The doors opened and she walked out into the quiet area, the near-silence making her itch. She strode down the hall. She preferred the lower floors where it looked and felt like any other bustling law enforcement agency, where the various supernatural and not-so-natural beings spewed their hate at you. It was easier to breathe when surrounded by hostility.
Which was why she would never accept the promotion they offered. She couldn’t take the politics and stuffiness behind the job. Phoenix Intelligence Agency wasn’t merely a covert law enforcement organisation. It was the agency for the supernatural government, and the place the humans who knew of them called when they came upon a criminal, be it human or super, they couldn’t handle. They were the ones who were willing to do the dirty work when others baulked at getting their hands messy. They were responsible for the defence of all the realms and dimensions.
The Phoenix Intelligence Agency had the most technologically advanced systems. They had many different divisions and areas, were ruthlessly organised and efficient with only the elite of various races as part of the agency. Once you joined, you had to stay on top of your game. They often gave surprise evaluations, both physical and psychological. If you failed any of the tests, they stripped you of all knowledge of the agency location, what it entailed and any secrets. Wiping was one of the things all agents feared.
Kalina kept her face blank while fear bubbled inside her. She’d barely passed her last evaluation. They had called her the same way they had today. Since she hadn’t had an eval in a while, she should have expected it, but then again, no one ever did.
The itch intensified when one of the ‘suits’ passed her. They always looked as if their tight collars were choking the life out of them. He returned her gaze, taking in her outfit, and she resisted self-consciously touching her clothing as she continued down the hall. Although she didn't like wearing a suit, she wished she had thought of putting on a shirt. Too late now. She refused to give them the satisfaction. Her ‘don’t care’ reputation was at stake. They would just have to see her in what she liked to call her ‘hunting clothes’.
The darkness of her skin-tight, deep rich red leather vest made it almost appear black. The garment stopped halfway to her navel. From below her breasts to where the vest ended was a metal plate compartment where she stashed extra supplies she couldn’t create with her power. Her matching pants rode low on her hips and curved in the middle leaving the bottom half of the tattoo over her navel and the top part of her stomach bare.
Her mouth went dry at the thought of testing. Although she wanted to turn around and leave, she didn’t, but continued heading in the direction she had been summoned to. They would start with a psych eval first, the hardest part for her by far. The Oracle Psychiatric Investigators—OPI—could see anything, everything. It freaked her out when they exchanged their silent looks, which always seemed full of pity. Her hands clenched into fists. They didn’t know crap—there were some things even they couldn’t uncover from her mind.
Despite her hatred of them, the surprise evals were for the best. They protected the agent, and the public they had sworn to protect. As part of the Phoenix Assassination Unit, she didn’t doubt her judgement—to do so could cost her life.
Tiredness seeped into her, almost making her stagger. She barely managed to stay on her feet, but Kalina kept walking. She hadn’t expended enough power to be this weak. Something was wrong. The feeling passed almost immediately, but Kalina frowned, thinking she might have to make a trip down to medical. But the thought of prodding and probing made her heart beat harder. She hated doctors.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a guard in the shadows. He acknowledged her with a nod before fading, disappearing before her eyes. Kalina kept her face empty despite the shock coursing through her. She hadn’t seen a Shadower this close to the agency leaders before. Their presence was unheard of let alone as guards. Shadowers were power-hungry, and could strip any being of its power. They usually tried to take over the world. For him to be this close to the director, they had to trust him.
Kalina shoved open the door at the end of the hall, then walked through the waiting area with only an abrupt nod at Cairo, the receptionist at the desk in front of the director’s office. She moved purposefully towards the closed doors, but they opened before she could saunter in as planned. Without slowing her pace, she walked in and went right up to the director’s desk. She stood relaxed, silently watched her boss, waited for him to acknowledge her. It didn’t take long.
“Why did you kill the Firebird, Kalina?” Christos Shalamr’s gaze remained steady, studying her as he waited for her to respond to his question.
The bluntness of his enquiry threw Kalina for a moment. Although Christos rarely minced words, his delivery was usually smoother. She tried to figure out the trick in his question.
Relying on the intuition that had saved her often in sticky situations, Kalina shrugged and answered with the truth. “Instinct. He woke up with death on his mind. It was either him or me.”
Christos looked at her, seeming to search for something, then nodded abruptly. He sat back and steepled his lean fingers under his chin.
“Do you know why you were called to my office?” The cool unemotional tone matched his expression.
Matching him, Kalina spoke. “For testing.”
Christos’ arched an eyebrow then he smiled. “Do you want to be tested?”
Kalina thought for a second about lying before discarding the idea. “No.”
Christos’ lips twitched. “You’re honest. I like that about you. Have a seat.”
Reluctantly, Kalina did as requested.
“Relax. This will be painless, I promise.”
Kalina watched him with narrowed eyes and pursed her lips. “For you, maybe.”
Christos shook his head. “You’re not going to testing.”
The tension filling her dissipated. Relief almost made her almost miss what else he had to say.
“You’re going out on another case. You and your partner—”
She interrupted him. “I don’t work with a partner.”
“For this you will.”
Steel imbued his tone. Uncaring, Kalina stood her power flared and her chair flew across the room.
“Fuck you. I quit.” She spun on her heel, heading for the door.
“Fine. Report to the Wipers.”
Kalina stopped, stiffening. The Wipers would take all her knowledge of the agency. She closed her eyes then clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. As a threat, it was a powerful one. The agency had become her home, and she could not return to her past. Swallowing, she turned, staring at him. He appeared unruffled at the idea of losing her.
In a fluid motion, Christos stood, then strolled around the desk. Kalina watched him guardedly. His movements looked like those of a shifter, but she knew better. He hadn’t called his power, although he had every right to. Christos stopped in front of her and cupped her face gently.
“Kalina, why must everything be so difficult with you?” His voice was silky, smooth.
Kalina jerked away, putting some distance between them. She couldn’t handle his touch. The tenderness would remind her too much of what she’d lost.
Christos sighed and leaned against the closed door. “It’s okay to care. He w—”
“Leave it alone.”
Her harsh voice cut through the room. Closing her eyes, she fought to hold back the pain. Ruthlessly, she squashed it down. She opened her eyes looking at him once again calm.
Christos’ soft look of understanding almost undid her. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
Kalina reached out and touched his arm, a bare whisper of skin on skin. “I know, but I can’t.”
Christos nodded, his face blank as he returned to business. “Sit.”
She went back to her seat as he returned to his. He sat down and briefed her. Absently, she listened as he told her of the research teams assigned to the case. Watching Christos’ handsome face, s
he wished things could be different. With a shake of her head, she brought her attention back to him.
“Report at oh–eight-hundred to conference room thirteen.”
Kalina rose, clenching and unclenching her fists. “Who is my partner, and who are we looking for?”
Christos had a closed expression on his face. “You will be advised in the morning.”
Kalina had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, but said nothing. From the look on his face, she knew he would say no more. He came around the desk and motioned her towards the door. She turned, and he placed his hand on her waist as he escorted her.
He reached for the door, then stopped, bringing his arms to rest on her shoulders instead, his intense gaze on her face.
“Shielas, I love you and I want what’s best for you. Remember that.” Christos leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
Tears welled in her eyes when he spoke in her language. She cleared her throat before she replied. “Brother, I know you do, even though I don’t always show it.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek. Christos smiled and she saw a flash of fang. Christos was an ancient Silan Guardian from a fierce vampire warrior society, and the most feared of his kind. Although he rarely played the political games expected of him as the leader of the agency, he ruled it all with an iron fist. He showed no weakness, kept to himself and called only a few friends. Christos had no blood relatives that she knew of. Their personal history was why he called her sister. It was a private thing between them, and he showed none of his feelings for her in public.
He leaned over and opened the door, his usual detached expression once again on his face. Kalina nodded and strode out. Walking back past the reception area, she shimmered then left.
Christos watched her go hoping it would all work out as it should. Closing his door, he looked back into the empty room. “This should have been done long ago.”
“You know the reasons it was not,” a husky voice answered from behind the desk.
Christos watched the woman who detached from the shadows by the wall. “It was a stupid reason then and now. This had better not be one of your plots. If anything happens to Kalina, you will answer to me.”
The woman looked at him, her golden gaze flashing. “I don’t take threats or orders, Christos.”
Christos streaked to her, before closing his hand around her throat.
He felt her pulse flutter wildly against his fingers as he stared into her eyes. “You need someone to order you around.” His voice had gone soft, deadly.
The woman looked at him, hunger in her gaze before her eyes went cool. “Better men than you have tried and failed.”
“Give me a chance and see,” Christos purred against the side of her face, nuzzling her cheek.
She shuddered, then disappeared. He turned to see her standing across the room. He could have easily bridged the distance, but let her have the space.
She raised a hand that shook. “You have to stop this. Yo—” She cut herself off, looking stricken. Bitterness welled inside Christos. It was useless. She would not see past it.
Turning his back on her, he bit out one word. “Go.”
He sensed her staring at him. Steeling himself, he glanced over his shoulder. Regret shone on her face. He smiled a mirthless grin. Too bad it wasn’t for the right reasons.
“Go, now. Remember, if anything happens to Kalina, you will answer to me.” The threat rang clear in the room.
The woman nodded in acknowledgement before she stepped into the shadows by the door and disappeared. Christos stared back at the door Kalina had left through and prayed he had made the right decision, for all their sakes.
He went to his desk and sat then turned, waved his hand and the wall opened. The panel slid back soundlessly, revealing the computer that filled the space from floor to ceiling. No one knew of his own system he used for his special projects. Pulling back his long hair, he then pinned it up and out of his way.
Waving his hand on the desktop, he brought up his keyboard. He would not use the voice function for this. He would let his fingers do the walking. Before the end of the day, he would have enough information to give Kalina all the headway she would need.
* * * *
Kalina strode down the hall then raised her hand and pulled back the sleeve of her rust-coloured jacket.
Why won’t the bracelet come off? I’ve tried everything. Thank God Christos didn’t notice it yesterday and ask about it. I don’t know what I could have said.
Covering it again with her sleeve, Kalina looked at the closed conference room door. She arrived early, having planned it that way so she could have a seat with no one at her back. She opened the door and stepped inside, then stopped, realising she wasn’t alone.
She turned right and locked gazes with a pair of light indigo eyes. She stared at him, taking in his tanned skin and masterful features—a broad forehead, sharp cheekbones offset by an aristocratic nose and firm lips leading to a rounded chin. Even from across the room, she saw he was taller than her height of six-foot-one. Where people usually thought of her hair as black, it actually had auburn highlights. If she stood next to him with his inky black hair, people wouldn’t make that mistake. He had it contained in a braid that rested on his broad shoulder and flowed down his ice-blue shirt. He relaxed against a wall yet she knew his pose was intentionally deceptive. He had taken in everything in the room.
Kalina returned his gaze. His eyes were such a pale blue-violet colour that they seemed almost translucent. Her heart raced, although it wasn’t his eyes’ colour that caught her. No, it was the look of cool calculation in his stare. Struggling to breathe, she heard someone come up behind her. She turned slightly to see Christos come in but still kept the man in her line of sight. Kalina flicked her hand, materialising her baton.
Seeing Christos’ expressionless face, she said coldly, “I’m not working with him.”
“Why not? I’ve never even met you.” The man spoke with a smooth, sweet baritone tickling along her senses.
Kalina gave the man resting on the wall her whole attention. “Because you’re a fucking Firebird.”
Chapter Two
“You’re a fucking Amazonian Warrior. I should be the one who doesn’t want to work with you.” He shrugged. “And I don’t have a problem with it.”
Kalina stiffened at the insult. She narrowed her eyes, seeing him quirk his lips in response. She tightened her grip on her baton, she thought of throwing it. She marked the place where she wanted to plant it, Kalina stilled herself, trying to calm down. The man, seeing her intent, smirked and she moved her hand before her brain registered the motion. She flung the baton with all her power. He never changed expression as his hand flashed out and caught it with apparent ease. He looked at the baton, then back at her.
“Kalina!” Christos hissed.
Refusing to look at Christos, she kept her attention on the man.
“Leave us,” he ordered without looking at Christos.
With surprise, she heard Christos back out and leave without a word. She’d never known the director to defer to anyone. She stood silently as he flowed in the boneless motion only shifters possessed. He came to stand right in front of her, and Kalina refused to look away from his calm gaze.
“Do you know who I am?” The purr in his voice had a challenging lilt.
Kalina stiffened, saying nothing. She knew who he was, although she had gone out of her way to not get anywhere near him. The man shot a hand out, gripping her chin before she could move.
He remained focused on her, a slight smile on his face. “Say my name, Kalina.”
She refused to give him the satisfaction.
His indigo eyes lit with flames. “Ah, a stubborn one. I like stubborn women.”
Kalina jerked away and glared at him in contempt. “No one told me Ryne Garon thought with his cock.”
The man chuckled. “So, you do know my name.” He leaned into her. “I don’t think with my cock. If I did, I would
have you across the table with my dick buried deep inside you by now. So deep your nails would make me bloody. ” He shrugged. “Then again, I just might do that.”
Kalina stilled the shudder of lust that filled her.
He won’t fool me. It doesn’t matter that being near him turns me on.
Shame filled her for wanting him despite him being a Firebird. Reining in her emotions, she blanked her face, watching him. Ryne watched her, expectation on his face.
“They say since I left Phoenix Assassination Unit, you’re considered the best.”
“I would have been the best even if you had stayed.” She could have kicked herself for her wayward tongue.
Ryne laughed, a sensuous sound that pulled at her. “I see what they said about you not being humble was also true.”
Ryne circled her, and it took all of Kalina’s power to not follow his movements. She didn’t allow anyone at her back. Ever. Only the sense that she’d already made a fool of herself kept her motionless. She was an Assassination Agent and would act like one. She was an Amazonian Warrior and would not show any weakness. Her people were feared, respected and revered for a reason. They predated the first inhabitants of Earth, Adam and Eve.
She stood still waiting for him to act. Ryne might not work for the Assassination Unit anymore, but his legend still lived on within their unit. She had heard some of what he could do. If it weren’t for what he was, she would have made it her business to meet him. Although it galled to admit, he was also one of her bosses. She had to show him respect. He had left the Assassination Unit to become the head of the Tracker Unit. Even in his new division the whispers of his legendary feats continued.
“I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, Kalina—the woman who has everyone talking of her prowess in battle.” He went silent and she couldn’t tell where he was.
He wrapped arms around her from behind. Instinct took over and Kalina slid backward until they hit the wall. She spun in his hold then raised her dagger and held it to his throat. Although she knew it would get her a reprimand, she nicked him, a tiny droplet of blood welling where metal met skin.
Indigo Rain (Phoenix Intelligence Agency) Page 2
