Beholden

Chapter 1-2

Three hours later, I finally finished scribbling the last of my reports. I stood and stretched, my back popping after having been hunched over my desk for so long. Spending nights on the cramped sofa in the corner couldn’t have been very good for it either. I surveyed my desk and, seeing that I had finally cleared the most urgent requests, decided I could finally go home to my tiny apartment and get a good night’s rest.

Since my use of magic was severely limited, I’d had to find ways to get tasks done that other practitioners took for granted. I sealed the completed report in a heavy parchment envelope, then placed it in a tube affixed to the wall by the door. Pressing my hand on the sigil etched into the PVC, I willed a bit of magic into it. With a whoosh, the paper moved up the tube. It would be delivered to Lena Rystrom’s desk. Lena was one of the secretaries for the administrators, and one of the few people I could trust and count as a friend. She would send the paper on to where it needed to go. I couldn’t magically send paper to whomever I wished, so I had to rely on Lena for assistance.

The wards on my office door, and the ones I had at home, worked on the same principle. I wasn’t able to create that kind of magic on my own, but the sigils crafted by other talented practitioners and set to respond to my magic were nearly as effective.

Only when I was this tired did I wish I hadn’t bound my magic to scrying. It would be so nice to whisper a few words and disappear, only to reappear in my apartment. But the fleeting thought never lasted, and I wearily shuffled around the room to snuff out the candles. Electronic devices and I didn’t get along very well—something about the way I had bound my magic liked to suck power and wipe memory from them—but light fixtures weren’t usually a problem. I just preferred the ambience of the candles when working. Besides, the only fixture in my office was an overhead fluorescent. Its buzzing gave me a headache, which the brightness compounded. I snapped on the switch anyway as I made my circuit. It would be only for a few minutes while I finished tidying up and preparing to leave.

The loud knock on the door scared the crap out of me. I barely managed to stifle a little gasp of surprise. It was rare I got any visitors down here, but to have two in one day was unheard of. My heart pounding from the burst of adrenaline, I took the twelve steps necessary to reach the tiny mirror next to the door, gathered my magic, and poured it into the surface. Within a second, the image came into focus. At this distance, it was child’s play to scry and see who was on the other side of the door.

Two men stood there. The one with dark hair and who was slightly smaller was dressed impeccably in a three-piece suit. But the larger of the two caught my attention. He was wearing jeans, a button-down shirt, and a jacket without a tie. His dark blond hair was cut close to his head, but I could see the way the strands wanted to curl. He had a strong square jaw, a somewhat large, straight nose, and a wide, generous mouth. His shoulders looked broad underneath the severe cut of his coat, and as I watched, he lifted one big hand to rub it over the top of his head. He nudged his companion with an elbow.

“Knock again. I heard movement in there,” he said.

The other one frowned. “It’s pretty late, maybe he’s gone home.”

The bigger man focused on the door, his blue eyes startling in their intensity. Then he shook his head. “I think he’s in there. Knock again.”

Just as the other one lifted his hand to do so, I caught sight of the badge hanging around his neck. Quickly, I let the magic on the mirror go. Then I placed my hand on the door, released the wards, and pulled it open. I fixed my face in what I hoped was a pleasant expression and focused solely on the slightly smaller man. He didn’t make my heart pound and my blood rush to all points south. Judging by the badges, they were part of the Investigations Unit. Which meant they were here about work and not on a social visit.

“How may I help you?” I asked, happy the sudden lust shooting through my veins hadn’t made my voice waver.

“Julian Thomas?” the one in the suit queried. At my nod, he gave a small smile. “I’m Agent Dreswick. This is Agent Caldwell. May we come in?”

I gave a tip of my head and stepped back to allow them entrance. Dreswick stopped a few feet into the room, but Caldwell walked in further, his gaze darting around and taking in everything. Perhaps assessing for threats?

I tore my gaze away from him and focused on Dreswick. I would have probably thought he was attractive if Caldwell hadn’t been with him. But physically, Caldwell was everything that turned my key. He could have told me to bend over my desk and I would have. The thought sent a surge of lust to my c**k. That would not do. I told my body this was official business and it was better to keep my attention focused on Dreswick.

“What can I do for you?” I asked politely. Having them in my space was a little unnerving, but I was a professional. They were here for a reason and I was going to do my best to accommodate them.

Dreswick handed me a piece of parchment and it took me a moment to realize what it was—a missive from DEMA Director herself stating that Agents Dreswick and Caldwell were to have complete access to any resource they deemed necessary. That apparently included me. I returned the paper to Dreswick, who folded it neatly and tucked it into his pocket.

I cleared my throat. “What is it you need?”

The agents exchanged a look. Then Caldwell handed Dreswick a file folder. Dreswick reached inside and extracted a picture. He handed it to me.

“That’s Mason Roberts. We need to find him.”

I returned the picture once I had the man’s image firmly fixed in my mind. I went about setting up the necessary items for scrying. Even though I’d been on my way home, I didn’t think either man would be willing to wait until tomorrow. They were here for a reason.

“What has he done?” I asked as I filled my favorite bowl with distilled water.

“Nothing,” Dreswick answered calmly. “But he’s disappeared and we believe he might be in danger. We need to locate him as quickly as possible.”

I nodded and started to light the candles. Dreswick looked at me curiously while I fumbled with the matches, then he gave me a nice smile, waved his hand, and muttered a few choice words. The wicks burst into flame all at once, the scent of wax heavy in the air for a moment.

“Thank you,” I murmured. I flipped off the light switch, plunging the room into the semi-darkness I needed for working. I took a deep breath to settle into the right head space and sat behind my desk. Caldwell ambled closer and I felt the low hum of whatever electronic device he had in his pocket.

“Please turn off any phone or other device you may have,” I requested.

Dreswick immediately reached into his pocket, extracted his cell, and shut it off. Caldwell arched a brow in question.

I tried for a smile. “They interfere with my magic. And I’ve been known to inadvertently wipe them. It’d be in your best interest.”

Caldwell regarded me for a long moment, and I barely managed to keep my reaction from showing. His piercing blue eyes seemed to stare right into me. He was so handsome. I licked my suddenly dry lips. Then he turned away to comply with my request, and I blew out a relieved breath. His stare was unnerving, but not altogether unwelcome. Part of me enjoyed being at the center of his undivided attention.

Even with the devices off, a hum of energy remained. Puzzled, I squinted at the agents, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Unable to sort it out, I gave a half shrug and focused my attention on the bowl. The water was still and smooth, nary a ripple to be seen. Perfect. Gathering my magic, I brought the image of Mason Roberts to the forefront of my mind. When I was certain I knew for whom I was looking, I released the magic into the bowl, letting it fill the water with my will.

Slowly, the picture came into view. I frowned at the bowl and concentrated harder, forcing more will into the magic. Distance didn’t matter to me; I could find anyone anywhere on the planet. But the image before me remained murky. I could make out Roberts, but details were fuzzy. If I hadn’t seen this man’s picture, I wouldn’t have been able to discern who I was looking at. When I’d first learned scrying, I’d had trouble making the picture clear. Like twiddling with the dial on a radio to get a clear station, I’d had to learn how to finesse my magic to tune into the picture. I hadn’t had so much trouble tuning an image since I’d mastered the art years ago.

Frowning harder, I pushed more of my will into the bowl. More magic, more will, that’s what I needed. I was the best, and this shouldn’t be so hard for me. It had been a long day and I’d used a lot of my magic, but that shouldn’t have mattered. I was Beholden to scrying, and even though no one had an endless reserve of magic, I shouldn’t have needed to recharge my magical battery yet. I should have been able to do this without much effort. But the difficulty wasn’t going to stop me. I pushed further, watched the details resolve a little more clearly, and knew I had to push even harder.

Suddenly, I felt hands on my face and I could distantly hear Dreswick calling my name. I let the magic go, and blinked. Caldwell had moved into my personal space, was holding my cheeks in his hands, and peering intently into my eyes. I couldn’t help the goofy smile that stretched my lips. I was exhausted and that always made me a little loopy.

Gods, Caldwell was pretty. I wish I knew his first name. I licked my lips and stared at him, wanting to lean closer. I wanted to feel his mouth pressed to mine, his body tight against me. I was only a few inches shorter and I knew we would line up just right, all the important parts touching, rubbing. I think I gave a little moan.

Dreswick’s voice finally penetrated into my tired and lust-filled haze.

“…the bruises were popping up on your skin. Are you taxed? Should we come back?”

I blinked and tried to shake my head, but Caldwell held my face securely. I swallowed hard. “What?”

“Mr. Thomas, it’s important that we find Mason Roberts, but not at a detriment to you. If you’ve already expended your magic for the day and need to recharge, we can come back,” Dreswick said, not unkindly.

I frowned, my brow creasing in confusion. Then I gently extricated myself from Caldwell’s hold and turned to face the other man. I shook my head, trying to sort out my thoughts.

“I don’t usually need to recharge, even after a day of working,” I said. It took me a minute to work things out, my brain a bit sluggish and slow. “This Roberts guy must have known someone would be looking for him. He’s blocking the scrying. He must have a hell of a lot of power to be able to stop me from breaking through.”

The agents exchanged another look, once again having a silent conversation. After a few long seconds, Dreswick nodded. “We’re under the impression he does indeed have a vast amount of power. Perhaps if we come back in the morning, when you’re at full capacity, you can break through.”

I shook my head. “I was almost there. I just need a little boost, I think.”

Both men nodded.

“One of us can augment your power easily enough. Got a preference as to which?” Dreswick asked.

“Agent Caldwell,” I answered, the words out of my mouth before my brain had a chance to think things through. I barely held back the groan. Gods knew that was a bad idea. Would I even be able to concentrate at all with the man’s hands on my skin? But his hum of energy resonated well with my magic. Caldwell was actually the best choice. And I could be professional.

Caldwell stared at me, his blank face a mask.

I quickly added, “If that’s all right?”

Another moment of silence passed before Caldwell gave a single nod. He removed his jacket and handed it to his partner. I gulped. The buttoned-down shirt fairly strained at the seams to contain his shoulders. I averted my gaze. Broad, strong shoulders had always done it for me. I kept my attention fixed on the bowl before me as Caldwell moved in behind me.

“How do you want to do this?” His deep voice resonated in my chest and skittered down my spine. I couldn’t quite contain the shiver of pleasure. Oh gods, what had I just gotten myself into?