The pooka furrowed his brow in a pitiful expression, then stood. I reached for the top of his head and patted him—after checking his coat in Primordium. The pooka’s tongue lolled out, and his eyes half closed. When I glanced down at my legs, I swallowed a few choice cuss words: Atrum coated my thighs from my knees to my hips where the pooka had sat. Summoning lux lucis, I cleaned my soul, my control sluggish. The pooka watched me with curious eyes when I finished. I shook my finger in his face. “No atrum on me. Ever.” His tail drooped and his whole body slumped. I gave him another pat and softened my tone. “Lux lucis only from now on, please.”
Niko stepped in front of me and gave me a hand up, steadying me as I readjusted to my hurt ankle. I used the opportunity to get control of my expression. It was easy to drop my guard around the pooka, but I couldn’t forget how dangerous he really was.
“His tether is short right now,” Mr. Pitt said. He hadn’t moved and didn’t look inclined to get any closer to me or the pooka. “For now, he won’t leave your side, day or night.”
“But my apartment is tiny.” Up until a minute ago, I’d assumed the pooka would remain outside. “What about his atrum?”
“Niko will set you up, but you’ll have to learn to exert your will and not allow him to leak atrum on your things or you.”
“Like metaphysical potty training?” I pictured rubbing the pooka’s nose in a puddle of atrum and shook my head at the absurdity.
“Something like that. This isn’t going to be easy. This is a strong pooka, and you’re new. The sooner you gain control of it, the better. For now, get some sleep. I’ll see you this afternoon.” Mr. Pitt took a few steps toward the offices before turning back. “And, Madison. You did really well tonight.”
He strode into the lobby without looking back. The pooka sat and leaned a shoulder of pure lux lucis against my hip. His eyes drifted closed on a big yawn. My jaw unhinged, and my yawn squeezed out a few tears. I staggered when the pooka relaxed against me.
“Let’s get you both home before you fall over,” Niko said, a laugh in his voice.
It took a vigorous rubbing of the pooka’s shoulder to rouse him. “Come on, sleepy head. Let’s go home.”
He plodded beside me to Niko’s car. Niko jogged ahead and laid a blanket across his backseat. I got the pooka settled on it and tucked his tail tight to his body before shutting the door. The Great Dane stretched across the BMW’s entire backseat. How was this pony-size dog going to fit in my apartment?
More important, would Mr. Bond ever forgive me?
Niko held the passenger door open for me. I must have looked pretty awful if he thought I couldn’t handle the door myself. Unhooking Val from my shoulder, I slid into the car. My shoulder, chest, and hip felt naked without the familiar weight.
I lifted Val to my lips. “Would it have killed you to mention pookas can turn into dogs?” I gave the book a pat that almost qualified as a spank, then set him on my lap. The knife sheath and handle digging into my back would have made the seat uncomfortable if I weren’t so tired. I clicked my seat belt into place as Niko settled behind the wheel.
Cool air trickled from the vents against my face, and Niko turned it off. We took the back exit out of the lot, heading into the glow of the sunrise.
“Everyone’s rushed you through this, but I want you to understand the dangers of the pooka,” Niko said.
I covered a yawn with both hands and tried to look attentive.
“They’re rare, not well understood, and dangerous because they’re magical creatures.”
“Aren’t we all?” At Niko’s sharp look, I realized the comment had sounded flippant. “I mean, everyone in the CIA. We can do things other people can’t.”
He turned back to the road. “What we do is not magic, no more than people with twenty-twenty vision have magic. We’re using a sense or function we were born with. Magical creatures, like the pooka, have a different set of rules.”
“Like changing shapes.”
“Like that. Pookas are one of the strongest unaligned magical creatures, which makes them dangerous on their own. They’re also attractive to those who sense them, and especially to those who would use them. Tonight gave you a condensed glimpse of what your life is going to be like while looking after the pooka.”
“I’m going to be fending off human-size imps and vervet every day?” I turned to face Niko fully, hoping he was joking.
“Not necessarily. But just by living, by being, the pooka will continue to draw trouble. Other creatures can’t resist it.”
“Good and bad,” I clarified.
“We’re not worried about the good creatures. It’s going to attract a lot of evil, and you’re going to have to deal with it all. Which is why it might be better off dead.”
I controlled my impulse to slap him. Niko wasn’t attacking the pooka, he was just explaining things to me. Not caring for his logic didn’t give me the right to assault him.
“Just because the pooka is going to be trouble doesn’t mean he should be killed,” I said. “If that was how we did things, Mr. Pitt would have killed me my second day on the job.”
Niko smiled, but it barely took the edge off my anger.
“Stand down, Madison. I don’t want to kill your pooka.”
“Then why’d you say that?” I let go of my death grip on my seat belt and leaned back in my seat, taking several deep breaths.
“After the baby boom, there were several trials regarding pooka poaching,” Niko said, not answering my question. “More than one enforcer was transferred and confined as a result.”
“Like Liam wanted to do.”
“The only warden with a potential right to claim you and the pooka as their own was Isabel. If Isabel could have convinced the other wardens you were Brad’s pawn, she would have claimed you as her enforcer, and you would have been transferred by the CIA. Your extreme naïveté worked in your favor for once.”
“I tried to find out what the massive energy was, but—” But Mr. Pitt hadn’t let me. He’d been insistent that I remain ignorant. What had his exact wording been? The situation is delicate, and your ignorance is our paltry defense. He’d known since Black Friday that I might imprint the pooka, and he’d intentionally kept me in the dark!
I worked my jaw, hunting for the appropriate emotional response. Anger didn’t surface. Neither did surprise—I’d known Mr. Pitt had been hiding something from me these last few days. I tried on indignation, but that didn’t work, either. Mr. Pitt had recognized the pooka for what it was, and just as quickly, he’d seen the possible implications. If he’d told me too much information, it might have looked like I’d known about the pooka all along, and Isabel surely would have won her poaching claim.
“I wouldn’t have gotten a say about the transfer?” I asked.
“No.”
“That’s a stupid rule.” Especially since I didn’t want to work under Isabel, and I definitely didn’t want to be forced to work anywhere. “I didn’t ask to be imprinted. I didn’t try, and I wouldn’t even know how you would go about forcing—enticing?—a pooka to imprint on you.”
“I know. Every warden at that meeting could tell, too.”
“What’s the big deal who he imprinted on? I mean, I wouldn’t give up the pooka now if I had a choice”—words I realized were true only as I spoke them—“but he’s going to make my life harder. Who would volunteer for that?”
“Those who want to advance faster. Linked to a pooka, you’re going to be tested twice as much as any other enforcer in the region. You’ll either get stronger faster or you’ll fail.”
“Great. As long as I get a nap first.”
“Pay attention, Madison. The stronger a warden’s enforcers, the stronger the warden, so having an enforcer linked to a pooka is a boon to a warden. If the decision to put you at the mall had been Brad’s—or if he’d been suspected of talking you into trying to imprint the pooka—he’d already be removed from his position. The CIA doesn’t stand for gross powe
r grabs, especially through the intentional endangerment of enforcers.”
“I get it. This is serious. And dangerous.” I covered another yawn behind my hands.
“You need to be vigilant. The pooka can shape you as much as you change it. More than one enforcer got too close to their pooka and lost perspective.”
What a cheerful thought. How was I supposed to always be on my guard, especially while I lived with the pooka? It sounded exhausting on a normal day, overwhelming now.
The car rocked to a stop and I glanced up, surprised to see we were in front of Safeway. I checked the backseat. The pooka breathed in soft snores, his eyes closed tight. It was hard not be jealous.
“How long will the pooka and I be linked?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ballpark it for me.”
Niko hesitated. “Months to years. Depends on how fast the pooka learns.”
I closed my eyes and held my breath until the urge to panic subsided.
“It’ll be dependent on you for now,” Niko said. I kept my eyes closed, listening to the deep timber of his voice more than the words. “We’ll shut it in your bathroom and set up protection over the doorway tonight. Once you have better control, this won’t be as important.”
I nodded to show I heard.
“I’m going to get some food. It hasn’t eaten since birth. I’m sure it’s hungry.”
I nodded again, making no effort to undo my belt. If I went into the store with Niko, the pooka would come, too, and we’d all be kicked out.
How was I going to function tethered to a pooka?
Niko opened the door, and cold air swirled in. The car rocked, and when the door didn’t shut behind him, I opened my eyes. Niko leaned back into the car.
“You negotiated your region’s expansion like a pro. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. But honestly, a larger region wasn’t my goal.”
“It’s been Brad’s goal every day since he got here.”
Niko shut his door before I could respond. It was just as well. Explaining that my motivation had been rooted in my desire not to alienate every single local warden would have taken too much energy. Especially since I’d also been motivated by a far more selfish reason: I didn’t want to move. I loved my apartment, and the thought of hauling my belongings down those stairs was too much to contemplate after today. Dodging responsibility for the mall was the whip cream on top.
I listened to the muted sounds of people and cars through the windows, closing my eyes against the growing light of day. My hair felt gritty and wild, which summed up how I felt, too. Dirt caked my clothing. My hands stung from bruises and cuts. If I weren’t limp with exhaustion, I might have dashed from the car to see if I could escape the pooka and all the unasked-for responsibility the creature entailed. How was I supposed to control a creature with free will?
Maybe we could come to an understanding. If I’d learned anything from Val, it was that respect and friendliness worked far better than being demanding and controlling.
I undid my seat belt and twisted to look at the ebony pooka in normal sight. “Hey, are you awake?” He lifted his massive Great Dane head and opened eerily intelligent yellow eyes. Here goes nothing. “Do you have a name?”
The black head bobbed in a distinctive nod.
“Are you going to tell me?”
He barked two connected syllables.
“I don’t speak dog. I’ll call you Trouble. Is that okay?”
A pink and black spotted tongue lolled out of his mouth, and a string of drool missed the blanket and dripped onto Niko’s leather seat. Perfect.
Niko opened the trunk, and I jumped. Through the back window, I watched him load a huge bag of dog food. Huh. I hadn’t considered exactly what a pooka would eat. I guess dog food was appropriate.
My apartment complex sprawled behind the Safeway center. It wasn’t worth putting my seat belt back on for the minute-long drive, but I did so anyway out of habit. Three speed bumps later, Niko pulled down the alleyway of covered parking. I indicated my vacant spot, wondering how I was going to get back to my car tomorrow with a Great Dane. Niko started to park, then stopped when Sam leapt up from where he’d perched on my concrete tire stop.
I dropped my head in my hands. “Uuuggh.”
17
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
“Do you know this boy?” Niko asked.
I looked up. Sam backed up to the lawn in front of the parking spot and waved enthusiastically, a broad smile on his freckled face. Niko finished pulling into my spot and turned off the car.
“That’s Sam. Local truant. I’m trying to teach him the error of his ways.”
Niko arched an eyebrow at me, but Sam opened my door before I could explain.
“Madison, how’s it going?”
“It’s been a long night,” I said. The pooka tried to climb between the seats to get out with me and I motioned him back. “Excuse me, Sam.” The neighbor’s Impala hugged the line, leaving little space between our cars. I squeezed past Sam. His icy fingers grazed mine, and I took a second look at the boy. How long had he been sitting here in the cold, waiting for me?
Trouble teeter-tottered out the back door, walked to the bumper, and spun back around to push his nose past me and into Sam’s crotch.
“Whoa! Dude. Wait for the second date.”
“Back up, Trouble.” I urged the pooka backward. He ducked his head and watched his feet, and when he cleared the cars, he looked at me with obvious pride. “Yes, yes. Good job backing up.”
Niko stood near the trunk, stern optivus aegis expression in place.
“Yo, my man, it’s Sam.” Sam held out his hand to Niko. Niko gave the boy’s hand a firm shake but didn’t offer his name. “You guys been out partying?”
“Sure, Sam. What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for my training to begin.”
“Training?” Niko asked. Though he looked at me, Sam answered before I could open my mouth.
“Madison’s going to train me to do stuff like her.”
“Stuff like her? Like what?” Niko asked.
“Yeah, Sam, like what?” I asked him, hoping Niko would play along until I could explain.
“Like help you with your superpowers.”
“Which would be?”
Sam shrugged. “Something in costume.”
“We met last week over some petty crime,” I said for Niko’s benefit. “Lately Sam’s been shifting more toward grand theft.”
“Hey, now! I’m helping teach people to be safer.”
“Tell that to him,” I said, jerking my head toward Niko. The optivus aegis shifted and somehow grew six inches, transforming from interested to imposing. It was a neat trick and one I needed to master.
“Aw, man, you’re not a cop, are you? You kind of look like one, but Madison said she wasn’t a cop.” Sam took a few steps back. He made it seem casual, but it was clear he was gearing up to bolt. Trouble sniffed his fingertips and barked.
“Nope. Not a cop. Curious why you don’t look like you’ve been committing all those crimes, though.”
“Because I’ve been helping people. I’m not a criminal,” Sam said, relaxing to pat Trouble’s head.
Niko wasn’t looking at Sam. He was staring hard at me, as if waiting for me to answer. It took me a moment, though in all fairness, I had been up almost twenty-four hours.
“I’ve done a little work with the boy,” I said.
“How much ‘work’?”
“I don’t know. Two times. No, three.”
“You haven’t done anything with me yet,” Sam protested. “But I’m not giving up. I’m ready for my superhero training. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means camping out here.”
“I’m not a superhero,” I said. I closed my eyes, then snapped them open when the world swayed. Niko caught my arm and steadied me. I blinked blearily at him.
“Madison, are you, like, okay?”
Niko ignored Sam. All t
races of humor were gone when he tipped my head up to force me to meet his gaze. “We’re going to have a serious talk as soon as you get some sleep.” He turned to Sam. “You are coming with me.”
“What? What’d I do?”
“You said you wanted to learn how to be a superhero. I can show you.”
“All right!”
“What?” I gaped at Niko, unconsciously mimicking Sam. “What did I do?”
“Later. Sam, I have to carry some things up to Madison’s. I want you to wait for me here. If you move a step, the deal’s off.”
“Right-o.”
“Didn’t anyone ever teach you about stranger danger?” I groused.
“Any dude who’s okay with you is okay with me,” Sam said. A shaft of sunlight sparked off his curls. The boy danced in place, exaggerating the fact that he never lifted his feet from the ground. “Plus, look at him. He’s the shit, right?”
“The total shit,” I agreed.
Niko carried a canvas bag and the dog food up the stairs in front of me. Trouble gave Sam’s fingers one last lick, then paced at my hip to my apartment, head swinging from side to side to take it all in. The first set of stairs gave him trouble. Coordinating his hind legs with the front took his concentration, but by the second set of stairs, he plodded next to my limping steps without my assistance.
Niko pulled my purse from inside the canvas bag. It was a testament to my fatigue that I hadn’t considered how we’d get into my house without my keys. Niko let me in, then stopped on the welcome mat. I explained to Trouble I would be right back for him. The pooka whined when I shut the door in his face; Niko took it with more grace.
Mr. Bond crouched in the hallway, body hair puffed in a ridge on his back. Even inflated, my obese cat looked tiny after hanging out with a mammoth.
“It’s okay, panther,” I said. “It’s just me.”
The dark Siamese crept up to my fingers and sniffed, then investigated my dirty sleeves before letting me pet him. I buried my cold fingers in his sleek fur, babying my ankle when I crouched awkwardly to rub my forehead against his. Mr. Bond jerked back, then sniffed my face, my grimy wisps of hair, and my shirt’s collar before he deigned to a forehead rub. Outside, Trouble whimpered. Niko was silent, and I wondered what my neighbors thought of me leaving such a gorgeous man on my doorstep. Other than I was a complete idiot.
A Fistful of Fire: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Madison Fox, Illuminant Enforcer Book 2) Page 26
