Chapter 3 #2
Come midmorning, I’m still not sure what I want to do. Feeling a little unsettled, I leave the nearly empty team area and make my way back to the meeting room that’s been allocated for my meeting with Harold and Geoffrey.
Only they’re not there. Instead, the table is surrounded by six people, one of whom I’ve spent years avoiding.
“Oh.” I freeze in the doorway. “Sorry. I-I must have the wrong room.” I glance at the number on the door again. 3.6. That’s what was in the calendar invite.
“Sam Tiller?” the plain, slight man at the far end of the table asks.
“Uh… yes. Sorry, have we met?” Fuck fuck fuck. He knows my name, and he looks kind of familiar, but I’m not sure…
Except I am, because Gideon plus five other people can only mean one thing.
“Not yet.” He stands and comes around the table, holding out his hand. Closer, I can see that he’s a shifter, and based on his size, I’m going to guess felid. I shake his hand. “I’m Percy Caraway.”
Yep. “The lucifer?” Unlike human leaders, the lucifer doesn’t appear on TV.
There are no photoshoots, and public appearances are rare.
He’s an administrator, and since he doesn’t need popular support for reelection, he doesn’t waste time glad-handing or promoting his image.
So I’ve only ever seen a couple of pictures of him.
He smiles, and it’s a genial, friendly smile.
He’s only an inch or so taller than me and has the kind of face that’s nice enough to look at but is completely forgettable.
“Yes. Come in and sit down.” He gestures toward the table, where there are still a couple of empty chairs and one of the other people—I’m guessing a succubus, but she could be a vampire.
They both have strong charisma, and unless fangs are on show, it’s hard for me to tell—is getting up.
She steps past me to close the door, winking.
I sit nervously. Fuck. A meeting with the lucifer? This can’t be good. Maybe he never knew he had a human working (indirectly) for him and wants to fire me himself? But why would he bring his senior investigative team along for that? As bodyguards?
No, that’s dumb. Five bodyguards to protect him from me is waaay beyond overkill. I’ve long acknowledged the fact that should there be a zombie apocalypse, I will be one of the first to die.
Zombies aren’t real, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.
The lucifer smiles again. “I know this is very belated, but welcome to our community. It can’t have been easy for you to get used to all of us after not knowing we existed for most of your life.”
I try to smile but only manage a grimace. “Everybody was very… friendly.”
One of the others laughs. “So we heard. You’re a brave man, taking on a team of mostly hellhounds.”
“I resemble that remark,” the only other woman in the room, a hellhound (obviously) says, but she’s grinning as she turns to me. “Alistair is a cousin of mine. I admire the heck out of you for being able to work with him this long.”
“He’s not so bad,” I find myself defending. “He just needs boundaries.” So he can ignore them. Alistair has mentioned this cousin, Elinor, a few times. He talks about his family all the time and seems to have a million far-flung relatives.
She snorts, and that more than anything tells me she definitely knows him personally.
“Regardless,” the lucifer says, “there must have been some culture shock involved, and from all accounts you handled it like a champion. We appreciate all the work you’ve done to keep the community safe.”
I smile uncertainly. Is this a compliment or the lead-in to a brush-off? “Thank you.”
“Let me introduce you to these others.” He turns to the woman on his left, Alistair’s cousin. “This is Elinor Martin. David Carew, Lily Heath, Andrew Turner, and Gideon Bailey.”
I force another smile and nod to acknowledge the introductions.
I know who they are, of course, by name and reputation.
I’m a champion lurker on the community social media sites and forums, and the lucifer’s senior investigative team is a popular topic of conversation.
Their job is to identify, investigate, and prevent anything that may possibly expose the community to humanity on a large scale or that might endanger the community.
Technically, the lucifer heads the team himself and they report only to him, although of course he’s not involved in actively investigating.
They’re living legends online—everybody wants to either be them or fuck them. In one forum, it’s both.
I’m not here to judge.
I’ve actually had dealings with this team before.
Kind of. In the loosest definition. Some information came up while one of my people was on an investigation that I thought warranted attention, and after asking around, I booted it to their admin.
She came back to me with some questions, which I answered, and that was the whole thing.
I doubt anyone would even really remember it unless they were reading case files.
I certainly don’t think it made me stand out as someone they need to talk to—which is the way I want it.
After that little almost-scene with Gideon on my first day, I’ve gone out of my way to stay out of his way.
I’m not sure what his problem is, but I don’t need that kind of drama in my life.
I am, however, really fucking terrified that I, a human who knows about the community, have been called in for a meeting with the highly deadly team responsible for protecting the community from humans. Forget being fired; now I’m worried about being dead.
“It’s, uh… nice to meet you all.” I studiously avoid Gideon’s gaze.
David, who’s a sorcerer, laughs outright. “The sheer terror in your expression is making a liar of you,” he… teases? Am I being teased by a man who can wrench my insides out of my body with a thought? His grin seems to indicate yes.
So I push down my fear. “I’m just, uh, a little intimidated, I guess.”
“No need,” Elinor says cheerfully. “We’re actually here to tell you how great you are.”
What?
Obviously seeing my confusion, the lucifer takes back the reins of the conversation. “We’d like for you to consider a change in job, Sam. The team needs administrative support, and we’d like to discuss the possibility of you filling the role.”
Fuck me sideways.
With a cactus.
“Oh.” I sound utterly inane, but I literally cannot think what to say.
C’mon, Sammy, brain on! “That’s very flattering.
Thank you. Um… don’t take this the wrong way, but I would have thought there are plenty of other great admins who—” Aren’t human and haven’t fucked Gideon.
“—uh, who might suit better.” I can think of three off the top of my head.
Silver hottie Andrew, who’s a super old vampire but looks like he should be modeling for GQ , tilts his head and says in a voice that gives me tingles, “Are you not interested in the job?”
While part of me goes all melty and wants to snuggle on his lap and give him anything he asks for, the part that knows better snaps, “Stop that. That’s not okay.
” Vampire charisma is a potent thing, and the fact that I can still think at all means he wasn’t putting any real effort into it, but I still won’t be coerced.
A satisfied smirk spreads across his face, and he elbows Gideon. “See. I told you he’d be a good choice, even if he is human.” He turns back to me. “So, are you really not interested in the job?”
Am I? It’s really a huge ego boost that they’re even considering me. This is a top-level job. But… I’d have to work with Gideon. Who’s been wearing his usual glower since I walked in.
“Maybe,” I say cautiously. “It sounds interesting, but I’d want to know a bit more.
Including why you’d consider me when there are other candidates.
” I don’t want to say it surprises me that they’d pick a human over a member of the community, because that would be like calling them speciesist, but it’s a valid consideration.
My job skill set isn’t that special, and as far as I’m aware, I am the only human currently employed by CSG.
That’s not to say I’m the only human who knows about the community.
There’s been a certain amount of interspecies fraternizing, to put it politely, over the millennia, and if those relationships become serious, the human is invited into the community and treated as one of its own.
I am actually unique in that I know about the community but don’t have an emotional attachment to a “natural” member.
Nor am I a human in a position of government power.
I’ve met a few people over the past few years who consider me an oddity and a liability because I’m just ordinary but also have full knowledge of one of the biggest secrets ever conceived.
The lucifer shrugs. “You’re excellent at your job, which means considering you is necessary, and you’ve proven your commitment to CSG over the years.
I also feel that having a human on the team will offer a new perspective.
A lot of the situations this team handles involve humans.
Your opinions and input could be valuable. ”
There are some nods around the table. Lily winks again. At a guess, I’d say three of the five of them are on board with me joining the team. One—Andrew—seems neutral-ish but willing to be convinced.
Gideon’s face is like stone.
That scares the shit out of me.
Of all members of the team, the least is known about him.
He’s a demon. He’s a top investigator. Currently single—well, he was the last I heard, maybe about a month ago—and tends to date highly intelligent, sophisticated high achievers.
His family is some big to-do amongst demons. He’s scary as fuck.
And he’s hot as hell.
Like, really.
Who knew it was possible to be so scared I might crap myself but also be turned on, all by the same person?
A person glowering at me.