Wanted: Undead or Alive

Partnership

The conference room was bigger than I expected, but not in the same way the crazy-interdimensional-airport-hangar-size storage room was big. It was just a regular big room with an old, scratched-up oblong conference table and a dozen pastel rolling chairs that looked a lot like the ones my grandparents had in their dining room. A white smartboard hung on one wood-paneled wall. A metal cabinet stood in the corner. I opened the door and peeked inside; notepads, pencils, markers, paperclips, and other basic office supplies lined the shelves. I closed the cabinet and wiggled my fingers at the camera in the corner. I considered sitting at the head of the table, but I didn't feel quite bold enough to make a symbolic power play, so I chose the seat next to that. It rocked back with a piercing screech. I moved one chair over. That one had a threadbare patch on the cushion where the orange foam stuffing poked through, but it allowed me to fidget in silence.

While I waited, I picked at a splinter on the tabletop and considered the somewhat overwhelming effect Nick seemed to have on me. Sitting there, away from him, I could conjure up an image of his broody Irish face and appreciate the fact that he was strikingly handsome. The accent did only good things for his image. He had a lot of muscles in all the right proportions. But I'd met handsome guys before. Mandrake was no slouch. Women practically threw themselves over the coffee counter at him. Sometimes men, too. But I didn't lose my damn mind every time he looked at me. Sometimes, maybe, but not every time.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and typed, supernatural creatures with power over women.

The first several results discussed the reasons why most fearsome beasts from mythology were female. "Girl's got to do what a girl's got to do to survive," I mumbled.

On page two, I came across an entry for incubus.

Succubi (female) and incubi (male) are demonic entities that seduce humans, convincing them to give themselves over to sexual debauchery of all kinds.

The door banged open, and Nick strolled in carrying a laptop computer and a stack of files. His gaze met mine.

My panties practically caught fire.

Dang.

I jammed my phone back into my pocket and folded my hands on the table, trying not to look as freaked out as I felt. Nick turned his blue eyes on me, and I thought it wouldn't take much convincing on his part to get me to give myself over to sexual debauchery of all kinds.

And by "not much," I meant practically none.

"I'm going to go fast." He set his laptop on the table across from me, sat down, and opened it. "Try to keep up. Ask questions. Ignorance will get you killed."

"What gets you killed?" I asked.

He froze for a split second before carrying on. "Not much. At least, nothing I've encountered thus far." When he pressed a button, a map appeared on the smartboard. Red dots centered around the downtown area in a messy sort of spiral.

The door burst open and Mx. Landry came storming in, shaking their bony finger in Nick's direction. "You are forbidden to do this. You're going to get us all—"

"This is Agent Nowicki's capture," he said. "I'm merely briefing her."

"Bullhockey. You think I don't know what's going on? You hired me to—"

"I'm breaking no law," Nick said calmly.

"You're walking a fine line," Mx. Landry spat back.

"Do we not walk that line daily, my friend?"

Mx. Landry glared at me long enough to make me squirm in my seat. Good thing I moved out of the squeaky chair. Finally, they threw their hands up. "You do what you're going to do. That's what you always do, anyway."