Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Andrew
I think Noah might just murder Gideon, and I regret that I haven’t had a chance to start a betting pool.
It’s been ten days since the accidental teleportation discovery, and ever since Gideon found out, he’s been hounding Noah for details.
Admittedly, we did ask him to walk Noah through the process for demons and for them to compare notes on how it felt—anything so we can gain knowledge that might make it safer for Noah to try again.
We had him checked out medically the day after, when he was still achy and sore enough that movement was an issue, and it turned out that he’d lost a small percentage of muscle mass between his last physical, three months after he was rescued, and The Event.
(The capital letters were Alistair’s idea, and it’s not worth arguing with him over it.
He was absolutely thrilled to hear about Noah’s potential new ability.) So it seems that teleportation does take more energy than a human body can really afford to spend.
Between that and dehydration, it was a few days before Noah was in good enough shape to come back to the office.
But now Gideon is showing concern for Noah in his uniquely grouchy way by insisting he eat all the time and work out and nitpicking at him for every tiny detail of The Event. They’ve been over it countless times by now, but Gideon is convinced there’s something Noah’s overlooked.
“Concentrate,” he demands, looming over Noah’s desk. “You’re not trying hard enough.”
I lean back in my chair and watch, wondering if it’s too late to at least bet with one person. Alistair and Sam are both here. Surely one of them would take my odds?
A quick glance at them disabuses me of that notion. They’re both watching as avidly as I am. Alistair is holding his phone in a way that’s probably supposed to be surreptitious but makes it obvious that he’s recording.
Oooh. That could add fuel to the fire.
“I did concentrate,” Noah snaps. “I’ve told you everything I remember. Fuck off and let me do my job!”
I smile proudly. He’s gotten over that stupid fear of Gideon, which makes things very interesting sometimes.
“Concentrate harder,” Gideon insists. “There has to be something you’re forgetting. A feeling or sensation. Teleportation doesn’t just happen without a physical warning.”
“For demons,” Noah says pointedly. “I am not a demon. We don’t know how teleportation works for humans.”
Gideon’s snort is like a red flag to a bull. “It can’t be that different. Maybe less effective.”
I spot Noah’s hand reaching for the heavy stapler on his desk just as Sam shouts, “Alistair, are you recording this?”
Damn Sam. He did that on purpose—I’d put money on it.
Gideon swings around to glare at Alistair, whose phone clatters to his desk as he puts his hands up in surrender, the fakest innocent look you’ve ever seen on his face. Noah’s still eyeing the stapler but seems content to hold off on assault for now.
Just when things were getting interesting, too.
Still, Gideon’s advancing on Alistair now, so there might still be some entertainm— No. Sam’s going in for the block.
“Stop it, both of you,” he scolds, and I sigh. “Alistair, delete that video right now and get some work done. You owe me three reports, and you’re not leaving today until I have them, even if we’re both here all night.”
Alistair opens his mouth to argue, a look of horror on his face, but Sam’s not done.
“And no, I don’t care that you finally have a date with the demon from the convenience store who you’ve been flirting with for weeks. If you want to go on that date, you’d better get those reports done. Don’t test me on this.”
A sullen nod is the only response, but when Sam turns toward Gideon—presumably for part two of the lecture—Alistair mutters, “Someone needs to give the World of Wangs a workout.”
Sam swings back around so fast, I almost don’t see it happen. Fortunately—for Alistair—Gideon grabs the love of his life before he can rain destruction down on his best friend.
“I really have to know,” Noah interrupts, probably in an effort to avoid more PTSD, “what’s the World of Wangs? I’ve heard it mentioned a few times now. Is it some kind of strip club? Or a porn channel?”
We freeze. Sam’s made it clear several times that he doesn’t want us sharing the story, since we still tease him enough about it even without everyone else knowing, but now would probably be a good time for a distraction.
And since he’s already pissed off with everyone else, I may as well add myself to the group.
“It’s a collection of different-shaped dildos,” I explain. “One for each species.”
Noah’s eyes bug out. “No fucking way! You mean it’s not just vampires that are different? We need to buy that. Can I get it online?” He reaches for his keyboard, then whips his head back to look at me. “What do the others look like?”
Sam starts to laugh. “I’ll send you a link,” he promises, and I’m not sure if it’s a link for Noah to buy the World of Wangs or a link to pictures of community cock.
Alistair tsks. “You two have barely been together a couple of weeks and already Noah needs dildos to get things done.” The broad grin on his face belies his mock-sympathetic tone.
I flip him the bird. Although, really, Noah might just kill me if we’re going to start experimenting with interspecies dildos.
Right now, I at least get to rest between rounds.
“Dude,” Noah says, “your convenience store demon isn’t going to stick around for long if the only positions you know are missionary and doggy.
Just think of all the fun we can have with dildos.
It’ll be like an orgy, only without all the extra arms and legs.
We should probably get some butt plugs, too.
” His face is bright red, but that’s the only sign of his previously super-private self.
He’s become much more comfortable around the team since discovering his power and coming to work in our space.
“I have some,” I tell him, more to tease than because I don’t want him to buy more. You can never have enough butt plugs. “But I think you might like anal beads.”
“I always walk in at exactly the wrong part of the conversation,” David says from the doorway.
“It’s okay, David,” I commiserate. “I’ll explain what anal beads are another time.”
His laugh is entirely unexpected and has a dirty edge I’m not used to hearing from him. “Don’t worry, I’m covered.” He heads for his desk.
Noah, Gideon, Sam, and I look at each other, completely at a loss for words. Alistair is too busy frantically working on his reports to even have noticed that David came in.
“It might interest you to know,” David goes on as though he hasn’t just flabbergasted us all, “that it looks like Tish has heard the rumor that Sam and Noah are visiting Sam’s father’s clan.
There’s been a lot of sudden interest. Which is very helpfully showing us some people we might have missed when we rounded up CCA members. ”
My attention is focused on Noah. His initial reaction—surprise?
—seems to be fading to determination. We’ve talked about his PTSD and Tish a bit, and he says he feels more in control now.
Before, even after we rescued him, he was mostly alone, just like he had been in the compound, and that made him feel vulnerable.
Now that he’s forming closer bonds with the team and is living with me, he feels more secure—he’s confident that if he went missing, we’d know immediately and look for him.
And being able to manipulate the magic makes him less vulnerable, which also helps his confidence.
“Something to take care of when Tish is safely in custody,” Gideon suggests, the low growl to his voice indicating that he will happily take part in that. “Are our people responding? Feeding the rumor and covering all bases?”
David nods. “Yes. Sam will be safe, Gideon. We’ve strongly reinforced the news that he’s with the clan.
” He turns his gaze on Sam, then Noah. “It might be an idea for the two of you to lie low for a while. Work from home when you can. The supposed leak here in the office looks to have been nothing, but people still gossip, and the fact that you’re here isn’t exactly supposed to be confidential information. ”
“Sure,” Sam says. “I can kick all your asses from home just as easily as I can here.”
“And I have no problem spending my lunch break in the pool,” Noah adds.
I remember the last swim we took together, naked, and wonder if maybe I should work from home too.
“Great,” David confirms. “Our people are in place to take Tish back. We’re just waiting for a few more things to be handled by the human government, but we should be ready to move in the next few days. I’m leaving tonight for the West Coast so there won’t be any delays.”
A sudden, sharp prickle of icy foreboding slithers down my spine.
I’ve learned over the years to follow my instincts, so I tune out the conversation and focus on what I’m feeling.
Clearly, something in me doesn’t like the idea of David leaving…
or is it that we’re depending on the human government?
I don’t know. Worse, I don’t think we have any alternatives.
The government is now deeply involved in this plan, and the plan won’t work if David isn’t there.
He’s the most senior combat sorcerer CSG has.
One of the rest of us could theoretically run the mission, but none of us are sorcerers, so we couldn’t fulfill the duty fully.
Maybe he shouldn’t go alone, though.
That idea eases the prickly dread—not completely, but enough that I have to suggest it. I wait for a pause in the conversation.
“Are you taking anyone with you?”
I get surprised stares from everyone.
“Well… no,” David says. “The team I’ll be working with is based on the West Coast, so they’re there already.” He seems a bit confused.