Blood Rage, page 35
“Wait!” That’s Maury, scurrying after us with my ID badge dangling from his grip. “Please rethink this. There’s so much more you can do here. Why would you leave now, after everything you’ve been through?”
I wish I could tell him. I wish I could phrase it in a way he might be able to understand, but he’s been a SPEAR longer than I have. And he’s worked up the ranks, just as I did, to become leader of the alpha team. In this country, there’s probably no other agent with more authority and power than him.
I pat his shoulder gently but say nothing. What more can I say?
“Danika, please.”
I smile. “I’ll be back in later to discuss my P45. For now, though, I want to spend some time at home.”
He watches, helpless and forlorn, as I walk away to the sound of more cheers and whooping from my ex-teammates.
Chapter Thirty-five
Oh. Gross. I’d forgotten about the smell.
Unlike his predecessor, Jackson Cobé, mayor of Angbec, has chosen to house his office in the building of his original job. Instead of City Hall, Jack’s office is on the upper floors of the Clear Blood Foundation he helped to build with his miraculous Life Blood Serum. A chemist, first and foremost, his personal space is littered with notes, stacks of papers, old journals, and the remnants of several experiments from his past. And dozens upon dozens of little bowls or balls of potpourri.
I dunk my hand into one of the bowls and pull out a lump of dried rose petals.
“Do you really need all this?”
He sniffs from his comfortable seat behind his desk. “Do you understand what it’s like to stink of chemicals all day?”
“You could shower.”
A sigh. “Sit down, Danika.”
Still fiddling with the petals, I do as I’m told.
He eyes me for several seconds.
I can’t look at him. So I don’t try.
Instead I watch the petals crumble into sweet-scented pink dust in my palms.
“No more SPEAR, huh?”
I shrug. “I had a good run.”
“Bullshit.”
That gets my attention. I do look at him now, watching his face and his expression shift as he notices my surprise.
“Come on. I might not know you well, but I know you well enough to understand that this is no small change for you. SPEAR has been your life for longer than I’ve known you.”
“It’s not like we’ve known each other for years and years.”
“Stop deflecting,” he snaps.
I bite my lip.
“I may not understand all the reasoning behind why you quit, but I get enough. Or like to think I do. It must have been a shock to realise how quickly you could be disposed of.”
Another shrug. I like this man, but there’s no way I’m letting him that far into my head. I don’t think I have the stamina.
“But protecting people is in your blood. I know about Charles.”
I frown at him without really meaning to. “My dad—”
“Was a good man, from what I’ve heard. But that’s by the by. I just mean that he worked security to protect people. You became a SPEAR to do the same. I don’t think the drive or the urge to do that will go away just because you quit your job.”
“So…?”
“So I want to offer you a new one.”
That sits me straight in my chair. “One what? A job?”
He nods. “It’s weird around here. Clear Blood has always been the centre of this city. What we do here has allowed us to do what we do and be an example for the rest of the country. But lately there have been…problems.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
Jack winks. “Apology accepted, but you can’t take on all the blame. The shifting werewolf packs, the sudden influx of unregistered vampires, and of course every other edane type in the country has been making their way here. We’re not at saturation point, but with such an”—he waves a hand around—“eclectic mix in such a small space, there are bound to be problems.”
“And that has what to do with me?”
“I want you to work for me.”
I plant my hands on the arms of my chair and push to my feet. “What is it with the mayors of this city? When will you lot understand that I’m not a gun for hire, I’m a—”
“SPEAR agent?” he murmurs, with a wry lift of an eyebrow.
I freeze, halfway to straight.
He has a point.
Slowly, I plant my arse back in the chair. “Fine. Tell me.”
“SPEAR has all sorts of rules they have to follow to stay in line with what the general wants. More than that, they are beholden to a specific set of guidelines and priorities that the average agent has no control over. You deserve more than that.”
My fingertips prickle, a curious combination of nerves and…anticipation? “Go on.”
“You’ll report to me, because I’ll be paying your salary, but you’ll work on your own, under your own guidance, under your own direction.”
“Doing what?”
He grins, and in that moment I finally recognise the excitement bubbling just beneath the surface of his calm, professional demeanour. “Research. Investigatory private detective work. Negotiations. All for Clear Blood.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jack scrambles from his seat to reach my chair. This close I can clearly see the make-up he insists on wearing and smell the cologne he wears to combat the scent of I don’t even know what. His boyish face is bright and animated with some of that rakish cheek and playfulness left over from the very first time we met.
“Essentially you’ll be a SPEAR in everything but name because you’ll be employed by Clear Blood. You’ll be working for me.” When I open my mouth, he rushes on. “There are so many different edane habitats and creatures we’ve yet to meet. In order for Clear Blood to continue doing what we do, I need to have a capable, reliable, and self-sufficient person I can send out to various places to get in contact with these people. I need someone who can chase down leads for things we’re doing here that SPEAR just doesn’t have time for. And more than that, I need someone who is free to work outside the city.”
I sigh. He beams.
“Jack—”
“You don’t have to do anything now. You don’t have to say anything now. Just think about it. Please? I already have so many ideas about how you can help me, and you’ve got to admit, the relationships you already have with various edanes make you the perfect candidate for this type of work. You’ll be a public relations specialist who happens to be really good with a gun.”
“Or my fists,” I add.
A chuckle and Jack rubs gently at the spot on his jaw where I punched him so many months ago. “Especially with your fists,” he murmurs. “So. Will you think about it? I’ll come up with a title later—Edane Public Relations Specialist or something like that. But tell me—would you consider it?”
“I…” My breathing catches in my throat. “Sure. I’ll think about it. No promises, though.”
He backs off at once, hands raised. “Of course not. And no pressure either. But if it helps, consider this a pay hike of at least twenty percent and a personal budget to buy whatever kit you might need to keep yourself safe out there.” He rubs the sides of his mouth with his fingertips. “I can’t promise any battleaxes or whatever it is you like, but I can promise state of the art weaponry if you want it, complete with any modifications you could possibly want as designed by the Clear Blood tech team.”
I tut softly. “You’re not selling it, Jack. I really like axes.”
“Fine, fine, how about we make you an axe? Would you say yes, then?”
I stand for real this time and back away from the chair and the table. “I’m thinking about it, okay? Give me some time.”
He nods. “Sure. Fine. Don’t worry about it. Take all the time you want…until next Thursday. I need to know if you’ll be able to visit some cecaelia on the north coast who have been wrecking fishing boats.”
Some what? I’ve no idea what to address first, but that entire sentence is dripping with problems.
“You know we’re one of the most landlocked cities in the country, right? Why are you sending me to the coast? We don’t have any real power there beyond capture or retrieve.”
They, I remind myself. They don’t have any power. I can no longer count myself among them.
“SPEAR don’t yet.” Jack’s eyes take on an excited sparkle. “But Clear Blood does. Remember, Clear Blood provides Life Blood for blood banks up and down the country. This is our base, but we have research points in six major cities. In this role, I’ll be able to send you anywhere you’re needed with all the prestige and power of a SPEAR and none of the restrictions.”
I nod, quietly.
Part of me recognises that I’ve already accepted his offer. What he describes sounds incredible, and working for him rather than the general allows me a peace I’ve not felt since I met the enigmatic vampire. Not that working for an edane is bad exactly, but a creature with such a long life is likely to have a very different outlook on life and its worth compared to a human. A truth I’ve already experienced first-hand.
So yes, I will take his offer.
No need to make it easy for him, though. It might be fun to see him sweat for a bit.
So I wave my goodbyes and walk out of the office. Down the corridor, into the lift, and down to the ground floor where Rayne and Pippa sit waiting for me in the casual lounge. Pippa is dressed for work, her own ID lanyard tucked into a pocket in the front of her lab coat. Rayne is also dressed for work, casually, in a high-necked top and jeans studded with pockets.
I really have had an obvious influence on her, in more ways than one.
They greet me with smiles and curiosity live and eager in their eyes.
I grin. “Jack offered me a job.”
Pippa rolls her eyes, muttering something about a biochemistry degree being worth less and less as the years go on. She hugs me briefly and, satisfied that I’m not in trouble yet again, returns to her own work on the research floors.
Rayne touches my hip lightly, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips. “You say he offered you a job. Do you mean that you have a new job?”
I shrug, playful and coy, but she knows me better than that.
“What does he want you to do?”
I link my arms through hers and steer us both out of the lush, immaculately decorated public-facing waiting room to the large, sparkling exit doors.
“He wants me to be a SPEAR.”
She looks the question at me.
“The real version of SPEAR. One that extends beyond the city to do work in bringing humans and edanes together instead of simply policing one or the other.”
Slowly, thoughtfully, she nods. “Sounds fulfilling.”
There. That’s the word. One I might never have managed to pick up on my own. Then again, Rayne has proved time and time again that she is the smart one when it comes to articulating her thoughts.
“It should be. No matter how niche and weird being a SPEAR was, there was always a layer of red tape over everything that made it hard to do anything.”
“And now?”
“It will still be there, but bullying Jack will be much easier than fighting Maury.”
Rayne tosses her head back and laughs. It’s such a bright and merry sound. I could listen to her laugh all day, every day for the rest of my life.
Hey, given that I suddenly have way more life than I thought I would, maybe that’s a possibility now.
We make our way to the car arm in arm, she to start her next shift, me to carefully consider the words of my soon to be drafted acceptance letter.
Edane Public Relations Specialist? A bit of a mouthful, but no more than the Supernatural Prohibition Extermination and Arrest Regiment.
Yeah. I’ll give it a go. After all, it can’t be any worse than what I’ve already been through, right?
About the Author
Ileandra Young writes urban fantasy novels, has an unhealthy obsession with vampires, and would gleefully pick a sword over any other weapon. Yes, even that one.
She spends far more time in fantasy lands than the real one, since her hobbies include LARPing, TTRPGs, and more recently, Stardew Valley, as well as Minecraft and Tears Of The Kingdom. If she does graciously deign to visit the real world, you’ll find her sitting in a corner, crocheting something weird while scream-singing snippets from the Hamilton soundtrack.
What a weirdo!
Visit her website at www.ileandrayoung.co.uk.
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Blood Rage by Illeandra Young. A stolen artifact, a family in the dark, an entire city on edge. Can SPEAR agent Danika Karson juggle all three over a weekend with the “in-laws” while an unknown, malevolent entity lies in wait upon her very skin? (978-1-63679-539-3)
Ghost Town by R.E. Ward. Blair Wyndon and Leif Henderson are set to prove ghosts exist when the mystery suddenly turns deadly. Someone or something else is in Masonville, and if they don’t find a way to escape, they might never leave. (978-1-63679-523-2)
Good Christian Girls by Elizabeth Bradshaw. In this heartfelt coming of age lesbian romance, Lacey and Jo help each other untangle who they are from who everyone says they’re supposed to be. (978-1-63679-555-3)
Guide Us Home by CF Frizzell and Jesse J. Thoma. When acquisition of an abandoned lighthouse pits ambitious competitors Nancy and Sam against each other, it takes a WWII tale of two brave women to make them see the light. (978-1-63679-533-1)
Lost Harbor by Kimberly Cooper Griffin. For Alice and Bridget’s love to survive, they must find a way to reconcile the most important passions in their lives—devotion to the church and each other. (978-1-63679-463-1)
Never a Bridesmaid by Spencer Greene. As her sister’s wedding gets closer, Jessica finds that her hatred for the maid of honor is a bit more complicated than she thought. Could it be something more than hatred? (978-1-63679-559-1)
The Rewind by Nicole Stiling. For police detective Cami Lyons and crime reporter Alicia Flynn, some choices break hearts. Others leave a body count. (978-1-63679-572-0)
Turning Point by Cathy Dunnell. When Asha and her former high school bully Jody struggle to deny their growing attraction, can they move forward without going back? (978-1-63679-549-2)
When Tomorrow Comes by D. Jackson Leigh. Teague Maxwell, convinced she will die before she turns 41, hires animal rescue owner Baye Cobb to rehome her extensive menagerie. (978-1-63679-557-7)
You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden. Leighton and Jamie have all the ingredients to turn their attraction into love, but it’s a recipe for disaster.(978-1-63679-543-0)
Appalachian Awakening by Nance Sparks. The more Amber’s and Leslie’s paths cross, the more this hike of a lifetime begins to look like a love of a lifetime. (978-1-63679-527-0)
Dreamer by Kris Bryant. When life seems to be too good to be true and love is within reach, Sawyer and Macey discover the truth about the town of Ladybug Junction, and the cold light of reality tests the hearts of these dreamers. (978-1-63679-378-8)
Eyes on Her by Eden Darry. When increasingly violent acts of sabotage threaten to derail the opening of her glamping business, Callie Pope is sure her ex, Jules, has something to do with it. But Jules is dead…isn’t she? (978-1-63679-214-9)
Letters from Sarah by Joy Argento. A simple mistake brought them together, but Sarah must release past love to create a future with Lindsey she never dreamed possible. (978-1-63679-509-6)
Lost in the Wild by Kadyan. When their plane crash-lands, Allison and Mike face hunger, cold, a terrifying encounter with a bear, and feelings for each other neither expects. (978-1-63679-545-4)
Not Just Friends by Jordan Meadows. A tragedy leaves Jen struggling to figure out who she is and what is important to her. (978-1-63679-517-1)
Of Auras and Shadows by Jennifer Karter. Eryn and Rina’s unexpected love may be exactly what the Community needs to heal the rot that comes not from the fetid Dark Lands that surround the Community but from within. (978-1-63679-541-6)
The Secret Duchess by Jane Walsh. A determined widow defies a duke and falls in love with a fashionable spinster in a fight for her rightful home. (978-1-63679-519-5)
Winter’s Spell by Ursula Klein. When former college roommates reunite at a wedding in Provincetown, sparks fly, but can they find true love when evil sirens and trickster mermaids get in the way? (978-1-63679-503-4)
Coasting and Crashing by Ana Hartnett. Life comes easy to Emma Wilson until Lake Palmer shows up at Alder University and derails her every plan. (978-1-63679-511-9)
Every Beat of Her Heart by KC Richardson. Piper and Gillian have their own fears about falling in love, but will they be able to overcome those feelings once they learn each other’s secrets? (978-1-63679-515-7)
Fire in the Sky by Radclyffe and Julie Cannon. Two women from different worlds have nothing in common and every reason to wish they’d never met—except for the attraction neither can deny. (978-1-63679-561-4)
Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret. A decade after necromancy became licensed and legalized, can Tamar and Maddy overcome the lingering prejudice against their kind and their growing attraction to each other to uncover a plot that threatens both their lives? (978-1-63679-467-9)
Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright. When ghost-hunter Chloe seeks an answer to the current spectral epidemic, all clues point to one very famous face: Helen of Troy, whose motives are more complicated than history suggests and whose charms few can resist. (978-1-63679-461-7)
Invisible by Anna Larner. When medical school dropout Phoebe Frink falls for the shy costume shop assistant Violet Unwin, everything about their love feels certain, but can the same be said about their future? (978-1-63679-469-3)
