‘Don’t you dare touch me, you fucking areshole!’ screamed the woman. She was lying on the ground, trying to drag herself away from her captor. She was Scottish, her accent strong.
‘Oh, you are so wrong, sugar. I’ll teach you a lesson; no one walks away from me,’ growled the rasping, sharp voice.
You can stop this and save that girl, or you can just walk away and call the police.
It would be morally wrong to dismiss that she was in trouble, and I wasn’t the kind of person that kept walking when people needed help. I was caught in moment, so I stepped out of my hiding place and roared, ‘Hey, arsehole, leave her alone!’
My voice was thick and strong, but my whole body was shaking. I didn’t know what to expect. It was dark, but my senses were working better than usual and I was ready to kick his ass. He turned around carefully; I sensed that he was a wizard.
‘Keep walking, my dear, or this one here might not be satisfying enough,’ he barked and waved his wand quickly, not giving me a chance to react. I wasn’t ready for what came after that. I was swept off my feet and landed on my butt, seeing stars. I moaned as sharp pain shot through my back; my elbows were bruised, my heart was romping. Shaking my head, I inhaled, really pissed off. The bomb started ticking once I lifted myself off the ground.
Chapter nine
At least I’d done my good deed for the day.
‘FUCK YOU, ARESHOLE!’
Throughout the day I tried to control my power, but right now I wasn’t prepared to hold back. The guy in front of me better start praying because he had no idea what was coming. Concentrating on my own voltage of magic, I opened my eyes. My flesh started burning— tension prevalent in the air, every part of me filled with the stiff current of magic. I concentrated. The red light hummed out of my body, the wind whisked me above the ground. My skin started smouldering and I smelled of burning flesh.
‘What the...?’
He didn’t finish whatever he wanted to say, as a jet of energy lashed out of my body, knocking him off his feet. I stretched my arms and pools of light streaked out, covering him. For the first time in my life, the power roared along me and I wanted to hurt him, tear his body to pieces. Energy crinkled through me and he crumbled, moaning. He was in agony burning alive. The blood rushed to my ears, descending the energy to the lowest level. I held back, remembering I was near humans.
The silence coursed, the air vibrated around me unnaturally for several long moments. I gasped for oxygen like I’d been underwater for an unnatural length of time. My chest heaved when I saw the wizard on the ground, no longer moving. I shrunk with fear, wondering if I killed him. Picking myself up, I rushed to the girl who was staring at me, immobile.
‘Hey, are you all right?’ I stammered, my throat burning.
She was a shapeshifter.
‘Is he dead?’ she whispered.
‘Don’t know. C’mon let’s get out of here,’ I said, helping her to her feet. She was slightly drunk but able to walk. I was ready to throw up when the smell of his burning flesh reached my nostrils. The guy was unconscious, maybe dead. We both approached him, he wasn’t breathing so I checked his pulse; it was faint and I exhaled with relief. I was out of line and I didn’t plan to kill him. My bottle of wine was still untouched, lying by the bins. I had no idea how it didn’t get smashed, but I picked it up, hoping to have a strong drink later on. Someone must have heard the banging noise; I wasn’t ready to be arrested for assault so we needed to get out of there fast.
When we got to my street, I kept looking behind me, wondering if we’d been followed. The girl hung on my shoulder, cursing off the captor loudly.
‘Who are you?’ she finally asked.
‘The person that just saved your butt.’
We didn’t have time to discuss anything now. We needed to get home before anyone figured out what went on in the alley. I couldn’t leave her on the street; she was still drunk and could do with a shower.
‘I’m glad that you kicked that bastard’s arse. I wish you’d killed him,’ she yelled, stumbling into my living room.
‘I’m not so sure,’ I muttered. ‘You need to report this,’ I said, passing her my mobile phone.
Now I had a chance to take a closer look at her. She looked like she’d been rolling in the mud, her clothes were soaked right through and she’d lost one of her shoes. I guessed that she had dark hair and delicate features, although I could have been wrong because she was so dirty.
‘No... no. I won’t be reporting this. I don’t need any more trouble with the police,’ she groaned, staring at me like I was the bad guy.
‘Are you crazy? That fucker nearly raped you!’
‘Thank you for your help, but I need to get going. I really don’t want to complic—’
‘Hold on. If you don’t want to report this, fine, but use the bathroom for God’s sake. You can’t go out like that,’ I insisted as she rose from the chair.
‘OK, you’re right... I’m a mess.’
I showed her to the bathroom door.
‘Here,’ I said. ‘Get yourself sorted and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
When she disappeared into the bathroom, I went to the kitchen. I felt peaceful, my energy was out of my system, and after that spectacle of power I wouldn’t have to worry about the excess magic for a few days. A couple months ago when I’d cursed Carter in Nathaniel’s office, I wanted to stop him, but then a moment ago I was ready to kill that motherfucker in the alley and didn’t feel bad at all. The burning inside my core stopped once I drank a glass of water. My body was numb; I was considering calling Dad behind the girl’s back, but I changed my mind.
I took the tray to the living room and found some clothes that would fit her. She took them, frowning, which made me laugh. I would probably cry in this situation, but she seemed perfectly fine, worrying about what she was going to wear.
At least I’d done my good deed for the day.
She emerged after a moment wearing my dress, which appeared too big for her. She was beautiful and my clothes didn’t do her justice. Her long, dark, tangled hair hung around her shoulders, her olive skin silky. She had large brown eyes that were gleaming with curiosity.
‘Are you all right?’ I asked, scanning her face, searching for any bruises or cuts.
‘I’m good, thanks. I’m sorry for freaking out earlier on. I normally handle pricks like him with a good kick up the arse.’
‘It’s okay. I couldn’t just leave you there,’ I admitted. ‘Here, have some tea. I need something stronger.’
I showed her the bottle of wine, which I managed to save after the incident in the alley.
‘Do you mind if I have a glass? I would rather skip the tea.’ She chuckled.
I laughed and fetched two glasses of wine from the kitchen. I passed her one, finally sitting down on the sofa.
‘So, let’s start with your name.’
‘Oh right, sorry, that’s just typical of me. I’m Kelsie. People normally call me Kel.’
‘Well, Kel, I’m Julia,’ I said. ‘So, what happened up there?’
She took a generous sip of the wine and scratched her head. ‘I live nearby and was going to get pissed tonight. Then this arsehole started chatting me up. I wasn’t in the mood, so I told him straight, but he was persistent. In the end the barman kicked him out. The guy followed me; I had way too much vodka so I didn’t even notice him until he grabbed me up near that garage.’
‘We were lucky. Normally I’m rubbish with magic, but I haven’t cast any spells in the past few weeks so my energy took over.’
She narrowed her eyes and her expression hardened. ‘So what are you then? A fairy?’
‘Half elf, from my father’s side.’
‘Oh right.’ She paused, watching me. ‘You’re a cracking elf. If it wasn’t for you I would be lying there probably dead.’
‘To be honest, I just lost control. I can never do anything right or cast a simple memory spell,’ I told her, sitting next to her.
/>
She started laughing, spilling her wine on my brand new carpet. ‘Rubbish, you just saved my butt so you can’t be that bad!’
‘It was just luck.’
She was silent for a moment, looking around my apartment. She had an odd scar on her left eyebrow. ‘I appreciate your help, I really do, but I need to bail.’
‘Oh, come on, stay. I’ve got a driver that could take you home.’
‘A driver? You’re kidding me, right?’ She laughed. I looked away, massaging my wrist. I didn’t want to bore Kelsie with my story about Nathaniel. She’d just gone through a really traumatic event and she was a complete stranger.
‘Nah, just an obsessed ex-boyfriend who I really want to kill, but this is not the time and place to talk about it,’ I explained, pursing my lips.
‘Ex-boyfriend. I hear that!’
I smiled. ‘My father works for the Paranormal Unit. He can be trusted... are you sure you don’t—’
‘No offence, but I hate those pricks from the police. I don’t fancy being stuck in the police station and questioned by some arsehole. I wanted to have fun tonight, but instead I got attacked. Let’s move on, I’m still here.’
‘Fine, I won’t push,’ I muttered, wondering if she got into trouble like that often. The answer was obvious.
Chapter ten
It turns out that my life isn’t as simple as I thought it would be.
‘What about you? Why did you go out so late? No judgment, but what about this bottle of wine?’
I sighed.
‘I found out today that my regional manager has vanished—no one has seen him since yesterday and I’m really worried that something must’ve happened to him,’ I explained, scratching my head. ‘Then problems with the ex-boyfriend and my human friend. After that, I decided I needed it.’
I didn’t know why, but I felt comfortable in Kel’s company. It didn’t take her long to finish the generous glass of wine.
‘Regional manager?’ she repeated.
‘Yeah, I work for Paranormal Personnel. It’s a recruitment firm for paranormals.’
‘Hmm, that’s interesting. How are you so sure that something happened to him? Maybe he just bailed because he’s had enough like everyone else in this shitty city.’
‘He doesn’t just get into trouble and bail out. He loves his job,’ I tried to explain. ‘It’s a boring subject anyway.’
She raised her eyebrow, looking around my apartment. ‘Oh, come on, you can tell me. We’ve still got that bottle of wine to finish, so you might as well talk. I changed my mind; I don’t fancy going home yet.’
I was stunned, wondering if I should talk about work with a complete stranger. After all, she saw what I could do to her if she pissed me off. I sunk into my seat and started talking about Nathaniel, our short intense relationship, and everything else. I didn’t know what came over me that evening, but I couldn’t stop talking. I was pouring my heart out, feeling that someone finally wanted to listen to what I had to say. She didn’t interrupt, looking genuinely interested. An hour later the bottle was empty and we were both tipsy.
‘Oh my God! I thought that my life was fucked up, but now I’m not so sure,’ she said, laughing.
‘Yeah, so now you kind of know why I lost control with that twat.’ I giggled. ‘What about you? What do you do?’
‘Nothing at the moment; I’m between jobs. I was a bartender in central London, but I got sacked a few weeks ago.’
‘Umm, sorry to hear that.’
‘Don’t be, I’m not,’ she said. We both laughed. A few minutes later I vanished into the bathroom; I looked in the mirror and couldn’t quite believe that I was drinking and chatting to a shifter I just saved. I brushed my teeth and when I came out Kel was already snoring loudly on my sofa. From our short conversation I found out she was alone in London; she’d arrived from Scotland a few months ago. Her parents were dead and she didn’t have any siblings. It was after one in the morning when I finally got to bed. I had a stranger in my living room and I’d nearly killed a wizard.
It turns out that my life isn’t as simple as I thought it would be.
The next day I woke with a headache. I always felt hung over after wine. It took me a moment to remember that I had a stranger in my living room. Unfortunately, Kel had vanished while I was still sleeping. The sofa was empty. I wondered why she left so early, it was only ten till ten. She hadn’t left a note with her number or even her address, and I was disappointed because I thought that we’d bonded. After a long shower I made some breakfast and got ready for work.
The day in the office rolled as usual. Kate kept asking me about Rufus, so in the end I couldn’t keep the secret and told her what had happened. I made her promise to keep this to herself as no one else was supposed to know. I called Dad, hoping to hear good news.
‘I’ve spoken to the unit in Manchester. They have evidence that Rufus came there only for a few days; he was back in London this week. His wife doesn’t believe me, she states that she spoke to him on Monday,’ Dad explained, sounding tired. ‘Last night I got a call from another department; we found Rufus’s car in a ditch along the country road. He must’ve fought because there were blood stains on the front seat.’
I could feel the colour drain from my face. ‘Oh my god,’ I whispered, thinking the worst. ‘Do you think he’s—’
Dad cut me off. ‘No, I don’t think he’s dead. Someone went to a lot of trouble to cover the evidence in his car.’
‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t think like that,’ I replied. ‘If you know more, call me, will you?’
‘Yes, I’ll keep you in the loop.’
I updated Kate; she couldn’t believe that Rufus had possibly been kidnapped. I made a strong coffee for both of us. Questions were mounting in my head; why would anyone target Rufus? He was just the regional manager—I was the one that was close to Nathaniel. The rest of the day passed in a blur.
At home I started thinking about the money the agency was making through the contract I’d won. Nathaniel was a wealthy man; he knew how to handle business. If we hadn’t met, this never would’ve happened to Rufus.
I went to work next day and my mind wasn’t there. In the end, I had to tell the main director about Rufus’s disappearance. He promised to send someone to help us deal with the crisis. As the weekend approached, I also attempted to call his wife, Elena. We’d met during parties and birthdays. A few times I nearly got connected but changed my mind and cancelled the call. I wasn’t even sure what I could tell her. A few months ago, I was the one that that was nearly taken away by a group of trolls and now her husband was gone.
After a week of no news, I called Dad again, but he confirmed Rufus had been dragged away from his car and the police suspected he was kidnapped. It was hard to not get frustrated and disappointed, especially when we didn’t know if Rufus was alive.
I had something else on my mind that had been niggling me throughout the week. Even the trip to the gym didn’t help, so, in the end, I decided to talk to Kate about what was bothering me. I hadn’t heard from Kel since she vanished from my apartment; she obviously didn’t want to stay in touch.
I asked Roberto to drop me off at work on my day off; Kate had to hear me out. I had to know if my head was still in the right place because this thought was slowly driving me insane. Sara was singing in the kitchen when I walked into the office. Kate was alone and I was surprised to not see her with any clients.
‘Julia’ she said, arching her eyebrows. ‘What are you doing here?’
Trying not to go crazy sitting and thinking about Rufus.
‘I need to talk to you. You’re finishing in ten minutes, right?’
‘Yes, is everything all right?’ she asked.
‘I want to go undercover,’ I blurted out. ‘I found out from Dad that Rufus’s car had been targeted. He suspects that someone dragged Rufus away from his car; we can assume that he was kidnapped. I’ve a terrible feeling that this might have something to do with the other age
ncy. You know, the one with this strange name.’
Kate knotted her hands together, staring at me with reservation. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to continue, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I told her what I’d been thinking about.
‘What makes you think that it’s the other agency? Rufus was just a regional manager. He couldn’t possibly—’
I cut her off. ‘Kate, the contract with Nathaniel’s company is worth millions. Our margins have never been better. La Caz Corporation made us a ton of money and people talk. Think about this; his company will grow.’
‘Hold on, are you saying what I think that you’re saying?’ she asked, leaning toward me. For the first time, I had a chance to look directly into her green eyes and noticed they were slightly brown. I licked my lips.
‘I want to go to the other agency and find out if they know anything.’ I pressed on. ‘And I want you to come with me.’
Kate’s eyes went wide. ‘What do you mean? Even if we get there, what are we going to say to them?’ she hissed, glancing toward the kitchen.
‘Well, we go there and pretend we’re looking for work. McGregor had some connections with trolls and giants,’ I explained, thinking ahead of myself. ‘This would all make sense; once whoever kidnapped Rufus got rid of Paranormal Personnel, La Caz Corporation won’t be able to manufacture any more products. His company would be in trouble. Lucinda is good, but she wouldn’t be able to deal with recruitment on that scale. Nathaniel would need to find another way to recruit. He might turn to them because he wouldn’t have a choice. Someone burned the agency, remember. Obviously they didn’t get very far in ruining us, but we struggled for the first few weeks.’
I slammed my hand on the table, getting pumped out about this theory, but Kate looked unmoved.
Paranormal Personnel Saga Box Set - Books 1-3 Page 29
