Rivals (13 page)

He heard a scuffle inside, then silence. He knocked again, slightly louder. Nothing.

“Cori, open the door. I’m not leaving until you do.” Nothing. “I’m sorry, house. Please forgive me.” Ethan stepped back and kicked the door in.

Cori yelped, jumping off her couch and backing away from the splintered entryway. Ethan listened downstairs for Danato’s snores before coming inside and shutting the door behind him.

He looked around the living room setup that mimicked his own—except with feminine touches. Plush, colorful pillows on a taupe couch, with traditional wooden end tables instead of his modern plastic ones. Much like his living room, the only thing missing was the flat screen television to give the couch a purpose.

Cori hung back by her far end table, still in shock from his bold entrance. “What the hell, Ethan?”

“I see you got your apartment, finally.”

She looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. “Yeah, she forgave me. That doorframe had better go against you, though.”

Ethan looked back at the splintered frame. He was surprised it hadn’t held up better, given the magical nature of the house. It was just like any other door, only as strong as the doorjamb.

He turned back to her and took a step toward her. She took a step away from him. He clenched his jaw and raised a scolding finger to her. “Don’t, don’t do that. Don’t back away from me like I’m some horrible monster that should be penned up in that prison.” He slashed his thumb back in the general direction of the prison.

Cori stepped forward, meeting him at a sober conversational distance. “Why did you just knock down my door?”

“Because I’m done with the silent treatment. I need you to talk to me.”

“And tell you what, Ethan? You want me to lay out emotions that stem from territorial instincts that I don’t have the right to have.” She slapped her chest. “I get it Ethan. Enter hot blonde, who isn’t emotionally traumatized by fear and grief. Add pent-up sexual frustration, and flirting, and voilà. Inappropriate, sure, but understandable.”

Ethan exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Thank you for understanding that, at least.” He stepped away to examine her furniture. “I need to talk to you about the job.”

“I can’t make that decision for you.”

“And I can’t make it without you,” he said with more intensity than he intended. “I need your permission. I was the one left behind last time and it hurt like hell. I need to know you can live with this decision.”

She crossed her arms. “Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“My mind is made up, but my feet will stay firmly planted until you push or pull me.” He watched her react to the prospect of choosing his path. When he didn’t see the realization he wanted, he continued. “There is only one thing that will keep me here, and it can’t be hope.”

Her eyes met with his. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, stunned into submission by blinding honesty.

“I don’t mean that to sound like an ultimatum,” he continued, “but I’m sick of trying to define this relationship. I want more. I want whatever it was I felt with Sophie this afternoon.”

She looked away, deep in thought. Her eyes wavered back and forth, as if she was reading her own thoughts off a belated memo from her brain.

“No more, Cori.” Ethan stalked over to pull her out of her internal discussion. He took her shoulders gruffly, but with controlled pressure in his grip. “Come out of that brain of yours and talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking and feeling.” He took down one shaking hand and placed it over her heart. His fingers brazenly skirted her breasts. He fought against his baser instincts to keep his hands and eyes from roaming.

She looked at him somberly. Her heart thumped against his hand, and her chest rose and fell with each breath, slowly coming to terms with the proximity of his body. “I think that you should take the job.”

He sank away from her, dropping all physical contact. It was what he expected, and partially what he wanted, but it felt like a hot knife had been plunged into his heart. He backed up a couple more steps, searching for something to say so he could exit with dignity.

“I feel…” she continued. He looked up, realizing that she wasn’t finished. “My heart…” Her voice caught. “…will break when you leave. The very instant you are out of sight, my sorrow demon will gorge.”

“Why would you ask me to go, then?”

“Because if you don’t leave, you’ll always wonder. My decision will have made you a prisoner to me, and this place. You should go be just you for a while. I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere.” She gave a fleeting smile. “I need you to choose too. I need you to choose me for me, and not by default.”

He wanted to hold her. To show her that he had long ago made his choice.

“You have my blessing, Ethan. Get the hell out of this place.”

Ethan let all the bad emotions drain off him. This was, ultimately, what he wanted. He wanted to say something to mark the moment. His mind rallied, spurring him to profess his love. He pushed back the incessant aspiration and moved to her door.

“I’ll let Sophie know our decision.” Even as he walked out the door to his separate apartment, he noted how good it felt to say
our.
They had finally agreed on something. Ironically, it was through their conjoined effort that they had decided to separate.

22

Cori was awakened early the next morning by Danato. She didn’t question his motives for the early rise. She just pulled herself out of bed and got dressed. When she checked her hair in the mirror, she noticed the dip in her left shoulder.

Yesterday had fed her sorrow demon well. His fat little belly was weighing her down. She tried to lift her shoulder to balance her gait, but the determined little bastard wasn’t budging. She ignored it, pulled her hair back, and went down to breakfast.

Instead of breakfast, she was met with her coat. Danato threw the overstuffed down coat into her face. “Hey!” Her muffled cry went unnoticed as the coat was followed by snow boots, gloves, and scarf. “What the bugger is wrong with you?”

“We have to go now, or we’ll miss him.”

She threw on her boots and coat, still not understanding the urgency. Danato pulled her out the door even as she zipped up her coat.

They ran to the prison and through the main foyer down to the loading docks. She arrived panting. Danato wasn’t nearly as winded, but he grasped at his leg and immediately sought out a crate to sit on.

The loading crew was running like a well-oiled machine this morning. Crates that contained absolutely nothing were nailed tightly with nail guns. Each one was loaded into the outgoing truck with a forklift, despite the lack of contents.

Sophie was in the midst of the bustle. Her winter attire—plucked straight out of Doctor Zhivago—accentuated her features as well as her business suit. She was unnecessarily cheery, as usual, offering Cori a strumming finger wave.

Sophie stood next to a man wearing a full-length gray felt coat and a 1950s-style fedora. With his back to her, Cori assumed the man was a new arrival and was the cause for her imperative morning jog.

As he turned, she saw the young face peek from beneath the hat brim.
Ethan
and Sophie were rather the duo in their high fashion. Cori finally understood the pressing situation.

Ethan saw her and strolled over. Sophie came right along with him.

“Leaving so soon?” Cori asked.

“The sooner the better,” Sophie jibed. “Just kidding, Danato.” Sophie created an awkward threesome standing nearly between Cori and Ethan. After a short moment of silence, Sophie elbowed Ethan. “Well, for goodness’ sake, hug your friends goodbye. You won’t see them for at least a few months.”

Ethan leaned over to Sophie. “Would you mind giving me a minute?” He smiled warmly.

“Sure thing.” Sophie’s eyes almost disappeared with her grin. She walked away calling directions to the loaders on where to put her luggage.

Ethan gave Cori an amused smile and wide eyes, suggesting he knew what a nut she was. Before either of them could say anything Danato hobbled over to replace Sophie in the threesome.

Ethan extended his hand to shake. Danato used it to pull him in for a hug. Cori could see him wince as Danato hugged a little too generously.

“You always have a job here, and a home.” Danato slapped his back firmly. “Don’t forget that.”

Ethan pulled away and nodded. Both men locked their jaws, as if they were struggling to bite back further sentiments. “Thank you, Danato,” Ethan finally said after a moment to compose himself, “for everything.” He paused. “Everything,” he stated again, since he couldn’t pick just one debt to illustrate his gratitude.

Unlike Sophie, Danato knew when to leave them alone. Instead of heading back to his crate, he left the loading docks entirely.

Ethan looked around to make sure no one else needed to say goodbye to him. He finally turned his attention to her.

“You’re an idiot to take this job,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “You could stay here in a cushy, upper management job, but instead you choose to be a peon and do dangerous bounty hunting.”

“Where was this argument last night?” he asked with the tinge of a smile.

“Are you kidding? I would do anything to get this job. I’m just saying you are a complete sap for falling for my dastardly plot of corporate ladder-climbing.”

“So, you’ve won again. How do you do that?”

“I think it’s my dumb luck.”

“Hmmm, didn’t we decide the PC word was
clever
?” His smile filled in as he stepped forward. “You know I won’t be back for a while. Don’t you think you could have given me something more to remember you by than a tousled ponytail and dark circled eyes?” Cori smiled even as she feigned a glare. “A little makeup; at least acknowledge your hairbrush exists.”

She jabbed him in the stomach. “I just woke up. I have chapstick.” Cori pulled the balm from her coat pocket and applied it with a “ta-da” motion to follow. “How’s that?”

“Much better, it really completes the ensemble.”

“Ethan, chop chop!” Sophie hollered from the freight truck. He didn’t look back at her.

“I didn’t know you were leaving right away.”

“Things progressed rather chaotically last night after I talked to Sophie. She was insistent.” He rolled his eyes. “Cori, I want you to know that… the way I feel…”

“…shouldn’t interfere with your time away from here.” She understood what he wanted to say, but he needed to act without reference to those feelings for a change. “You should forget about me and this place while you’re away. You should have fun. Get drunk. Get laid. Whatever!” Cori laughed. “I just mean that if you’ve only ever met one fish, how do you know you even like fish?”

Ethan furrowed his brow. “I’m pretty sure I like fish.”

She shrugged and nodded to Sophie. “Maybe you like sharks better.”

“Wow, I’m impressed. You didn’t use the more catty
blowfish
euphemism.”

She wasn’t aware of when his hand had become entangled in hers, but their fingers were dancing with each other, caressing and tickling in a way that made the outside world slip away. Though she had held his hand before, she had never really felt it. His skin was callused, but not rough.

His smile had long since faded, along with hers. Their eyes were locked, stopping all time. He stepped in, closing the last of the breathable space between their bodies. “You’re a better catch than you think you are,” he said, sticking to her fish metaphor.

He started to back away, but something stopped him. His hand stopped fidgeting in hers, and he locked his fingers in hers. He leaned in without hesitation and kissed her.

She could tell he intended to give her a nice chaste kiss with just a hint of wetness that could be interpreted as a friendly goodbye. However, once his lips hit hers, he nibbled in a little further, taking in a little more lip with each subtle reposition.

His hand tightened on her fingers as he parted his lips for a deeper kiss. His tongue barely teased her lip. She resisted the urge to offer her own. Just as she got a taste of his freshly brushed minty mouth, his lips clamped for a final forceful aching suckle before he drew away.

Their eyes locked again, unable to pass off the kiss as anything less than carnal. Not even the jog over had made Cori’s heart beat so fast. She could see in his face the same disappointment that she was feeling. She wanted to replay the scene she had witnessed yesterday, with her in place of Sophie. She knew he wanted that too.

The heat between them didn’t readily fade, even as Sophie’s insistent chirp begged for Ethan’s attention. “Coming,” he hollered back, not releasing Cori’s eyes. “Say the word,” he whispered to her.

She knew what he meant.
Stay.
One simple word and he would walk away from that dock with her instead of Sophie. One word and they could race back home and hole up in a room making love until every ounce of hungry desire was satiated.

For a moment she almost thought she would say it, but she couldn’t. As much as it hurt her not to, he still needed to leave. He needed to see what the world had to offer. She didn’t have a chance in hell winning out over the whole world, but that was the risk she had to take.

She licked her lips, trying to take in a little more of his taste before speaking. “Go.” Her lip trembled after she said it.

His disappointment shifted into shock, but it only lasted a moment. A stern determination settled in his eyes. His hand slipped from hers, and he stepped away.      

He climbed the steps to the platform and jumped on board the truck with only a cursory glance back. He disappeared into the back to stash himself with the rest of the cargo. The doors shut and Cori felt her neck tighten as her shoulder pulled down further, bearing the weight of her sorrow demon. 

The truck rumbled to life and drove away. She watched it go, just to make sure it didn’t have any unexpected drop-offs. No such luck, dumb or otherwise.

She strolled out of the loading dock and stopped outside the door. Danato was leaning against the wall in the hallway. He looked up, apparently waiting for her. She hadn’t intended to, but she broke into tears at the sight of him. He moved to her and embraced her. She grabbed onto him as tightly as she could and cried until her sorrow demon was full to the brim.

23

“Mm-hmm.”

Cori had been sitting beside the short, bald, pointy-nosed businessman for over an hour. He looked like a used-car salesman in his cheap brown suit and bow tie. His hairy gnarled fingers thrummed the red binder in his lap. With each successive “mm-hmm” he made a new mark in his notes. Despite Danato’s shining review of her performance, the man had only said “mm-hmm” about thirty times.

She peeked over to read his papers, but they were all in shorthand, which she couldn’t read. Giving up the effort to please him, she slumped back in her chair and propped her feet up on the desk. Danato glared at her audacity, but she ignored him. There would be no more sucking up today.

Mr. Nose, as Cori had designated him when she forgot his name, shifted his spectacles, and pursed his lips as if his tongue were searching for the last vestiges of lunch in his front teeth. He scribbled down a few more things, after which he turned his critiquing gaze to her. He perused her as if he might see the redeeming qualities that Danato had spoken of.

“According to
my
records,” Mr. Nose recited like an IRS agent, “Corinthia has several offenses to her name.”

She didn’t like her name on his lips, especially her full name. It somehow felt violating to her for him use it when Danato had clearly introduced her as Cori. 

“Such as?” Danato leaned back and waited for the recitation.  

“I understand there was an incident involving the death of a merman.” Mr. Nose crinkled his nose before rubbing away the itch he couldn’t adequately scratch in company. 

“She was defending herself,” Danato said.

“After she put herself in danger,” Mr. Nose was quick to point out.

“She was reprimanded and punished,” Danato clarified.

“What about injuring that transmorph?” Mr. Nose went on.

“That was the best thing that happened to my prison in eight years.” Danato glanced at her. She bit back a smile. She wanted to defend herself, but she liked watching Danato do it for her.

“
My
records show..." Mr. Nose began.

“Stop saying “my records,” you arrogant ass!” Danato thundered. “Those are my reports you’re reading. If I had not been so forthcoming to report all those incidents, you would have no
records.
Did you read the part about her trapping a goblin with a prism? Have you gotten my report about the wizard bubble yet? Cori has shown significant instinct at this prison. Some of it may have been initiated by foolhardiness, but it has all been useful.” Danato took a deep breath after getting out everything he wanted to say.

“All well and good, but…” Mr. Nose examined Cori as if she were a bug crawling on his food. “She is hardly in physical condition to complete the application process.”

“I can kick your ass,” she mumbled.

“I’m sure you can.” Mr. Nose smiled with tensed lips. “However, I am not a dragon, am I?” His brow tipped and his smile turned to a sneer.

“What did you come here to do?” Danato asked, drawing himself forward to lean on his desk again.

“I came to evaluate this woman for a position that is far more important than simply a whim.”

“I’ve been working my butt off for this. I have had my head in a book every night for the last…” Cori paused to reflect on the six months that had passed since she returned to the prison. It was hard to believe that the weeks since Ethan had left could now be measured in months.

“Cori has every right to apply for the job,” Danato jumped in. “If she passes she’ll have proved her worth and she can take the job. If she doesn’t we can get Ethan back.”

“Sophie was a little quick to take Ethan. She shouldn’t have.” Mr. Nose sniffled and rubbed his nose again, still trying to alleviate his itch. “He is an excellent bounty hunter, but the board cannot accept your recommendations to have Cori as an applicant to the warden position.”

Danato was simmering nicely on the angry side, but he didn’t blow up as Cori had suspected he would. Her temper, on the other hand, was beyond boiling. “What a flippin crock!” She dropped her feet and stood up. “Is this a woman thing?”

Mr. Nose also stood tucking his portfolio in the crook of his arm. “No,” he said flatly. “This is a pain-in-the-ass thing. You are one. We don’t like that. We need someone in charge that will be compliant with our rules and regulations. Right, Danato?”

Cori waited for steam to come out of Danato’s ears. His face was slightly red, and his jaw was set tight but he didn’t say a word. He locked on her pleading eyes, but there was nothing in his face to suggest he had an argument for Mr. Nose.

“Oh, don’t look to him, Miss Reiger. Whether he’s admitted it to you or himself, he has always known that we would never give someone as volatile as you the reins to this facility.” 

She gave up on Danato, and stepped toe to toe with Mr. Nose. “You’re right, Mr. Nose,” she said, not bothering to recollect his given name, “I have no intention of being compliant. That is not in my nature, but none of the 300-plus prisoners housed in this facility are submissive. They aren’t going to follow your rules and regulations either. So, if you want someone to do things by the book, then bring Ethan back. I have no intention of being anyone’s lapdog.”

She threw a glance to Danato. She could tell he wasn’t happy about the implication, but she didn’t care. She had just wasted five months working toward a goal that she had no chance of achieving. 

She stomped to the door and threw it open. Two steps through the frame her chest radiated hot pain. She felt her body lift as she was thrown backwards through the air twelve feet. It would have been farther, but the back wall of Danato’s office stopped her, sending her into the black of oblivion.

24

Danato pushed back thoughts of strangling the little twerp before him. Despite what Cori may have thought, he’d had no idea the board would outright refuse her application. He was just as furious as she was, and he intended to fight to get her reconsidered. This pencil-pusher wasn’t the only person he could appeal to on the board.

Cori was on her way to the door before he could explain. He stood to call her back. His mouth opened just as the door did.

A familiar blue glimmer just outside the door stopped his voice.

Lightning.

The bolt shot into Cori faster than he could react. Her body was thrown like a ragdoll against the back wall. The sheetrock dented from the impact and ejected dust into the air. She hit the floor limp and motionless.

“Cori!” he yelled before his body constricted. Waves of electricity crawled around his body like tentacles. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the face of his attacker.

Efrat.

The elementals were out.

Danato’s eyes glazed and he passed out.

Sometime later, Danato woke in the gym. The prison sirens were muted by the thick walls. The oversized halogen lights were at half power, indicating their energy reserves were being siphoned into the security system. He was tied up on the floor along with every other guard in the prison. They looked like a refugee camp: wounded, and worried.

Mr. Godfrey, the pencil-pusher from the board, wasn’t far from him, struggling futilely against his restraints. The irritating man flopped on his belly like a fish. “You call this a secure prison?” he fumed when he saw Danato was awake.

Danato rolled his eyes. “This happens at least yearly, Mr. Godfrey. That’s why I’m here.”

“Just my luck that it happened on my visit.” Godfrey whined.

“Not luck. They planned it for your arrival. We were all distracted. Any time I am gone or thoroughly occupied, they attempt an escape.”

“Attempt? They are out!”

“Not yet.” Danato shook his head. “We’re in lockdown. They would be out of the building if they could.”

“Who exactly are
they
?” Godfrey asked.

“The elementals,” he answered, but Godfrey only crinkled his nose in confusion. “Don’t you have them in your reports?” Danato mocked.

“I don’t remember them all.”

“You will remember them now. They are the top level: Efrat, Remi, Hirem, and Garr. They are our problem children, if children were ego-centric psychopaths with a desire to destroy the world.”

“I don’t remember anything about the top level in my reports.”

“Maybe you don’t have that much clearance.” Danato stilled him with a hard stare. “They are under military contract. They should have been destroyed long ago.”

Danato heard heavy footsteps approach. The metal straps on Garr’s black leather boots rattled from the concussive landing of each long stride. The rest of his outfit—strictly black—was teeming with metal hoops and tabs, necessary as finger-holds and grips. His pale skin, made paler by the outfit, bore no scars or defects. He was a life-sized porcelain doll, maniacal and completely nuts, but beautiful. Except for his head of loose brilliant blond curls, he had no body or facial hair.

He stopped beside Danato and crouched down to speak to him. “Tsk, tsk, I bet you didn’t expect this today.” His words strained through rasping vocal chords, contradicted the softness of his face.

“Finally pooled your powers of evil together, did you?” Danato nodded to the other three elementals hovering by the entrance.

“Yes, we did. It’s working well, so far. What do you think?” As if in a permanent state of Botox overdose, Garr’s face only offered muted expressions. He couldn’t manage a full smile, but Danato saw how pleased he was with the takeover.

“How many have you killed?” he asked, concerned about the other half of his team not currently hogtied with him.

“We didn’t take pulses or anything, but eighteen are down for the count, including your lovely.”

Danato tried not to think about Cori’s crumpled body bleeding to death on his office floor. “The lockdown will keep you here until help arrives,” he said, refusing to entertain the elemental with his emotional rage over their actions.