Immortals of Indriell- The Collection

by Melissa A. Craven

  “I know,” Brecken said, continuing around to the back of the mansion in silence.

  The big house held every possible luxury, she was sure, but the building tucked behind the mansion was utilitarian at best. Large and square, the facility occupied the rear of the complex behind the gardens, the massive pool, and luxurious pool house. Two stories set at a lower elevation than the main house ensured that Vivian would never have to look at the ugly building.

  “This is where you will live. You'll each have a solitary dormitory with everything you could possibly need. Nothing fancy, but it's comfortable enough.”

  “Here? I expected we would have rooms in the house.” Tessa frowned at the cold concrete entrance. She was used to nice things. She'd worked hard for her status, and she expected to keep it.

  “Lady, you're lucky I don't put you in a tent in the jungle. Get inside. It's bloody hot out here.” Brecken shoved her through the door.

  The coolness of the interior was definitely a comfort after the heat of the day, but this was not going well. Nothing about this was anything like she'd expected. Tessa always heard stories of the amazing places other agents got to live and work, and they always had the best accommodations. Something wasn't right here.

  “Are there others here?” She stared at the concrete floors and long corridors branching off in every direction.

  “None that you need to concern yourself with. You will be isolated during your training.”

  Tessa nodded. “We understand.” She wanted to protest his mention of training. She'd had enough training to last her a lifetime. She was ready to take action. But she thought better of voicing her concerns.

  “I will be your immediate supervisor and trainer. You will follow my rules, and we'll get along just fine. You two will train together in the gym for a few hours each morning. That is all the time you will get with your student, so make it count.”

  “Yes, sir,” Tessa said, grateful for Dean's silence. He walked behind her, glaring at everything, his hands shoved into his pockets. She was thrown by their odd arrival and ridiculously young supervisor. She'd trained circles around guys like him, and now she had to give him deference. It didn't make any sense.

  “I expect you to be showered and dressed in your uniforms by ten a.m. each day, six days a week. You will train with me twelve hours a day, every day, for one month, and then you will be expected to perform your jobs on your own time.”

  “And what will those jobs be?” She was anxious to know.

  “We will discuss that once I decide you're ready. I suggest you take tonight to get settled and rested.”

  “Who should we ask if we need anything?” Tessa assumed there was some sort of resident concierge to take care of such things.

  “You will only have contact with me. If you need something, ask me after training each evening. Your rooms have been fully stocked. I expect you will not need anything, so don't annoy me with useless requests.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You will share a joint suite with a common area between.” Brecken guided them down a long, stark hallway to their adjoining rooms.

  “Chatty girl, you're in here.” He opened the door to a tiny closet of a room. A twin bed occupied the rear wall of the windowless room. A desk and a dresser took up the remaining space. Everything was white. Even the quilt on the bed.

  “Looks fine,” Tessa managed to say. The room was depressing. By taking such a huge step forward in her career, she'd somehow taken a huge step down in her accommodations. She tentatively opened the door to the common area, hoping for a much larger shared space. What she found was a narrow walkway between her room and Dean's. On one side was a tiny bathroom they would have to share. On the other was a small kitchenette with a microwave, mini refrigerator, and the tiniest oven she'd ever seen. “Is there a cafeteria? Or a kitchen for meals?”

  “You're looking at it. I hope you can cook. Your diet will consist of beans, rice, lean chicken, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Everything you can prepare here.”

  Tessa took another look at the kitchenette, her stomach sinking down to her toes.

  What is going on here?

  Dean snorted his reply and stepped into his room, a mirror image of hers. They would be living in close quarters indeed.

  “Not so chatty, that one.” Brecken nodded at Dean. “That's good. Keep it up. Uniforms are in the closet. You'll be responsible for your own laundry.” He gestured to the curtained area beside the bathroom.

  Tess peeked into the closet to see five sets of uniforms each. Hers were black and teal. Dean's were black and gray. A micro washer/dryer rested at the bottom of the closet. It was one of those tiny units that hooked to the sink with a hose and would wash and dry in one go.

  “How do you distinguish rank here?” she asked, looking at the strange emblems on the uniform sleeves.

  “Color. Red is the highest rank in the complex. That's all you need to know.”

  She noted his jeans and collared shirt were not just street clothes. The piping along his shirt was red, and his sleeve was adorned with half a dozen symbols marking his rank. He was in charge of everything, so he was the person she needed to impress the most.

  How in the world did he get to be head of Vivian's staff?

  “When will we meet with Vivian?” She had a lot of questions for her new employer.

  “Never.”

  ~~~

  CHAPTER

  NINE

  Tess couldn't stand the heat and humidity of the jungle.

  “Keep up,” Brecken shouted over his shoulder.

  Tess rushed along the narrow path to catch up. This was Brecken's favorite game. Torturing Tessa. Their marathon training sessions kept her on the brink of exhaustion. Every night she collapsed into her tiny bed, too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. She'd never slept so much in her life.

  “Last day of training. Time to show me what you're made of, chatty-girl. Your student's showing you up … again.”

  Brecken and Dean raced up the path to the cliff. Dean, indeed, showed her up. Quite often. His training had prepared him for this. Hers, not so much. She'd always focused more on the use of her gifts than physical training. Her days had always been filled with sparring and honing her environmental gift, not racing up mountains and diving off cliffs to swim in the river. That kind of training was for those with lesser gifts. This wasn't the best use of her skills.

  Tessa trudged up the steep incline, panting and sweating, lifting her limp hair out of her eyes. For nearly a month, she'd struggled to find her place here. Not the first impression she'd dreamed of making. But somehow, Dean seemed to flourish while she faltered.

  Today was the day she'd finally find out why she was really here. Today was the last day of their month-long torture with Brecken. Tomorrow, the real work would begin, and that was where Tessa intended to shine.

  With that thought in mind, she picked up her pace, charging toward the cliff's edge. She hated this part. The free-fall into the white water below, praying she wouldn't dash her head against the rocks, or get caught up in the current of the waterfall like she had the first day. Brecken had to rescue her. That had been completely humiliating.

  Leaping over the edge, arms and legs flailing like a moron, she crashed into the warm, churning waters where the rivers converged. Sometimes she wanted to keep sinking into its muddy depths. To swim into the jungle and never look back. But that would forfeit any chance she had of becoming the rising star she'd always anticipated being. That was a dream she would not give up so easily. Someday she'd look back on this and laugh at herself. That day was not today.

  Wheezing and trembling, Tessa pulled herself onto the sandy river bank where she collapsed. Meanwhile, Dean and Brecken were cracking open a few protein drinks, laughing like they'd just gone out for a simple morning jog.

  The two got along far too well. The way Dean had acclimated himself to this new normal was odd in the extreme. It was like he woke up that second day, fully embrac
ing this life. He had no expectations. No ambition. He just needed to hunker down and get through it.

  She tried to take it one day at a time the way he did, but she had so much more riding on this. She had to make this a success.

  “Last time, doll-face,” Brecken said. “I won't make you jump off cliffs anymore.” His laughter caught her by surprise.

  “Thanks for that,” she said dryly.

  “I just needed to see what you two are made of. I have my answers now. Dean will roll with whatever you throw at him, never letting it show how much he hates it, while you will kill yourself to achieve whatever I ask of you. Both are great qualities. You work well together, and that's what we need.”

  It was the highest of praise coming from Brecken. Something had changed. Like the initial test was over and they'd passed.

  “Go get cleaned up, and meet me in the gym in an hour.”

  Tessa raced through the forest back to the path leading to the complex. They had to cook, eat, and shower in one hour, and they had it down to a science. Tess hopped into the shower as soon as she reached their dorm. While she dressed, Dean set the rice and beans to boil and cut fresh fruits for their meal.

  “I got it from here. Go grab a shower. We should have enough hot water left for a quick one.” She slipped past him in the tiny kitchen. There was barely enough room for them to navigate the small space.

  “You okay, Tessa?” Dean's hands rested on her shoulders to stop her furious activity.

  “I'm fine. Just nervous about today.” She took a breath, trying to make herself relax.

  “You've got this.” He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze.

  “I've bungled this whole thing so far.” She gave a humorless laugh.

  “Hey, no one expects you to be perfect at everything. Well, no one but you.” He smiled, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “Brecken's just been evaluating us.”

  “That's just great. He probably wonders why Soma ever bothered with me.”

  “Tessa.” Dean rolled his eyes and pulled her close. “He's just been evaluating which one of us is the muscle and which one of us is the brains. After this last month, he knows you're the one with all the drive, and I'm the one who doesn't give a shit.”

  “I just … I have to make a better impression today. Go get your shower. We can't be late.”

  “All right, but I get the hot shower next time.” He folded his long frame into the tiny bathroom and the even tinier shower.

  Tess grabbed the chicken marinating in the fridge and set to work finishing their meal. She warmed homemade flour tortillas in the toaster-who knew Dean could bake? And she chopped peppers and onions for fajitas to go with their staple of beans and rice. Most days neither of them felt much like cooking, so they tended to opt for simple, bland meals. But she felt like celebrating today. It was a milestone. Today, things would start looking up. They had to.

  Dean emerged from the bathroom with a pristine white towel draped around his slim hips. A sight she never tired of seeing. The Soma brand peeked out at her from the towel. She'd wondered why he decided to put the symbol right above his ass. When she'd asked him about it, he said it was because he'd told Ryan to kiss his ass when he'd asked where Dean wanted the brand.

  “Smells good.” He stepped behind her, placing his hands on her hips as he moved in the narrow space. Living in such close quarters, they'd quickly gotten over any initial awkwardness. The doors between them rarely closed anymore.

  “I was in the mood for something with flavor.” She leaned against him. When they were here in their home, they dropped all the professionalism at the door. In here they were friends. Friends who needed the comfort the other provided. The attraction between them was strong, but the timing and the place was all wrong. A touch here, an embrace there was as far as it ever went. But for Tessa it was enough.

  “I'm starving.” Dean filled his plate and stepped into his room to finish dressing. “Let me throw on some clothes and come join me.”

  Not for the first time, she wished they had a small table and a little more free time so they could enjoy a meal together. Tessa fixed her plate and made them both a glass of iced tea.

  “I'll get the drinks, Tessa.” He stepped back into the kitchen, dressed in his black and gray uniform.

  She followed him into the room and perched on the edge of his bed.

  “Why do you always call me Tessa?” She shoveled a bite of fajita into her mouth as fast as she could chew. They had to meet Brecken in twenty minutes, and she still had to dry her hair.

  “That's your name.” Dean sat at his desk, scarfing his food down with a gulp of tea.

  “Most people call me Tess.”

  “I like Tessa. It's a beautiful name.” He winked. “And I'm not most people. At least I don't want to be most people with you.”

  Tessa swallowed her chicken and peppers over the lump in her throat.

  “Another time and place…” She shrugged.

  “Another time and place,” Dean echoed.

  ~~~

  “This is so nerve-wracking.” Tessa smiled as they walked down the long corridor to the gym after their mad dash through lunch. She twisted her hands together. “I'm so excited and terrified at the same time.”

  “I expect more of the same,” Dean grunted his reply.

  “Come on, this will be good for us.”

  “For your sake, I hope it is.” He managed a hesitant smile.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “You've worked so hard for this. I just hope it's not a disappointment.”

  “Don't be so negative, Dean. This is a good thing. The torture is behind us.”

  “Exercise is not torture, Tessa.” He rolled his eyes, opening the door to the gymnasium. It was even more state of the art than the gym at Soma, and that was saying something.

  “Gather around, guys,” Brecken called from his office at the back of the gym.

  Tessa and Dean took the plush seats opposite his desk. It was the first time in a month she'd sat in an actual comfortable chair. Her body melted into the soft fabric. She'd give anything to have a chair like this in her room. Maybe she was in a position now where she could ask for one.

  “Before I take you on a tour of the facilities where you'll be working, let's talk about the perks you've earned.”

  “Perks?” Dean asked.

  “You've both worked hard, and we like to reward hard work to our loyal staff. From this day forward, you are both on equal footing. You will both take the yellow uniform to indicate your status as trained and skilled staff members. You will continue to work with me, exclusively for one year. At that time, you will be re-evaluated.”

  “A year?” Tessa gasped. Most Soma agents worked their first assignments on much shorter terms before they moved on to their next one. She hadn't anticipated being here that long. From all her years of training and preparing for this, having so many things catch her off guard made her uneasy.

  “At a minimum, yes,” Brecken replied. “As we speak, you're being moved to a larger suite with two bathrooms and a much larger common area. We want you to be comfortable. You'll also receive an extra fifteen minutes for lunch and dinner breaks.”

  Tessa could have fainted with relief.

  “What's the catch?” Dean asked.

  Tessa wanted to slap him. Showing anything but gratitude was the quickest way to get their privileges revoked. But she caught the telltale sign of his mistrust. If Dean sensed something wasn't on a level, she'd learned to be wary.

  “No catch. Just keep doing what you've been doing, and you'll be on easy street from here on out. After three months if we are pleased with your work ethic, you'll be granted more privileges. And eventually, you will earn the freedom to come and go as you please during your off time, of which you will receive more.”

  “Sounds amazing, thank you,” Tessa said before Dean could make things worse. If Brecken wasn't being completely honest, then they would figure that out soon enough. There was
no need to piss him off now when he was handing out rewards.

  “And what will we be doing?” Dean asked.

  “Come with me.” Brecken stood. “You will report to me each morning at nine, after your personal time in the gym, of course. We expect you to be putting in at least four hours of training every day, with Sundays off. You will meet me here.” Brecken stopped at a pair of double doors that had always been locked before but stood open now.

  “Where are we going?” Tessa peered past him at the enormous garage behind him.

  “Deep into the jungle. Hop in. We have a hour drive there and back.”

  Tessa and Dean silently piled into the jeep. Dean looked almost sick, while Tessa felt like something was finally going right. The drive was slow going along the treacherous roads into the rainforest, but she anticipated they would be traveling through this kind of terrain a lot over the coming year.

  Tessa expected to see polluted wetlands or stagnant pools of water not fit for drinking that she would need to fix. She did not expect to find an endless sea of water drums arranged in neat rows nestled into the midst of the jungle as far as she could see.

  “What is this?”

  “Stockpiled water for your use. Ever since we knew you were coming, we've been planning for this.”

  “But this is clean water. What do you need me for?” Tessa didn't even know what to think of this latest development.

  “You've been training for this for years, Tess.”

  “I've been preparing to restore polluted ecosystems to their natural state. I've been training for a year to make the foulest waters safe to drink.”

  “And you've been learning to separate the particulates and elements found in water, leaving behind only what you want to leave. We've been told you are the best at this particular kind of gift.”

  “That is true, but I don't see how that will be put into practice here.”

  “Electrolysis, Tessa,” Dean said softly.

  “Exactly,” Brecken said.

  “No.” Tessa shook her head stubbornly. “That is not the best use of my gift.”