Stir Until Petrified

by Theda Vallee

  “The vote was to kill you or bring you into the fold. We’re not forcing you into slavery. You’ll be a valued member of the team. We’ll help you reach your potential. There’s nothing nefarious in that. I can see the mistrust in every inch of your body. We’re the last defense magical beings have on this earth. What could be more noble, Ms. Massoni?” His eyebrows arched in question. It was no wonder Luc was such as ass. His father was a total douche.

  It was stupid to continue arguing about this. I’d almost died today. That was not me being overdramatic. That was the cold hard reality. Instead of being dying, I was being forced to work for the most feared entity in all the magical world. Forced to work for them with a salary and benefits. I was having a hard time processing everything. My life as I knew it was over, but I wasn't dead, at this point I just needed to shut up and deal. “OK. So, I’m an Osservatori. Now what?”

  “Luc, did you give her the details of this current case?” Pietro asked curtly.

  “I thought you’d want to fill in those details sir,” Luc mumbled. Sir? Was that protocol or was that how he addressed his father?

  “Of course. As you know we’ve been investigating a rash of attacks that left fifteen victims in a vegetative state. We didn't recognize the pattern until a wood nymph was brought to the ER. As luck would have it the attending physician that night was part fae. She sensed the magic binding the nymph’s mind. Smart girl that she is, she remembered the other two patients that’d come through with the same symptoms.” He paused for moment furiously typing on his phone without an explanation. He frowned before looking back up to continue. “Upon examination, she confirmed the same residual traces of magic were present. We became involved at that point. Of course, the first suspects on the list were strega. The ability to enter a person’s dream and paralyze them is an old power dating back centuries, though it’s seen rarely. A strega who can enter the subconscious can weave whatever horror they want within the person. They can leave suggestions to influence their behavior. They can also just leave them in a dream state to waste away. All our victims are trapped in a perpetual dream world that we can’t get them out of. We have magical signatures for all the registered strega on file. None of them are a match. We started investigating those who claim not to be practicing. This led us to you. A very rare strega. I hope that perhaps you’ll be able to enter dreams. Several of your ancestors had that gift. If so, even if we can’t find the person responsible just yet, you can hopefully help us save the victims.”

  “And what if I can’t leap into dreams. Will you kill me?” I asked feeling overwhelmed but what they were expecting from me.

  “No! You’re an Osservatori now. It’s a lifetime commitment. You’ll either retire or die on duty.” He glanced down at his watch before looking back up. “I’ve another appointment. I trust you can get her over to HR, Luc? They’ll get you started on all your paperwork. While she’s doing that, can you run over and check on Len? I’m sure she was disappointed to miss the council meeting, but she’ll be overjoyed to hear that we have a new team member. Let her know I’ll stop by later. I’ll also send over some direction for Etta’s training this afternoon. You can call Rosalee and schedule a call with me to go over it. In the meantime, welcome aboard, Etta. I am so very glad we didn't have to kill you.”

  Chapter

  9

  “Really? A morality clause? So, what, I can’t get laid while I’m working for the Osservatori? How can they dictate what happens in my bedroom?” I demanded.

  I’d begun rummaging through the pile of paperwork that’d been handed over to me by the Human Resources department. The Osservatori killed people as part of their daily routine. Having a Human Resources department seemed counterintuitive to their overall mission statement of slaughter first ask questions later, but what did I know. The employee handbook was at least a hundred pages long. With that much text to get through I was terrified I’d miss something in the fine print. My life depended on not breaking any of their rules again.

  “You can have all the sex you want. That clause outlines what you can and can’t do with your powers. For example, you can’t use them for your own personal gain,” Luc replied with a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

  I’d been lobbing questions at him nonstop since he’d fired up the engine. “What exactly is my job going to be? You guys solve cases. How? Do I need to start working out? Do I need to learn karate or something?”

  “Some form of martial arts would be helpful, but I prefer my team learn krav maga. Just like any soldier you’ll need to learn survival skills. We’ll want you to have training in things like close quarter weapons combat, and firearms. Hacking will be critical, you’ll never make it into some of the more secure facilities without it. You'll also need to learn a few languages. It’ll be important for you to be very well rounded.” He said his focus on the road in front of him.

  “Seriously? Do you think I’m Jason Bourne? I can’t see myself kicking some guy’s ass while yelling “Who sent you” in Russian anytime soon. That would take years. I don’t think I’m up for it. Can you really do all of that?” I blurted out as panic overrode my calm facade. I was dead meat.

  His laughter rolled out filling the car. Nice. He was being sarcastic, and I’d missed it. Me, The Queen of Sarcasm! I let out a dissatisfied huff. “You’re a comedic genius. I’m being serious here. This is my life now. I have no clue what to expect!”

  “Pietro told you, your magic is the only requirement. When it comes to solving cases, it’s not so hard. For the most part we keep watch and we wait. When something doesn't look right we investigate. If we find someone going outside the rules, we take them in by any means necessary.”

  “Like killing them?” I hoped the answer to that was a resounding no. There was no way I’d be able to take someone’s life, no matter what it was they’d done.

  “That’s not the preferred method of capture. It does come to that sometimes. When people break the law, they aren’t normally willing to come along when you say, “You're under arrest”. A lot of them fight. Some of them will die fighting,” he conceded.

  “And sometimes Osservatori die in the fight?” I already knew the answer to the question, I just needed to see if he would answer me honestly.

  “Sometimes. It doesn't happen often. We try not to focus on that though. We’re protecting people. That’s what matters.”

  “So, what you’re saying is it's risky but rewarding?” I asked with a hint of bitterness in my voice.

  “Exactly!” he replied.

  A job that could get me killed was not on my list of career choices. Baking could be a little dangerous. I had burn marks up and down my arms to prove it, but I was certain I wouldn't be leaving the bakery in a body bag. No job that involved death as a possible outcome could be that rewarding.

  “I know it sounds scary, but we don’t lose people often. You’re never investigating alone. There’s always someone who has your back. Always.”

  “You had people working with you while you were investigating me?” Great. That meant even more people knew about what’d happened between us. That was going to make for awkward team meetings.

  “I have a team of three agents that work directly under me, four with you. No one goes it alone. We’ll train you to use your magic for defense at first. As you progress we’ll move up to harnessing that destructive side. When cases come in we’ll work together to figure who the bad guy is. Nothing rests on your shoulders alone.”

  “So how do we know that we actually have the bad guy when we go to arrest them?” I questioned. I had some strong opinions on this topic.

  “We investigate and collect evidence. If we do our jobs right, we know we aren't harassing innocent citizens. I promise we won't be out arresting little old ladies for not registering.”

  “I’m going to have to call bullshit. My grandmother is a little old lady. When you walked into my kitchen the other day, my family was no threat to you. They’re stubborn, but they c
ouldn't have hurt anyone if they tried. They didn't commit a crime. All they did was stand by me. If my memory serves me correctly, my Nonna was tackled to the ground and arrested. You can’t guarantee me that we won't be tackling the elderly. Oh, and remember how I was innocent? Yup, there goes the assumption that we won’t be arresting innocent people.” I said eyeing him triumphantly. I’d just blown his theory out of the water. In his face!

  “That was different, and you know it. You know what? How about we listen to the radio for the rest of the drive. No more talking.” He pushed the controls on the steering wheel turning the radio up.

  I slammed the knob on the console back silencing the radio. “Don’t you dare act like my questions are inconveniencing you! My life has been handed over to the Osservatori. In case you’ve forgotten, you kidnapped me from my home because your daddy told you to. I'm a ticking time bomb should my patience give out. I’d try to be a little nicer to me if I were you,” I warned him. I could magic bomb his ass to the next state. Just saying.

  “My father didn't instruct me to kidnap you. The Osservatori gave me orders to arrest you. Two very different things. As a head’s up, you may want to read the clause in that handbook about threatening your superiors. It’s frowned upon.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel in anger.

  “Please. We both know your dad is the Osservatori. Everyone in that room shut up when he was talking. It’s clear when he snaps his fingers everyone jumps. You didn't think about whether it was right or wrong. You kidnapped me because the Osservatori aka your daddy told you to.”

  “I didn't kidnap you. I arrested you. I did my job. Something you’ll understand soon. When you're given an order, you do it. You have to trust the people giving the order,” he snapped, a vein had started to bulge a little in his forehead.

  “And what if the person giving the order is corrupt? What if the means don’t justify the end? You can’t just follow orders without thinking. Fair warning boss, I don’t follow orders blindly,” I said shaking my head in disgust. He was an idiot if he thought every person handing down orders in the Osservatori had altruistic intentions. I’d been subjected to one meeting with the council and I could tell you half of them had their own agendas.

  “Did you ever stop to think that I didn’t follow my orders blindly? Maybe I stopped them when they wanted to pull you out of bed and drag you out of your home in chains? Perhaps the only reason you have that employee packet is because I didn't follow protocol. I persuaded my father to allow the council to decide. I gave you a fifty-fifty shot. But, no, you think I’m some insipid coward who has no mind of his own. Fuck it all!” He slammed his hand onto the steering wheel punctuating his words. Without warning he swerved the Porsche onto the shoulder of the road, bringing it to an abrupt stop.

  With no explanation he opened the car door getting out in one furious motion. He slammed the door behind him causing the car to shutter. Guess I’d hit a nerve. Well, he could pout all he wanted. I wasn’t in a mood to be magnanimous. If he didn't come back in five minutes I was hopping into the driver’s seat and would happily leave him behind. My family was sitting at home waiting for me. I guarantee that they had pasta cooking. I wasn’t missing another meal for him.

  I shuffled through the last few documents in the envelope of doom trying to make sense of the job I’d been thrust into. How the hell was I going to be an Osservatori? I knew how to bake. I did the accounting for the bakery. That was the limit of my skill set. Didn't they need administrative staff? I was positive I could learn how to make a PowerPoint before I’d ever figure out how to use my magic properly. Maybe they needed a hacker? Every movie I’d ever seen about elite squads had a hacker that helped the team remotely. I was perfect for that role. Learning how to be a hacker couldn't be that hard compared to tackling an angry vampire, right?

  I doubted they’d allow me to be office staff. The council had voted for me to live so they could use me as a weapon. I was being forced to use my magic. The magic I’d unleashed unwittingly when I’d tried to protect myself from that piece of shit Bob. Were they right? Now that I’d unleashed it, was I basically a magical accident waiting to happen? Was I a danger to people? The last thing I wanted to do was accidentally hurt someone I loved or an innocent stranger. This sucked. What sucked even more was the only person who could teach me how to keep my magic from happening all over the place was sitting outside the car pouting because I’d hurt his feelings. I hated admitting it but, I had one choice. Suck it up, learn how to control my magic, and become the best little Osservatori I could. Why did the universe hate me? The last thing I wanted to do was play nice with Luc DeFiero.

  It was going to be up to me to extend an olive branch. Which was unfair given the circumstances. I’d whine about it to my sister later. Right now, I had to deal with my new boss who was acting like a spoiled child. Why was I so attracted to him? He’d shown himself to be a petulant brat on more than a few occasions.

  Gingerly I opened the door. I took a deep breath steeling myself to behave as grown-up as possible. I closed the door gently behind me. It was a Porsche. It deserved to be treated with some respect. Luc was crouched in the dirt a few feet from the car. I watched quietly as his hand searched the ground for a rock. When his fingers found the right one, he scooped it up flinging it out into the brush, muttering under his breath the whole time. It was probably a good thing I couldn't hear what he was saying.

  “For someone in the Osservatori, you’re not very observant. If I was a bad guy I’d have stabbed you by now,” I quipped.

  “We’re magical beings. I doubt anyone would be coming at me with a knife,” he said his back rigged with anger.

  “Look, for what it’s worth I’m a little bit sorry.” There. That was the best he was going to get. I wasn’t going to apologize for being pissed. I had every right to be angry. I was sorry I’d agitated my new boss. I needed him on my side even if I couldn't trust him.

  “You’re a little bit sorry.” He stood up, wiping his dusty hands on his muscular thighs. “Gee, Etta, that makes everything so much better. Now I know you’re a little bit sorry we can start over like none of this ever happened.”

  “Sarcasm doesn't suit you. Rage on the other hand worked well for you.” I offered a tight smile as a peace offering.

  “How about the truth? Do you think that’ll suit me?” he retorted.

  “Are you capable of that? What do you want from me? I’m scared. I’m angry. You’ve had a hand in everything that’s happened to me in the last few days. You kissed me and made me think that we might have something. You can’t expect me to act like everything’s fine between us.”

  “I was ordered to investigate you. That’s not something I can change. This case has everyone shaken. Usually we narrow in on a suspect quickly but there’s something different about this one. It’s changed the way we’ve done things. I’m not OK with it.” He looked up closing his eyes in frustration for a moment. “I’m not sure how far they’re willing to go to stop this, but I wasn't willing to let you die because of it. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because I can’t stop thinking about you. When I saw you for the first time in the club, I was enthralled. I sat down with you and your smile, your laugh, everything pulled me. Something in me reaches out and wants you every time we’re together. When I kissed you, there was nothing I could do. I had no control. My need for you overrode everything.”

  That was not what I’d expected. I stood there with my mouth gaping. I’d been waiting for more pouting. Maybe even some rage. I had no idea what to do with whatever it was he was confessing to me.

  “Say something, Etta. I feel like an idiot. Are you feeling it too? Is this all one-sided?” His chest heaved as he took in a deep breath, steeling himself for what I might say.

  Did I tell him the truth? Every time I was near him, no matter how much I wanted to rip his eyeballs out, I also wanted nothing more than for him to be inside me. I’d nicknamed my vibrator Luc because it’
d been wielded in his name one too many times over the last few weeks. No, I wasn't going to admit any of that because as of today he was my boss. In the freaking Osservatori. He was also a lying manipulator who’d arrested me and my family. I was on vaginal lockdown as far as he was concerned. Whatever it was that we were both experiencing, it’d have to remain an unsolved mystery.

  “Etta? This isn’t a one-way thing, is it?” I stood immobile watching as he moved closer, his eyes pleading for an answer. I wanted to protest. The words faded from my lips before they could form. The resolve I’d felt moments ago dissolved into fascination as I watched electricity crackle in the air between us. Not metaphorically; actual sparks of light cascaded off his body. It swirled in front him like his own personal storm as he moved into my space.

  I felt a warm sensation trickle through me. Glancing down I was startled to see the same fireworks rolling in waves off my body. I was transfixed by the illuminations rippling from me. They moved of their own accord, pushing out to meet Luc’s waves of light. This had never happened to me before, yet instead of freaking out, I felt at peace. It felt right. The waves increased in intensity as I accepted them, pushing against the constraints of gravity to connect with the lightning show that Luc was emitting.

  Liquid pleasure shot through the lower half of my body, leaving me wet and wanton. I looked up to find him standing within inches of me. Our waves of light joyously intertwining, encircling us in warmth, bathing us in what could only be described as living lust. I tilted my head up, inviting him to come in for a kiss. Gently he brushed his lips against mine. An electrical charge surged with the connection, creating a current between us.

  The world buzzed in and out of focus as he pressed his lips against mine, all gentleness gone. He deepened the kiss, embolden by my reciprocation. I whimpered when he pulled back, not wanting him to stop. Playfully he nipped my bottom lip with his teeth. My legs quivered with the pleasure of dueling sensations. The energy continued to fill me. My tongue lashed out, finding the indent that was his dimple, before pushing into his mouth. All my inhibitions melted away. I was going to do all the things I’d been fantasizing about doing with him, right here.