Three Parts Fey (11 page)

She snorted and
winked as she slid into the passenger seat to type in an incident
report. “I thought that was your job.”

Argyle leaned
against the doorframe next to her. “Only when we are allowed to act
on it and only with you.”

Agent Smith got
behind the wheel. “He isn’t wrong. Aside from the enjoyment your
wrestling with the nymph provided, it was your body we wanted.”

Blushing and
concentrating were difficult things to do at the same time, but she
managed to get the report details down to the transport vehicle
number and agent designations.

“Right. Done.
What’s next?”

Argyle cleared
his throat. “Since I am riding shotgun today, let me check.”

She blushed and
got out of the passenger seat and waved him in. “Apologies, Agent
Argyle.”

He stroked her
arm and settled in his position. Benny scampered around the car and
headed for her position behind the driver.

A moment later,
they were in motion and Argyle was sending them to the park where
they had entered the demon zone. Apparently, the goblin fires were
still burning.

Tremble gave
her a side-glance. “What can we do about the goblin fires?”

Benny shrugged.
“We will see when we get there.”

Argyle looked
at her. “What does that mean?”

She wrinkled
her nose. “I said we will see. I can’t guess until I see the actual
blazes. I do know we need to go out with fangs and claws.”

Smith glanced
at her in the rear view mirror. “Why?”

“Goblins only
pay attention if you are scary. It is what they are wired for.
Demon aspects are too scary, so we just need to be pointy.”

Everyone in the
car chuckled. It seemed that the demon aspects were something that
they were getting used to. It would set them apart for the rest of
their lives, but now, they were apart, together.

Benny checked her
watch, and at the minute mark, she stepped into the flames. Around
the park, her team did the same.

Ah, mistress,
what do you wish of me?

Oh, fire djinn,
element of the burning desert, we wish for you to cease your
flickering flame and take yourself to where the population
isn’t.

The focus of
the wish was the important thing. When you dealt with magical,
living flame that you had only read about in books, it was best to
stick to the formalities.

This place
provides plenty of magic and a new wave of it is nearly upon us. I
like it here.

You are
disturbing the population and frightening children. They do not
know what or who you are. There is no place for you here.

The flame
wreathed her hands and arms.
Where will I go? It was magic that
summoned me here.

From across the
park, Benny felt an idea blossom in Argyle’s mind.

I accept your
offer.

What? What
offer?

To reside at
your home until the wave comes and I can take a body again.

The flame rose
up, and the dozens of fires across the park wove together into a
column that swirled away and streaked through the sky.

Benny knelt on
the scorched ground and caught her breath. Her fumbling hand pulled
out her phone, and she made a quick call.

“Hiya,
Mom.”

Her mother’s
voice was amused. “Hello, Benny.”

“Argyle offered
our family property to a fire djinn as a resting place. It is on
the way.”

“It is already
here, Benny. He is very polite and has accepted the ruin at the
back of the property as his domain for the time being.”

“That was
quick.”

“He is fire,
Benny. He moves quickly.”

She paused,
“Are you ready for tomorrow night?”

Her mother
sighed. “They are offering me immunity from prosecution as an
accessory if I testify against him.”

“Are you going
to take it?”

“Your father
wants me to, and he has that look in his eyes that he knows
something I don’t, so I think I will.”

“Good. Well, I
had better get back to work. Take care of our new companion.”

Her mother
laughed. “I will use him to clear the poplar cluster at the back of
the property.”

“Thanks, Mom.
Night.”

“Night,
baby.”

Benny hung up,
put her phone away and got back to her feet. The other three were
staggering toward her.

Smith shook his
head. “Why am I so tired?”

Tremble
answered him, “Because all of your body heat was consumed by the
djinn. I have never met one before, but it was just as
described.”

Argyle looked
from one of them to the other. “Shouldn’t that have killed
you?”

Benny
studiously brushed dirt from her knees.

Three voices
said, “Benny?”

She looked at
her nails and then flicked glances at them. “It was Tremble’s
contribution to our group. Fey are immune to the effect of the
djinn.”

Tremble
blinked. “What?”

Benny wrinkled
her nose. “I will show you the book when we get home. There is a
reason that fey are in my family line; aside from being pretty, you
are surprisingly sturdy.”

Tremble
blushed, and they all returned to the vehicle. Argyle gestured for
Benny to sit behind the computer. “I have no idea how to describe
what we just did.”

She settled in
behind the computer and started typing. “Big words from the guy who
offered to let a djinn settle in our back yard.”

“I don’t know
why I suggested that.”

She chuckled
and patted his shoulder. “He planted the idea. Djinn are known to
grant wishes, but most of those wishes are their own.”

Argyle watched
the words flow from her tapping fingers, and he chuckled as she
outlined the very basics of what had occurred, including requesting
the elemental being to leave. She did not fill in the departure
details or where it was currently located.

When she was
done, she sent the report and slid past Argyle, patting him on the
arm. She wanted desperately to kiss him, but they were on duty.

She settled in
her spot and leaned back with her eyes closed as they started
moving.

A hand shook
her gently, and the scent of tacos brought her all the way around.
Benny sat up and blinked at Tremble’s face.

“Come on,
Benny. This should wake you up. We had him make it to your standard
requirements.”

Benny moved
slowly and exited the vehicle, leaning on Tremble as he supported
her to the picnic tables in the empty lot.

Argyle and
Smith were waiting and drawing a bit of a crowd. Apparently, the
locals were not yet used to XIA agents finding their little
out-of-the-way taco truck.

Tremble
supported her to the seat, and Argyle slid the tacos practically
under her nose. She picked up her first target and started to
eat.

Smith and
Tremble started in on their own food, and Argyle kept watch over
the whispering crowd.

Benny barely
registered the food as she made her way into her serving. Normally,
she should have been sweating, but her guess was that the djinn
took more heat than she had been aware of. She was in thermal
shock.

She had no
sooner realised it than Tremble pressed against her left side and
Smith on her right. Argyle didn’t have any body heat to
contribute.

When she
finished four brain-meltingly hot tacos, Tremble got her a refill.
She kept eating until the final drop of grease hit the paper.
Warmth was returning.

She drank her
peppered soda and sighed. “Thanks. I needed that.”

Tremble nudged
her with his thigh. “We could feel it.”

“It was
probably why the djinn left so suddenly. He knew he had taken too
much.” Smith’s voice was grim.

She nodded.
“Probably.”

“It is nearly
dawn. We were in that fire for three hours.”

Benny groaned
and flexed her hands. “That would explain it.”

Tremble nudged
her again. “The captain wants to speak with us before we go off
shift.”

She nodded and
balled up the remains of the food wrappers. “Ready when you
are.”

Argyle tidied
up, and they headed back to the vehicle.

No one spoke
during their trip. Benny suspected that the meeting had to do with
her family troubles, but she couldn’t be sure until they actually
talked to Matheson.

The XIA was
surprisingly calm when they arrived. They made it through security
and were knocking on the captain’s door without anyone speaking to
them.

When “Come in”
sounded, they walked into the office where four chairs were
arranged in front of the captain’s desk. He was sitting and
scribbling notes in a book.

“Good.
Sit.”

Bemused, they
took seats with Benny sitting across from the captain and the
others to the left and right with Argyle nearest the door.

The captain
leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Your little team is weird but
effective, even for the XIA.”

They
waited.

“With Agent
Ganger’s parents’ inquest beginning tomorrow, I am afraid that that
effectiveness will be compromised during the proceedings. You are
suspended from active duty until the matter is closed.”

Smith leaned
forward. “Why?”

The captain
grimaced. “It is a demand from the administrators. If you are on
active duty and something is disseminated during the inquest, you
may be at risk, and if anyone attacks you, the risk will transfer
to them. It is to protect the public as well as your team.”

Benny wrinkled
her nose. “Didn’t we already do this?”

Captain
Matheson chuckled. “We did, and we will do it again if it is
necessary. I want you focused on the job. The team is getting
amazing results, and it has caused the mages to consider offering a
few of their staff members to us while you are gone. I had no idea
that you were a member of the guild.”

She scratched
her chin. “I had inherited membership. I was a Mage Guide when I
was younger, and apparently, that is a gateway to full guild
status. I never bothered pursuing it as I would have had to have
formal education in the magical arts.”

He gave her a
surprised look.

She pointed at
her chest. “When it came to magic, I was home schooled. No diploma,
so no guild status.”

He nodded.
“Right. Well. That aside, you have made enough of an impression in
their magical circles to get us additional staff, so we are not
going to be shorthanded while you are on leave.”

Tremble cocked
his head. “Is there any idea how long this leave will be?”

Matheson
shrugged. “That is up to the courts, but I don’t want you back
until Agent Ganger’s family is stable in whatever position that
they settle. Guilt or innocence will be determined, and we will
arrange matters after we know how the public has reacted.”

Benny felt the
emotions running through the binding that held them together. She
didn’t say anything.

Tremble cleared
his throat. “If the public comes out against Benny, what happens
then?”

Matheson rubbed
the back of his neck. “We will deal with it if it happens. I cannot
guess what is being planned for you, but there are options being
considered, no matter what the court decides.”

Benny nodded
tightly. “Wonderful. Well, I suppose that is that.”

“You are hereby
dismissed on suspension of duties with full pay.” Captain Matheson
nodded. “Use the time wisely.”

Argyle nodded
and got to his feet. He extended his hand to Benny, and the others
got up as well. There was nothing else to say.

They headed to
the change room and got back into their civilian clothing.

Benny’s mood
was dark as they headed to the parking lot, but when Tremble
exclaimed in delight, she smiled. Pooky had brought some friends.
Pooky was standing in equine form with three horses of the Wild
Hunt in full view of all the XIA and two reporters who were
nearby.

Argyle smiled
and escorted her to her steed. “Well, this will be
interesting.”

When they were
all mounted and smirking foolishly, the beasts wheeled and galloped
across the lot and down the highway in a heady beat of hooves. The
number of flashes that had caught them as they rode out meant that
they were going to be appearing in some sort of news report in the
next day.

Benny enjoyed
the wind in her hair and the feel of Pooky under her. They reached
speeds that a normal vehicle would have had trouble keeping up
with, until they thundered into the wide meadow behind the dower
house.

Tremble’s eyes
were glowing, and his hair was a wild wave down his back. Argyle
looked like a blood king, and Smith’s own gleaming golden skin was
alive with the last of the night. Even Benny felt more awake and
encouraged by the gallop through the night.

When the steeds
pulled up, even with the dower house, Tremble dismounted and walked
toward her, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her over his
shoulder. Instead of heading toward the house, he strode into the
woods, and she only caught a glimpse of the other two heading for
the house.

Her clothing
turned into a silk robe, and he tore the silk down the centre as he
lifted her to a tree. The bark went from rough to silken against
her back while he pinned her and moved into her with energy.

Benny
surrendered to her senses, and when Tremble shouted his release,
her power joined his and spread through the forest in waves.

She was holding
tight to his shoulders, and the pearl of his skin gleamed in the
last shreds of moonlight. Her heart was thudding in her chest, and
she fought to get her breath.

Tremble pressed
soft kisses to her shoulder and up her neck. Benny smiled and
threaded her fingers through the loose mane of his hair. “You need
to go for a ride more often.”