it work?” In all of the chaos of his arrival, she'd failed to ask why she needed Dean to perform this job. Jayesh said it was an environmental gift-further evidence that they were indeed equals as Dean had claimed the night they met.
“We're equals, Tessa. It makes sense that our gifts would be similar. But you'll find out soon enough.”
What happens when your equal becomes your student? A student you can't stop thinking about?
~~~
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Tessa gazed across the grassy hills, waiting for Dean to arrive. He was more than twenty minutes late. She couldn't let him get away with that. They could be friends, yes, but he had to understand she was in charge. Giving him too much leeway now would only set a bad precedent later. Once they arrived in South America, Tessa and Dean needed to have their individual roles down pat. It wouldn't do to have an unruly student who couldn't follow the most basic rules.
For the last three days, they'd focused on working in the gym to get Dean back up to his regular performance. He'd done extremely well, and she had such high hopes for their future together-as partners. It couldn't be more than that. Not while they were on assignment. As tempting as it was to think about the possibilities between them, she had to stay focused. After they returned … who knew what that future held.
“I expect you to be on time to our lessons, Dean.” She stood to greet him as he shuffled along the path to the cabin where Tess had trained for years.
“Sorry. I got cornered by Eric and all his questions. I just needed directions to find this place.” He took a seat beside her on the top step. “I forgot which way to go once I hit the basement. And then I was pretty impressed once I got here. I've seen places like this before, but this is really something.”
“Really? I've never heard of another place quite like the warehouse,” Tessa said.
“My family has a terrarium. It's on a much smaller scale, though. Definitely doesn't have mountains.”
“Do you really think your training has prepared you for what we are about to walk into?” she asked.
“I've had the best training you could possibly imagine.”
Tessa was certain Dean thought he was ready, but she couldn't wrap her mind around that possibility. It went against everything she was taught. There was just no way a new recruit could be prepared for an assignment so soon.
“You know I need you to be better than good?” It worried her that she really didn't know what he could do, how well he could do it, or what would be expected of him when they arrived at Valkyrie Enterprises. Tessa was the girl with the plan, and right now she had no plan at all.
“Trust me, Tessa. Even when you might think you can't, please just trust me.” Dean stood and paced to the clearing at the edge of the forest where the grass sloped down to the foothills. “You coming?”
“I've been waiting all week for this.” She rushed to catch up with him. “Time to show me what you can do.” During their last sessions, they were focused on getting Dean back on his feet and up to speed with her gift. But she hadn't experienced his gift yet. She only knew what he'd told her that night at Amrita. His quirky little gift that told him when someone was honest and trustworthy. That night he'd said she was one of the most trustworthy people he'd ever met, but she wondered if he would say that same thing now.
“Your elemental gift is so sophisticated, Tessa. A vital gift this world needs right now. Mine is similar in some ways. Maybe even more than we realize.” He crouched low to the ground, sinking his hands into the soil. “Your gift. It brings you pleasure and pain, yes?”
“Embracing my power is one of the most freeing sensations I've ever known. I can't describe it.”
“Mine is the same.” He sifted the dark soil through his hands. “The pain comes when I am healing the man-made damage done to nature. I can feel the earth's suffering at our heedless abuse.”
“It's the same for me too,” Tessa whispered. Hearing him talk of his gift was like hearing herself. They were similar in so many substantial ways; it sometimes felt like they'd known each other all their lives. But at the same time, they were near strangers. She didn't really know a thing about him but she wanted to.
Dean slipped his hands into the loose soil, clenching his fists just under the surface.
Tessa gasped as new growth sprouted up all around them. Tiny saplings, bushes, grass, and flowers. Fresh seedlings peeked through the ground, reaching for the sunlight. Sweat beaded across his brow, but Dean dug his hands in deeper, the corded muscles of his arms standing out in sharp relief. Exotic flowers began to bud, and the most unusual saplings spread their dark ebony limbs.
Tessa watched in awe as the makings of a jungle sprouted at her feet and all across the hillside. Dean finally released a breath, his eyes flashing silver in the sunlight as he sat on the ground. He pulled his shaking hands from the rich soil. Taking a deep breath, he fought to reign in his power. She could see the toll it took on him. She'd experienced much the same with the use of her gift.
“That was amazing.” She knelt beside him. “We are going to do so much good working in the jungles of South America. This growth is still very young. How long would it take you to grow an acre of rainforest?”
“Several weeks, with lots of rest in between.”
“And revitalizing a forest that has been damaged?”
“Much more painful but also much faster.”
“Dean, between your gift and mine, we could change the face of the world.” Excitement bubbled up inside her. She was more eager than ever to get started.
He nodded, taking her hand in his. “We could. But that all depends on what Vivian Dyson has planned for us.”
~~~
CHAPTER
EIGHT
“Nearly there,” Ryan said absently. He didn't seem to be looking forward to visi ting his family. But that was part of his job, escorting agents to their assignments. He would meet with Vivian first while Dean and Tess got settled in their new home.
Anticipation had her on the edge of her seat as they bumped along the winding road through the jungle along the Tiputini river. Vivian's base of operations was located in the Cuya Beno Reserve in the jungles of Columbia at the convergence of the Tiputini and Conejo rivers. The reserve was home to some of the most beautiful vegetation and fauna she'd ever seen. Few were allowed to step foot into the reserve, and she was one of them. She couldn't wait to finally be able to use her gift for something more than practice.
Tessa's mind was filled with grand ideas of how she would impress her new boss. She didn't have it in her to watch the way Dean seemed to retreat into himself the closer they got to their destination. Today was the day she'd waited for since the moment she joined Soma. She couldn't let anything or anyone ruin this experience for her. Not even Dean.
“What's your home like?” she asked Ryan.
“It's not my home. Mother and Father moved here just a few years ago. This is the first time I've been here.” His jaw ticked with tension. Apparently, Ryan wasn't looking forward to this visit with his family. Probably because his brother, Michael, had gone missing along with Livia, Quinn, and Santi. There was no news of any of them. None that she was privy to.
“When we arrive, you will meet with Brecken, the head of Mother's staff. He will get you settled. You will answer to him while you're here.” Ryan slowed the Jeep to a crawl along a particularly rough patch of road. “Here we are. Home sweet home.” He t
urned onto a gravel road that led to a high, ornate gate. He roughly punched in a code, and the gates opened, revealing a paved drive. They soon left the confines of the jungle behind as the sky opened above them. The rolling, grassy hills seemed out of place at the center of the rainforest. Almost unnatural.
“This all used to be marshland,” Ryan said, waving at the huge lawn. “It's been transformed to look like our home in rural Georgia, so Mother doesn't have to look at the 'godforsaken' jungle all day. It took a horde of landscapers to make it happen.”
With the Tiputini to the right, and the Conejo river to the left, Vivian's complex was like an island oasis, protected on all sides from any possible danger. It was breathtaking.
Tessa's mouth dropped open at the sight of the exotic Mediterranean villa at the end of the drive. Pristine white against the green, green grass, the sprawling mansion was not quite what she had anticipated.
“It's lovely,” she said in awe.
“Mother likes beautiful things.” Ryan rolled to a stop under the covered portico where several very large Immortals patrolled the grounds around the house.
“Ryan, long time, no see.” A burly, bearded man came to greet them.
“Brecken. Good to see you.” The two men greeted each other in a big, back slapping man-hug.
“Your mother's eagerly waiting your arrival.”
“I'll just bet she is.” Ryan took the steps up to the entrance two at a time.
“Sorry to hear about Michael,” Brecken called at his retreating figure. “Let's have a drink before you leave.”
“Better be quick., I'm out of here as soon as possible.” Ryan's wave was the last Tessa saw of him. She frowned at the slam of the front door. No introductions. No goodbye. He just left them at the curb like baggage.
“This way.” Brecken's smile vanished along with his cheery demeanor the instant Ryan left.
This was the man in charge of Vivian's staff? He wasn't much older than Dean.
“I'm Tessa. And this is my student, Dean,” she said as she followed Brecken, rushing to keep up with his long stride.
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 123