He stood and came around his desk. “I think he’s in the control room.”
His hand glided to hers easily. The fact she so readily took it warmed his heart. He didn’t care who saw. He and Maggie were an item. And now it appeared they’d have some time to be an item. At least until the next crisis arose.
They found Kirk standing in front of his workstation, hands on his hips. A pair of shapely brown legs stuck out from under his console.
“Olivia?” Irritation colored Kirk’s query.
“Keep your shirt on . . . or not.” Olivia’s light-hearted tone drifted out from under the big computer workstation bench.
One of the screens flickered off, then back on again.
“There, try that,” Olivia said.
Sighing, Kirk leaned over to his keyboard and typed in something. A line graph displayed with the line going up.
It didn’t make any sense to Paul, but Kirk seemed impressed. He straightened. “I’ll be damned. Where did you learn that?”
Olivia pulled herself out from under the desk. “Stanford. I audited a few classes there while I was a ghost.”
“You’re amazing.” Kirk’s smile and glazed look sent a warning quiver down the back of Paul’s neck. There was a lot more enthusiasm in his praise than the situation seemed to warrant.
Then again, Paul had no idea what exactly Olivia had done.
Olivia lowered her eyes, a smile gracing her lips as she blushed.
Across the room, Luke Sheffield furrowed his brow, then shifted his gaze to Paul. He tilted his head in question.
Yeah, potential problem here. Kirk’s interest was certainly in more than Olivia’s technical expertise. Come on, Kirk, I thought you were smarter than this. But it was obvious he wasn’t thinking with that incredible brain of his at the moment.
Time to intervene.
Paul strode toward them. “Kirk, Olivia, just the people I was looking for.”
Under any other circumstances, Paul wouldn’t think of stepping between two people connecting, but Olivia was a special case, and bad blood between El Brujo and Kirk wouldn’t be good for the team.
Or Kirk for that matter.
Paul held his hand out and Maggie handed him the notebook. “Maggie and I have a project we’d like you to fit in to your workload when you have some time. Not a high priority, but important.”
Olivia and Kirk nodded as Maggie added, “I need it in a digital format that can be searched, indexed, and edited. And I’d like to keep the information inside as secret as possible.”
Olivia grabbed up the notebook. She flipped it open to a random page. “Your grandmother had very precise handwriting. Good. I won’t even have to read it. Scan it, run it through a script-to-text app, bam, done. But you’ll still want to compare the original to the copy, in case the scanner didn’t quite interpret the phrase properly.”
Maggie smiled. “That would be great. Um, there might be some Irish in there as well. Would that screw things up?”
Olivia cocked her head in thought, then answered, “Not an issue.”
And it would also keep Olivia busy until Paul could find a convenient time to pull Kirk aside and talk to him.
Poor guy. Kirk didn’t get out much. It was nice to see him interested in something other than technology. Any other single woman in the facility wouldn’t be a problem.
Well, except for Maggie.
~ ~ ~
Warmth infused Morgause’s heart as she watched Dove feeding little Emily. Mother and child were both doing fine. Still, Morgause gave Dove a burst of healing energy every morning to be on the safe side. And it was a good excuse to stop by and see the baby.
With determination, Emily pulled back from Dove’s breast and wailed.
“Well, she certainly eats like her father. I’m dry,” Dove said, snatching up the bottle of formula from the nightstand by the bed. “She always seems to want more than I can provide.”
“Your body’s still recovering.” Mary Cullen scrambled around the hospital bed, checking and adjusting equipment. “And you need to eat more.”
“I know.” Dove sighed as Emily continued to fuss. “I just haven’t felt up to it. I’m still so weak and my stomach is upset.”
Huffing, Dr. Logan scanned her data tablet. “Comes from almost dying on me.”
Morgause jumped to Dove’s defense. “That wasn’t her fault.”
Dr. Logan raised her eyes, leveling her gaze at Morgause. “And you, missy . . .”
Yeah, touchy subject. Time to change the dialogue.
“Can I?” Morgause held out her hands hopefully toward Dove. Snuggling and feeding a newborn was one of those rare, wonderful occasions she truly enjoyed.
Dove handed Emily off. “With pleasure. I have a feeling this one is going to live up to her last name.
Emily Wylde found the nipple of the bottle and sucked fiercely. The child was strong, healthy, and super-powered. She’d already displayed her father’s healing abilities while still in the womb and it was anyone’s guess what she’d inherit from her mother. They hadn’t had time to fully test the extent of Quantum’s powers before she got pregnant.
Morgause breathed in that unique scent of newborn. “Still has that new baby smell.” Something about it always woke maternal desires. That was probably the Morrigan essence inside her pressing her to reproduce. And yes, one day she wanted one of these of her own.
Someday.
When Emily finally finished and was thoroughly burped, the babe fell fast asleep. Morgause could have sat and cradled her for hours, but duty called. She was, after all, supposed to be training with Mary today.
Mary placed a hand on Morgause’s shoulder. “Now that you’re done, we’re supposed to go see Carlos. He’s working with Morgan today in his quarters and sent word he wanted to see both of us.”
What could El Brujo want with them?
She surrendered Emily to Dove and followed Mary from the room.
Outside the doorway they were joined by Jimmy, Mary’s wolf companion.
Less than a year ago, Jimmy had been a pup, the runt of his litter. Maggie remembered playing with him, throwing a ball for him to fetch while helping nurse him through an illness. Now he was huge. Quite a bit larger than any wolf she’d had ever seen. Unlike Piotr, Jimmy couldn’t talk, but Mary had formed some kind of connection with him, and could understand his every yip and howl.
“Hi, Jimmy.” Morgause scratched him between the ears and the wolf nuzzled her stomach. Despite his size, he was still a pup at heart.
The wolf sniffed, then let loose a little rumble in his throat.
“He says you smell good today,” Mary translated. “Though coming from him, I’m not sure that’s a complement. He thinks butts smell good.”
Morgause chuckled.
Jimmy fell into place between her and Mary as they traversed the hallways toward El Brujo’s apartment.
~ ~ ~
“Look with eyes that see,” El Brujo told Morgan.
She switched her vision as he’d taught her. Auras were becoming more pronounced around every living creature she viewed. Colors became crisper and more differentiated. Blue wasn’t simply blue. It was azure, aquamarine, navy, royal. Each held their own significance.
El Brujo had lots of cerulean in his aura this morning. He was probing, analytical, experimental. Something on his mind?
He’d been open and instructive so far, giving Morgan so much new information on the workings of magic and its relation to the world. She could ask what was on his mind and he’d surely tell her. But she was learning, in most cases, it was better to wait and let the experiences flow naturally to her.
Her impression of El Brujo’s brooding, serious demeanor had come from friends in Pike’s Rangers, who’d been the focus
of his ire after they’d lavished too much attention on Olivia. In that one aspect, Carlos was unwavering. He protected his sister fervently.
But on any other subject she found him affable, even humorous at times, though his humor tended to be a bit dry.
Knocking drew her attention to the front door.
“Enter, lovely ladies,” El Brujo said.
Olivia snorted. She was perched on the couch, her nose in an ancient-looking tome. “Sure, you can flirt.” Her tone was more teasing than petulant.
The door opened. Mary Cullen and Jimmy entered, followed by Morgause.
Morgan chuckled. “If I’d known I was coming I’d have baked me a cake.”
Any idea what this is about? Morgan sent her sister.
Not a clue.
Carlos spread his arms. “Welcome Mary and Jimmy. Are we ready for this?”
Jimmy yipped.
Mary snorted. “He said yes. Me? I’m not so sure. But, yeah, let’s do this.”
Okay, too much suspense. “Care to fill me in?” Morgan asked.
“A while back, Mary and Jimmy were subjected to some arcane feedback which caused a merging of their bodies into a composite creature,” Carlos began. “I was able to separate them once the situation stabilized. Now, I want to see if we can safely recreate that situation.”
It was during an attack on the old Xi Force headquarters. A demon cast an arcane bolt at Jimmy, and Mary used her body to block the spell. The magic pushed the wolf cub into her, melding their forms into a single entity. Maggie hadn’t been there, but she’d seen the resulting creature after the fact. Kind of werewolfy.
“I was quite strong and agile. I remember that,” Mary said. “I should say we. Jimmy was definitely present inside with me. Weird but not horrible. I don’t know that we would possess a Xi Force level superpower, but if I could figure out how to meld together at will, Jimmy and I could at least augment our forces. That alien invasion got us all thinking of how to beef up the team.”
Olivia chuckled. “You’d be like Wylde Junior, or maybe Kid Wylde.”
Carlos narrowed his eyes at her. “Hardly a kid.”
Shrugging, Olivia never lifted her eyes from the book in her lap. “Wylde, two, the sequel?”
Mary laughed. “I’m not looking for a superhero name or costume yet, but I’ll take those names under advisement.”
“I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time with your other two aspects,” Carlos said to Morgan. “That’s why I asked Mary to bring Morgause with her. The way you meld from one to three is similar to the process of Mary and Jimmy joining together.
“But we can’t join together without Morgana,” Morgause told him.
He nodded. “I don’t need you to join. I simply want to study the connections you two have when you’re separated.
Morgan concentrated her inner sight on Morgause and noted the green tendrils of mystic energy flowing between their two auras.
Just testing something, she sent to Morgause, and noted how one of the connecting fibers wavered as she mind-whispered.
Carlos looked up. “You just sent a communication to her, didn’t you?”
Yeah, the man was good.
Next he began circling Mary and Jimmy, his eyes locked on the space between them. Then he stopped. “Morgan, come here. Look at this.”
Empty air for those who could not see, but Morgan instantly saw the connecting threads of mystic energy, similar to the ones she’d seen between Morgause and herself, but these were Amber and shades of gray mixed with a rich russet. Natural wolf colors, she’d seen the same in the auras of Wylde and his wolf pack. But mixed in, hidden mostly by the gray, a thin silvery thread glistened.
Morgan pointed to it. “This one?”
Carlos nodded.
“What?” Mary said, but Jimmy yipped. “No, I don’t see a silver line. What are you talking about?” she asked the wolf.
He yipped again.
Carlos knelt beside Jimmy, running a hand from his head down his back. “Jimmy, can you pull on that silver thread?”
The wolf cocked his head, a low rumble issued from his throat.
Jimmy bit at the thread.
“No,” Carlos said. “With your mind. With your thoughts.
Could the wolf even grasp that concept?
Jimmy was smart for a wolf, but he was still a wolf. The threads of energy undulated, both Mary’s and Jimmy’s auras expanded and merged.
In a blinding flash, both disappeared and in the airspace between them, a hairy, tawny colored creature stood, dressed in the same clothing Mary had been wearing.
“Wolf Girl.” Olivia had finally lifted her eyes from her book. “Wolf Woman?”
“We’re both in here,” the creature said, its voice a low pitched, gruff growl.
“Oh, that voice,” Olivia chided. “You’ve got to say ‘I’m Batman’ for me. Just once.”
The creature shrugged. “I’m Batman.”
The low, growly tone resonated in the chamber as everyone exploded into laughter.
Chapter 23
Morgana faced off against Paul once again. She’d held back using her strength as much as possible, trying to use the techniques he was teaching rather than her natural, raw power. Throws, blocks, punches, she’d had no idea he was such a wealth of lethal combat knowledge.
“Obi-Wan has taught you well,” she told him as he blocked the punch he’d recently taught her how to throw.
He chuckled as he hopped back to avoid her counterattack. “Yoda, actually.”
Jason Pike, the late leader of Pike’s Rangers, had been nicknamed Yoda. The man had been a true master of every martial art and an excellent instructor.
“Now, concentrate on my face,” he added.
Not a difficult task. His handsome features displayed his intense concentration.
Morgana grinned. “You’re cute when you try to look fierce.”
Taunting was yesterday’s lesson. She whipped around, aiming a roundhouse kick at his chin. If she did manage to connect, she’d hate herself, but this was part of the lesson he was teaching her.
Of course, he ducked under it. “So, you do occasionally listen to me.”
He punched and she dodged right.
“Eyes will often give you some hints to your opponent’s next moves,” he said. “If you can see them, that is.”
Which explained Phaze’s new upgrade to all of Xi Force’s costumes. “Was the mirrored lenses in our goggles and eye protection your idea?”
Morgana had thought it was simply to make them all look cooler.
Morgan wasn’t a fan, and usually removed her goggles as soon as they shifted. Said it interfered with some kind of special sight El Brujo was teaching her.
El Brujo didn’t wear any head gear at all, and usually didn’t bother to put on the caped costume Phaze had designed for him, but he sure knew how to dress. The man could have been a GQ model. For communications he simply clipped on an earpiece.
As Morgana learned the intricacies of close, hand-to-hand combat, she appreciated the eye shields and a lot of the other protections Phaze had designed into her costume. With his magic, she supposed El Brujo didn’t need any.
“Ugh.” Paul stumbled into a vulnerable position, one he’d taught her to notice a few days ago. Was he testing her, or had he screwed up?
No, he never screwed up.
And this was one test she was going to pass.
She grabbed at his wrist, shifted her weight and spun, pulling him up and to the side before tumbling him to the ground. She ended up sitting on his stomach, fist up ready to punch his lights out. “Give.”
“Nicely done. I surrender.” His smile broadened.
She grabbed his other wrist and trapped h
is hands against the ground over his head. “Now that I have you in my evil clutches, perhaps I will have my way with you.”
She slid her pelvis, rubbing against his crotch.
Paul narrowed his eyes as his body reacted. “You are not playing fair.”
“No one fights fair.” She echoed the statement he’d made not a half hour ago. “Or, to coin a different phrase, all’s fair—”
An electrical click issued from under his shirt. He kicked out and pushed up, lifting Morgana off him. Yeah, he was a strong man, but not this strong.
“How are you doin’ this?” Morgana had been holding back on her super strength, now she poured it on, forcing him to the floor. Still, he fought her every inch of the way.
He hadn’t been able to do that before.
Pinned to the floor once again, he chuckled. “I give. Let me up.”
She rose and offered him a hand.
He was no more than on his feet before he began unbuttoning his shirt.
She cocked her head. “Shouldn’t we take this somewhere a bit more private?”
They were, after all, in the Xi Force training gym. Anyone could walk in on them.
“Not what you’re thinking,” he said. “Though I like where your mind is going.”
The light glinted off something silvery under his shirt as the buttons came undone.
“What is that?”
The close fitting, metallic garment molded to Paul’s muscles. A long-sleeved T-shirt that looked to be made of aluminum foil.
“An armored exoskeleton Mary Cullen has been developing for Pike’s Rangers. Bulletproof, strength-enhancing, and completely non-encumbering. She wanted me to test it before rolling it out. I think it passed.”
Mary was more than just a skilled medical doctor. She’d developed the titanium sub-skin on Z-Bot and Shade.
Even though they had the best equipment the military could provide, Pike’s Rangers had suffered many losses in the line of duty. It was nice to know Paul and his men would be going into future combat situations with better protection.
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