the dark.
God, I was done for.
“Robert, this is your new partner, Phenomenal Girl Five,” Rath said, since I was too busy staring to speak.
I got a hold of myself, offered a hand, willing it not to tremble. “It’s an honor to meet you, Reincarnist.”
His large hand swallowed mine up in a warm handshake that was all man, but not so much so that he was crushing my fingers. “Why is your alias Phenomenal Girl Five?”
His directness flustered me. Well, he flustered me altogether. “Th-there were four Phenomenal Girls before me. They’ve all either been killed or retired, and I had powers similar to theirs, so…”
He nodded, looking distracted again. “I do not use an alias. You may call me by my last name, Elliot, unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?”
Taken aback by the apparent cooling of his welcome, I stuttered, “S-sure.”
“Excellent. And what is your real name?”
“Lainey.”
“Lainey what?” He sounded as if he were losing patience with me already.
“Lainey Livingston.”
“Well, Miss Livingston, we shall get to work straightaway. Ben, I have a break in the Donner kidnapping.” He motioned for Rath to follow him to the monitors. I stood there, uncertain whether I was supposed to go with them or stay put. I felt very awkward.
“I analyzed the dirt scraped from the child’s shoe,” the Reincarnist was saying. “There is coffee present.” He leaned over the computer keyboard and typed a few things. A chemical equation appeared on one of the small screens, and a large map of the city on the large screen. “There used to be a coffee factory at this location.” A red dot appeared on the map. “The authorities will need to sweep that area.”
Rath nodded. “I’ll let them know, but you may be needed as well.”
The Reincarnist shrugged and went back to studying the monitor.
Rath turned his attention on me. “Well, I’ll leave you twoto it. Good luck, Miss Livingston. Robert will be informing me of your progress. I’ll be in touch. Robert, the Hands miss you at meetings.”
“They will continue to do so,” the Reincarnist replied absently, tapping at the keyboard and mumbling to himself. “No fingerprints shown, but a detection spell…”
Rath shook his head. “See if you can get him to emerge from his cave occasionally, Miss Livingston. Other than to patrol or walk crime scenes, I mean.” He clapped Elliot on the back, forcing his attention away from his computer. “How you keep up the playboy persona is a mystery to me.”
“I throw lavish parties, I say hello, and I leave. Mayhew or my current partner takes care of the guests.” He glanced over, his gaze as effective as any stasis beam as it ran up and down every inch of my body, appraising me. My throat went dry as other parts of me did the opposite. “She will do in that respect.”
“Keep me on the guest list.”
“Of course. It was good seeing you, Ben.”
“You too, Robert.” Rath nodded to me. “Let me know if you don’t receive all of your things.” And with that, he disappeared down the hall toward the stairs we’d come down not so long ago.
Leaving me alone with the Reincarnist, whom I was supposed to call Elliot. I was having lustful thoughts about someone I wasn’t even allowed to call by his first name.
The only sounds were the classical music, the clack of the keyboard, and the scribble of pen on paper. Feeling awkward, I looked around, wondering what I was supposed to be doing. I don’t think mentally drooling over my new boss was part of the job description.
He finally glanced up at me, startled, as if he had forgotten I was there. “Miss…Livingston. What exactly is it you do again?”
“E-excuse me?” Was he angry I was just standing there? I had no idea what my job as his partner would entail. Atleast his noticeable irritation with me was cooling off my crush.
“Your talents. Your powers.” There was that annoyed look again.
“Oh!” My face flushed with
God, I was done for.
“Robert, this is your new partner, Phenomenal Girl Five,” Rath said, since I was too busy staring to speak.
I got a hold of myself, offered a hand, willing it not to tremble. “It’s an honor to meet you, Reincarnist.”
His large hand swallowed mine up in a warm handshake that was all man, but not so much so that he was crushing my fingers. “Why is your alias Phenomenal Girl Five?”
His directness flustered me. Well, he flustered me altogether. “Th-there were four Phenomenal Girls before me. They’ve all either been killed or retired, and I had powers similar to theirs, so…”
He nodded, looking distracted again. “I do not use an alias. You may call me by my last name, Elliot, unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?”
Taken aback by the apparent cooling of his welcome, I stuttered, “S-sure.”
“Excellent. And what is your real name?”
“Lainey.”
“Lainey what?” He sounded as if he were losing patience with me already.
“Lainey Livingston.”
“Well, Miss Livingston, we shall get to work straightaway. Ben, I have a break in the Donner kidnapping.” He motioned for Rath to follow him to the monitors. I stood there, uncertain whether I was supposed to go with them or stay put. I felt very awkward.
“I analyzed the dirt scraped from the child’s shoe,” the Reincarnist was saying. “There is coffee present.” He leaned over the computer keyboard and typed a few things. A chemical equation appeared on one of the small screens, and a large map of the city on the large screen. “There used to be a coffee factory at this location.” A red dot appeared on the map. “The authorities will need to sweep that area.”
Rath nodded. “I’ll let them know, but you may be needed as well.”
The Reincarnist shrugged and went back to studying the monitor.
Rath turned his attention on me. “Well, I’ll leave you twoto it. Good luck, Miss Livingston. Robert will be informing me of your progress. I’ll be in touch. Robert, the Hands miss you at meetings.”
“They will continue to do so,” the Reincarnist replied absently, tapping at the keyboard and mumbling to himself. “No fingerprints shown, but a detection spell…”
Rath shook his head. “See if you can get him to emerge from his cave occasionally, Miss Livingston. Other than to patrol or walk crime scenes, I mean.” He clapped Elliot on the back, forcing his attention away from his computer. “How you keep up the playboy persona is a mystery to me.”
“I throw lavish parties, I say hello, and I leave. Mayhew or my current partner takes care of the guests.” He glanced over, his gaze as effective as any stasis beam as it ran up and down every inch of my body, appraising me. My throat went dry as other parts of me did the opposite. “She will do in that respect.”
“Keep me on the guest list.”
“Of course. It was good seeing you, Ben.”
“You too, Robert.” Rath nodded to me. “Let me know if you don’t receive all of your things.” And with that, he disappeared down the hall toward the stairs we’d come down not so long ago.
Leaving me alone with the Reincarnist, whom I was supposed to call Elliot. I was having lustful thoughts about someone I wasn’t even allowed to call by his first name.
The only sounds were the classical music, the clack of the keyboard, and the scribble of pen on paper. Feeling awkward, I looked around, wondering what I was supposed to be doing. I don’t think mentally drooling over my new boss was part of the job description.
He finally glanced up at me, startled, as if he had forgotten I was there. “Miss…Livingston. What exactly is it you do again?”
“E-excuse me?” Was he angry I was just standing there? I had no idea what my job as his partner would entail. Atleast his noticeable irritation with me was cooling off my crush.
“Your talents. Your powers.” There was that annoyed look again.
“Oh!” My face flushed with
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