by Fatima Fayez
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I must have twitched, because a small smile appeared on his face.
"Yes, we've been suspicious of your activities for some time, we just never had actual proof. So, we assigned an agent to get close to you."
I frowned.
"That doesn't make you happy, does it?" Leon looked smug. The expression on his face definitely had a feline touch to it. His smile widened, and he reminded me of the Cheshire Cat. "From what I hear, he got a little closer than he should have, but he's always operated outside the system."
Leon was wrong. I had compartmentalized my emotions. The knowledge that Rafael slept with me because it was his job didn't upset me. That wasn't what had surprised me. I wanted to know how they’d found me in the first place, and when they had started their surveillance. How much did they know about my life?
My system had failed somewhere along the way. There were only two answers: either I had been sloppy on a job, or someone had given me up. I’d thought my network was solid, but I knew that Ibrahim had already shared information with the dragon shifter, Diego. Had he fed information to the Alliance as well? Or had it been Mateu? Both the vampire or the gargoyle's betrayal would hurt more than the fact that Rafael's attentions had ulterior motives.
Leon went on. "We usually discipline agents that blur the boundaries between work and personal life, but he found evidence of your identity at your home. You're going to go away for a long time."
My face flushed at my stupidity. I had given myself away. I hadn't had time to put away my things after my job due to Noor's insistence that we leave immediately. And when I brought Rafael home, we had been too engrossed in each other for me to clear out my room. I had been irresponsible enough to leave him alone in my room when I could have distracted him. Or I could have cleaned up while he slept. Noor was right — I was crazy for leaving him in my bed.
"Is there anything you'd like to say before we lock you away forever?" Leon asked, that smug smile still on his lips. "No proclamations of innocence? Statements that you've been wronged? Claims that it was self-defense?"
I removed my hands from beneath Rafael's jacket. Leon stiffened, and his eyes were wide as they followed my movements. I rubbed my wrists. The blood had dried, and flakes of it fell onto the table.
Spells didn't work on magicked cuffs, but a bobby pin worked just fine. I had unlocked them before Leon had even entered the room. The jacket covered my movements perfectly. There was a reason I always kept bobby pins in my hair.
I folded Rafael's jacket and put it on the corner of the table. He was going to have to throw it away or burn it, because I doubted there was any way to get the stains out of that jacket. A shame — it was a really nice one.
Leon's golden gaze never left me. I set my elbows on the table, held my hands together, and twiddled my thumbs.
He stared at my bloody hands and lifted his eyes to my face.
"I'm sure we can come to a compromise." I gave him a wide smile.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I heard the door's lock click before I saw it open. Leon's eyes never left mine. Smart cat. He knew where the threat was.
I glanced at the person who entered: Rafael. Leon gave a small shake of his head. The door closed, and Rafael leaned against it. No exit that way. I winked at him. He smirked and looked down, trying to compose himself, but to no avail.
"You're going to have to burn that jacket," I told him. “It stinks of vampire.”
"A shame. It was my favorite," Rafael said drily.
"I'll buy you a new one once I'm out of here."
"We've reached the stage where you start to dress me?"
I arched an eyebrow. I had already undressed him. A crooked grin spread across his face. The fae had the same twisted sense of humor that I did.
"Are you done flirting?" Leon said, a growl underscoring his words.
Rafael blinked. He seemed to remember where we were. The smile disappeared from his face as he put on a professional expression.
My gaze turned to Leon. "I'm not interested in being locked up."
The feline studied me. "You're a criminal."
I shrugged. “So are many other people.”
"You've killed people," he told me.
"I'm sure you have, too."
"I don't do it for money."
"You work here for free?" I tilted my head, surprised.
Rafael coughed. Leon's face grew dark.
"Like I said, I'm sure we can come to a compromise. Make me an offer." I clasped my hands together.
Leon remained quiet for a few seconds. I kept still. I needed the shifter to be in a good mood to ensure I got a good deal. I wondered what their plan for me had been. There was no way that they’d surveilled me as much as they had just so they could lock me away. I had knowledge they wanted — I just didn't know what it was. And I needed Leon to show me his cards.
With begrudging reluctance, Leon said, "Indeed, there's always room for compromise. You have skills we need. Would you consider working for us?"
"With," I corrected him.
"Working with us," Leon amended.
I leaned back in my chair. "Draw up the contract. And bring some water for me to clean my hands. I hate the smell of dried blood."
His golden eyes still trained on me, Leon raised his hand, and Rafael left the room. I didn't move and stared back at the shifter. He lowered his hand, and we waited.
We seemed to be in the middle of a blinking game. I tried to outlast him, but within a minute the door opened and I blinked. A different person stepped inside the room. He didn't say anything as he walked over and handed Leon several sheets of paper and a pen. I narrowed my eyes. They had been prepared to bring me in and strike a deal. The man left the room.
Leon pushed the papers toward me, but he kept the pen. Smart man.
I started scanning the first page, making sure not to touch it with my bloody hands. I looked up from the document. "This contract says five years. I'll commit myself to two."
"Thirty-two bodies," Leon warned.
"Two years." I wondered how many years they would add if they knew the real number of bodies.
"Thirty-three with the vampire."
"Two years," I repeated.
"You'll be locked away for a very long time," Leon growled. "You'll never see the sky again."
"You need me." Leon had given himself away by continuing to negotiate with me. I didn't know why they wanted me to work for them, but I wasn't going to sign a long contract when I knew I could swing it in my favor. "Two years or just go ahead and send me to jail. I could use the vacation." I allowed myself a smile, but it never reached my eyes.
Rafael stepped back into the room holding a water bottle and a box of tissues. Leon shot Rafael an incredulous look, but he just shrugged in return.
I wasn't angry at him, but I didn’t know why. Even though my body was so focused on Rafael in the beginning, I think I had sensed something was off early on. It was like my gut had known before my brain did. It made reconciling his betrayal easier to stomach.
"I'll go work on the contract." Leon stood and left us alone in the room.
Rafael came forward and put the box of tissues on the table. He took out a few, removed the cap from the water bottle, and poured some water over the tissues in his hand. He bent down on one knee, took my left hand in his, and started wiping the blood from it. It was a strangely intimate gesture.
I watched him clear the blood from my hand. "You know you're taking a risk being in this room with my hands free. You didn't even frisk me for weapons," I said. The wards had only revealed what was over my clothes, not under them.
He met my eyes and raised an eyebrow. "You want me to frisk you? In here? With people watching behind that mirror?" he asked me in a low voice. He chuckled lightly and looked back down to the task. His fingers stroked the top of my hand, his implication clear. The heat rushed to my face. Even with his lowered head, I could see his crooked smile.
&nb
sp; Rafael leaned forward and focused on scraping the blood from under my nails. I looked down at his head. We were both aware that he was putting himself at my mercy. I could twist his neck so easily with him being in such a vulnerable position. I knew the door to the interrogation room was unlocked because I hadn't heard a key twist. I had no idea how many agents were stationed outside the room, but I would have to make it across the floor to reach the elevators. I had thought of this all while I waited the first twenty minutes. I didn't know if Rafael was simply an experienced agent and confident in his abilities to subdue me, or if he actually trusted me not to kill him. Inexplicably, it made me feel better.
"This is weird," I finally said as he continued to clean my hands. He had moved onto my right hand.
"That's life. You just have to roll with the arrests."
"Funny."
He shrugged. "My offer still stands."
"What offer?"
He paused. His moss-green eyes met mine once more. The intensity of his stare made my breath catch in my throat. "You have my card. Call me."
I couldn't believe he was still interested in pursuing me. Maybe not a relationship, but he wanted something. Crazier yet was that I was considering it, too.
The only thought in my head was that Noor was going to freak out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Leon came back into the interrogation room and left the door open behind him. I noticed immediately that he didn't have any papers in his hands. I kept my expression neutral.
The shifter gave me a wry smile. "They're still working on adjusting the terms of your contract. In the meantime, we'd like it if you could give us a display."
I rolled my shoulders and repressed a sigh. "What did you have in mind?"
"Your skills against some of the Alliance's best."
A side glance at Rafael showed he wasn’t surprised by this development. I got to my feet. "Let's go."
Leon's smile widened. Rafael stood up. Leon turned around and moved out of the room. I followed him with Rafael trailing behind me.
I didn't notice anyone as I walked across the floor. The same people that had been there when I showed up appeared to be working in their cubicles. Was it possible that the Alliance didn't think I was worth any extra security? I frowned. No, they were just so confident that they could capture me easily that they didn't need to place extra layers of protection on my person.
We reached the elevators and waited for the doors to open. We stepped in, and Leon hit the button for the top floor. The doors opened, and Leon waited for me to exit before stepping out after me. I looked around. It was an open space with hardwood floors. It reminded me of a gymnasium. There were bleachers along opposite walls, and I counted about two dozen people sitting on them. I frowned.
Leon walked to the center of the room. I followed. My gaze shifted from one person to the next, but I could feel Rafael at my elbow. Leon turned around to face me. "We thought you were a man at first, you know. It was Rafael that reminded us that women can be killers, too."
I glanced at Rafael, and he gave me a rueful shrug.
Leon continued, "The room here is free of magic dispellers. You'll be able to use whatever spells you have in your arsenal. We want to see what we'll get for those two years."
"I don't usually use magic when I fight."
Leon shrugged. "Do whatever it is you do. I'm just letting you know it will be a fair fight."
"Who will I be fighting?"
Leon pointed at the people in the bleachers. "As many of them as you can take."
Rafael looked thoughtful. "Do you need anything?"
"Yes."
He and Leon waited expectantly.
"I need to stretch."
They exchanged glances and walked away to the bleachers, leaving me standing alone in the center of the room. I rolled my shoulders. This hadn't been what I was expecting, but it certainly was going to be interesting. I wondered how I would fare against the Alliance's best. I was glad I had worn my black leggings and a cropped top to go to the lounge — pretty much the same outfit I wore when working out, so movement would be easy. I started with a series of jumping jacks to get my heart rate up, then proceeded with my training exercises.
I withdrew my daggers from their sheaths and my hands whirled in a sequence of attack and counterattack moves. My muscles warmed up as I repeated the moves over and over. By the time I was done, sweat was dripping down my face. I stretched my muscles and turned to the bleachers. A couple of them stared wide-eyed. A sharp sense of satisfaction flowed through me. If they were impressed by my warm-up, then I was eager to see how they'd react to the main show.
Rafael came to me and handed me a towel and small bottle of water. I wet my lips with it, allowing a small trickle down my throat. He didn't speak after I handed him back the towel. He turned and walked away.
Leon raised his hand and at his gesture, a man got to his feet. He was a tall, bulky fellow. Striding powerfully, he made his way toward me. He raised his head slightly once he reached me. Shifter. From his hulking frame, I guessed he was a bear shifter.
"I'm Aisha."
His deep-set eyes just looked at me.
I shrugged. "You don't like small talk, huh? That's alright. It might make it awkward afterward when I wipe the floor with you."
A growl started from the back of his throat. "Just fight."
I raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting on you to make a move, buddy. Or did you want me to just knock you to the ground and get it over with?"
He snarled and rushed at me. Aside from his increased speed, his size and long strides allowed him to close the distance between us in a second. I let him get within grabbing distance and then stepped to the side. He ran past me and braked to a stop. He turned to me, confused. I smiled. His face turned dark in anger. He raised an arm and ran back to me. I waited again until he was close enough, but before his fingers could reach me I ducked and punched him in the stomach. He let out a howl of pain. Bear stomachs were sensitive, and they especially didn't like to be punched there. Not that other shifters did, but I'd noticed bears hated it more than others.
Razor-sharp claws appeared at the ends of his fingertips as he partially shifted. I narrowed my eyes. My fingernails were no match against his claws, but my daggers were. I reached behind me and unsheathed both of my trusty daggers. I waited in place for him to make the first move. He studied me and lumbered toward me, slashing at me when he got close enough. I twisted, narrowly dodging his giant paws, and plunged my dagger at him. He turned at the last second, avoiding my blow. He countered with the other claw. I blocked him with a dagger. He pushed against me, and I yielded. I might have more strength than the average witch, but I wasn't a fool to think I was a match against a bear shifter.
We separated, and I bounced on my toes, watching for weaknesses. We parried back and forth for a bit. I noticed he seemed to be more defensive of his stomach after I'd punched him. I aimed my dagger toward him with my right hand, and he blocked me with two claws. I used my left hand to drive my dagger into his stomach. He let out a howl of rage and pain. I danced back before he could shred me. I twisted around him and stabbed him in his sides, and he threw his head back. I jumped on his back and wrapped my arm around his neck, my dagger at his throat. "Yield."
He tried to shake me off, bending over to flip me over. I allowed myself to flip over, landing on my feet and sliding under his defense to jump up and hold my dagger at his throat again. "Yield."
His claws rushed at me. I could have stopped him with an incantation, but I refused to use magic. I would show him this half-witch was more skilled at fighting than he was. I didn't need my magic to win. I would show everybody.
His eyes were molten fury.
"Yield," I said one last time.
"I yield," he finally said.
I sheathed my daggers and offered him my hand. To my surprise, he actually shook it after shifting back to a human hand. I turned to the bleachers and surveyed the crowd. "Who's next?"
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br /> Chapter Twenty-Seven
I had to fight over a dozen supernaturals before Leon stepped in and said he was satisfied. I had just beaten a witch when he interrupted. Her combat spells didn't make it past my defensive hexes, and I defeated her physically. I hadn't used magic in any of my battles, but when I’d offered the witch my hand to shake, she cursed at me and walked away. I raised an eyebrow. And people wondered why I didn't get along with fellow witches.
Leon and Rafael walked over to me. I pushed my hair out of my face. I rearranged the bobby pins so that they held back my hair.
"That was impressive," Leon said. He surveyed my sweat-drenched body.
I looked down. My crop top clung to my body and was translucent. Good thing I had worn a nice bra. Rafael's eyes sparkled at me despite his neutral expression.
Leon handed me the revised contract and a pen. Someone must have delivered it to him at some point during my fights.
I skimmed through it. I went to the bleachers and started making changes. I struck through some items and added a few of my own amendments.
"What are you doing?" Leon asked.
I looked up at him. "You don't expect me to sign the first contract you hand me, do you?"
His expression was stunned. He blinked. "You do realize that we are offering you a chance not to be locked up, right? And this is the second contract. We amended the first."
"I'm offering you my services." I shrugged and returned to correcting the terms of the contract.
I could practically feel the cat trembling to pounce on me. I bit my lip to avoid smiling. Working for the Alliance might turn out to be fun after all.
It took time to go through the contract. While we had agreed on the general term of two years, there were plenty of smaller details to negotiate. I wanted full immunity from any and all crimes I had committed prior to my arrest, but Leon didn't want to give me a blanket pardon without me listing those crimes. This was just one of the things that had caused negotiations to come to a standstill, but Rafael managed to keep us moving. He had a talent for getting people to do what he wanted. I understood why they had assigned him to get close to me — his charm was irresistible for everyone.
