by LeAnn Mason
This is not your fault, Nat.
“I know it’s not, but I can’t help but feel slightly responsible. I mean, I’m part of a driving force making this change happen. Do you think they’ll blame us?” I asked, looking around the tabled space. “Do you think they’ll turn on us? In that sense, I’m glad all enforcers have banded together and that we’re fortifying our ranks.”
A rising of voices called our attentions back to the counter, the argument about the cost of items now becoming heated. The growl that Primals were known for was beginning to tinge their speech. I pushed off from the wall, joining Holden in a ready stance, our attention attuned to the disturbance just in time to watch the large, angry customer tangle his meaty fist into Rolph’s coffee-stained t-shirt and yank. With his face now mere inches from my recovering friend, he snarled, “Who are you to tell me what I need to do, huh?” pulling his fist back and forth, he attempted to shake Rolph but all he succeeded in doing was riling the normally calm proprietor who bared his teeth in precursed warning.
“Excuse me,” a sweet voice chimed calmly. “Rolph, I’ll take care of this man’s coffee today.” Jade looked innocently between our friend and the dissatisfied customer whose bearded and bushy features creased into a look of complete bafflement. The change in subject caused his hold to loosen enough for Rolph to wrench free. My muscles uncoiled, releasing some of the tension the situation had held. We had escaped without anything stupid happening… yet.
“What would you do that for, Sage?”
Jade shrugged at the large and confrontational male in front of her. “I’m happy to. I know how enjoyable Rolph’s creations are, and I’d hate for anyone to be denied them.” A large, bright smile accompanied her words. Words that, while definitely true, may not have been the whole of her motives. She was a great peacemaker.
When the man’s emotions gave away his intentions to argue further, Jade pushed her empathy mojo onto the guy. “Take it and go enjoy the afternoon. The weather is delightful today. Maybe go to the Gardens and smell some roses.”
The tension riding the Primal fled, his entire body relaxing and seeming to uncoil. His hands dropped to his sides as his shoulders dropped, but his thoughts, while calm, didn’t understand its body’s reaction. “Why am I… feeling like… this?”
“Because you don’t want to do anything you’d regret.”
“I wouldn’t regret it,” the man stated simply, the inflection missing since Jade had sapped his anger.
Rolling her eyes, Jade huffed in exasperation. Trying to convey calm and cool even when annoyed was something we were both working on. She was better than I was, even if she let some irritation leak. “You don’t want to have enforcers haul you to jail for assault, do you? Hell, may even be Enhanced Prison if you went wild.”
Narrowing his eyes at Jade, the grump grabbed the insulated foam coffee cup from the counter in front of Rolph, then strode briskly toward the door without a look back, let alone a “thank you” for his free beverage.
“That was a thing of beauty, my friend.” I chuckled as I sidled up next to Jade against the counter. “Afternoon, Rolph! How are you this fine day?” I trilled, turning to address him properly.
“Afternoon, my girl. I wish my days were as happy as they used to be. How about you? Our little friend here,” he pointed casually at Jade while still facing me, “is much better at making me believe her cheer. You know, just in case you were curious.” His dark eyes lit with humor as he effectively crushed my hopes that I, too, could pull off calm and casual like Jade.
“Bummer.”
I prefer your sarcasm and wit anyway, Holden intoned lightly as he snaked a hand around my hip and squeezed me to his side. I returned the gesture, only my arm angled up to his hip instead of down as his had. I hooked my thumb through a belt loop to keep my hand in place, though with everything adorning his belt area, I was hard-pressed to find open space. After realizing that this angle was no good because I just couldn’t avoid the butt of his gun, I gave up and flopped my hand back onto the counter. I was tall for a Sage, but still shorter than Primals.
That was all right by me, though. I preferred to look up into my man’s gorgeous fluctuating eyes. At that moment, they were that pretty almost-turquoise color, which told me he was a little… frisky. Well, they would tell anyone else who knew their nuances. I heard it in his head.
Couldn’t stay away from my weapon, huh?
I smiled coyly at him in response.
“Geez, guys, I told you I was gone if you went all googly-eyed,” Jade griped from my left. “We should probably move on anyway, now that cooler heads have prevailed here. Thank you, Rolph. How much for your delectable treats today?”
Rolph waved a hand dismissively at her question and gave the same answer he always did. “On the house for you ladies.”
Jade looked around Holden and me to the newly-forming line, then pulled out a few dollars from her pocket and pushed them into the little jar marked “tips” that Rolph had begun keeping on the retrieval counter. It helped when people saw others paying for the same things they’d need to. Jade always thought of such things. With a quick wink to Rolph, she threw a “come on” wave over her shoulder, indicating Holden and I should follow her as she set off toward the door her affected stooge had plowed through minutes before. “Have a lovely day. The coffee is fantastic!” Her words lingered in the air as she pushed through into the afternoon breeze, the bell chiming above the door as it opened and again as it closed behind our little group.
Standing stationary on a narrow sidewalk was doing us no favors in terms of blending, let alone keeping mental voices from shrieking, so I asked where they wanted to patrol first: the downtown area, the school, or the Gardens.
Are you getting much in the way of mental agitation?
I took a seat at one of the black metal mesh tables in front of The Corner Bean, so I wouldn’t impede pedestrians. I tuned out the mental voices of my teammates and searched outward as far as I could. I was getting better at selecting how and when to use my ability. Although I still didn’t like practicing, I had to admit that it was beneficial. There seemed to be more tension riding those in the business district, so I figured it would be best to stick to that area, though I really wished I could pretend that we were needed in the Gardens or, better yet, at the barn.
For the next couple of hours, we wandered around the business section of Minefield. The afternoon waned, the temperature cooling slightly as the sun got closer to the horizon and we once again approached the farmhouse that had become our home. It had been a good day, one which hadn’t escalated to strife in our presence and allowed for Jade, Holden, and me to be able to enjoy our vigilance.
The crunching of gravel heralded the arrival of another vehicle in our wake, and we turned to identify our tail. The older car came to a halt slowly, the brakes squeaking in protest before the engine cut off and the door creaked open. The crown of my father’s dark crop of hair peeked over the roof as he exited. My mother’s pristine blonde ponytail and pastel pantsuit vacated the battered car through the passenger door.
It’s Friday. A chorus of thought between the three of us echoed in my head, a valiant mimicry of unison. Holden and Jade waved their greetings while I voiced mine. “Mother, Dad.”
Holden grabbed my good arm as he passed me on his way back down the stairs and toward the car where my parents were retrieving bags and cookware from the confines. C’mon, let’s help them grab the goods. I need to stay in favor here, and you need to be a good daughter. The latter statement drew a snort from me. He winked, a teasing smile lifting his lips when he looked my way.
“I’m a great daughter. I didn’t disown my father for lying to me, several times, apparently, in regards to the strong, silent Primal male I like to call my boyfriend. I even forgave the boyfriend for not telling me, so… I think I am awesome, thank you!” I said haughtily as I disentangled myself from his grasp so that I could assist my parents with their baggage, some of which smelled
absolutely delectable. Dessert always did.
“Nat, please do be careful with the cheesecake. It didn’t set as well as I would have liked. Holden, help me with the chickens and potatoes, please,” my mother directed us, weighing us down with various foods pulled from within. Mother always seemed strong in her sternness, a trait of Sages who liked to wear their attitudes like a shield, a way to guard their fragile bodies. My mother embraced the Sage persona and still believed they were to be revered and followed. She had no love for Primals, though she’d stepped off her high horse down to a smaller one since she’d been congregating with me and the team on these Dae Family Fridays. It was funny that it took being around my team to gain some acceptance for Primals, even though she’d married a man who was half-Primal and the love of her life. Why, then, had she held herself apart and above others not of her ilk? Questions for a different day.
I tried to keep a good grip on my precious load with my left hand, because the cast on my right made it hard to wrap my hand around things securely. As we reached the screen door and I was trying to figure out the best way to get the door open for our caravan, it creaked open to show the commander, poised as ever in his black tactical outfit, which was his permanent uniform. When his eyes lit on the feast weighing down my family’s arms, he said a quick, “Here, let me,” before swiftly moving through the doorway to grab the cheesecake from me while keeping his booted foot wrapped around the bottom. He’d kept the barrier from snapping closed before we’d all had a chance to enter the house and gotten his mitts on the most coveted portion of dinner. Smooth.
“Evening, Missus Dae, Doctor.” He dipped his chin in respectful acknowledgement as we filed in past him. The slapping of the screen door sounded as he followed, bringing up the rear. “How are you this Friday evening?”
“We are doing well, Commander, thank you. And you?” My father returned the polite inquiry with a small smile and a push of his glasses back to their resting spot on the apex of his nose before moving his hands to his hips to stand akimbo, facing Commander James.
“Putting out little fires all day, every day, but luckily nothing too dramatic lately.”
“Yes, I have seen a surge in patients as well. Fear of the unknown is making the town quite nervous. Have you needed to arrest many? Do you have room to?”
I moved into the kitchen to let the grown-ups talk for a moment. I really didn’t want to hear everything in surround sound, anyway. I figured I’d join my mother, Holden, and Jade in the kitchen. The trio was bustling to ready the meal for the ovens. My moving about the kitchen would put me close to the heavenly dessert as a perk. Maybe I could swipe a thin slice without notice.
“Don’t even think about it, Nat,” Mother said without turning my way. I’d ended up right in front of the cheesecake, almost as if it had a tractor beam that it attached to me, pulling me in. I couldn’t back away.
I hadn’t even realized my hand had been extended in the direction of the sweet confection until a quick swat to the hand finally released me from the sugar trance. I looked sideways at my little blonde bestie and narrowed my eyes. “Ow!”
“Serves you right. Your emotions were way too intense about that cake. There’d have been nothing left if I hadn’t saved it.”
I stuck out my tongue at Jade as she merrily cubed potatoes, but I peeled back when she waved the sharp knife in my direction and taunted, “Watch it, missy.” Holding up my hands in surrender, I moved to the opposite side of the galley kitchen, away from temptation, and asked my mother what she’d like me to do.
Making dinner had actually been fun. There had been enough laughter and shenanigans that I hadn’t really focused on thoughts, which immediately made my mother relax. Trent and Dev had been pulled in to set the table, seeing as the rest of us had helped with cooking. As expected, Steve was nowhere to be found. Once these Friday meals had become a weekly tradition for the team, Boat Shoes had made it his mission to be away from the house. I really didn’t want to deal with him anyway, so it was probably for the best.
The evening was full of stories, some producing laughter and some causing sadness or reflection. Dane’s absence caused the full range of emotions to flit throughout our minds, and I found myself more than once reaching for the EEA coin that Commander James had commissioned for me. When I’d received it several weeks ago, it was a challenge coin, a large minted emblem of what our commander had envisioned as a symbol for our team which he and Devlin had dubbed the “Enhanced Enforcement Agency.”
I’d wanted to keep the coin on me at all times but worried I’d lose it. Holden had, once again, come to my rescue and attached a metal ring at its apex. I then strung it on a chain, so I could wear it as a necklace and quell my fear of loss. It was now my talisman, almost as dear to me as the blue earbuds that Trent had engineered for me and were constantly strung about my neck. These two items were like my security blankets, things that made me whole.
Nights when we were all together and enjoying each other’s company were quickly making my list of things I needed. I never realized just how much I’d wanted to be accepted by my peers. To feel as though I was valued, enjoyed, and even loved by those I’d chosen to surround myself with. It was made all that much better when even my mother refrained from critique during the meal.
My last thought as I drifted off to sleep, snuggled in Holden's warm embrace, was that the night was exactly what I hoped all of the Enhanced—Hell, all of humanity—could achieve. The age-old question of Can’t we all just get along? pulled me down into slumber.
CHAPTER 4
Apparently, falling asleep while having Kumbaya-type thoughts led to crazy hippie dreams. I woke up remembering dreams of holding hands and singing songs out on flower-covered grassy hills. Weird. Holden and I had taken to rotating rooms at night and, last night, we were in his bed. The dark sheets instantly put my body and mind at ease, because the scent of Holden—pine and sunshine—would slip past my defenses and render me putty the moment I sank into the soft depths.
You ready for a session with the hopeful recruits? Holden asked as we both muddled around, searching for clothes best suited for the day’s training. The man knew good and well I did not want to subject myself to the newbies for a number of reasons, only one of which was all the head noise I’d get to endure.
This new crop was, so far, exclusively Primal and Non-Enhanced, and their attitudes toward being on a mixed team sucked, which was funny considering they were the ones trying out for that team. Dumbasses. I threw a pillow at Holden from across the room where I currently sat on the bed lacing up my tactical boots. These boots are awesome. The stupidly-comfy boots were super durable and breathable, as well as water resistant. I could run all day in them and like it. Miracle workers, I tell ya.
“Do you even have anything that you have to teach the newbies? Or do your feigned non-existent communication skills keep you from that awesome task?” I continued lacing, probably a little more forcefully than needed as my frustration leaked into my task.
I get to spar with them as Devlin teaches. Guess I’m more of a teacher’s aide or… teaching tool. Yeah, I’m the tool used to kick their asses. I like my place in this training regime. His cheeky smile was blinding, blue eyes twinkling as he puffed up in faux pride.
“Where’s another pillow?” I grumbled, fumbling across the bed to grab at the remaining pillow laying innocently among the unmade sheets. “I’m going to ask your uncle to up your newbie duties. Even if you can’t actively teach them one-on-one, I’m quite sure the rest of us can use you as an instructional tool, as you so eloquently put it.”
If I got more time with you… I’d not object. His eyes pinned me in place as he stalked purposefully toward where I still sat on the bed. My boot fell to the floor with a thunk, forgotten, though I still held the laces in my hand. We’d teach those recruits just how well Sage and Primal work… together. His lips brushed lightly, teasingly, across my own as he finished his thought, coming in a second time with more force and s
ucking my bottom lip into his mouth before pulling away. I chased his teasing lips with my own swollen ones.
“That’s not nice. Get back here and finish what you started, Mister,” I groused when he turned away, once again annoyed with the prospect of facing the day. “I need some more incentive to go out there and invade the minds of a bunch of smarmy, know-it-all recruits.” I really, really didn’t want to go play teacher this morning, but I picked up my discarded boot and continued getting ready when Holden did not do as instructed and come back to me. One perk of the full-time enforcer gig was that I at least had some new and matching items to add to my wardrobe. Some of my shirts were even adorned with my name: Enforcer Dae. I felt pretty official. But “official” meant more responsibility. I guess I needed to suck it up and deal.
The worst part of being all professional and “on call” was that I couldn’t just drown everyone out with music. I needed to pay attention, be alert. I needed to hear when things weren’t right. Never mind the invasion of privacy it took. Safety superseded comfort, so I had the green light to patrol with an open mind. Even after a lot of practice, I still couldn’t really turn it “off”, so they were out of luck if that’s what they wanted from me.
Music had always been my favorite method of drowning out the noise when I could. Not only was it effective, but it had the capacity to lift my spirits in any situation. Yes, any. Music had been seeing me through my mourning just as much as, if not more than, my friends and family. Sometimes a person just needed to be alone. Music allowed me that without making me feel alone. I still missed Dane something fierce, but I tried to remember him as he was and imagine what he’d want us to do.
