“Tell me about the list, Tessa,” he said softly, disconcerting her.
She stared at him for a minute before conceding. “I have a very good source who informed me someone at the company wants me gone.”
“Gone?”
“As in arrested on charges of embezzlement, for starters.”
“But why?”
“Good question. Unfortunately, I don’t know. I came up with that list of people, the only ones I could think of that might want me out of the way. The five logisticians and I competed for my last promotion. But they’re clean.”
“You already searched their offices?” His focus was clear, though a myriad questions floated in the recesses of his mind.
“Yeah. No paper or computer trail to follow. I also crossed two of the secretaries on this floor off the list.”
“Why them?”
She bit her lip. “I may have said some uncomplimentary things about you in their hearing.”
A small smile tugged his lips. “My staff is fiercely loyal.”
“I know,” she added glumly. “But neither of them had anything suspicious in their files either. I have five, no, four more candidates to study since you’re off the list.”
“Thanks,” he murmured wryly. “But what do you hope to find?”
“Something within a logistics frame, obviously, that shows me squandering company funds.”
“I still don’t understand why they’d be after you,” he said, unable to think of any reason to rid the firm of Tessa. From what he could tell, everyone from her boss to the company staff thought the woman walked on water.
“I don’t either. But I know if I don’t find this supposed evidence against me before Monday, I’ll be facing the police.”
Marcus stared at the wound-up redhead nearly bouncing in his chair. Irritating, emotional, passionate—she was all those, and much more. But a criminal? One look into her clear blue eyes and anyone could see her strength of integrity.
Odd, but he’d never before noticed the power behind her pure, blue gaze. He frowned and circled the desk to pull her to her feet.
“What?” she asked with a frown.
Words caught in his throat. A wave of cold evil washed over him at the same time Tessa’s eyes widened in horror at something over his shoulder.
Without thought, Marcus threw them both to the floor, narrowly avoiding a freezing blast of blue fire that seared its way into the desk.
“What the hell?” Tessa stared in shock, and he felt a rush of power move from her and through him towards the threat.
Rolling to his feet, he watched as a wraith, one of the dreaded Netharat, clutched at its rotting, lumpy and hairless skull. Marcus glanced back at Tessa, a question in his eyes, when he felt the pressure in the room increase, a sure signal of more unwelcome visitors.
There would be time for questions later, he told himself, and faced two more wraiths that appeared out of nowhere, directly in front of him. He attacked, angry beyond measure that evil continued to spread into this as yet untainted world. The wraiths gurgled with fear as water began filling every crevice of their bodies. The magical waters touched only the Netharat, washing over and around them in a blur of motion.
They drowned in the torturous waters conjured by Marcus’ elemental reserves, their white eyes darkening to black, threats no more. Then they slowly faded into nothingness, disappearing into that dark place beyond worlds.
He heard Tessa curse in disbelief but kept his attention on the remaining wraith regaining its feet by the wall.
Marcus’ fountain pen flew by his left cheek and embedded itself into the creature’s forehead. The wraith howled in pain, but the superficial wound only served to aggravate it further. Considering how outmatched she was by both himself and the creature, Marcus couldn’t help admiring Tessa’s determination, and that admiration only added to her allure.
“Stay back, Tessa,” he said softly, his handle on the situation firm. Pleased as he was by her courage, he didn’t need the distraction. It only took a moment of inattention to become Netharat kill. Wanting the creature gone and away from Tessa, he pulled his power inward, readying for a final confrontation.
“Why are you here, minion?” he asked the wraith in its native language.
Its jaw opened in surprise, revealing three rows of black, stained teeth, sharpened into menacing points. “You’ve a command of my language, eh, Storm Lord?” It laughed, a grating whine that made Marcus’ head ache, and continued in English, apparently for Tessa’s benefit. “How nice. My lord might have more fun with you than he’d planned.”
“What do you do here, morlah?” Unclean one.
“I’ve come to play,” the wraith said, the yellow and black of its face a disease upon the senses made worse by the odour of decay wafting from its putrid body. “With you and all your friends,” it added slyly, a glance past Marcus to Tessa.
His composure vanished at the specific threat to Tessa, and unleashing the reins on his tight control, Marcus unloaded his will onto the creature, forcing its form in upon itself until nothing remained but a ragged cry of pain as it finally imploded.
The room now empty of evil, Marcus turned to see Tessa staring at him with shock and awe.
“What the hell were they?” she asked, her eyes bright with fear. “And who the hell are you?”
Marcus sighed. “That’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time,” she said, her jaw clenched.
Loud footsteps echoed down the hall, and he realised they had little time before more outsiders became involved. “I’m sorry about this, Tessa.”
Giving her no time to respond, he mentally triggered her neck, momentarily interrupting the supply of oxygen to her brain just enough to make her lose consciousness, and gathered her in his arms before releasing a hurried spell.
His brother immediately appeared.
“We need to leave, Aerolus, now.”
Aerolus nodded, and reaching out to touch Marcus, teleported them from the office just as security breeched the door.
Chapter Four
“Am I dreaming, or is Marcus standing with a gorgeous though unconscious redhead in our living room?” Cadmus stared with disbelief.
“You’re not dreaming,” Aerolus said wryly.
“Of course I’m not dreaming.” Cadmus rolled his eyes. “That was a rhetorical question. Honestly, Aerolus, you need a sense of humour.” He turned to Marcus. “So, bro, tell me you found her for me, an early birthday gift, maybe?”
Irritated by the familiar amusement curling Cadmus’ mouth, Marcus scowled and shifted Tessa closer in his arms. “I don’t think a wraith attack is all that funny, Cadmus.”
“Nor do I.” Aerolus shook his head and studied Tessa with an intensity Marcus found bothersome. “But this feels like more than a simple attack.”
Much as Marcus wanted to hear Aerolus’ thoughts, his first concern was for Tessa. “Fill me in later. I’m putting her to bed.”
“Attaboy,” Cadmus said with a smirk before stumbling over his feet with the help of a heavy wind. He turned to glare at Aerolus. “What the hell was that for?”
“Do I really have to explain it to you?” Aerolus sighed and nodded to Marcus. “Stay with Tessa. We won’t know how safe she is until I have a brief talk with Arim. Cadmus, stay sharp.”
A heartbeat later, Aerolus vanished.
“I was just kidding,” Cadmus grumbled. “I’ll be down here the rest of the night, keeping watch. Let me know if you need anything,” he added in a serious voice.