Kaliope waited for forty minutes until Professor Reynold's class ended. And another ten minutes while he consulted with his students. She needed to figure out how to broach the topic of the Occult without violating her magically-binding NDA. Kaliope had yet to learn how the prevention worked other than it was harmless. But what the fox demon perceived as harmless might not be for her. Her mind threw worse-case scenarios at her as she paced, all of which concluded with a gruesome end.
She should have asked for an immediate termination of her NDA. But Kaliope promised to consider their offer as part of her deal for Inola to erase the video of her kicking Larry. Before they parted in the lobby, Inola assured her she'd see her part of the deal done. It was unlike her to blindly trust the word of another person. Inola being a demon, pushed Kaliope's boundaries further.
"Sit down, Kaliope." Eli entered his office and closed the door. "Your anxiety's painting the walls yellow. Something wrong?" He examined her attire from where he stood behind his desk. "Job interview?"
Kaliope took a step forward and hesitated. For the first time, she was unsure of Eli. Of the man she'd grown to trust only second to herself. His timelessness. The way he sometimes seemed to read her mind. The way he watched her as if he saw everything. All her hidden parts. His caramel-brown eyes with a light hint of amber around his pupils.
He likely wasn't who or what she believed he was. Unless Eli thought he'd recommended her for a run-of-the-mill job. Ronin might have been one of his old students. Kaliope wet her lips.
"Kaliope, whatever's on your mind, say it."
"Did you know?" The words rushed from her as if they'd been waiting for him to speak first.
"About what?"
The Occult. Witches. Demons. Werewolves. Magic. Kaliope wanted to come out and say it, but fear of the consequences pursed her lips.
Eli's lips curved into a gentle smile. "You wear self-control like a ticking bomb strapped to your chest. Relax. I'm aware of the Occult."
Kaliope expelled a breath.
"The NDA clause activates when the magic registers your intention to reveal our secrets to an outsider. It erases all memories linked to the Occult."
"Our secrets? So you... you're not human?"
"Does it matter?"
She'd known Eli for years. Trusted him. Not once had Kaliope suspected he was...other. Supernatural. Did it matter to her what he was? No. It wasn't about what he was but the fact he hid his identity from her. Then again, she knew little about her mentor. Their sharing of information mainly consisted of her revealing herself. It never bothered her before.
Eli's smile grew sad. His voice softened. "It wasn't my secret alone. I hope you won't hold it against me."
Kaliope crossed her arms. "I wouldn't have told anyone."
"I never thought you would. But I am honor-bound to my people. And what I am, what you are, has no bearing on our relationship. At least, not for me."
There was a question in his statement. Eli awaited Kaliope's response. She wanted to be upset, but there was no steam to build into anything. Kaliope dropped her hand in a huff and planted herself in his cushioned seat.
Eli clasped his hand on the desk. "Are we good?"
"Well, I'm not exactly in a position to be choosy about my social circle."
Eli chuckled. "How did you know it was me?"
"Wolf tie pin. I bumped into a man on campus wearing it, and I'm guessing he's the one I met today. Add that to someone recommending me for the job, and you become the main suspect since there's no one else." Unburdened by her fears of the NDA, Kaliope launched into a recap of her day. "I met a fox demon today."
"Ah." Eli reclined in his chair, fingers interlocked on his stomach. "Be careful of those. They're mischievous troublemakers."
"Figured. Inola has this suspicious glint in her eyes. Also met a witch who positively dislikes me."
"Witches are notoriously snobbish."
Slowly, the tension drained from Kaliope, and she relaxed. "There's a werewolf, too, would you believe?"
Eli nodded, smiling. "I would."
"Plus, their boss—" Kaliope had no idea what Ronin McIntyre was.
"He's a lycan. Like me." Eli explained what a lycan was. They were shapeshifters like werewolves, except they didn't require a full moon to move between their forms. Lycans maintained their faculties after the change, while werewolves became baser forms of themselves. "We also call werewolves wolf demons. It's best you not find out why." In the space of time Kaliope took to process the image of Saint Eli morphing into a humanoid, bi-pedaled monster, he added, "You should take the job."
Kaliope blinked at him. "I may seem calm, but none of this," she windmilled her arms, "is normal. I work with regular human companies. With everyday human problems. My qualifications don't prepare me to stop Chimerans from sinking whole cities because they can't agree about who first found a piece of rock."
"The tunnelers usually clash over rare earth minerals and ores. Precious occult gems and crystals." Kaliope gave Eli a deadpan stare, and he raised his hands laughing. "Fine. Fine. But you can't deny it; working at Sage Tower will be a worthy challenge."
Kaliope rolled her eyes. "Doubt it will be as magical as you think." She recounted her first meeting with Ronin McIntrye. He was probably hoping she'd turn down the job. The interview was a mere courtesy because a mutual acquaintance, i.e., Eli, asked him for a favor.
Eli sighed. "Please pardon my godson. Ronin can be—"
"Whoa. What? The Ronin McIntrye's your godson?" Kaliope shook her head. "Wow. My whole world no longer makes sense."
"You two would be a terrific team."
Kaliope scoffed. "We might end up sinking cities. It's two-for-one, and I'm not even on the team." Her voice dropped. "Why bother?"
"Because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? You're unemployed, inching toward being unemployable." Kaliope squirmed in her seat at his harsh reality check. "You need a firm hand, and Ronin needs excitement. It's a win-win."
Eli spent the next few minutes persuading Kaliope there was nothing to worry about until he received a call for a faculty meeting. She showed herself out and headed home.
Kaliope scrutinized every person she passed for signs of whether they were human or supernatural. The blend between the two was seamless. So much so that most of the Noccult world was ignorant of the Occult. Sage Tower Consultancy was the pillar of that secret.
There was no denying Kaliope wanted to work at a prestigious firm like Sage Tower. Still, the Occult twist was throwing her off. Snotty overprivileged human types were her forte. Not magical beings. She'd glimpsed the kind of cases they might work on. Inola, the fox demon trickster, dismissed the glaring dangers.
Lawsuits, company closures, loss of customers, and market shares were the usual risks of a PR crisis. Those were the kinds of problems her experiences equipped her to handle. She'd enter a new domain if she joined Sage, where disputes sank cities.
And Ronin, their lycan team leader. Snotty witch aside, the team lead posed a problem.
You two would be a terrific team.
In which realm of reality? The man could freeze over a lake with a glare.
She spent hours obsessing over her choice. Researching the Occult online. Fox demons. Witches. Werewolves. Lycans. She pulled up an image of lycan transformed. It bared its fangs, frozen in a pose as if it were pouncing on prey. Whether accurate or not, it sent a cold shiver down Kaliope's spine. She recalled the menace in Ronin's voice when he warned her about initiating any physical confrontations.
You'll find the results less pleasant than a meeting with HR.
If the idea crossed Kaliope's mind to strike Ronin McIntyre, she'd sever the offending limb. It might be less painful.
Kaliope settled on the carpet in her living room, staring at her phone. An email awaited her response. Despite its oddities, Sage Tower felt like her last chance. She needed to avoid another short-term stint on her resume and burn any more bridges. She'd go in, keep her head down, mouth shut, and stay out of trouble. Tch. Who was she kidding? Kaliope wasn't great at working with a team. On top of which, her new one consisted of non-humans and unknown dangers.
Misgivings aside, her curiosity about the company and how it managed to hide in the public spotlight was undeniable. Their secret was a world-changing crisis waiting to happen, and she wanted to learn more.
~~~
Curiosity killed the cat, but what will it do to a Kaliope as she takes on the challenge? We'll hop over to Ronin next episode to see how excited he is to have a new team member on board as they prep for a new case.
To read the entire first season, along with Seasons 2 and 3, join me on Ream. The link's in my bio on the home page. Hope to see you there.