"Of course," she said. "But I doubt you can do it without going in with her, unless she lets you."
"Oh come on, she's tiny," Erika said.
"And she knows aikido," I said.
They backed off immediately and sat down.
"I should be doing this privately," Petra said. "But it's not like everyone doesn't already know." She glared at me.
"Hey," I said. "All I did was asked Beth whether she really wanted the job and told her she wasn't obligated to take it if she didn't really want it."
"Erika, Susan loves your work and loves you. She feels your creativity is stifled in your current position and is looking forward to seeing what you can do when given more freedom to do so. We would like to extend you an immediate offer."
"Yes," said Erika.
"Don't you want the details before you accept?" Petra asked.
"You won't ask me to take a pay cut, I know what the work is, and I presume I need to be on site," she said. "I'm a little worried about paying for that last part, but everything else is fine."
"The company will insist you accept an apartment in a building we control," Petra said. "That is not negotiable. Rent will be whatever your current rent is once you are released from your current commitment."
"You're going to offer me Felicia's old apartment?" she asked.
Petra laughed. "I'm going to offer that apartment to you and Beth, if you want to share, or else we'll offer you a significantly smaller apartment elsewhere in the building."
"Yes," said Beth.
Petra smiled at her. "Your position is a little different. While you have an advanced degree, you have no on the job experience that directly relates to the position we have for you. We can offer you exactly what you are currently making with the same terms on rent. Promotions and raises when they become appropriate based on your ability to assume full management of your department. I don't have your starting title ready, but it's about two steps above intern."
"So you want us to move, not..." said Beth. "Work remotely."
"Yes, we want you to relocate."
"I love New York City," Erika said, "But I have a crappy little studio apartment I'm paying far too much for, and I hate my job. Yes."
Beth looked away for a while. I knew she loved California.
Finally she looked back. "I can do this job," she said. "If I had all the experience needed so that Renea didn't need to watch over me, what would my title be?"
"Vice President of Finance."
"That's a higher title than yours or Andrea's."
"Yes," said Petra. "Than our current titles, yes."
"And there is an even path from 'two steps above intern' to 'vice president'?"
"We'll have to make one. I don't have any details."
"Are there going to be rules about how often I can step between the rungs of that ladder? Or if I am consistently doing the work, I get the promotion?"
"If you are doing the work and have been doing it for sufficiently long that Renea has confidence in you, you get the promotion. I can't be more specific. This isn't the path we'd planned on taking, but it's a good path that I think will work."
She looked away, then looked back. "Can you be a friend for a few minutes? I want your advice."
"Of course," Petra said.
"I'm giving up California, which I love. I like my job, and I'm good at it. However, the route to promotion at the bank is limited and there's definitely a glass ceiling. You're offering me a low level title, but are suggesting there's no glass ceiling and even if I were a man, probably significantly faster promotions than I'd otherwise be able to earn. Plus, perhaps exotic travel besides."
"That's a good summary," Petra said. "And probably better overall benefits. Especially the life insurance."
Andrea scoffed.
Karen looked puzzled. "Our life insurance benefits aren't any better than anywhere else."
"Petra," said Beth, "is this a good move for me? It would be an easy choice if I didn't have to give up California."
"Professionally speaking," Petra said. "For the short term, it's probably a demotion. Long term, it is absolutely the right choice, if you want to move into finance instead of mortgage banking. The personal side..." she paused. "You'll get far more interesting travel than you will at your bank. You won't make more for the first year or two, but you'll soon be making far more than you are now, and you won't have a California cost of living to deal with. You'll be close to two of your oldest friends." She shrugged. "I would take the job."
"Beth," I said, standing up. "Come with me."
I didn't wait to see if she were following me. I walked out onto the beach. I turned around and she was right behind me.
"Do you want the job itself?"
"Yes. Absolutely. No question."
"So this is about California vs. the frozen tundra of Minnesota?"
"Yes."
"Take the damned job. Don't be daft. Between all of us we can start buying places all over the world. We can spend our weekends anywhere we want. Anywhere at all. Starting in a few months when you learn to pop in and out."
She looked at me. "Really?"
"I've been popping back and forth here. I can go home and grab something if I forgot it and be back here twenty seconds later." I paused. "The rules are weird. You have to kind of own a place to go there, or have permission from the owner, but renting this bungalow for a week means we own it, if just for the week. So I can't pop over to Paris right now, but if we bought a tiny little flat in Paris, I could go there whenever I wanted."
She smiled and walked back to Petra with me in her wake.
"Petra," she said. "Has my job offer expired?"
Petra laughed. "No."
"When do I start?"
* * *
"What did you tell her?" Petra asked me early the next morning. We were in her tower for a little fun before summoning Beth and Erika. I had her clothes off and was just about to start doing delicious things to her.
"I see the shine has worn off our relationship," I told her. "I'm about to do the things I'm about to do and you're already thinking about another woman."
She laughed. "I want to stop thinking about another woman so I can properly enjoy my love slave's attention."
"Love slave, is it?"
"Yes. Now answer the question."
"I reminded her of the travel opportunities available. She really loves California, but I pointed out between all of us, we could buy a few places around the world. We can, can't we?"
She smiled. "We already have. Renea owns four. Andrea and I both own two more. But before you can go there, you have to travel in person so you know how to find it."
"Can't you just, you know, send me?"
She put on the most startled expression. "I've never tried. I've never had anyone I could send, and Renea never mentioned anything about it. Felicia my love slave,"
"Yes, she who isn't getting any tonight?"
"Ha, we'll see. Felicia, you are welcome to travel to any of my properties." She smiled. "I own a little cabin in the mountains of Idaho. It's exceedingly remote and is next to a small lake. There is no running water or even an outhouse. Just a one-room cabin with a bed and some furniture, and a beautiful view."
"Send me."
I felt a push, and then I was lying on a bed in a new room. I got up and looked around. It was cold, so I grabbed a blanket.
I was in a rough log cabin, exactly as Petra had described. It was small and cozy. I walked to the window and saw there was snow outside.
There was a pop and I turned around. Petra was standing in the middle of the room. "Oh my god, it's cold," she said. "She pulled a blanket out of a chest at the foot of the bed. "It worked!"
I smiled. "So you can send me. That means you'll be able to send Beth, and Andrea will be able to send Erika. I wonder if you can send me somewhere that Andrea owns, if she gives you permission. Or somewhere Renea owns."
I hugged her. "It's cold though."
"Snow b
ank time for you!" Petra said.
"No way," I said. I tried to pop back to the tower but didn't go anywhere. "Um. Something is wrong. I can't go back to Siriena."
Petra smiled wickedly. "I know. You need to wash off all your naughtiness in a snow bank before you can go back!"
She started stalking me around the small cabin. I backed away from her. She made a grab for me, and I tried an aikido throw. She reversed it and somehow picked me up over her shoulder.
"Hey! Put me down."
I tried to pop back to the tower.
"No, no, no," she said. "That's not going to work."
"Bully!"
She stepped to the door, opened it, and carried me outside onto the deck. The only consolation I had was she had to walk through snow to do it. Then she gave me a heave and I went sailing over the railing to land in a deep pile of fluffy snow. I immediately started shrieking.
Then I felt a pull, and I was back in the tower.
"Cold! Cold! Cold!" I said.
Petra was laughing. "You!" I said. "Get up on that bed. I need to warm my tongue."
"You are so romantic," she said. But she climbed on the bed. I crawled over to her, pulled her to the edge, and grinned wickedly at her.
She started to shriek when I put my cold hands on the insides of her thighs. But her shrieks changed soon when my tongue got involved.
Surprise
I watched Andrea and Petra summon Erika and Beth. Beth immediately squeezed my hand when I offered it to her. Once they were both there and looking at me, I told them, "Remember what I said about paybacks?"
I moved to their feet and began tickling them. I only kept it up for a minute, then I kissed them on the foreheads. "I love you both." Their eyes followed me, but they still weren't able to talk. Soon.
I'd been watching Petra and Andrea. To avoid bothering them, I went to the other side of the room, knelt down, and began thinking about Karen. What harm could this cause, right? I began humming and trying to weave the magic, thinking about Karen and thinking about the magic wrapping around and through her. I felt something, but I couldn't have told you what.
I closed my eyes and zoned out to the feel of the magic, thinking about Karen and the magic, the magic and Karen. I tuned out what was going on in the rest of the room and the rest of my life, and just tried to feel the magic and imagine Karen sliding into the room, wrapped in my magic as if I were holding her.
I don't know how long I stayed there, kneeling on the floor, humming softly, but then I heard a voice. "What's going on?"
I opened my eyes. Karen was lying on the floor in front of me. I stopped humming.
"Don't stop!" Petra yelled. "Keep humming!"
I closed my eyes and began humming again, feeling the magic. I opened my eyes and Karen was still there. I kept humming but reached out and took her hand. She sat up and looked at me.
"Why am I naked?" she asked. She looked around. "Where am I?"
Petra and Andrea were both staring at me. I looked over to them for help. Beth and Erika were both gone. Petra picked up a blanket. She walked over and wrapped it around Karen. Then she turned to me and said, "You keep humming. I am so proud of you."
I focused on the magic, on holding Karen with us. Petra and Andrea knelt down in front of Karen.
"I've been here before," she said. She looked at Petra. "I remember you. I used to dream about you." She looked at Andrea. "You look so young. What's going on?"
And then she faded out.
I kept humming, trying to bring her back. Petra smiled. "You can stop. She woke up. I imagine she's at our door right about now."
She popped out. I immediately followed her.
Our bedroom was empty except for Petra and me. I looked at her. "I thought you said she couldn't come."
"I didn't think she could. I tried on and off for months."
We stepped out of the bedroom. Beth and Erika were sitting on the sofa. I heard noises from the bathroom, then Karen stepped out. Andrea exited her room at the same time. We all stared at each other.
"I just had the weirdest dream," Karen said. "You were in it, Felicia. You were kneeling over me, humming." She turned to Andrea. "You were there, too. You looked so young." She looked around. "There was a third woman. She looked a lot like you, Petra, but different."
"She was me," Petra said. "It wasn't a dream."
"That's why you didn't come back right away," said Beth.
"I summoned her," I said, still in a daze. "Petra said she couldn't, but I did it."
Petra turned around and kissed me. "Yes, Love, you did."
"Did someone put something in the brownies last night?" Karen asked.
"We didn't have brownies last night," Andrea said. "Might be the water."
"I think it's the clear, Siriena air," Beth said. She paused. "And Felicia, just so you have fair warning, Erika and I had a good thirty minutes to plan our revenge. I can't believe you tickled us while we were completely helpless."
"Just remember," I told her. "You're going to be helpless for a week or two. I am going to have unfettered access to your feet. You may want to manage how motivated you make me."
* * *
After that, we explained everything to Karen. "I remember," she said. She turned to Petra. "You kissed me. In my dreams."
"They weren't dreams," I told her. "But if you're wondering, you don't get her back. She's mine now."
"And then," she said. "At that party, we both got a little tipsy. We took a cab home. You walked me to my door, and I realized how sexy you were, so I asked you to kiss me. That was real."
"Yes," said Petra. "It ruined everything. I couldn't summon you after that."
"That's because I was afraid," she said. "I didn't want those dreams. I thought they were dreams, that I was having erotic dreams about my boss, about another woman." She paused. "You know what kind of upbringing I've had about that."
Petra looked away. "I know. I'm sorry."
"The thing is," said Karen. "I could feel you trying to enter my dreams again. Not every night like it had been, but once or twice a week. And then it stopped."
"I gave up," she said.
"It was months later, once I'd gotten to know you better," Karen said. "And I realized I wanted the dreams back. But then they didn't come. When I woke up this morning, I was expecting you. Imagine my surprise when I saw Felicia kneeling over me."
"Karen," I said. "For the record. There will be no kissing of Petra."
We answered all of Karen's questions. She was immediately on board. "Whom will she belong to?" I asked. "Petra or me?"
"I have no idea," Petra said. "I guess we'll find out." She paused. "We have something else to tell all of you."
"Actually," I said. "Petra and I will be right back." I turned to her. "My tower, if you please." And I popped out. Then I popped home to our apartment in Minneapolis, grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, and popped back to my tower.
Petra took a few minutes to get there. "Disappearing in front of Karen provided new questions."
"Will you send me to your place again?" I said. "I'm going to get some snow."
She smiled and I felt a push. I was back at the cabin. I collected a bowl full of snow from outside, then popped back to the apartment and then to the bungalow. I stepped out of the bedroom and set the bowl down.
"Oh," I said. "Headache." I waved away the concern. "Look what I found." I pointed to the bowl.
They all looked into the bowl. "Is that snow?" Andrea asked.
"Yes, it is," I said. I smiled. "From an isolated cabin in the mountains of Idaho."
We talked about it for a while. I eventually wandered into the kitchen and found something to eat.
* * *
The rest of the vacation was amazing. Beautiful water and an amazing beach. It was the off season, so there were no other tourists. And each night, we summoned our three new recruits and taught them what we could. By the time to fly home on Wednesday, Beth and Erika were both talking. Karen had a head start
from her time three years ago with Petra, so she was learning to open the door.
She really hated it when I encased her in the wall.
It turned out she was mine.
* * *
We all got home safe and sound. Karen had to fly home to Minneapolis by herself. We took the private charter back to Fort Lauderdale together, as it was easier than answering questions, but then Petra, Andrea and I went home the easy way. Beth and Erika flew home to California and New York.
Thursday we were all back at work. It was strange to be home, but there was a ton of work waiting for Andrea. Petra waited for me so I wouldn't have to take the train.
"I can pop home," I said grinning.
"That's a trap," Petra told me. "It becomes too tempting. Eventually someone is going to notice."
I sighed.
During the car ride home, Erika called me. "Are you with Petra?"
"Yes."
"Put me on speaker, please." As soon as I had, she said, "Petra, please tell me you really offered me a job."
Petra laughed. "I really offered you a job."
"Good. I don't have the official letter from you yet, but I gave notice today anyway. I'm driving to Minneapolis the week of Thanksgiving."
"Congratulations!" Petra said. "Everything here will be waiting for you."
We stopped for dinner on the way home and were sitting in the restaurant when my phone rang again. I glanced at it. "Beth," I said.
"Answer it," Petra told me.
"Are you with Petra?" she asked.
"I'll put you on speakerphone."
"Petra, please tell me that was a real job offer, because I gave notice today."
We laughed. "So did Erika," we told her.
"The moving van comes the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I'll need to know where to send them," she said. "I'm driving out, I should arrive by Monday or Tuesday. Do I have a place to stay?"
"Yes," I told her.
When we signed off with her, I told Petra, "Our circle is growing."
Scouting Mission
It was still dark when we entered the woods with our merry band. Andrea and Petra took point. Karen, Beth, Erika and I were spread out behind them. We were all wearing swords and dressed in black.
Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) Page 19
