Page 4 of The Demon's Fire
“Yes, ma’am. If you think that’s a good idea,” said Allen, rushing to keep pace with Skyler.
She threw a scathing look over her shoulder.
“Goodbye to you, too,” the nurse called from the reception desk. “And thanks.”
On the drive to her office, Skyler took out the comb to re-do her hair, smoothing it, perfecting the classic, professional knot she wore low on her head. Satisfied, she rested against the gray leather seat, alone with her thoughts.
What if my life had ended today? Has it been enough?
I have accomplished everything my father wanted for me. I graduated from Harvard law, top of the class. Fresh out of school, the Alliance hired me as one of its legal assistants. When my father died earlier this year, they promoted me to succeed him. I work twelve to fifteen hours a day securing agreements for Scath, eschewing fun and friends for the job.
When a well-respected surgeon, who happened to play cards and tennis at our exclusive club, asked me on a date, Father had approved, saying he was excellent son-in-law material. Our engagement had warranted a prominent headline, both careers on a fast track. Winston. A man like Alden Maxwell.
I am a model of reason. Dispassionate.All I have achieved should be enough. Why do I feel something is missing? My father would have said I was ungrateful, spoiled, willful. Perhaps. But…
The minute Allen pulled to the curb of a three-story structure near the historic Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue, Skyler opened the door, shooing unwanted thoughts from her mind. When she stood, pain rocketed through her head. Wincing, she charged toward the awninged entry, her heels a staccato beat on the sidewalk.
This is all I’ve got. Yes. It’s enough.
Assistant Legal Officer Cal Morris and Anna were waiting in the outer area along with Laurie, the receptionist.
Anna rushed to Skyler but stopped short of hugging her. Dropping her arms to the side, she seemed at a loss for what to do next. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, your head. Are you sure you should be here?”
“Don’t fuss, Anna. We need to get back to work. I have a lot to do before I leave at the end of the week. I must finish the trade agreement for the S/I core processors manufactured on Scath. Some details are still missing for the distributers. Also, the new Farm-to-Table Grocers company wants to buy organic produce from Aerilon. I’ll set that up. Cal, what about the demon rapper? What’s his name? D Monz?” Skyler didn’t take a breath as she hurried through the reception area toward her office in the rear.
Cal, with Anna and Laurie, scurried forward to catch Skyler. “I arranged contracts for a squad of our agents to provide security for D Monz. We’ll have a visible but legitimate presence at the concerts where we expect quite a few Aeternals from Scath to show. The demon rapper has his followers.”
The assistant legal officer was average. Medium build. Medium height. Washed-out blond hair. Dull blue eyes. Acceptable grades in law school at Southern Illinois University. On the Alliance’s board of directors, Cal’s father had arranged a spot in the organization for his son. But Cal did stand out in two ways. He had a closetful of Brioni and Zegna suits he wore with flair. And he had a great sales pitch. His fast-talking, friendly manner, interrupted by snorted laughs, made him a favorite among demanding clients looking to hire security or a private army.
Skyler waved the three nervous hens out of her office as she opened the file on the S/I core processors to fine-tune the contracts. She lost herself in her work.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She recognized Anna’s annoying raps on her door. Slamming down her pen, she rolled her tired shoulders and snapped the folder shut. “I asked for time to work.”
Her admin assistant darted in, a hand pressed to her chest. “Sorry to interrupt, but Laurie just came back from lunch at the new deli across the street. The one we’ve all been wanting to try.”
Skyler glanced at her watch while patting her classic do, making certain not a hair was out of place.
“Right,” said Anna. “Get on with it. You need to see what Laurie opened.”
The receptionist was sitting in her ergonomic chair where she spent most of her days greeting visitors, answering phones, checking company e-mail, or completing assigned tasks. Bobbing her head toward the computer, she said, “Get a load of this.”
Skyler frowned as she gripped the back of Laurie’s chair, leaning forward. Anna and Cal, who had joined them, also peered over the receptionist’s shoulder to read the e-mail from an unknown contact, TheBigReveal.
The message was brief. “Hey, Alliance. Nothing can make you bleed like an outed secret. You’ll need a big man-daid to cover this wound. Do we have your attention? Not yet? Just wait until you tune in to our website and blog. They’re out of this world. We’ll send the password when we’re good and ready. How ya doing, Skyler?”
“This is fucking bad.” Laurie’s hand flew to her mouth. “Sorry, but this seems like the perfect time to cuss.”
“Hmm. It’s not good,” said Skyler.
Cal jammed his hands into his front pockets. “It’s cryptic. They talk about a secret, but they don’t say what it is. Maybe they’re baiting us. Maybe it’s a hoax.”
Secrets. Yes, the Alliance has secrets.
After the Karmic Schism when the world had been divided into three realms by powerful mages, some Aeternals had stayed behind with their human mates or offspring. They bred. In time, their descendants contacted Scath with offers to assist. The Alliance began.
Centuries later, the organization stepped partially into the sunlight by creating a public face, a lucrative side-business which supplied investigators, bodyguards, protection, and private armies to human contractors. As such, the Alliance was well-respected, not only in Chicago but worldwide. Cal arranged contracts for the Security Division’s agents assigned to these tasks. For sizable fees.
