ShakenandStirred (2 page)

Small clusters of houses with quaint yards bracketed the base. "It looks cozy."

"I am glad you think so. You are the newest recruit for the Sector Guard." Vortex swung free of his seat and extended a hand to her.

"Do I get a say in this?" She let him help her to her feet.

"Yes. We have removed you from harm's way, but if you want the ability and the free reign of your talent, this is really your only outlet. Like it or not, your talent is dangerous."

Tosha opened and closed her mouth before she nodded in agreement. "I will hear you out."

"Not me. I am merely here to keep you safe. Might will assess and convince you. Have you met any Dhemons before?"

"Yes. A nice family came to Dalpha on vacation once. Lovely colours in their skin."

The door to the shuttle opened and they walked into reddening sunlight. She kept a tight grip on Vortex as she squinted into the sunset. "Nice sunset."

He looked a little surprised. "Everything you think just pops right out of your mouth, doesn't it?"

"It is one of my least endearing qualities." She grinned. "Alara always tells me I have no filter at all."

They headed into the large building that seemed to be headquarters. "So, I was correct when I saw you two quipping as you ran from the beetles?"

"Quipping is a polite term, but yes."

"I see. Do you plan to continue this habit?"

She grinned and swung their joined hands lightly. "As long as I can."

"I don't know what to say about that. This is Might's office. You can also address him as General Brodin if you wish."

The door swung open and a very tense Dhemon was on the other side. "Tosha C'sar, I presume."

"Grumpy Dhemon, I presume."

He paused and grinned for a moment. "I need to attend to an assignment, but I am asking you if you will join the Sector Guard."

She smiled, even her eyes narrowed with enjoyment. "What about the wooing, the convincing?"

"Time is of the essence. You have seen Vortex in action, would you object to partnering with him for the sake of your training and introduction?"

Tosha glanced over at Vortex. He was standing next to her with an innocent expression on his face.

"Um, what would training entail?"

"A complete shakedown of your talents on a safe section of Teklan, uniform fittings, housing and checking you out on all base craft. After that, you will be able to head out on assignments with other teams, helping them to apprehend those who try to run from the laws of their own worlds." Might gave her an encouraging smile.

Tosha stood for five seconds, not saying a word. The men began to fidget after another ten had passed.

"Fine. Where can I grab a shower? I am a little choked with dust from the sprint across the sand and the appearance of a bug-flinging whirlwind." She patted her shirt and the puff of dust made Vortex smile.

"Is that a yes?" Her soon-to-be partner was smiling.

Might looked attentive and his pointed ears were almost perked.

"That is a yes."

Relief filled both men and Might lunged forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Welcome to the Sector Guard, I will see you upon my return."

He was out the door in an instant, leaving her staring at her new partner. "So…shower?"

Chapter Three

The water coursed over her face and the dust of her day swirled down the drain. She called out, "So, where is Might off to in such a hurry?"

The voice came from the other side of the curtain. "We don't share assignment information unless we are on the same assignment. Add to that the fact that he is the boss and he can pretty much go where he wishes."

She chuckled and rinsed her hair before reaching for the shampoo. "I suppose it is a perk of his position."

Years of casual dating and intimate situations as well as the Dalphic attitude that the body was completely natural gave her a distinct lack of inhibition that had surprised Vortex when she stripped in the bedroom and calmly walked naked to the shower.

He had been hovering in the doorway while she tested the temperature, but as soon as she was behind the curtain, he had come closer.

She lathered up her hair and asked, "So, how long have you been with the Guard?"

"Two years. I started on Station 13 and was sent here after I was trained and pronounced ready for a partner by Commander."

"A commander has to pronounce you ready for a partner?" She got some soap in her eyes and quickly rinsed it away.

"Yes. We go into highly charged situations and we have to depend on the partners we are with. Each of the Guard units is a pair, one male, one female and pronounced compatible by Commander."

With her head clean, she washed out the soap and then scrubbed the rest of her body from top to toe.

"I see. Well, that works out well for the men then, doesn't it?"

"Usually, but they have a devoted attitude to their partners. A male member of the Sector Guard will do anything for his female."

She stuck her arm out, "Towel, please." When the fluffy fabric was placed in her hand, she smiled and said. "You were right. They really will do anything."

Tosha wrapped the towel around her and swept back the curtain, looking up at Vortex in mild surprise. He held another towel out to her and she used it on her hair while staring into his fascinatingly blue eyes.

He might have been trying to stare her down, but all she thought was, "Pretty."

Even without the talent of empathy, she was able to feel the heat coming from his body through his suit.

"You really aren't intimidated by me, are you?" Vortex's lips twisted into a rueful smile.

"No, not particularly. While you rule the wind, I rule the earth and you have to come down sometime." She bounced up and down on her toes near him but not touching.

He paused and then laughed. "You have a point."

"Good, me and my point need to dry off and get dressed. This house is quite nice, is that a pool out back?" It hadn't taken a genius to figure out that he had brought her back to his place. The covered building with the marks of humidity on the windows was a dead giveaway.

"It is. You don't seem upset."

"Why would I be? There is no obligation for me to do anything. I am merely here to try to get some training with this freaking talent and from there, I may actually do some good with it. Now, where can I find some clothing, Vortex?"

He blinked in surprise. "Um, you are correct, of course, and when we are not on duty, you can call me Micix or Mix for short."

"Mix then. Clothing?" Her smile was beatific.

"Right. This way." He led her out of the bathing room and into a bedroom that was pleasantly if generically appointed. "This is the guest room."

She smiled at his awkwardness. "Thank you."

"The clothing is in the wardrobe. The suits stretch to fit." He was babbling and she thought it was the cutest thing.

"Fine. Now either back out or stay to watch, but either way, this towel is coming off." Tosha bit her lip as he backed out of the room and closed the door. She supposed that he had had enough for the day.

Laughter welled up and she opened the wardrobe to find a uniform that was the same pale grey as Vortex's. Oh goody, they would be dressing as a matched set.

The suit snugged against her every curve. The mirror on the inside of the wardrobe showed her the vee of flesh that disappeared as she sealed the suit right to the collar. A keyhole in a diamond pattern exposed her cleavage. She liked it.

There were boots as well in a slightly darker shade of grey. They were an almost perfect fit.

The only downer to her look was her hair and as soon as she found a hairbrush, she tackled it. Having Vortex as a partner was going to be hard on her hair. Sighing, she braided her damp hair into an inverted braid that tied the loose ends and tucked them back against her skull. A dig around the dressing table didn't turn up any hair fixatives, so she sighed and left the room.

"Do you have any generic alcohol on hand? And a citrus fruit?"

Mix was looking at her curiously. "Yes. Why?"

"I need to spray my hair. With your whirlwinds, I need to turn this hair into a helmet." Tosha rummaged in the kitchen and started to look through the cupboards.

He disappeared for a moment and then returned to the kitchen with a bottle from the med kit. "Is this good?"

"Yes. Do you have a spray bottle?"

"I think so. There is fruit in the fridge."

Smiling, she put a pot on the stove and added water to it. A quick search of the fridge brought the citrus to her hand. "You shouldn't keep your citrus in the fridge."

"I am often gone, so I can't guarantee that my fruit will be eaten before it goes bad, so I keep everything in there." He came forward and peered over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I am making a hairspray. It will lighten my hair a little, but it will do the job." She sliced the citrus into thin layers and dropped them into the gently bubbling water.

"How do you know how to do that?"

She chuckled. "You don't really know anything about me, do you? I worked at a bath and aromatherapy shop. I made the hair products, lotions and soaps. This is right in my wheelhouse."

"We could just get some supplies from the base."

"It's more fun this way." She stirred the pot and smiled at the scent wafting up from the liquid.

"What do you do with it now?"

"I wait for half of it to boil off. At that point, I will strain off the fruit and let it cool. Then I will add the alcohol and fruit solution in the spray bottle and then spritz my head with it. It should lock my hair into place quite nicely."

"Bizarre. What will you tell me about yourself? We have some time." He hopped up on the counter and watched her work.

She looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Anything you are willing to tell."

She stirred the pot and mulled over what to tell him. With an evil grin, she started. "I lost my virginity on my eighteenth birthday. His name was Erich and I had a lot of fun that night…"

Chapter Four

"…and then when I turned twenty-eight, I had my first encounter under a waterfall. It was slippery, but rocks can be quite a good support mechanism."

She finished straining the liquid and spared a glance to Mix. His hands were gripping the counter so tightly she thought it was going to crack.

"Is that the kind of information you had in mind?"

It took him three tries to speak. "You certainly had an active social life."

"Dalphic women do enjoy trying potentials on for size. Despite the attitude toward talents, my people are fairly socially relaxed." The thick syrup was tantalizing, but it would have to cool for at least half an hour.

"I can see that."

"Have I scared you off yet?" She washed her hands and chortled.

"I am a little spooked, but I am not stampeding." He sighed. "Despite the lack of clothing in the cities under the water, we actually are quite straight-laced."

She laughed. "This is going to be a little awkward for you then."

He hopped off the counter and smiled. "I will deal with it. I am adaptable. Would you care for some tea?"

"Do you have anything stronger? I am used to a little more of a shot than an average tea."

"For something more powerful, you would need to come with me to the commissary. Are you up for it?"

She grinned. "This uniform doesn't leave much to the imagination but sure."

They exited the house and walked down the neat sidewalk toward the base. There were lights lining the pathway, which made navigating the night easier. "You know, I think I could use a bit of food as well."

"Good thing we are going to the commissary then. They keep a variety of foods from a selected group of planets designed to appeal to most of the species on base. Of course, a few have special rations, but they get them from the Alliance supply depot." He held each door open for her if it didn't open on its own. It was a sweet touch that she enjoyed.

"The base seems quieter now."

"All the other Guardsmen are off on assignment. It is simply the support staff and us. There isn't even a medical officer to do your intake." He shepherded her down the halls.

"I see. Is that normal?"

"That they are all gone? No. That you would be given a full medical, yes."

"Huh. Well, it has been a while since my last physical. When will the medical officer be back?"

"Not a clue. Whenever the assignment is over, I suppose." His vagueness was not lost on her. Wherever the entire base complement was, he knew all about it.

The scent of food made her mouth water and she quickened her step. She loaded her tray with vegetables and a few of the foods that seemed familiar. The caf was steaming and calling her name, when she took a seat, the first sip was heaven. "That's better. I think I would go nuts if it wasn't for this stuff."

Mix shuddered delicately. "I don't know how you can drink that stuff."

"It's an acquired taste." She grinned. "I am just relieved that someone here drinks it. I could drink tea, but this is far more satisfying."

Mix's food consisted of a series of fish and some strange substances that Tosha couldn't identify and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

She took a few bites of her meal and then asked, "So, what is this assignment everyone is on?"

"I don't know. I am not privy to assignments I am not on."

There was an evasive tone to his voice and Tosha narrowed her gaze for a moment. "I see."

"When you go on assignment, you will understand. It is all consuming and you tend to be exposed to privileged information that cannot be shared. This is a highly secretive organization for people who spend their active lives in the public eye. It is only back here on Teklan or other Guard bases that we can be with those who truly understand what we go through." He ate steadily but with deliberation, occasionally flicking his gaze to meet hers.

She ate quietly for a few seconds. "So what did you do before you joined the Guard?"

"I worked on Surath in law enforcement. A Guard recruiter came to my home and offered me a position on Station 13. I spent a year working with Haunt and the others in a law-enforcement capacity before being assigned here to Teklan two months ago."