StrategicSurrender (3 page)

Cautious whispers kept aflame ever-present rumors that
Special Ops were effectively answerable to no one and ran things their own way.
While not derided they were not exactly popular either, especially amongst
Enforcers, who had a tendency to be pushed to the sidelines when Special Ops
entered the scene. It wasn’t a situation they enjoyed.

Hayden, on the other hand, looked fairly ordinary, albeit
rough around the edges. The further she observed him, the more complex and
layered he appeared. Kiera realized that Hayden’s reticence was not feigned or
due to boredom or lack of interest. He didn’t give off the vibe of someone
impatient with this meeting, he didn’t check his watch or fidget as if he had
more important things to do. The wizard appeared genuinely uneasy and
perplexed—a state she had never before seen in a Special Op agent. Neither did
she feel the faintest whiff of him being up himself or overly arrogant. It was
a puzzle, and she felt herself more deeply drawn to him.

There was an overriding sadness to Hayden she couldn’t
ignore, one her heart wanted instinctively to soothe and heal. Hot need sizzled
through her veins and Kiera realized the more she watched the wizard, the more
attracted she became to him.

This was not an ordinary wizard. He drew her in. Hayden was
Special Ops, but not at all in the common way of those of that ilk. Similarly,
he appeared to her steady gaze as if he were weighed down by some burden,
something rooted in his heart and very serious. Not something he could simply
shake off and move on from.

Far more potent than the sexual urgency that burned through
her, a more deeply seated desire to get to know him better unfurled in her
head, heart and stomach. Kiera’s heart hammered.

Sexual desire—even one as strong, potent and nearly
overwhelming as this—she could control, deny or even ignore with enough force
of will. Curiosity about this wizard, and the growing desire to comfort him,
get to know him and discover what she could about him was a far more dangerous
lure. He wasn’t some deeply puzzling, intricate research project, or a new
train of thought she could study, submerge herself in and obsess over.

Wanting to throw herself at his feet and beg for sexual
release was one thing. It proved her libido was working and she wasn’t as
sexually disinterested as she sometimes feared. Solving him, working out the
puzzle and being obsessed over the knots in the strategy of his life—and how
they might intertwine with her own—was a far greater commitment than she was
willing to give. Particularly when they’d known each other for half an hour and
had barely spoken more than a dozen words in total.

Despite all this, Kiera wondered what the answers to her
questions would be, and how long it would take to really get to know him. She
licked her lips, attracted despite the evidently complicated, multilayered and
complex arrangement of this man, his psyche and life.

Finally Hayden turned to stare in return at her, his dark-brown
gaze clashing with hers. Energy arced between them and Kiera had to stifle a
gasp as potent lust rocked her body. Ensnared by this luscious wizard, Kiera
had to tear her gaze away from him as her pussy clenched eagerly and her
nipples tightened beneath her shirt.

A million questions rocked her mind all at once. What
weighed Hayden down? Why was he on a leave of absence? Why wasn’t he at all
eager or intrigued by whatever Morgan wanted to speak to them about? Did he not
find her appealing? Was he gay? Or had he suffered a loss recently? Maybe that
was part of this anvil holding him down.

Kiera, a researcher at heart, longed to search the depths of
Hayden and discover everything there was to know about him. Her fingers itched
to intimately explore his body even as her brain craved answers and wanted to
pepper him with her questions.

“You have an insight into all of this, Hayden,” Morgan said
gently, his voice so soft that Kiera knew instantly her mentor cared a great
deal for this wizard. “No one else in the whole world has as much insight into
dark magic, its workings and how it affects others as you do. I’m not merely
talking about your previous cases, though they speak wonders of your skill. I’m
including your last adventure, Hayden. It’s the sum of the pieces that make a
wizard, not just his individual successes and failures.”

“You’re a dark wizard?” Josh echoed Kiera’s thoughts, though
her partner’s voice held a level of horror and distaste.

Hayden made a face and stood up with a jerky motion.
Instinctively Kiera reached out her hand and touched his arm. She almost jolted
from the reaction, feeling as if a small zing of electric current had literally
arced between them.

“No, please don’t go. Joshua didn’t mean it like that. He
just thought…his mouth just got away from him. Please, stay.” Even though Kiera
spoke urgently and passionately, Hayden obviously sat on the fence, debating
internally whether to cut his losses. After a moment Morgan spoke.

“Sit down, Hayden. My words were poorly chosen,” Morgan
insisted. With evident reluctance and suspicion, Hayden sat back down, tension
running through his body.

“Hayden’s colleague and work partner was a dark wizard,”
Morgan continued briefly. “Hayden had no knowledge of the wizard’s private life,
nor his special projects. I truly think he will be able to offer suggestions
and assistance no one else would be able to. It’s why I pleaded with him to
join us.”

Kiera peered curiously at the scruffy wizard once more,
taking in his finger-raked black hair, two or three days’ worth of stubble on
his chin and cheeks and finally his sad, shadowed eyes.

Something big had happened recently. Presumably it had been
the unmasking of his partner. Discovering someone he trusted was in fact
working against him—betraying all his most personal beliefs—could certainly
account for Hayden’s suspicion, sadness and reluctance to become involved.

He looked sleep deprived, and she could well believe he’d
been through some private hell lately. Kiera wracked her brain for a moment as
she mentally ran through all the gossip, rumors and reports that had crossed
her desk. Quickly she tried to place the details of Hayden, Special Ops and a
dark magic manuscript. Her mouth dropped open as she realized who Hayden
Foxworth was.

Hayden’s partner, Ben, had turned out to be a dark Mage, an
Assassin who had killed a number of witches and wizards, draining their powers
and absorbing the magical essence for himself. Details and rumors of just how
this had occurred had abounded for weeks, though the only thing everyone could
agree upon was the ritual had been in a grimoire Ben had stolen from the
Tribunal.

After weeks of interviews, truth testing and whispers of
other shady dealings, Hayden had been exonerated by the Tribunal and
immediately gone on retreat. Shortly the gossip had died down, but it was not
so far back in the past the odd whisper didn’t still reach Kiera’s attention.
Should Hayden decide to come back into the public eye, a smaller storm would
revive for a brief time before probably dying down again.

No wonder the wizard looked haunted and had not been pleased
to be called upon by Morgan. Kiera felt her attraction to Hayden mingle with
sympathy for what he had been through recently.

“Morgan, I know you’ve really thought about this, especially
about adding Hayden to the team, which for the record I think is a great idea.
But I really don’t think either Josh or I are…um…properly equipped to deal with
a dark manuscript like this,” Kiera gently pointed out. She didn’t want to
offend her mentor or contradict him, but she also did
not
want to deal
with an item of such seemingly significant dark powers either.

“We’re not novices, but we are still nobodies,” Kiera
reminded him. “I can’t believe the Tribunal would even consider letting us hold
on to it while you decide what course of action is best for you to take.”

“The Tribunal doesn’t know, Kiera,” Morgan replied. Kiera’s
mouth dropped open in stunned surprise. She shot a quick look at Josh, who had
paled further. His silence proved he was as lost for words as she. Hayden
appeared as if he were about to stand again and this time genuinely walk out.
His mouth was set in a firm line, disapproval emanating from his every inch.

“I don’t wish to make things more difficult for you,” Morgan
continued when none of them could get their voices back in time to reply. “But
I don’t think it wise any of you volunteer the information to the Tribunal that
I have given the manuscript to you either. I’m not telling you to lie, far from
it. If someone specifically
asks
then by all means tell them. I believe
it merely prudent to…refrain from offering the information.”

“But Morgan…surely you just want us to hold on to it, for
safekeeping for a short while? Hide it somewhere while the Tribunal—you among
them—discuss what to do with it?” Kiera tried to ascertain, her voice a little
unsteady. “We’re not exactly equipped for retaining possession of such a dark
artifact. And if the Tribunal isn’t aware of what you’re doing, then why
are
you leaving it with us?”

“This document is not something I feel even the Tribunal
should be in possession of just now,” Morgan explained patiently. “By leaving
it in your hands I can declare no knowledge of where it is currently being held
and still be honest. Any serum or spell to check will prove me truthful.”

Hayden finally spoke up. “So you want us to hide the
manuscript?” Kiera detected a faint underlying tone of skepticism, which
surprised her. Morgan had never lied to her, ever. She could not believe Hayden
could know her mentor and think he would lie at all. Yet he appeared to sound
as if he thought something was fishy about Morgan’s actions.

“I think the three of you should discuss the matter and
follow through on what you all jointly agree and believe is the best course of
action when dealing with the manuscript,” Morgan replied firmly. “I want you to
sit down together, brainstorm and go over the issue before you. Whatever
outcome you feel is the method to keep the manuscript safely out of the hands
of those who would want to use its powers and follow through on the ritual
inside, then that’s what you are to do.”

“And if the Tribunal is not happy with the method we choose?”
Hayden pressed. For the first time since he had entered the room, a small smile
twitched at the corners of Morgan’s dark face.

“You let me worry about the Tribunal,” he reassured them.
“All you need to know right now is that I trust you—
all
of you.
Regardless of what you decide, I am putting this script in
your
hands to
do what
you
feel is best. Don’t think or concern yourselves about the
ramifications. I will do my utmost to protect you from the fallout. What I need
you to do is use your talent, brains and experience to think of a solution for
this. Clear enough for you?”

Kiera let her mind turn the problem over and start pondering
as Joshua nodded. Hayden remained impassive, clearly not comfortable. What
looked to be curiousness, or perhaps the small light of a second chance,
glinted in his dark, dark brown eyes. He sat more fully back in his seat,
seeming to think over Morgan’s proposition deeply.

Morgan waited, even though Kiera knew he had many other
meetings—including the preliminary one before the Tribunal much later in the
evening—to get to. Kiera quickly mentally ran through all her questions and
asked the most pressing one.

“What is the ritual the script contains?” she asked
curiously. Morgan’s demeanor once again became slightly more closed-off and
serious.

“I have not studied it in depth,” he began hesitantly. “I’ll
bring the document here in a minute—you’ll understand better then. It has a
tainted feel to it and creates a heaviness upon the very air. It
is…uncomfortable at the very least to spend significant time with it, even when
it is packed away. From what little I have ascertained it seems to be a very
intricate, perverted ritual that supposedly allows the caster to open a small
rip in time.”

Once again Kiera felt her jaw drop, and this time she
noticed both Joshua and Hayden’s faces also reflected utter shock.

“A rip in time?” she repeated stupidly. “I thought time
rifts and any form of time magic was a myth. We are not supposed to be able to
tamper with such things.”

Morgan nodded his head slowly, seeming sad and every year of
his age.

“I know,” he replied softly. “That is why I am determined to
keep it out of the wrong hands. I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to
deem what is best for this particular grimoire, especially until such a time as
the Tribunal has come to an arrangement I am satisfied with. Out of all the
dark artifacts I have come across, this one has the most potential for serious
damage. It is not something I wish for any of you to take lightly.”

“We will seriously weigh the matter,” Kiera assured Morgan.
Joshua nodded silently, but his amber eyes shone with determination. Hayden had
once again lost most of the tension that had crept into his body at Josh’s
unthinking comment. All three of them looked almost as if they were preparing
to set out for war. Morgan smiled at them each in turn and reached out a hand
to squeeze Kiera’s shoulder.

“You are all such good people,” Morgan said gently. “Kiera,
you have such a compassionate heart, such determination and so much innate
skill as a Strategist. Josh, you have a knack for spotting the faintest trail
of a potential thread and helping to create a viable solution when no options
seem available. And Hayden, I know you have lost so very much faith in
yourself. I am hoping this will help you to understand that turning your back
on Special Ops will not change your destiny. No matter which path we weave,
Fate always guides us back to where it wants us. I am perfectly happy for you
to take the scenic route to your destined path—I just want to make sure it’s
for the right reasons and not to avoid a situation that you have to understand
is not your fault.”

“Are you meddling, old man?” Hayden replied suspiciously.
Kiera frowned, about to snap at the wizard. She didn’t care how sexy he was or
how fast he made her heart pound. She might want to lick every inch of his body
but she would
not
let anyone speak to her mentor in such a way.

Morgan, however, threw his head back and laughed, seeming
genuinely amused.

“It is one of the few perks of old age, imp,” Morgan assured
Hayden. “I might be meddling somewhat, but I can guarantee you, every word I
have uttered is true. I really do believe the three of you are the best
solution to finding the right thing to do with this manuscript and ritual.
I
can’t discover the right action to perform. I am hoping the three of you can
come up with something satisfactory.”

“What’s to say I won’t be tempted by the power within the
grimoire?” Hayden pressed, seeming to need something from Morgan. “This will be
the first time since… I hadn’t thought to be so quickly confronted by evil
again. Who’s to say I won’t steal it, harm your protégés and then escape with
it?”

“Hayden.” Morgan spoke softly. “The last time you were
tempted by the darker powers you aided the side of good. Then when it was over
you walked away. A wizard who would be seduced by dark magic would not have
acted thus. And even if that doesn’t convince you, I pity the man who tries to
take advantage of either Kiera or Josh. You don’t have that in you, Hayden. I
know you better than that. You need to find your faith in yourself once again.
Hopefully you can at least start that journey here and now. I have complete
trust in all three of you, your hearts and also your brains. Now, let me go and
get it, and then you can decide what would be best and safest to do.”

Morgan stood and walked out of the small meeting room. Kiera
took a deep breath and turned her gaze first to Josh. He seemed to be frozen in
stunned amazement. As he remained silent, she realized he wasn’t inclined to
say anything.

She turned to Hayden. Their gazes met and again Kiera almost
fell into the dark sadness of his eyes.

“I’m sorry you’re feeling lost,” she said compassionately.
“If Morgan thinks you can offer us advice and assistance, I’ll gladly accept
it. I’ve never done anything even faintly like this. I think both Josh and I
would appreciate any insight or any help you could give.”

“You might not feel so certain after you hear a few of my
suggestions, Kiera,” Hayden replied a little sardonically. Kiera felt a smile
lighten her face and she laughed a little, her heart hammering in her chest at
the half-smile Hayden had cast her way. Feeling faintly like a pathetic
schoolgirl, she shook her head, her dark curls bouncing around her shoulders.

Don’t mix business with pleasure,
she reminded
herself.
Think of the screaming arguments, the thrown papers and pencils,
the whispers of gossip when such affairs turn sour. You swore never to be one
of “those” people. Ever.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she insisted. “Even if you
can only offer half-baked, crazy-ass ideas, I’m well used to that sort of stuff
from Josh.”

“Hey, that’s not true. At least a third of my so-called
half-baked ideas turn into realities and
work
,” Josh griped with a
smile. They were used to teasing each other and knew the score. Kiera and Josh
had been friends for long enough to not let a bit of hot air upset them.

“Besides, Morgan said my off-the-wall ideas are one of my
best
attractions,” Josh boasted a little. “So you can’t possibly diss them in front
of the newbie.”

“Newbie?” Hayden snorted. “Dude, I was out there hunting
down rogue Enforcers when you were still chasing the head cheerleader to nail
her under the bleachers in high school.”

Kiera laughed, even though the insult was clearly given in
good humor and, more importantly, patently false. Hayden looked to be in his
late thirties, barely even five years her and Josh’s senior.

Josh’s cell phone rang with a slightly sickly warble.
Pulling it out and checking the caller ID, her partner held up his hand to
indicate that he wanted to take this call and walked over to the far corner of
the room, turned his back to them and answered.

“Hey there, sexy thing, I miss you already,” Josh purred
into the cell. Kiera snorted and shuffled her chair closer to Hayden.

“If I could have a buck for every time Josh answered a call
like that…” she said, knowing Hayden would be able to mentally complete her
sentence.

“What’s the average lifespan on those things for him?” the
scruffy wizard asked, appearing genuinely curious.

“About a week,” Kiera replied honestly. “I think three and a
bit weeks is his personal record. He gets them in bulk online at a discounted
rate and just churns through them. It’s the only way he can manage to juggle
his social life.”

“I’m not sure I should stay for this, despite what Morgan
thinks.” Hayden changed the subject with a small frown, his voice low so Josh
couldn’t overhear him. “I don’t trust myself to be thinking clearly just now.
It’s been a rough few weeks.”

Once again Kiera could see his thoughts had returned to his
old partner. Sympathy welled inside her for this strong wizard. Impulsively,
Kiera reached out and squeezed Hayden’s forearm. All thoughts of why she
shouldn’t comfort him or become involved fled. Only the need to reassure him,
console him consumed her. The rest…well it could work itself out, or not. That
was something to think on later.

“I don’t understand dark wizards,” she started hesitantly,
wanting to soothe the obvious pain in his heart. “But I already know enough
about you, Hayden, to know that once you give your loyalty, that’s it. We’re
all accepting of the small faults in our best friends. Trust me, I know about
that. It’s in our nature to turn a blind eye to the unimportant things when we
care about someone and are loyal to them.”

“Like you ignore Josh and his catting around?” Hayden asked
with a raised eyebrow. Kiera snickered and the wizard continued before she
could speak further. “And small blips I can understand overlooking. Murdering
multiple wizards and witches, stealing their essences to boost your own powers
and perform black magic rituals—none of that comes under the heading of minor
personality quirk to my mind.”

Kiera’s mouth twisted sadly and her hand slid down Hayden’s
arm until their fingers linked. She squeezed and he returned the intimate
pressure.

“I should warn you, I don’t mix business and pleasure,” she
said. Her words were rather discredited by the breathy, low and sexy tone of
her voice.

“And I should warn you, I’ve got some serious trust issues,”
Hayden replied in a low, husky tone. “I’ve recently been betrayed by my best
friend, a wizard I considered like a brother. I’m not a good bet right now.”

Her eyes met his and instantly she felt her stomach flutter
with a million butterflies. They stood like that, their lips mere inches from
one another as they stared soulfully into each other’s eyes. Kiera’s heart
pounded. Despite them both having voiced strong denials, it was as if their
bodies craved each other.

Sizzling attraction arced between them. Hayden bent his head
slightly and, hungry to taste him, Kiera tilted her chin up so their lips could
press together.

Rational thought be damned.

Electric attraction jolted through her system as they tasted
one another. Softly, Kiera moaned in decadent delight. Taking advantage of her
lips parting, Hayden’s tongue snaked inside to further their intimate
connection. Kiera sucked down lightly on him, her teeth grazing faintly over
him, causing Hayden to groan in turn.

Returning the favor, Kiera thrust her tongue inside Hayden’s
mouth to taste him. His unique, musky flavor filled her senses and caused
moisture to pool in her panties. Kiera shifted her legs restlessly, suddenly
frustrated by the knowledge that should they create too much noise Josh might
overhear them and spoil the moment. Her thigh grazed past Hayden’s leg, the
contact sending small frissons of energy shooting between them as their arousal
grew.

“Circe, you taste heavenly,” Hayden whispered softly as he
threaded his fingers through Kiera’s curls. The small tugs of his fingers as
they laced against her skull sent her excitement skyrocketing. Kiera cupped
Hayden’s jaw and, desperately hungry now, they ate at each other’s mouths,
tongues plundering one another as they nipped and tasted their fill.

Hayden’s hand fell to her shirt-clad breast, the warmth of
his palm cupping her nipple. The soft pad of his thumb grazed over the
sensitive nubbin and even through her shirt and lacy bra, the peak tightened,
aroused unbearable.

“Oh, fuck, Hayden. Yes, please,” she moaned throatily.

“Morgan will be back any second now,” Hayden whispered
naughtily in her ear and Kiera couldn’t help but nip impatiently at Hayden’s
neck, the scrape of his stubble across her soft jaw intoxicatingly arousing and
erotic.

“Would you like to have dinner with me?” Kiera murmured
softly, still partially aware of Josh in the background cajoling his latest
flame. “After we’ve done…well, whatever it is we’re going to do with the
manuscript? I do believe I would enjoy spending more time with you, Hayden
Foxworth.”

“What happened to not dating colleagues?” he whispered with
a chuckle.

Kiera froze for a moment, then forced herself to relax.

“You’re Special Ops.” She mentally groped for logic, but was
far beyond her best efforts. “I’ll work that out later, when I can think. What
happened to your trust issues?”

“Oh I still have them in spades,” Hayden assured her. “But
like you, there’s no blood currently free to indulge my brain. It’s all headed
farther south. So since we’re ignoring our rational brains for now, then yes. I
would
love
to get some dinner with you, Kiera Patrick.”

Hayden pulled back very slightly. Kiera had to grin when she
saw much of the sadness, the pain and despair that had been soaked inside
Hayden’s dark-brown eyes had lifted. Some of the weight still obviously rested
upon his shoulders, but Hayden no longer appeared to be staggering under the
weight of the world anymore.

“For the first time ever I wish I hadn’t made a promise to
Morgan,” Kiera admitted softly, her hands caressing Hayden’s rough cheek and
then running through his spiked, mussed hair. “Suddenly some stupid dark
manuscript and ritual doesn’t seem as important as getting ready for a lovely
dinner date and going out with a handsome wizard.”

“There’s a handsome wizard?” Hayden teased her and looked
around. Kiera laughed, delighted.

“Maybe we can handball the issue to Josh,” Hayden continued,
his tone still light and humorous. “If all we need to do is bury the damn
grimoire somewhere no one will think to look for it he can do that and we can
go out. Problem solved.”