Charisma

by Wendy Stone

  “I’ve never heard this tale,” Kadian said. “What happened to Agalope?”

  “She pined away for her love of Odysseus, but he never returned and never learned of their daughter. When she died of a broken heart, her sisters Sterope, Terpsichore, Melpomene and Chthon took over raising my grandmother and teaching her the ways of the Sirens.”

  “But that had to have happened thousands of years ago. You’ve had four generations born in thousands of years?”

  “Yes. My forefathers were gods, Kadian. They have granted my family long lives.”

  “So, do I have to worry about some god coming down and electrocuting my ass if I try to kiss you?” he asked, watching her cheeks redden under his gaze.

  “No, you have to worry about what I’ll do to your ass if you even try it.”

  Kadian grinned. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” He scooted forward, pushing against the grate. It was resistant, and he pushed harder, finally having to tap into the strength of the dragon before it moved. He grabbed it before it could clatter on the cement platform, drawing it back inside the hole before jumping down. “Come on,” he called, holding his hands to catch her.

  * * * *

  Charisma stared up at the handsome man who had shown her so much of herself in just a few moments’ time. With a sigh, she made up her mind. If he could get her out of here and away from the cops, then she’d go with him, for now. She could always take off again when his back was turned. She watched as he pushed on the grate, hearing a low growl escape his throat as he pushed harder.

  The growl was strange, not something she would expect to hear come from a human. Before she could ask any questions, he was bracing the grate in the hole and jumping, holding up his hands for her to jump down.

  “What are you?” she called softly.

  “I’m a Were,” Kadian said evasively. “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”

  “What kind of Were?” she asked, still uncertain as she inched out closer to the edge, her eyes on the drop. A sudden movement behind him caught her attention and she screamed out a warning.

  “Behind you!”

  Chapter Four

  The force of the blow knocked her off her feet. She hit the floor with a grunt, rolling to get her feet back under her before the next attack. “You son of a bitch,” she hissed, rubbing her shoulder and diving over the bat as he swung it at her.

  “Son of a bitch, am I?” He laughed, his mouth opening wide to reveal the long white fangs of his kind. “My mother might not take to name calling very well.”

  Lelia Storm rolled into a somersault and then back flipped into a pile of debris, returning to the fight with a long, broken dowel. The pointed end was splintered but it would do the trick. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have impugned her motives for having you. Inbreeding must be at fault. Can you call your father Uncle Fred as well as dad?”

  The vampire narrowed his eyes, a growl of rage escaping his lips. “You bitch,” he snarled. “You’ll take that back before I’m done with you.”

  Lelia smiled, closing her eyes for just a moment as she drew power from a ley line that ran beneath the alley. When she opened her eyes, they glowed an eerie amber, the borrowed power sizzling in her veins. “That might be a bit more difficult than you think,” she said, her voice husky.

  With a roar of rage, the vampire attacked, reaching with both hands to grab her. His long sharp nails grazed her silver uniform even as she leaped high. Flipping in mid-air, she buried the dowel into the vamp’s back, hearing him scream in pain.

  Landing on her feet lightly, she grabbed the dowel and yanked it from the vamp, flipping him onto his face and snapping on her cuffs. “Quit your whining. Damn, I didn’t even come close to touching your heart. You’re fine.” She rolled her eyes at the tall, well-built man walking toward her. “You’d think I torched him or something.”

  Lelia was stronger than she looked. A black witch, she could tap into the ley lines of magic that ran through the ground. With her long, deep red hair and her amber eyes, she was stunning in the tight suit that all the agents of ASP had to wear.

  “These vamps are getting weak. Must be too much thinning of the blood.” He reached down and lifted the vamp to his feet, pushing him up against the wall and holding him there easily. He watched as Lelia bounced around the alley, her eyes almost sparking with power. “You might want to let loose of the line, Lee. I think you’re overdosing.”

  Her eyes ran over her partner. The power zinging along her spine sent an almost sexual thrill through her. Drake was tall with a wide chest and a tight ass that the women of ASP had voted as the best in the Agency. He had sandy brown hair that curled around his ears and brown eyes that sparkled with interest as he watched her.

  “Gods, Drake, you’re almost as much a hard ass as Shadow. Lighten up dude, before you get old before your time.” She grinned at her partner, still stringing on the line. Closing her eyes, she let it go, saying a silent thanks to the Gods who’d placed it there for her use. When she opened her eyes again, they were no longer swirling amber, just the cat eyes that were a product of her coven.

  Drakon Rubis grinned at her. “You wish, Lee.”

  “You have to admit the man is sexy. Even a die-hard woman’s man like you can admit that.”

  “I don’t have to admit anything.” Drake yanked the vamp up, smiling at him when he hissed and snapped his long fangs at him. “You don’t want to try and take a bite out of me. I’ll break your fangs.” He lifted his hand, eyes on his fingers as they changed from flesh and bone to pure steel. He wiggled them in front of the vampire’s eyes, listening as they clinked together.

  “Quit showing off, Drake.”

  Drake’s back straightened and he dropped his hand as he heard her voice behind him. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten and then turned, still dragging the vamp with him. “Sorry, Kit.”

  Kiteria Demos was new to the team, but she was a formidable boss. They hadn’t quite developed the ease that the other teams had, but she was working on it. “Lee, you okay?”

  “Five by five, Kit. It’ll be a dark day that any vamp can take down a Storm.”

  “I hear that,” Drake grinned.

  Lee winked at him. “One vamp out of commission. We should be able to get the location of his nest out of him, Kit, and have it shut down tonight.”

  Kit glanced at the tall, silent man who walked behind her. He was almost abnormally silent, something that she’d yet to get used to. She felt a wiggle in her mind and pushed up a wall, narrowing her eyes at him. “Mage, knock it off. Use those wiggly fingers on our vamp, not on the boss.”

  He nodded, bowing slightly, as he walked up to the vamp. Drake glanced over at Lee, who took a step back, not wanting to deal with Mage. He was an empath whose mental prowess could also be used to tap into the minds of their enemies. It wasn’t a pleasant or easy process and Lee didn’t want to have a thing to do with it.

  The vampire looked up, his eyes leery as he saw the big man. “What the fuck are you?” he asked, pulling against Drake’s hands.

  Drake heard Mage’s voice in his head, the only way the big man could talk. His tongue had been cut out years ago. Hold him tight.

  Drake took the vamp’s arms in his hands, changing them to steel to guard against the vamp’s strength.

  “Wait,” the vamp said, his voice growing whiny, then panicky. “Wait! Don’t!” A long broken scream left his mouth, drool hanging from his chin. His eyes grew huge, then his lashes dropped over them like a shutter. He began to fall, drooping in Drake’s hands.

  I have the information, Mage whispered into the team’s minds. But I also learned of something beside the nest. Two blocks down, the woman of interest that Shadow’s team has been looking for is hiding. We could… he turned without finishing, glancing questioningly at Kit.

  Kiteria was Were. She was used to voices in her mind, for it was the way of the Were when in beast form. Very few species could speak while in animal shape. Kiteria was Were-lion, fut
ure queen of her pride. She’d left though, when her father began to push her to take her place before she was ready. She’d have to marry, to bring new blood in. Strong blood, her father had decided. He’d even found her mate. She shivered at the thought of who he’d decided would be right for her. A mangy brute with angry eyes and huge paws, he’d tried to rape Kit years ago. When she’d successfully fought him off, he’d blamed the entire incident upon her.

  “What are we waiting for?”

  Mage grinned, his gray eyes sparkling with delight. He pulled his cloak closer around him, following the Were back to the SUV. Drake forced the vamp into the back, hitting the button that dropped the cage. Then he climbed behind the wheel, turning the key in the ignition.

  “Which way?” he asked. A small pinch of pain accompanied Mage’s insertion of the directions into his mind. “I really wish you’d warn me before you do that shit, Mage,” he growled, his fingers going to his temples. “You could have just told me to take a right.”

  Sorry. Mage thought at him. Take a right.

  “I know that now. Buckle up, buttercup,” he snapped at Lee, spinning the wheel and stomping on the accelerator.

  * * * *

  Kadian spun, seeing the pair of cops that were rushing at him. They had their guns pulled and had stopped, one dropping to a knee as he drew down on Kadian.

  “You guys don’t want to do that,” he said softly.

  “Don’t move!” one of the cops said, his voice aggressive. “Get down on the ground on your face. Do it now!”

  Kadian snorted, glancing down at the dirty and dusty cement. “On my face on that, I don’t think so.”

  “You don’t have a choice, do it now or we’ll tase you.”

  “Don’t be so hasty gents, tasing someone of Mr. James’s ilk could cause you a world of hurt.” Lelia said, coming up behind the police.

  They whirled, one growling a warning. “Get back! Now!”

  “I don’t think so,” Kit said, coming from up the tracks and lithely jumping onto the platform. “I think it would be more prudent of you to contact your headquarters and tell them that ASP has this situation under control.”

  Kadian moved back towards the air duct he’d just jumped out of. “Get out of here,” he hissed, low enough that his assailants could not hear. “Get to the top of the stairs. My limo is there. Have him take you back to my apartment. My manager is there. His name is Artie and he’ll take care of you until I can get there. Go,” he said, knowing she was about to protest. “Go, now.”

  He heard the faint sound of her scrabbling her way back down the tunnel and saw Kit turn as well. Kicking aside some of the pebbles and grit on the ground around his feet, he pretended to check his shoes, disgusted by the dirt his new boots had gathered. “First the jacket and now the shoes, is nothing sacred to you ASP people?”

  “Mr. James, we aren’t looking for you. Give us the girl and we’ll be more than happy to let you go.”

  “What girl?” Kadian asked, his eyes moving from one of the women to the other. “By the way, where are the other two members of the team? I know ASP doesn’t allow you women out without your male counterparts.”

  “Funny you should ask,” Drake said, jumping down next to Lee. He gave the young witch a wink as he settled in. Behind him, skulking like a wraith, was Mage, his head and body covered by his cloak, his pale, boney hands all that could be seen.

  “Who’s the grim reaper?” Kadian asked, his eyes taking in the team. There was something about the tall man in the cloak that made him nervous. He could handle a Were and a witch, but the other two were unknowns and left him worried. He had to give Charisma time to get to his limo and get out of here. He wasn’t going to lose her again.

  “Oh, he’s our empath, Mr. James,” Kit said. “He’s telling me now that you are lying and you do know the whereabouts of the girl we’re looking for.”

  Mage moved forward, his feet quiet, even among the dirt and debris. “Drake, escort the police outside. They do not need to be party to this.” Kit pointed up the stairs and the cops went, their eyes huge as they watched the strange tall man slide by them. As soon as he passed, they hustled up the steps, anxious to leave.

  “This way, never let it be said that an ASP member was less than courteous when dealing with a member of the police.”

  “Lelia, tap a line, make sure no one else comes down here.”

  Drawing an ancient atheme, Lelia created a protective circle, her lips moving as she spoke the words to close the circle and tap into the line. “Done, Kit,” she called seconds later.

  “Now, Mr. James, I’m going to ask you some questions and my companion here is going to make sure you answer truthfully. Okay?”

  Kadian felt the first tingle of awareness that indicated someone trying to tap into his subconscious. A growl escaped his lips as he fought against those invading fingers and their desire to poke and prod. “Get out of my head,” he snapped, feeling the dragon inside of him wanting to rush to the fore, to combat the foe that threatened him.

  “I’m afraid he can’t do that unless I tell him to, Mr. James,” Kit said with a sigh. “Why don’t you just make it easier on yourself and tell me the truth?”

  “You have no right,” he began, closing his eyes tightly to control both himself and the wall he was trying to erect. Pain began to creep into his head, like a skulking thief, sneaking in around the edges, making him lose control. He felt his nose began to bleed and bent in half, trying to force those strange fingers out of his head.

  His jeans ripped and so did his jacket, the seams giving as he began to change. A roar sounded from deep inside his chest and he felt his boots tearing, the leather giving under the strain of his growth. Talons ripped through his socks, leaving them hanging around his ankles, shreds of their previous shape. His insides grew and spread, his throat growing larger to contain the sacks that would allow him to spew fire.

  “What the fuck is he?” Drake asked, backing up a step. He stopped as he noticed that Lee didn’t move.

  “The circle,” she said. “I can’t leave it.”

  “I’m here, Lee. I ain’t leaving you.” He moved closer, though staying out of her circle. He couldn’t afford to break the line, not yet. He’d had to do it once and it had almost killed Lee. He wouldn’t do it again. Drake’s eyes were on the shape taking form in front of him. It was huge, wings unfurling from his scaled back to spread close to sixty feet from tip to tip. A long spike tipped tail zipped across the floor, smashing into one of the supports to the platform. Dust plumed up, sending Kit backing away, coughing.

  The dragon roared, the sound of pain as well as emotion and warning. “Kit?” Drake called.

  “Hold on,” she called, spotting her remaining team members on the other side of the dragon and closer to the action. Mage was closest, intent upon finding out what he could even though what he was mind merging with was no longer even close to human. “Mage, get out of there!” she ordered, her thoughts on saving her team. “Drop the meld, Mage. We’ll have another chance.”

  I’ve almost got it, Mage thought at her. He took his eyes off of Kadian for only a second, but it was long enough for the dragon to rear back with his huge head, hitting the empath and sending him flying back and into the wall. With the meld broken, Kadian took a stumbling step forward, intent upon making his escape.

  Drake and Lelia stood in his way.

  “Lee, let go of the line,” Drake said, moving in front of her to stop Kadian.

  “If I let go of the line, my spell fails and he gets out,” she yelled, refolding her fingers over the handle of the athemae that she still held. As she did, her lips moved, reaffirming the connection and then strengthening the spell. While it held others out, it would hold the dragon in, as long as she wasn’t forced from her circle and made to drop the line she held.

  The line wasn’t strong, not anything like the one she’d tapped into earlier. This line felt old, as if it had been eons since it was made, the sacred temple built upon a
nd sacrifices made. It was as if a weak warrior, trying to live upon the glory of his youth, sought enemies too strong to stand against. It was elusive and wary and she found her hold upon it tenacious.

  The dragon was neither weak nor weary, coming up the stairs toward her with a growling roar that shook the ground she stood upon. “You won’t get by me so easily, beast,” she whispered, her eyes determined. “We need that girl and you’re going to give her to us.”

  “Not this time, little one,” the dragon said, surprising Lee enough that she almost took the step back needed to break her circle. “Give it up. My magic is ancient and runs deeper than that puny thread you hold. Maybe, when this whole thing is over, you and I can get together and I can show you some of the things I know. It’ll blow you away.”

  “Get away from her,” Drake yelled, jumping in front of Kadian. The silver of his skin was reminiscent of the knights of old and he’d fashioned a sword of sorts out of some debris, apparently rebar and some glass.

  “Don’t make me melt you, tin man,” Kadian growled, reaching with one clawed talon and plucking Drake up to set him on the floor behind him. “Go away boy, you’re bothering me,” he said with a drawl.

  “Drop the line!” Kit yelled. “Get out of there, Lee!”

  Kadian heard a growl and felt claws on his back. He turned his head and gazed at the surprisingly beautiful female lion that had just landed on him. He picked her up by the scruff of her neck, like a female cat did its kittens and set her down next to Drake. Waving one finger at her, he moved forward on the stairs. “I didn’t want to do this,” he told Lee, “but you leave me no choice.” His scales glowed, changing from green to a rich turquoise blue. He closed his jade green eyes, mumbling a few words and then passed by her as if she weren’t there.

  “Dammit!” Lee snapped. “He broke my connection without blinking an eye.”

  Kit was just pulling up the zipper on her ASP uniform. She let loose a growl worthy of her species. “How did he get by all four of us? Mage? Did you get anything useful?”