Going Under

by Lauren Dane

  “Before I give my answer I’d like to hear from Ms. Ellis. I didn’t grow up in a coven. If this is going to be an issue, I’d prefer it to be said outright and openly. I’m afraid that while I use subtlety in my job all the time, I’m not much for using it with my employer.”

  Meriel’s gaze shot to Sami, who sat back, clearly surprised by Molly. It made Gage like Molly even more.

  Sami’s tone was slightly defensive. “If I have reservations, it’s my duty to speak them.”

  Molly’s posture remained confident. “And that’s what I’d expect. I’d simply prefer it be laid out openly. I came here for a job interview. I expect you all to look into my background and to want to know who I am and why I want this job. That’s part of the territory. But I’m trying to fight against this sort of contest to see who is more pure and if it’s going to be an issue that I didn’t grow up in the magickal community, it’s best that I know now. Because my answer would be different than it would be if it’s not an issue.”

  “You’d turn down a job because of that? Because of me being worried about how you’d adjust in a clan system after never having been in one? Doesn’t that suggest you’re not the right person for this high stress of a position?”

  “What an interesting interpretation. No. I’d appreciate having a discussion on the differences between the non-magickal world and the inner workings of a clan. And I’d certainly understand your wanting to know how I’ll deal with it. Which is of course an entirely different tack than the one you took earlier.” Molly leaned in and Gage felt the wave of her charisma. “I have a lot to learn about clan governance and I’d consider that part of my job to get up to speed. But I’m not a second-class human or a second-class witch because my human mother raised me on her own outside a clan. Nor will I tolerate any inferences of the sort.”

  Sami nodded. “All right then. I do hope you accept and should you do so and want any history lessons or other information I’d be honored to help you.” She tipped her chin down slightly, which of course Molly couldn’t have known the importance of, but everyone else at the table did.

  “Thank you.” Molly tipped her chin back at Sami and then turned to Meriel and Dominic again. “I accept the offer. Of both the job and the place within your clan.”

  “Excellent!” Meriel beamed and then lowered the hammer. “We’ve already got some work for you to do. Oh and an office and an assistant. Just in case you took us up on our offer.”

  Molly stood and Gage couldn’t help but admire her anew. Tall, but not too tall. She wore hose on her legs, not something he saw very often, but with her businesslike skirt and blouse, it worked. Instead of old-fashioned, it was sort of delightfully retro.

  He wondered then if they were stockings and then made himself stop. Then he started thinking about her other underwear.

  Gage had had to physically turn his gaze away so he could get his focus back.

  Meriel stood as well. “I’m going to show Molly around. Dominic, can you check in with Lark to be sure we’ve got someone on Molly when she makes public appearances?”

  Lark nodded and looked to Gage.

  When the room cleared, Dominic sighed and leaned back. “So glad Meriel won’t be out there all the time. Don’t repeat that to her, I’ll only deny it and tell her I think she’s awesome. Which she is of course. So what are you two going to do to keep our new PR person safe?”

  Gage and Lark had talked about this just the day before. “She’s going to be the public face of this clan in a way that will attract negative attention. There’s no way around having a guard on her at all appearances. She may not like that though.”

  Dominic nodded. “We’ll need to get to know her a little. Once she finds a place to live we’ll have to ward it well. I’m going to suggest the clan assign her a driver. Simon’s brother, Faine, might be perfect for that. Then he can be her guard as well as her driver. He’s been wanting something to do.”

  The Lycians had sent Faine, one of Simon’s younger brothers and a warrior just like he was, just a week before. He was on loan for the foreseeable future to help. As the guy was nearly seven feet tall and broad as a truck, he would be perfect as a guard.

  Lark looked to Gage to be sure he was on board with Dom’s suggestion. Gage and Lark had a good rhythm. She was different than Nell, his old boss, but they worked the team in a more cooperative way. Lark was good at what she did and trusted him to be good at what he did. They’d taken the team light years ahead in the last months, even after the disaster of the Magister.

  “That’s a good suggestion. I’ll talk with him today.” Lark made a note.

  Dominic nodded. “Good. Okay. Just get with Molly on it. I want her to feel included and welcomed.”

  Unlike what Sami had done. That passed, unspoken between them, but Gage knew Dominic, knew too that something would be said to the other full-council witch about keeping her communications with their new PR person civil.

  “I’ll stop by her office in an hour or so to introduce myself. Then I can go over some things with her. I don’t know what her power is like, though certainly charisma is one of her gifts.”

  “We can talk with her about some training too, for her magick. If she needs it I mean. And who doesn’t?” Lark shrugged. “I don’t get the feeling she’s easily offended or intimidated. But I do think she’s at that I am witch, hear me roar stage, which is good.”

  “She’s going to need it. The news gets worse every day. We’re tossing her out there into a firestorm.” Gage respected Molly’s experience, but he hoped she’d be all right. They were asking a lot of her.

  Chapter 5

  HER new assistant eyed her from the doorway as if she wasn’t entirely sure whether to kick Molly’s ass or give her a hug.

  Molly smiled, hoping for the latter. “Hi, Rita. What’s up?”

  “You’re perky.”

  “I am. It’s a terrible flaw.”

  Rita narrowed her eyes until she harrumphed and came into the office. “Are you a morning person?”

  “Why are you asking? Just curious.”

  “I’ve been doing this job for thirty years. It helps if I know the person and their habits.”

  “I’m not really, but now that I’m on the West Coast I’ll have to be.”

  “Why?” Rita wasn’t rude, she was just blunt and straightforward. Molly liked that quality in a person.

  Molly sat back, crossing her legs. “A lot of the media we’ll be reacting to or interacting with will come from the East first. New York, D.C., and so forth. So I’ll have to be alert first thing and ready to handle any emergencies that might arise. Most likely I’ll be up at five or so to read ahead, but at this time I’ll be in the office by about six thirty. You don’t have to be though.”

  “If you’re here, I’m here. That’s the job.”

  “How about you and I make our own rules instead? I write my own press releases because I’m a control freak. I generally try to do things in order. Morning is time for reading. Press releases, news articles, that sort of thing. I don’t need you here for that stuff.”

  “All of us are.”

  Molly leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

  Rita waved a hand. “All witches are control freaks. Oh, some of us are better at hiding it or regulating it, but we’re all control freaks in some way or other.”

  That was good to know. It wasn’t that she didn’t know any witches. She did, but her circle had been a dozen or so witches and she only knew the Falcos well enough to have said if they were control freaks or not.

  Rita nodded. “Including me. This is my job and if you’re here, I’m here. I’m not perky though.”

  Molly bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “All right then. In the mornings I read. I like to be up on everything that might affect my client.”

  “In this case, witches?”

  She nodded, approving of the way Rita started taking notes.

  “Not just witches. We’re all connected, all O
thers I mean. So I’ll be reading about shifters and vampires too. I expect I’ll need to meet with their communications people as well.”

  “I can handle setting all that up for you.”

  Molly looked up at the new voice to catch sight of Gage standing in the doorway. In faded jeans and cowboy boots. He was ridiculously hot as the light glinted off the hoops in his ear. Three. His hair was gold-blond, thick, but short and neat around his face. She bet it started to curl when it got any longer, or maybe when it was wet from the shower, and then slapped herself for thinking about it. She wasn’t there to meet boys, for god’s sake.

  “Handle what?”

  “The introduction to the shifter and vampire people. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  Rita frowned at him. “Gage, she hasn’t even had lunch yet. Give her a break.”

  Gage smiled easily at Rita. “Hey there.”

  “Hey yourself. Have you eaten? I was telling your mother just yesterday that you’re getting too thin.”

  Rita gave him the same stern tone she’d used on Molly. Molly steepled her hands in front of her mouth to keep from smiling.

  “You’re the reason she showed up at my house the day before yesterday with eight bags of groceries!”

  Molly couldn’t help it, she let go of a delighted laugh and both the others turned to look at her.

  Rita waved a hand in Gage’s direction. “He’s too skinny. You should see him when he’s all filled out. “

  Damn, he was even more lethally gorgeous than he was right then? She wasn’t sure if her hormones could handle that.

  Gage appeared to be counting to ten. “I’m a little busy lately.”

  “What? Too busy to have a cereal bar or something? This is my grand-nephew, by the way. Just in case you thought I lectured strangers this way.”

  Gage snorted. “Which she does.”

  Molly could totally believe it.

  “You can take me to lunch and tell me about what neighborhoods I should be looking for an apartment in after we talk business.” Molly looked at her watch. “Say in half an hour? I need to finish this meeting with your aunt.”

  He appeared to be amused, which looked good on his handsome face. “I’ll be back for you in thirty minutes.”

  She turned back to Rita. “All right then, where were we?”

  They went over her expectations and schedule and at thirty minutes exactly, Gage poked his head into her office. “Ready?”

  “I really am.” She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

  Rita was out there, guarding her office door like a teeny, frizzy-haired pit bull. She looked Molly over and then nodded. Molly felt like she’d gotten an A on a test.

  “I’ll be back in an hour. I have my phone if you need me.”

  “Take an hour and a half; it’s business after all.” Rita sniffed. “And be sure that one eats or I’m going to tell his mother again.”

  * * *

  “DO you have a preference for lunch?” Gage headed to the elevators and she followed. He pressed the button and then looked down her body. “Maybe not walk too far.”

  “Why would you say that? Is it raining again?”

  He laughed. “It’s always raining. If you don’t walk in the rain, you won’t be doing much walking at all.” He gestured, and she preceded him into the elevator. “Use your keycard like this.” He pulled his out and put it in front of the reader on the number panel. “It’ll give you access to all the lower floors. There’s a food court down on five. There are several choices.”

  “I can walk in the rain, you know. I have a coat. I’m from Chicago. It was snowing when I left.”

  He looked her over again. “I bet you can. But you have heels on. I was trying to save your feet.”

  “Ah. I can walk in heels. These aren’t that high anyway. Do you have any favorites? I should be learning Seattle now since I’ll be relocating.”

  “Do you like seafood? McCormick and Schmick’s is up the block. They’ve got lunch specials, that sort of thing. It’ll be quieter and less . . . food court–ish than downstairs.”

  She fought a smile. “Food court–ish? I like that.”

  He didn’t fight anything apparently. Instead he turned the full force of that damned mouth on her, with a smile that sent her senses into full-blown standing ovation.

  “Seemed apt.”

  “McCormick and Schmick’s sounds good.” She hoped he didn’t hear her gulp.

  He walked to the outside, shielding her. She allowed it, making a note to ask him about it once they’d settled in at the restaurant.

  * * *

  MOLLY Ryan was the kind of woman men looked at.

  Not in the same way they looked at the woman at the bar in the tight red sweater and a short skirt with heels. No, they looked at Molly the way people liked to look at pretty, elegant things.

  The light seemed to hit her just right. She moved with the kind of grace he rarely saw in people who weren’t dancers. She charmed the hostess. He knew this because they got a great table.

  “You’re like a Disney princess.”

  Startled, she looked up from her menu. “What?”

  “Birds sing, the clouds part, people turn to you expectantly. Is this part of your gift?”

  The server came so they suspended the conversation briefly while they ordered.

  “Am I so horrible then, Gage Garrity, that only magick would make someone turn to me expectantly?”

  He paused, abashed, and then realized she was teasing. “Not horrible at all. Excuse my manners. Don’t tell my aunt or she’ll tell my mother and then I’ll have lectures about how I speak to women, as well as casseroles and my mom’s special tea blends showing up in my kitchen.”

  She smiled. “Your aunt is formidable. I’m glad to have her working with me. I bet people will think twice before they give her any guff to get to me.”

  Gage laughed. “Yes. Well, she’s a tough old bird.”

  “To answer your question, I’m told that charm is part of my power. Rosa, she’s my other mother of sorts, anyway, she said people with my gifts often go into politics or entertainment. Maybe I should be an actor instead.”

  He could totally see her as an actor. “Hours are probably better. Pay too.”

  “Weather as well. Los Angeles is sunny today I bet.”

  But then he wouldn’t be having lunch with her and Meriel would still be at risk too.

  “So is there a good reason then? For your mother to be plying you with food?” Her eyes were beautiful, probably the most striking thing about her. The blue of deep, deep water, with flecks of gold around her pupils. Long, dark lashes.

  Those eyes of hers saw right through him, he realized. It wasn’t entirely comfortable.

  “Been a bit hectic here.” He shrugged.

  “I don’t know much about it. About what happened I mean. What I do know is . . .” She shook her head quickly. “I know it’s not the time or place.”

  “You’ll need to know it. For your job I mean. When we get back, have Rita get me on your schedule and we can go over it. For now, let’s get to the day-to-day stuff. What is your daily schedule going to look like? What sorts of events will have you leaving our building?”

  He watched as she very precisely put sugar and cream into her coffee, stirring without making a single sound. She sipped and he saw it, the pleasure skittering over her features at the taste.

  The moment was just a breath of time. And yet the intimacy of it shocked him. A flush heated through his belly.

  She tore her attention from the coffee and back to him. “I needed that. Why do you ask? I’m assuming scheduling if and when I need security?”

  He spoke under his breath and the spell dampened all sound around them. “We can hear when we’re being approached, but we can speak without being heard.”

  Her eyes widened and the wonder on her face chipped away a little of his bitterness. “Really? Can you teach this to me? Oh, that would be brilliant.”

 
He found himself smiling more with her than he had in some time. “I can, yes. For now, the answer to your question is yes, I need to know for security reasons.”

  “I expect for the next several days it’ll be a lot of catch-up and getting some structure into place. Then I’ll be doing the things Meriel does now. Interviews, that sort of thing. Do you have a website?”

  “Hm? Uh, yes. Locked to Owen members only.”

  She nodded and pulled a pad from her bag and began to write.

  “I apologize. I wanted to note something while I was thinking. There’ll be legislative visits. But I can make the drive down to Olympia easily enough if the maps are correct. I’ll probably only need your help occasionally. Appearances will take up a lot of time some weeks and others I’ll be at the office. I’ll have Rita let your office know in advance if I’m doing something I feel will need an escort.”

  He held his finger up briefly, breaking the spell as the server approached with their food and then recasting once they were alone again.

  “You seem to like blunt talk, am I correct?”

  She took him in, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Yes, I prefer it.”

  “Things are bad. We get multiple death threats weekly. Meriel and Dominic have given Lark and I the ability to run the security needs of the clan and its witches. Lark and I believe your job will be as dangerous as it was when Meriel did it. By that I mean the moment humans find out you’re our spokesperson, you will be under increased threat. It’s my job to be sure we protect you against that threat level. As such, all appearances outside the building will be with a security detail. The clan will provide you with a guard who will also serve as your driver.”

  “Driver? That’s ridiculous. I can drive my own car.”

  “Three days ago, a witch in Arizona was pulled from her car and nearly beaten to death by thugs who found out she was a witch. We routinely get reports of nails in tires. A witch in Spain, part of their council, was killed just a week ago. An IED planted at the end of her driveway. You will have a car the clan secures when you are not in it and you will have a trained driver, who will be your guard as well. This is not negotiable.”