“I have all this strength now. This power. But I don’t know how to use it. Stryden used my soul to do…terrible things.”
Heart breaking, Celia rushed to Krista’s side to comfort her. “Oh sweetie, that wasn’t your fault.”
“I know.” The other woman waved her away. “But it happened all the same. He used my soul for evil and now that he’s dead, I have his strength. I want to use it to do some good. I want to help others. I want to be an Enforcer.”
The declaration fell like a heavy weight in the room.
Damien recovered before Celia. “Have you spoken with Racine or your sister about this?”
“Yes.” Krista grimaced. “And they both think it’s too dangerous. They want me to give it more time, wait a while. I waited in a damn coma for ten years. I’m tired of doing nothing. I have the power; I have the drive. I just need the training. Please, Damien.”
He glanced at Celia. Her heart broke for the young woman. She knew all too well, what it felt like to have power, but lack the knowledge to use it. When she hit puberty, her powers came to her, but she had no idea how to wield them. Her grandmother punished her if she caught Celia doing magic so she stopped trying. She had no one to train her until after she left Gran and arrived at college. If she had known how to use her powers at a younger age, maybe she could have escaped her torture earlier.
“What about your father?” she asked. “From what your sister tells me, he is a bit overprotective.”
Krista rolled her eyes. “That’s putting it mildly. I had to spend days convincing him to let me go on this trip with Tabitha and Kiernan. He thinks I’m up here looking at colleges. He’s still having a hard time adjusting to supernatural beings existing, but I told him I might move out here for a year and he’s cool with it.”
“Really?” She raised a skeptical brow.
“Okay, he’s not that cool with it, but he agreed to let me go because he’s starting another company on the west coast. The home base is about an hour away and since he will be out here a lot to set it up and get it running smoothly, he figures he can check in on me frequently enough.”
“Check in on you at college?”
Youthful cheeks blushed sheepishly. “Yeah well, I couldn’t very well tell him his little girl is superwoman and wants to train to kick evil’s ass. If I tell him about it, it will give him a heart attack.”
Mortals found it hard to understand the supernatural world and its powers. One of the many reasons why supernaturals stayed hidden.
“I told him about where I wanted to study. I said it focused on a career in Human Services.”
Damien chuckled.
“Well, the point of an Enforcer is to protect humans. You offer a service of protection so technically I didn’t lie.”
Celia had to hide her smile. Krista was a wily one.
“I’ll take your request into consideration, Krista,” Damien said.
Krista gave another one of her dazzling smiles. Amazing how the girl could be so cheerful after all she’d been through.
“Thanks, Damien. I promise I’ll be the best Enforcer trainee ever!”
“I haven’t said yes.”
“But you haven’t said no either.” She gave them both a quick hug and headed for the door. “I’ll let you two get back to your discussion.” With a wink, the young woman bounced out the door.
“That was very kind of you,” Celia said after Krista left. “For the record, I think she’d make a great Enforcer.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “She has the supernatural strength to fight and more importantly the drive.”
He smiled. “I agree, but I have to discuss it with Racine and the other council heads first.”
She understood. Krista was an entirely new species. Surely, the other heads would want to know of the young woman’s progress and her powers. Which, since Celia could do nothing with the spell for another two weeks, gave her time to study Krista.
“You want to study her, don’t you?”
She glanced at Damien from the corner of her eye. “Why do you say that?”
He chuckled. “You have that look in your eyes. The one that screams curiosity. Like someone just placed an impossible puzzle in front of you and you’re dying to solve it.”
She pursed her lips. How did he know what her looks meant? They had only known each other a short while.
“We may not have known each other long.” He stepped closer to her. His hot breath teased her lips, sending chills over her body. “But I’m starting to figure you out.”
What was he, a mind reader now, too?
“I just want to help Krista, that’s all.”
One white brow arched.
“Fine,” she admitted. “I also want to study her, to see what abilities she gained. If Drones retain supernatural powers once they wake, we have an entire new species of supernaturals on our hands. The council heads will want to know. Am I right, council head?”
“Yes, you are right. Which is why I plan to speak to the other heads immediately about her training, and in the meantime, while we wait for the full moon, you can do a full work up on her.”
“As long as she agrees.” Celia liked the young girl. She didn’t want to treat her like some sort of science experiment. No matter how important discovering Krista’s abilities, Celia wouldn’t lift so much as a stethoscope without the girl’s approval.
Damien inclined his head. “Of course, but I’m sure you’ll have no trouble convincing the young lady. Krista seems rather…spirited.”
A polite way to describe the girl’s boundless enthusiasm and energy.
“I’ll finish preparing everything for the spell then go and talk to Krista.” And Tabitha. Celia was sure big sister would want to be involved in the conversation.
Damien stared down at her. Smoky gray eyes shined bright with heat. She took a sharp breath, every nerve ending in her body suddenly tight and aching. Just from a look. The Daemon had serious mojo and he sucked her right in.
“As much as I’d love to get back to our, what was it Krista called it?” He reached out, trailing his fingertip across her lips. “Oh yes, discussion. Regretfully, I have some things to do.”
Her stomach sank with disappointment. How odd. For once in her life, Celia wanted something more than study and spells. She wanted the touch of another. No, not another. Damien’s touch. Her body yearned to feels his. After so many years of circumventing others’ physical interaction, it was a strange realization.
“I’ll see you at dinner.” He smiled, leaning in closer. Her body gravitated toward him of its own volition. “And don’t forget to eat lunch.”
What? Lunch? What was he saying? Why was he talking about food when the only sustenance she craved was inches away from her mouth?
He smiled as if he knew her thoughts. His hand came around her waist, tugging until she was flush against him.
“And just to tide you over ’til then, here’s a little preview of dessert.”
He bent his head, brushing his lips over hers in a too-soft, too-quick kiss that set her body aflame. Then he slipped from her grasp, leaving the office and shutting the door behind him.
She was in so much trouble.
Clearly, Damien was experienced in the bedroom. Celia had never done anything in her bedroom except sleep. Well, and study. She studied a lot in her bedroom, but always educational pursuits, never…sexual. Her hands trembled. Last night, he had been the only one taking action. What would happen if she and Damien got together and she had to…participate more? She didn’t want to disappoint him with her lack of experience.
Her gaze wandered to the pile of books and charts lying across her desk.
What did she always do when she didn’t know the answer to something? She studied and researched ’til she found the answer. Two weeks before the spell had to be ready and Krista would stay for the next few days at least. She had a little time to devote to more carnal pursuits of knowledge.
Clearing a space on her messy de
sk, she pulled out a fresh notepad and pen. She doubted, very much, any books existed pertaining to her new pet project in Damien’s library and she surely would not ask him. A good thing she lived in the age of the internet. Clicking on a new browser tab, she typed in the words how to make love.
“Oh dear gods!” Her glasses slid down her nose and her eyes almost popped out of her head.
The entire first page of search results came back with nothing but porn sites. This was going to be harder than she thought. Well, she didn’t earn all those degrees by taking the easy way out. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she took a deep breath and delved into her research.
Today promised to be a long day.
Her mouth dropped open as a picture of a man’s erect genitalia flashed across her screen.
Wow, very long indeed.
Chapter 11
Four hours later, Celia felt as if she could no longer blush. Her embarrassment started to wane after hour two. She found it absolutely astounding the things people did. Kinks and fetishes of all kinds dominated her search feed. All she wanted was a little information on fitting part A into slot B. It shouldn’t be this complicated to find information on the basics of sex.
Yet page after page of websites filled her computer screen. Each more outrageous than the next. One link brought her to a site that promised to teach a woman how to bring a man to orgasm using only their pinky and an orifice Celia would rather not venture into. Another link led her to a site on BDSM. It contained articles like The Best Whips to use for Maximum Pain without Injury.
What consenting adults did in their private time was no business of hers, but she never imagined getting pleasure from pain. She rubbed the scar on her chest. Pain didn’t make her feel alive, or excited. It brought up bad memories and the reality that even the ones supposed to love her could hurt her most.
“Hey, Celia. How’s it going?”
She jumped, startled by the voice in her office. Looking up, she saw Krista standing in her doorway. Slamming her laptop closed, she felt the heat rise on her cheeks.
Guess I can still blush. The thought settled in her brain as her heartbeat returned to normal.
“Sorry.” The young woman winced. “Did I interrupt something important?”
“No, you’re always welcome, Krista. You know that.” A true statement. Celia had developed quite a fondness for the sweet girl. Celia knew what it was like to have someone hold complete control over her—they had that in common.
“I was just doing some…research. For an unrelated study.”
A study? Oh good grief, even she didn’t believe that.
“Mmmm, hmmmm.” Krista raised one brow.
“So what can I do for you?”
The perky blonde smiled, holding up her hands. Then she noticed the young woman had a glass of milk and a plate piled high with chips and a sandwich.
“Damien gave orders to bring lunch to you or, and I quote, ‘the stubborn, sexy woman will forget again and pass out from malnutrition.’ ”
Celia wasn’t sure how she felt about being called stubborn, but had Damien really called her sexy? In front of others? Embarrassment and excitement warred inside her. He thought she was sexy?
Krista gave her a knowing grin. Coming farther into the room, she set the glass and plate in front of Celia.
“I knocked, but you must have been too busy researching to hear me.”
A warm flush washed over her from head to toe. Why was she so embarrassed? The other woman had no way of knowing what she had been up to. Or so she thought until Krista giggled and pointed to the window behind her desk.
“That glass is pretty reflective. I didn’t know you were into pony play, Celia.”
Mortification heated her face until she thought she would implode. Oh gods! Krista had seen her screen. She wasn’t into pony play. In fact, she had no idea what it even was. She thought it odd something about horses popped up in her search results. She only clicked on it to see the contents of the article. She still couldn’t believe some people actually liked dressing up as horses for foreplay.
She wondered how the shifters felt about stuff like that.
“I’m not! And how do you know about these kinds of things?”
Krista rolled her eyes. “I was in a coma with partial awareness for ten years. They left the TV in the hospital on a lot. I saw some crime show episode about it.”
“Well, I had no idea what it was. I accidently clicked on it.”
“What the heck were you searching for?”
She covered her face, a groan escaping. She couldn’t tell this sweet twenty-one-year-old girl she had been looking for sexual pointers from the internet. If she were a better Witch, she would cast a fog spell and sneak away. She had always been terrible at fog spells. Fire was more her thing.
“Is Damien into kink? Is that why you’re looking up sex stuff?”
Parting her fingers, she shook her head. “I have no idea what he’s into; that’s the problem.”
“But you’d like to know?”
She sighed. Was she really going to have this conversation with Krista? Celia was only a few years older, but the young girl spent most of her developing years unconscious. Well, mostly unconscious. It didn’t feel right to talk sex with someone so young in so many ways.
“If you want some pointers on sex you can always ask Tabitha,” Krista said. “I hear her and Kiernan going at it like bunnies all the time.”
“Krista!” she admonished.
The girl shrugged. “If they don’t want the whole world to know then they should be quieter. And little hint, if you and Damien want to be discreet, don’t say you’re going to do laundry then pinch his ass on the way out. Kiernan left thirty seconds later with the excuse Tabitha forgot detergent and he had to give it to her.” She snickered. “I just bet he gave it to her.”
Celia chuckled and soon the two women doubled over with laughter. It felt good to laugh with Krista. The gods knew both women had had enough misery in their short lives to last a lifetime.
“I think I’ve done about all the researching I can handle for the day, but I’ll keep your advice in mind.”
“Well then, you better eat so you have enough energy to put all that research to good use later.” Krista waggled her eyebrows.
Face heating again, Celia grabbed the sandwich and took a big bite to avoid replying. Flavor exploded on her tongue, tart mustard, sharp cheese, briny pickle. Had it been too long since she had eaten or was this sandwich that good? She took another bite. Dear gods, that good for sure.
“Mmmmmm, did you make this?” she asked after swallowing a mouthful of pure heaven.
Krista shook her head. “No. Cuthbert made it, but I told him I would bring it to you. He almost cracked a smile when he thanked me. I swear.”
The old man was a bit of a grouch, but if he made food this good, Celia figured he could get away with the attitude.
“Old guy has a stick up his butt about something.”
She nodded at the observation. “Yeah, but have you tried this sandwich?”
Krista smiled. “I had one earlier. I think he gave me one because he knew I’d be his mini butler after just one bite. The man can make a killer sandwich.”
They sat in silence as she finished eating, a process that took only a few minutes. Never before had she eaten anything so yummy. A forlorn sense of loss settled over her when she swallowed the last bite.
“Well, I better get out of your hair.”
“Krista, wait.” She held up a hand before the young woman left. “I have a question for you.”
“For me?” Blue eyes brightened. “Really?”
She nodded, adjusting her glasses as they slipped down her nose. “I wanted to ask if it would be all right with you if I observed you and your new…abilities. Maybe run a few tests, just to see what changes occurred since you woke up. I won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
She held her breath. They needed to discover what happened to re
leased Drones, but she didn’t want the girl to feel like a science specimen. Krista was a person, not a project. Knowledge was important, but not at the expense of human dignity.
To her surprise, the young woman broke into a huge grin. “Are you kidding? That would be awesome! I’ve been telling everyone for weeks that they need to see what I can do.” The smile slipped a little. “They won’t let me do anything. Tabitha is still worried about me and Racine feels guilty. It’s not their fault. It’s Stryden’s. He made me into whatever I am now. They want to pretend nothing has changed. That I’m still the same girl, still human.”
Sad blue eyes stared off into the distance. “But I’m not human. Not anymore and I need to know what I am now and what I can do.”
Her heart broke. Did no one around Krista see how desperate the girl was for answers? Well, answers were Celia’s business and she intended to provide Krista with every one she could.
“I’ll help you find out all I can, Krista, I promise.”
Krista nodded and smiled. Having finished her meal, she rose, grabbed her bag and indicated for the other woman to follow. They headed out of her office and down to the basement to the training rooms. After recruiting a few dubious Enforcers, they headed to the mats. Celia watched from the sidelines as Krista took on five trained supernaturals.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Kang—a Werewolf Enforcer Celia had chatted with a few times since she arrived—asked. “I don’t want to hurt the girl.”
“That depends, is it a good idea to get your ass handed to you by a girl?” Krista taunted.
Kang’s eyes narrowed. His lip curled and the slightest hint of fang flashed. Krista just smiled, beckoning him forward. The Werewolf rushed her. Krista stayed perfectly still until he was inches from her. Then she stepped to the side and with lightning-fast speed, grabbed Kang’s arm, flipped him in the air and flat onto his back.
“Holy shit!” The Werewolf stared up at Krista.
“And I didn’t even break a nail.”
He smiled at her gibe. Celia found herself smiling as well.
“All right, let’s do this.”
The other Enforcers, no longer hesitant, joined the exercise. Celia watched as Krista took to the ground two Werewolves, a Vampire, a Witch, and a Euadaemon. An impressive exercise. And unsettling. Without any formal training, Krista managed to take out five very powerful, well-trained beings with sheer strength alone. Her power amazed and frightened.
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