more of this family drama, so can we talk Dragon cultists?”
He relaxed. “I thought you’d never ask.”
We began discussing the cultists, me telling him about the various spells I’d seen them cast during their assault, and we didn’t stop until he heard the sound of voices in the hallway. The members of the EHJ were back. And they apparently had a few old friends tagging along.
“Thank God you showed up when you did,” Paul was saying to a tall man with cocoa-colored skin and a body that would make most women swoon. Wearing dark-colored martial-arts robes, he was nodding seriously. It was Luke Harmon, also known as Sensei.
“I thought we were doing a pretty good job on our own,” Selena said, giving Paul a pointed look.
I gave her a second glance. Considering her past with Luke, she was coming up a bit in my estimation. There was something about the way she stood: a bit of iron in her posture that bespoke not only outer strength but inner power as well. I wondered if she might be worth knowing better.
“It was a good thing we were all there,” Paul amended, giving Selena a wary glance and trying to keep everyone calm, as usual. “Every pair of hands was needed. It’s like every jail harboring a world-class villain lost all of its residents in a matter of minutes.”
“Do you think it could have been a coincidence?” Wesley asked, walking around me. “Just criminals taking advantage of the situation? Or do you think the Dragon and his people were behind their escapes?”
“It’s worth checking out every angle,” Paul said.
“I’ll run a patrol around the jails and see what I can find out,” Selena offered.
“I’ll go with her,” Toby piped up.
“That’d be great,” said Paul, clearly relived that some of the tension would now dissipate.
“And I can start researching through our computers—or through Wesley’s musty books of crazy prophecies and the like,” Mindy said, walking up, her pregnant belly preceding her. “God knows I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good to see you again, Mindy,” said a woman whose beauty rivaled my own. She’d been in the rear of the pack but she stepped forward now, flipping back long dark hair. With bright blue eyes and a body that looked like a starlet’s, Kate Hughes—Aphrodite, really, the goddess of love—was able to attract all the attention she wanted, male or female, without using her powers of love and persuasion. But her powers wouldn’t work on anyone already in love, and the one man Kate wanted had been torn from her grasp. Too bad she hadn’t recognized his value until he was happy with a woman who didn’t cheat on him. It was another source of tension.
She studied her rival. “You’re looking . . . pregnant.”
Mindy nodded. “An astute observation.”
The awkwardness between the two women was palpable. No wonder Toby and Selena were bailing for the first assignment announced. It was going to be like walking on eggshells around this place for a while. Joy. Why had I returned from my pocket dimension?
“It’s been tense like this since those two showed up,” Cyrus said, glancing at Luke and Kate. He’d come over and leaned down to speak softly into my ear. “I swear, they were more violent in the field than I’ve ever seen, and that includes the times I was on the other side of things. I swear, put exes in a single room and watch the fireworks fly.”
A thrill rushed through me at his nearness, which I fought to contain. “Glad to see you didn’t die,” I said in a carefully casual tone.
He shrugged. “You lucked out.”
“I’m the luckiest girl in Megolopolis,” I agreed, giving him an eyelash flutter like a damsel in distress.
“I’m not sure how they’re dividing the rooms up,” Cyrus mused in a low tone. “There’s always the possibility that I may end up sharing a room with Luke.”
I patted him on the arm. “Thanks for the offer, but even with my reputation I’m not into ménage à trois.”
He made a face. “I wasn’t suggesting that. I’m definitely not into sharing. I’m old-fashioned and greedy; I want my woman all to myself. I don’t share well with others.”
I tried to keep my panic off my face. What was he suggesting? Were we a couple now? Were we going to do couple things? Did I have to ask him before I made plans? Were we going to plan dinner parties and double dates with Mindy and Paul? What the hell was going on?
Fighting