Not their first meeting but their first meeting.
Even with all that Kai had experienced over the last year, he still had difficulty in believing in a sixth sense concept. Even so, as soon as he stepped into Xerynn’s waiting room, he froze. The air itself held a sticky chill. He caught Natalie’s eye and her lips turned downward just enough.
Okay, whatever it is, it’s bad. Natalie was a robot on a bad day; that she expressed even a modicum of discomfort further shoved Kai to the edge.
He crept toward her desk, muscles twitchy and tight. “Uh, he busy?”
Her brown eyes flicked from the heavy doors to Kai. Not addressing Kai, she reached over and pressed a button on her desk. “Mr. Warrgott, Mr. Walker is here.” She didn’t wait for a response, only withdrew her hand and returned to her computer. “Be my guest.” Her smoky, quiet voice betrayed nothing.
Kai himself was the first to admit he was a nervous person. And now, given the atmosphere and Natalie’s attitude, he nearly gave in to the desire to bolt the other direction. Instead, he shuffled forward and as his hand hovered over the ornate knob, it turned.
He jumped back then, well away from the door’s path as it swung open, quiet.
His eyes widened. He wasn’t hard to recognize. Granted, he was no longer pointing a gun or covered in blood but the arm in the sling hinted at what had happened a week ago.
“I thought you died!” he yelped.
The man first looked at Natalie, smirking before turning his attention on Kai.
Which Kai desperately wished he hadn’t. He clenched his hands tight, hoping to hide the quake that erupted. When he’d seen the assassin, he’d looked damn near dead. Bloody and gasping on Xerynn’s front door. He hadn’t exactly worried about Xerynn after depositing the man in the living room but all the same, he’d wondered what had happened.
“Ah, my savior,” the man purred.
Kai stiffened. His heart thudded painfully in his throat. That was not a pretty voice. The accent couldn’t bury the burn that lived there. “Not even close,” he rasped.
A dark light burst in the man’s hazel eyes. “True. I’ve our mutual employer to thank for that.”
Kai frowned. Employer? His eyes snapped wide. “Wait. Xerynn hired you?”
The man leaned close, his expensive cologne staining Kai’s senses. “He knows a good thing when he sees it,” he mused. He moved away, eyeing Kai. “Usually.”
Had it been anyone else, Kai likely would have erupted. Here, though, he only wanted to escape to Xerynn’s office and slam the door. He did not like this man. There was no Chaos in or around him but he cut through Kai’s gut worse than any Chaos pool he’d run up against.
“I liked you better when you were dying,” he muttered, going pale when the words registered.
The shark grin only soured his stomach further. “Most do.” Still grinning, he pressed two fingers to his forehead and flicked them toward Kai in a false salute. He turned on his heel and walked toward the main door, slipping out like smoke.
Kai’s legs nearly buckled when the lock clicked. “Fuck,” he breathed. He reddened and waved toward Natalie. “Sorry.”
She offered a brief smile. “He’s waiting,” she reminded him.
Kai nodded and wobbled into Xerynn’s office, half-worried he’d find the god a bloody mess. Not surprising, Xerynn was waiting, hands clasped and glasses perched delicately on the bridge of his nose.
“You hired him,” he stated.
Xerynn’s dark eyes narrowed and he shrugged. “He was correct in one manner; I know a good thing when I see it.” He sat back and smoothed his shirt front. “That he failed in his directive hardly matters. Guinevere is persistent but flawed; she naturally would not think to warn any weapon of hers of my nature.”
“So now he’s your weapon.”
Xerynn smirked. “Ah, you are learning quickly.”
Kai shivered and took a seat. “Yay, lucky me,” he muttered.
The god peered at him. “Never fear, Mr. Walker. I highly doubt there will be much interaction between you and Mr. Sayer on the day-to-day.” He eyed Kai over the rim of his glasses. “He is not to harm you, I made that very clear.”
Kai nodded absently and then froze. “What, did he ask if he could?” he squawked.
He never liked when Xerynn laughed, even if it was just a chuckle. “Merely implied that he believed himself the only employee I required at present.” His humor vanished. “I do not believe he yet understands what I am. Be wary of that, Mr. Walker.”
He frowned. “Why?”
Xerynn stood, holding manila file. “Fragile things are easily broken under unexpected force.”
Kai sighed and rubbed his face. “Got it. He’s already crazy enough, let’s not make him crazier.”
“As long as we are in agreement,” Xerynn replied. “Now. Shall we?”
He nodded, shoving the unexpected arrival of one Mr. Sayer as far back as he could. He slouched in the chair, stuffing his hands into his hoodie. “Ready when you are, oh Shameless One.”
Xerynn squinted at him.
