Dark Callings (Phoenix Intelligence Agency) (2 page)

“Only to you. We all trust you, Lennox.” Harmony’s tone was gentle.

“Then you all are fools,” he said coolly.

“Don’t get snappish at me.” Harmony’s reply was mild.

“I did no such thing.”

“You didn’t raise your voice, but I know the levels of that cool tone you use on people—the one that clearly gives away your moods. That was a snap. Don’t do it again.” There was a clear warning in her voice.

Lennox frowned. That she knew him so well surprised and ticked him off. He didn’t appreciate Harmony being so insightful.

“Stop using your abilities on me,” he countered with a warning of his own.

“There we go. Even colder than before. I don’t need to use my seer abilities or empathy on you. You’ve been a disagreeable ass since you came back from Shadow World. I’ve been researching your world, but can’t find much. It’s really fascinating your race is so old and so mysterious. Did you decide about being the second to the king? There’s a training session in a few minutes, but no matter. You’re probably going to hole yourself up in your office, as you have these last few days. You really need to stop being so antisocial—it isn’t good for your health. Maybe I should take you to Medical to check your blood pressure or something.”

“You are giving me a headache.” Lennox sighed long and loud.

“You should be used to my change of topics in mid-conversation by now.” Harmony’s full lips curled in a wider smile.

“I am. But I still have a headache.”

The wicked gleam in her gaze and her smug grin made realisation dawn.

“You do it for spite.”

“Of course. It’s entertaining, watching that vein right there tick. There it goes now.” Harmony pointed.

Lennox glared.

“Loosen up. Answer my question.”

“No. I haven’t decided.”

“That’s not the question I was referring to.”

“I’m not going to Medical,” Lennox said firmly.

Harmony chuckled. “That wasn’t a question, but a promise that if you don’t get your head out of your butt, I’m taking drastic measures.”

He ignored her statement, “You didn’t ask anything else.”

Harmony retorted, “You didn’t listen.”

Lennox rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ask again,” he said patiently.

“The ‘Harmony, you are trying my patience tone’ is my favourite,” Harmony said cheerfully.

“Ask,” Lennox repeated.

“You’re no fun. I was waiting for the exasperated tone.”

“Harmony,” he growled.

“And there it is.”

Lennox stared, waiting for the question. Harmony’s brow was furrowed. Her full nose wrinkled, and the dimples bracketing her mouth were plainly visible. Just as she could read him, he could read her. The expression was her ‘let’s see how far can we push Lennox’ one. She’d been trying since they’d met to get him to lose his temper. What she didn’t seem to understand was that it was dangerous for him to do so. He kept strict control over it for a reason.

“What is the name of Shadow World? I couldn’t find it anywhere.”

“Why would you want to know?”

“I’m curious about what you are. I want to know everything about you.” Harmony had sobered.

Lennox wondered what to say. He carefully kept his thoughts blank. He couldn’t let even the slightest bit of what he was feeling or thinking out there.

Cautiously, he said, “I can understand why you’re curious about your partner, but—”

She tsked and waved her hand dismissively. “This isn’t about us being partners.”

She can’t know. Can she?

Harmony’s expressionless face told him nothing.

Caution filled him as he asked, “Why would you want to know about me?”

Harmony’s scrutiny was thorough as she seemed to study every aspect of his face. “It’s irrelevant at this time. Answer my question.”

Lennox opened his mouth to pursue it. Harmony’s serene face made him reconsider. He would get nothing from her when she had that look.

“Names are power. No one outside our kind or those we trust more than our shadows knows it. Even with them or among our kind, the name is used sparingly and is taken from the consciousness of the world once it is said. Everyone else who does not know it and hears it only hears Shadow World.”

Harmony nodded. “So you could be saying the name now, and I wouldn’t know it. Hmm…so that means your friends know it. Will that matter, once Shadow World is gone?”

“I am calling it Shadow World. No, my friends don’t know it.” He paused, then spoke again. “Once Shadow World is gone, it will matter even more since all that is left will reside in each of us. Even then it will be more important for the name to not be known. It could be used against us.”

The thought of never having a world to return to was too hard to fathom. With her fingers, she touched his wrist. Lennox glanced at her caramel-coloured hand against his onyx skin. He let her touch connect, either because he was curious about how it would feel against his skin, or because he enjoyed torturing himself—he couldn’t decide which. It spoke of his comfort level with her that he hadn’t caught her hand before she’d touched him. Lennox stilled the instinctive reaction to pull his hand away. Her hold on his wrist was a brand on his skin, marking him. Warmth trickled up his arm, then into his head. In moments, his sorrow dissipated.

“You’ve gotten better at controlling your powers,” Lennox said.

“Yeah. Since you’ve been gone, I’m getting a better handle on this
Zuri Maji
stuff.” Harmony shrugged.

Lennox nodded. Harmony, her sister and her aunt had recently found out they were
Zuri Maji
, one of the most ancient, powerful and respected warrior races that descended from Isis’ ancestors. They pre-dated almost all other beings—even Eve, the creator of the agency.

“In my research, I did find it curious the Shadowers were mentioned to be as old as, or maybe even older than, the
Maji
.”

With a thought, Lennox stripped her comment from the air, then shielded their discussion from anyone else.

“Where did you hear that? Where have you been researching?” he asked sharply.

“I felt you take my words out of the air. Why?” Harmony replied in kind.

Lennox, shocked, studied her. She had felt it. Most beings wouldn’t have. Most
Zuri Maji
wouldn’t have.

“I’ll answer you if you answer my questions. Including which line of Isis are you from?”

“We’ll get to that in a minute. I read it in the
Maji Lexicon
. And Zarya confirmed it.”

“Why would Zarya let you have access to the
Maji Lexicon
, knowing the danger of Blagden searching to unite all the books?” Lennox demanded.

“Because it’s my right. I am of Isis, not an ancestor. All
Maji
come from Isis, not her ancestors.”

Lennox’s thoughts raced. Zarya Burke was the head of the
Zuri Maji
. As far as anyone knew, she was the oldest and most powerful. The
Maji
were more forthcoming than many of the races. But even with that, he hadn’t known there weren’t lines of ancestors, but those from the actual blood of Isis. For them to be of Isis meant the
Zuri Maji
were even more powerful than any of the other races had even known.

“Now answer my question.” Harmony’s words caught his attention.

“No one knows the exact time of our lineage of coming to be. We are the same age as the
Maji
,” he admitted.

“I figured as much. Zarya cautioned me the knowledge is closely guarded. The same age as the
Maji
, and you all don’t want anyone to know. I would ask why, but then you’ll lie or omit, and that will make me mad.”

“This is in the
Lexicon
. But why?”

“She wouldn’t tell me the reason. But from what I could ascertain, it’s a necessity for it to be in there.”

Lennox wondered if Fyodor—or, worse yet, Blagden—knew of this.

“No one of your kind is aware we
Maji
know about your race. Since you’re not going, I need to check on our team’s training. I sent you an email. It isn’t a request for attendance. Be there.” Harmony straightened then released her hold on his wrist, before she sauntered away.

Lennox turned, tracking her as she crossed the spacious office. The rhythm of her stroll seemed to beat in his soul. Lennox clenched his fist, aching to go to her.

“Why would you share about the
Maji
with me?”

Harmony paused by the mirrored wall that gave the view of the agents in the unit. She swivelled her head to face him.

“It’s good to have someone to share secrets with. Someone you trust with your soul. Hopefully, soon you’ll do the same without me having to yank it out of you. It gets tiresome.” She paused, gesturing to the wall. “You’ve gained the respect and trust of the team. They’re used to you being accessible. Keeping this up between you and them will build up the walls you fought to break down.”

She returned her attention forwards then went out of the door. Harmony came to stand in the centre before the mirrored wall facing him, her hands on her hips with a determined look on her face. Ever since he’d taken over as one of the team leaders for the Assassination Unit, he preferred to keep the mirrored wall open so he could see out and the agents of his team could see him. The only times it was closed were when he had meetings, or when something was of a sensitive or classified nature. Since he had been back, it had been closed so no one could see in.

A tap on the glass brought his attention back to Harmony. She thumped against it again. Behind her, he saw the other agents noticing. They started chanting. The words filtered through the open door.

“Bamm-Bamm,” they chanted in repetition.

“Yeah. I’m his Pebbles, and he’d better let me in before I take a club and break some bedrock,” Harmony said cheerfully.

She continued to hit the glass with her fist. Confused at her statement, Lennox instead focused on the mulish expression on her face. He knew her stubbornness and she would stay there all day. He understood what she wanted—Lennox changed it from one-way view to two-way. A resounding cheer came from beyond Harmony as the agents whooped and hollered. She winked at Lennox, then turned to face the men and women of their team.

“Shouldn’t you all be in training?” Harmony asked.

“Taskmaster,” an agent called.

“Spoilsport,” another said.

The others chimed in with varying words, but they all stood and left, heading towards the Assassination Unit’s training room. Harmony followed, whistling. Lennox chuckled, staring after her retreating form. Harmony enjoyed outwitting him. He let her believe she did—it kept their partnership working as he did what he needed to. Curious, he went back to his desk and sat. He opened his email and read the one from her.

Lennox frowned over the invitation she’d dubbed ‘team building’. Tomorrow, with the permission of the higher-ups, all the teams of the Assassination Unit, including the cross-partnerships with the Tracker Unit, would be away from the agency. Harmony was opening her home to them. Well, technically, it stated the meadow, and offered the incentive of a lake to swim in to cool off. He had no clue what she was up to, but figured it was another one of her schemes to work on team unity. Harmony was a pain in the ass, but usually had good intentions. He closed the email then went back to work.

* * * *

Harmony Davis smirked remembering Lennox’s face when he’d unblocked the wall. The mix of exasperation and bafflement was one she strived for often. Lennox was so contained—the few times she got behind the blank mask and tone made her giddy. She paused in the preparation of the table for the guests who would be arriving shortly.

Lennox was a conundrum she was going to have fun unravelling. She knew he humoured her when she came to him with some idea or other for the team. Then he might outright reject it. Other times, he would take some of what she suggested, but temper it with his own ideas. The melding would work out so well if only he would get over himself and realise they should meld in a carnal way, too.

“I can hear you plotting for poor Lennox. Please censor the thoughts. My poor brain. I need to wash it out,” someone with a voice similar to her own bemoaned.

“You know you’ve been plotting with me, Aunty Storm.” Harmony turned, smacking playfully at her aunt’s arm.

“True. But you girls would be lost without me. You gotta know how to seduce a man just right to make him yours permanently. My vast years of knowledge are here for you. We’ll net Lennox for you.” Storm winked.

“You’re only five years older than we are, Aunty Storm.”

“Five years more of experience,” Storm insisted.

“When did you get this experience? I don’t remember you dating all that much,” Harmony said.

“This isn’t about me. Besides, an aunt wouldn’t share such things with an impressionable niece.”

“That hasn’t stopped you from sharing before,” someone else interjected.

“Hush, you.” Storm swatted at Allure, Harmony’s twin sister.