Zoey Rogue

chapter Sixteen: Zoey Embattled



Zoey was late for morning drills and took her time changing in the locker room. She missed Vikki already and couldn’t stop thinking about Declan. When they were in bed, she was at home. When they were apart, she felt confused, scared. She definitely didn’t expect him to tell her he didn’t like what Cambions did, just as his offer to sponsor the group she and Vikki wanted to form surprised her.

The Enforcer side of him terrified her, but the side she’d shared breakfast with intrigued her. What bothered her most: she liked being with him. Strike three with him would be incredible; going home to him every night? To someone who knew what she was and wanted to be with her? As much as she tried to deny it, she wanted to see what it was like to be with someone as enigmatic, intelligent and passionate as he was.

He offered her a free pass, anyway. What harm was there in going back tonight?

Realizing she was staring into space like a lovesick teen, Zoey shook her head and rose. She was trotting through the hallways to the gym when she heard her name called.

“Zoey, Olivia wants to see you.”

She’d never really cared for Heidi, Olivia’s arrogant second-in-command. The woman rarely acknowledged Halflings. Even now, she didn’t look up from her smart phone but pointed down the hallway, towards the conference room where disciplinary hearings were held.

“Why?” Zoey asked uncomfortably.

“Do as you’re told.” Heidi was armed and dressed as if for battle in her urban fatigues. “She’s in her office.”

Zoey rolled her eyes but went grudgingly towards the hallway lined with offices of ranking Sucubatti. Before this week – and Declan – she didn’t give a shit about being called in to be yelled at.

She knocked and entered.

Olivia was alone and seated at the other side of a massive desk, rendering the experience uncomfortable from the start. Zoey had the sense she had been called into the principal’s office.

“I have two issues, one that’s quite urgent,” Olivia said. She, too, was dressed in battle fatigues.

Zoey waited, uneasy with the sight of Olivia fully armed. Her make-up was subdued, her high heels replaced by sturdy boots.

“Grab some energy drinks. You’ll need them today,” Olivia directed, indicating a small tray of the thumb-sized cans. “Take a couple for Vikki. We can’t find her.”

Zoey took four and tucked them in her pocket. She said nothing about knowing where Vikki really was. Olivia put the device in her hand away in a cargo pocket, attention on Zoey.

“You were late again this morning,” Olivia said.

“I usually am on Friday mornings,” Zoey said with a shrug. “I like to sleep in.”

Olivia evaluated her for a brief moment, her mind clearly elsewhere, or Zoey didn’t stand a chance of lying.

“First, we are expecting the Cambions to attack us this morning. Heidi got the intel less than an hour ago. We’ve put everyone on alert.”

Zoey froze.

“We’ve evacuated the Council already and are prepping to do the same for the Benefactors and other ranking members of the Sucubatti,” she continued. “There are rumors of some sort of civil war brewing among the Incubatti, and the bastards have managed to drag us into it. At this point, there’s no telling who’s on whose side.”

Fear flew through Zoey. Hadn’t she just spoken to Declan about this very issue?

“You were with Declan last night?”

Zoey nodded.

“Let’s hope he’s on our side.” Olivia studied her. “Zoey, there is something I feel like I should tell you now, in case things turn nasty.” Her magic surrounded Zoey, once again battling Declan’s to influence her. “You, Vikki and the rest of the Team R girls …” she paused.

Zoey stepped back, not expecting to see the doubt on the face of the Succubus charged with the security of the society. Dread settled low into her stomach, and she found herself thinking of Declan to keep from running.

“You are all my … offspring. Twenty three years ago, I donated my DNA to the surrogates who bore you. I placed you all in foster homes with humans who are allies of the Sucubatti,” Olivia spoke with difficulty, her jaw clenched, as if she didn’t want to tell Zoey what she did. “I’ve kept an eye on you your whole life. I have a standing order for Team R to block the transfers every Halfling gets when they turn twenty-two.”

Zoey shifted, uncertain she was hearing this. She’d never once thought it was a possibility. Rather than blindly trust Olivia, she vowed to ask the Professor, who wouldn’t keep a truth like this from her.

“I knew you would be strong, and I knew you were destined for an Incubus. I didn’t expect you to fall prey to an Incubus like Declan. He’s savvier than the rest of those brutes, which concerns me. I warned you yesterday against trusting him, and I’m telling you this again: Right now, he is not a threat to you. But soon, he may become one. Our intel indicates the Enforcers know you are my daughter, which means they may use you to get to me.”

“How?” Zoey asked. “I didn’t even know!”

“They’ve watched you and me for a very long time, and we’ve swapped captured spies many times over the past few years. There are records of this that you can view to verify as soon as we evac everyone and are safe,” Olivia said. “We have the same eyes, you and I, and similar temperaments. Haven’t you ever noticed?”

Zoey wasn’t about to look in the mirror to compare eye color. Neither did she believe Olivia had her best interests at heart. The timing – or the claim itself – felt off.

“In any case, Declan will use this knowledge to manipulate you against your own family.”

Family. Zoey had none three days ago and suddenly, she had a mother, sisters and husband. She always felt a connection to Vikki, who was her best friend for ten years. The idea that Vikki and the other girls on Team R were her sisters was gratifying. The idea of Olivia being her mother – terrifying.

Olivia seemed to be waiting for her to speak. For once, Zoey had nothing to say.

“Don’t let anyone hurt your family, Zoey. You belong with the Sucubatti. You weren’t recruited, because we always knew where you belonged. When this is over, I plan on putting you in charge of the operations arm. You’ve more than earned it.”

“A Halfling?” Zoey managed, astonished.

“Not any Halfling, but one with the advantages of a human and the power of a Succubus. You are my greatest creation.” Olivia’s eyes glowed in a way that left Zoey inching towards the door again. “Right now, I need you to secure the Benefactors, starting with the Professor. They are vulnerable outside the fence.”

The Professor was in danger. This, Zoey understood. She nodded, mind swimming with magic and revelations she couldn’t quite swallow.

“We’ll talk later,” Olivia said with a smile.

Zoey fled. She barreled towards the locker room. Overwhelmed by all she learned, she was barely aware of changing clothing and grabbing her lucky knives. The world seemed to be trying to crush her. Panting, she didn’t come out of her daze until the cool, drizzly air of spring in the DC area hit her lungs.

Signs that the campus was on alert were clear, from the guards in black pacing among the numerous headquarter buildings. A steady stream of Hunters were moving to and from the armory housed under a parking structure. Some took up positions at the gates, others around the headquarters.

None went for the Benefactors. Irritated, Zoey trotted through the gates to the external side of the campus. Almost immediately, she sensed the Cambions. Desperate to escape the oppressive revelations, she was dressed in her sparring gear and armed with only her normal assortment of weapons and no radio. The leggings were padded at the knees and inner thighs and the water-resistant, structured tank top snug beneath a padded vest.

Unconcerned with facing a horde of Cambions, Zoey tracked them to the edge of campus. They were moving between the Victorian houses belonging to the Benefactors and a few Succubae elders located along one rode outside of the compound. When the Cambions reached the forest edging each side of the campus, they fled.

She circled one of the houses. The Cambion magic lingered, even when they did not. There was another scent in the air, this one chemical, as if they’d trailed some foul-smelling liquid behind them. She found the trail and knelt over it. It wasn’t anything she recognized. Sharp gaze taking in the surroundings, Zoey pulled out her phone to text first Vikki, then the command center.

Waiting a few seconds for the picture she took to finish sending to Vikki, she instinctively kept alert for any Cambions.

She followed the trail down the block of houses. Jogging along it, she circled the campus to find the same strange liquid around the dorms lining the outer edge of campus. She continued following the trail.

Her phone rang. She saw Vikki’s number and answered.

“I’m with Liam, at their Incubatti command center,” Vikki started. “Something really weird is going down. I’m so f*cking frustrated – no one will tell me what exactly, because I’m a Sucubatti Halfling. I think it’s bad, Zoey.”

“He doesn’t know what this liquid stuff is?” Zoey asked. “It’s nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

“Not exactly. It’s probably explosive, though. What else did you notice?”

“It trails the gas line all the way around the block. If it’s explosive, does it have to be lit? I’ve found no remote detonators, and when I went around again, it had already soaked into the ground. I have no idea how it might be ignited, unless it’s something else entirely?”

“Wait one.”

Zoey paced, hearing the sound of Vikki moving around.

“Kay. Here’s what I think. The Cambions are prepping to attack. I think Liam and his brothers are working with Olivia against the Cambions, because there’s like something brewing between them and a lot of other Incubatti,” Vikki’s voice was quiet. “Only I think it’s all hush-hush.”

“Hmmm,” Zoey said, mind on what Declan shared with her.

“I, um, lifted a few things from Liam’s mind. I know I’m horrible, but I’ve been so worried about you.”

Zoey smiled, happy her friend cared so much. She wasn’t sure she could steal secrets from Declan. He was too strong not to notice.

“Hey, V, did you have a weird conversation with Olivia?”

“Weird? The woman terrifies me.”

“Yeah. She pulled me aside to tell me some stuff today.” As she spoke, Zoey trotted towards the Professor’s.

“Like what?”

“Um, like you and I and everyone else on Team R are her daughters via surrogates.”

“What?”

“I’m assuming you didn’t have that conversation,” Zoey said. “Anyway, she said not to betray the family, yadda yadda.”

“Did you say daughters?”

Zoey started to laugh. Suddenly, she heard a boom. She whirled, facing the dorms at the northeast corner of the campus. The trail had started there and wound around the campus. Another boom, then another. The dorms imploded then caught fire, falling like dominoes. Stunned, Zoey watched them crumble. The screams were delayed, starting several minutes after the first dorm went down. Her thoughts went to the Professor.

“They’re blowing everything up,” she said into the phone. “I gotta go.”

“Be careful, Zoey.”

Zoey hung up and raced around the perimeter of campus, aware of the buildings around the edges falling. Alarms went off from the center of the compound, and the gates were soon lined with armed Sucubatti and Hunters. She threw open the Professor’s door and hurried to his study.

“Alexander!” she cried. “We have to leave. Now!”

He looked up, surprised.

“Now!” She was at his side and hauling him to his feet before he started moving. She rushed him across the room and out of the house to the street, away from the area where she found any of the strange liquid. “Stay here.”

Two more Hunters were running door-to-door to drag elderly Benefactors and Sucubatti elders out of their homes. Zoey went to the neighbor’s and beat on the door, ordering evacuation before running to the next house. She went down the block, helping and warning people, shepherding them to gates, where Hunters led them onto the central compound.

The Professor leaned against his car, waiting for her. For the first time since meeting him, Zoey sensed…weakness. Or maybe, age. He had been unable to balance her magic the past few months, and she began to wonder if he was ill. His smile was just as charming, but something in the tightness of the smile hinted at discomfort. Pain?

She made a mental note to ask him, once this mess was behind them. Zoey returned to him and took his arm, leading him gently onto the campus. The emergency gathering point for evacuations was the swath of parking lot behind the central parking garage.

“Zoey!” A male voice called.

She turned towards the garage, surprised to see one of the Incubatti Enforcers on their compound. He was the first who tried to read her during her disastrous hearing yesterday. Wes, Declan had called him.

He motioned her over to two other Hunters: the new girl, Lydia, and Ginny, both from Team R. Like Vikki, Ginny’s exposed arms and shoulders were covered with tattoos marking her kills. Lydia’s porcelain skin was like Zoey’s: free of tattoos.

“We’re sitting ducks here. Can you shoot?” he asked briskly.

Zoey nodded.

“Sniper posts on top of the garage, until evacuations get here.” He pointed to the corners of the parking garage towering above them.

Zoey looked between Lydia and Wes, sensing the crackling connection she experienced the night she ran into Declan for the first time. Lydia looked uneasy and Wes grim. Zoey rolled her eyes, recalling what she learned about the women on Team R. Ginny had a knowing look on her face.

“Lydia, is it?” Wes asked, his gaze on the blonde girl. “You stay with me.”

Ginny laughed. Zoey glared at her.

“Why am I always the last to know everything?” Zoey muttered.

Wes glanced at her. “Guess that second date took place after all.”

“What the f*ck are you doing here?” she demanded. “Aren’t these your Cambions attacking us?”

He held out an earpiece. She glared at him, one hand on her gun. Lydia took the earpiece and placed it in Zoey’s hand.

“I was confused, too,” Lydia said. “Heidi said to deal with it.” She grimaced.

Grudgingly, Zoey put in the earpiece, expecting to hear Heidi.

“Hey.”

Her insides melted at Declan’s purr.

“Hey,” she replied. “So, this is awkward.”

“You remember what I mentioned this morning over breakfast?” he asked.

“Yes.” Zoey glanced at Wes and crossed her arms.

“Wes is coordinating with Olivia’s people to evacuate everyone.”

She hesitated. “Alright.” It was the same thing Olivia mentioned earlier, before warning her against trusting Declan.

“Trust me?” he asked.

“We’ll see.”

“Good enough, kitten,” he said with a smile in his voice. “I’ll see you later. Behave.”

Cursing, she moved away then glanced towards the parking area where people milled. Wes was right. If the Cambions intended to pick them off, they’d be easy, with the emergency gathering point located in an exposed area. Her instincts at a wail, she made her way through the crowd, until she reached the Professor.

“Come on,” she told him quietly. “You’re going with me.”

“My dear, I –“

“No. You’re safe with me,” she said.

“Very well.” He chuckled and stood, entertained by her concern.

Zoey led him through the crowd and to the arsenal under the campus. She stopped beside Ginny and armed herself with as many knives as she could carry then grunted under the weight of ammo for the long sniper rifle.

“Who picked you up?” Ginny asked, loading herself down beside Zoey. “And when? I thought I was the only one, ‘til Vikki.”

“I’m not a goner yet,” Zoey retorted.

“Strike two?” Ginny’s dark eyes glowed in silent laughter. “Yeah, you are. Strike three is a formality.”

Hefting everything, Zoey left, waving for the Professor to follow her as she broke free of the armory. She took the stairs two at a time, breathless by the time she reached the top.

She was on her assigned corner and set up by the time the Professor walked calmly up the stairs and joined her. Wes was stationed in the center of the rooftop. Heidi joined him, and Ginny took up position on the opposite corner from Zoey. Zoey pushed her earpiece into place.

“Comms check,” Heidi said.

“Zoey up,” she said.

“Ginny up.”

“Tell me what you see,” Wes directed. “No shots ‘til ordered.”

Zoey surveyed the surroundings through the scope, using magic to extend the distance. Two blocks from campus, Cambions were massing. More booms around the perimeter indicated explosives were continuing to take out the housing. She glanced towards the Professor’s home as it collapsed. Sorrow went through her as she realized yet another part of her life was changing.

“Three dozen, armed, two blocks southwest,” Zoey reported.

“Ditto, northeast,” Ginny’s soft voice said.

The Professor shifted beside Zoey, gazing at his crumbled house sadly. She knew from the dents in the rugs that he’d lived there awhile, long before she came into his life. She shared his sorrow.

“At least I don’t have to unpack all my boxes,” she said. “I feel kinda bad. Eric put a lot of effort into packing them.”

“They now lie in the basement with my vintage cigar collection,” the Professor said with a sigh. “I guess I always knew the end was coming.”

Her gaze lingered on him at the enigmatic words. She put her comms piece on mute.

“Professor, I need to ask you something,” she said.

“Now?” he asked, gaze on the rifle.

“Yeah. You know me. No patience,” she tried to joke. “Olivia told me something today. I wanted to ask you if it’s true.”

The sorrow in his features grew so deep, wrinkles appeared.

“She said Vikki and I and everyone else on Team R are her… uh, hybrid offspring, I guess.” Zoey waited for him to laugh it off or deny it.

Instead, the Professor nodded slowly. “I wondered if she would ever tell you.”

“You knew?” she demanded.

“Of course.”

She waited, but he said nothing more about the greatest single revelation he’d never shared.

“That’s it?” Her heart was starting to pound hard against her chest. “No, this is why I didn’t tell you, Zoey, or it’s not as bad as it sounds?”

“I couldn’t tell you, Zoey. It wasn’t my secret to reveal. But I could protect you, and I did. I never told her Declan marked you, and I never told Declan you were the daughter of his enemy.” The Professor seemed content with his part and offered a smile. “I always did what I thought was right for you.”

“I …”

“Comms, Zoey!” Wes belted from the middle of the garage.

The timing was good enough. Her head was about to explode. She un-muted her earpiece.

“Any change in position?” Heidi asked.

“None,” Zoey reported.

“Stay focused, Zoey.”

“Alright.” Zoey kept her eye trained on the Cambions. No sound but that of rain and imploding homes filled the air. She clenched her jaw, wanting to demand explanations from the quiet Professor.

“Zoey, spill,” Ginny ordered over the radio. “Who is it?”

“You first.”

“No way.”

“God, I need a drink right now,” Zoey said. “Ever have one of those days when everyone is out to f*ck with your head?”

“I’ve got a story for you, Z. You have no idea what it’s like to be with an Enforcer who specializes in psychological operations,” Ginny said. “Rock, paper, scissors?”

“One sec.” Zoey checked the position of the Cambions. “Clear.”

“Clear,” Ginny echoed. “Go!”

Zoey leapt up and darted to the middle of the roof, watching Ginny tear towards her from the opposite direction. The sudden activity took her mind off her panicky thoughts and felt damned good.

“What the f*ck are you doing?” Wes yelled from nearby.

They glanced towards him, but didn’t stop, instead nearly running into each other before stopping.

“It’s how Team R does business.” Heidi’s answer was amused.

“One, two, three!” Zoey and Ginny counted. Zoey threw out her hand flat while Ginny’s fist stayed in a ball. Zoey won: paper over rock.

“Dammit!” Ginny muttered.

“Are you serious?” Wes sounded surprised. “Back to position!”

Zoey and Ginny bumped fists before obeying.

“Tommy,” Ginny said over the radio as they returned to their respective positions. “Enforcer.”

“Which one?” Zoey asked.

“You can’t miss him. He’s like a tree.”

“You can’t mean that gigantor who does mind tricks!”

“Oh, yeah. You have no idea how much those mind tricks f*cked me up,” Ginny said. “Until strike two, and then I could read him.”

Zoey dropped to her knees and all but fell into position, cuddling the rifle against her cheek. Breathing hard, she nonetheless felt better after releasing some of her energy.

“You?” Ginny asked.

Zoey heard her grunt as she dropped into position. Surveying their surroundings, Zoey repositioned her face before answering.

“Declan.”

Ginny laughed hard. “I’ll take Tommy over Declan every day. No way I’d want that.”

“Did you say Declan?” Heidi’s voice held a note of surprise.

“Uh, oh,” Ginny said. “Mama bear is gonna take your head off, Zoey.”

“I guess it would’ve been made public eventually,” Zoey said uncomfortably. A glance over her shoulder revealed that Heidi was glaring in her direction with cold fire in her eyes.

“You know why he’s the head Enforcer, right?” Ginny asked.

“Won’t matter in a few days when I walk away,” Zoey said.

“Fine. I’m not telling you.”

Zoey was quiet for a moment. She hadn’t wanted to hear directly from Declan how powerful he was. He was right; the Enforcer side of him terrified her. She saw it when they made love and in their bond. She knew nothing about him, she realized, aside from who his father and brother were. Suddenly curious about the man she’d known all of three days who shared his own soul with her on day one, she broke.

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Goddamn it, Ginny!” she muttered.

“I thought you Hunters were a little better disciplined,” Wes said into the mic. “If I hadn’t seen you both fight, I’d be scared shitless right about now.”

“They’re called Team Reject for a reason,” Heidi said. Zoey heard something in her tone that worried her.

“Does not play well with others. Failure to respect authority,” Zoey recited.

“Outbursts of violence towards other Halflings,” Ginny added.

“Either cannot or will not follow instructions,” Lydia added shyly. “I had my first hearing yesterday.”

Zoey laughed. “So you do fit in!”

“I guess.”

Zoey glanced at the Professor, who looked more worn down than she’d ever seen him. She flipped off her mic and addressed him. Laden with rain, his clothing clung to his slender frame and made him appear almost nondescript, for an incubus. At his sexual peak, he never would have been overlooked or mistaken for a human.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned.

“I’m well, kiddo.”

She handed him a bottle of water. “You’re not okay.”

He accepted it and gave her a distracted smile. “I had hoped not to see the day where everything we built came down like this.”

Zoey said nothing. She had no affection for the place that had become her home or for most of the girls she was supposed to fight with. Only Team R and the Professor. The school was bloated and self-important, filled with girls chosen more for looks than potential to fight. No, there was no love lost.

But it was her home, and the tremor of emotion that went through her scared her. Where did she go, if the Professor’s house was blown up? Did she go to Declan, whose agenda wasn’t clear? Did she go to Olivia, who chose a horrible time to reveal their relationship?

Why did Olivia reveal it today?

“I knew it would come soon,” he added. “This has been building for awhile.”

“What has?”

“The internal struggle in the Incubatti. The Cambions never should’ve been granted power in the first place. Now, there’s no way to fix it but by force.”

“You think there are parts of the Incubatti that don’t believe in what the Cambions do?” she asked.

“I know it to be true. Declan’s father has planned this for many years. I don’t know that he anticipated the Cambions attacking the Sucubatti, though. It’ll drive a wedge between any cooperation the two might have,” he explained.

Thus far, the Incubus whom Olivia told her not to trust seemed to be telling the truth. Declan didn’t believe in protecting Cambions. He was fighting them in his own way. Relief spread through her, soon replaced by a chill that slid into her core. If the Enforcers and IAB were temporarily allied to fight the Cambions, what happened if they parted ways? Where did she go then?

“Olivia said she blocked all transfer orders for Team R. Why does every Hunter get transferred when they turn twenty two?” she asked, recalling something else she read in Vikki’s journal.

“They aren’t transferred per se,” the Professor said slowly. “Most end up killed off.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, if you weren’t the daughter of the head of the IAB, you would be dead by now. There has never been a clean, easy way of handling Hunters that go mad from sex energy. There comes a point where too much is built up, and the only alternative has been to destroy the Hunter.”

“You’re telling me every girl here is gonna end up dead?” Zoey demanded.

“Many end up the mates of Incubatti. It’s how Incubuses are born,” he reminded her. “Those that don’t are killed off. You have Declan to stabilize you. Vikki has Liam. The girls on Team R won’t follow that path, but the rest …” he shrugged. “It’s why I and the other Bennies stayed with the Sucubatti. Philosophical differences aside, we knew the only way to find and protect the soul-mates of our brethren was to be where they were bred. Here.”

“I am going to need some serious therapy after this shit.”

“Zoey! Mic!” Wes shouted. She flipped on the mic, her gaze on the Professor.

“No meltdowns,” the Professor said with some of his old cheerfulness.

“F*ck that. I’m gonna have the king of all meltdowns before the day is over.”

“Calm, Zoey,” Wes said in a quiet voice. “Stay focused.”

Though she liked none of the Hunters, she knew they weren’t exactly told their fates when they were recruited. In fact, they were lied to. No one told them they’d go crazy on their twenty-second birthdays and ended up killed like they did Cambions.

“There aren’t really any good guys, are there?” she asked the Professor, disturbed at all he’d told her.

“Leave your mic open, Zoey,” Wes said over the radio. “Good is a relative term.”

“There are,” the Professor said. “People like you who want to do what’s right. Team R is strong that way. The security apparatuses of both societies have a common goal to protect the innocent and different ways of reaching it.”

“It doesn’t matter, if they kill each other off first,” she said, frustrated. She glanced through the scope. Her hands were sweating as she realized whatever was happening today, it was going to make breaking up with Eric feel like winning the lottery.

“I forgot. This is from Chrissy.” The Professor pulled out what looked like a watch and handed it to her.

Zoey accepted it. “Who?”

“Chrissy. The girl you rescued. The one who made you the high heels with –“

“Oh yeah! I like her!”

The Professor rolled his eyes at her.

“What does this do?” she asked, interested in it. “Poison compartment? Strange folding knife?”

“It’s a watch,” he responded.

“No shit. Is that all it does?”

“As far as I know.”

“That’s just weird.” Zoey frowned, but put it on. “You still have her number for when things go back to normal?”

“I do,” he confirmed. “You like your watch?”

Zoey stared at it, perplexed. It was lighter than normal with a Velcro strap and digital timekeeping. But it was a watch. Not titanium-reinforced knives in her shoes or a dress that moved with her body.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” she replied and then turned her attention back to the question she intended to ask her teammate, before the Professor handed her the plain, black band. “Ginny, you want to start a vigilante movement?”

“Vikki already asked me.”

“Me, too,” Lydia said.

“First I’m hearing of this,” Wes said casually.

“We need a better name than Team Reject,” Zoey said. “I, um, have a private investor who will fund us. How about Team Rogue?”

“Private investor?” Ginny asked. “Do I want to know who?”

“Nope. Someone’s gotta step up and knock off the Cambions. I have a feeling things are gonna get messy,” Zoey said. “You guys in?”

“Maybe we should talk about this,” Heidi said.

Zoey suppressed what she wanted to say to Heidi. After today, there was no way in hell she was going to work for Sucubatti or Incubatti.

“I’m in,” Lydia said.

“Me, too,” Ginny agreed. “I’ve got movement.”

“From this direction as well,” Zoey said, watching the Cambions moving down the street.

“Hold,” Heidi ordered. “We’re awaiting the directive to open fire. All rules of engagement apply, Zoey. None of that selective ROE.”

“Roger,” Zoey said blandly.

“Five bucks says I kill more,” Ginny said.

“You’re on,” Zoey said.

“Engage at will,” Wes directed.

Zoey took out four of the Cambions down the street before they fled for cover. She waited then picked off a couple more who ventured out. She heard the report of Ginny’s weapon and focused hard, squeezing off rounds and guiding them with magic.

“Ten,” she said.

“Twelve,” Ginny replied.

Zoey took out several more then caught movement a block over, a forested area.

“Heidi, I’ve got twenty I can see and a whole bunch moving up from the southeast that are hidden in the forest,” she said. “You’ll need a squad on the ground to flush them out of the forest.”

“Got it,” Heidi said, then relayed the instructions to the command center.

A moment later, Zoey saw a team of Hunters headed towards the forest in the southeast corner. Zoey glanced at the other Cambions still cowering down the street then shifted her weapon to cover the girls moving towards the forest, at once critical of the way they approached the forest. Team R never moved like that, without weapons ready. These Hunters acted either like untrained newbies or cheerleaders out for a stroll.

Zoey fired a warning shot over the head of the girls, irritated. They took the hint and drew weapons.

“Zoey,” Wes chuckled. “Declan hasn’t calmed that temper of yours.”

“Are you kidding?” Ginny asked. “This is night and day for her. The Zoey I know would’ve rappelled down the side of the building by now and be knee-deep in Cambions.”

Zoey was surprised to realize Ginny was right. She was calm and focused, despite the amount of devastating news she’d received in such a short time span. It wasn’t a normal state for her, but it was like fighting sober: somehow much easier than she expected.

“She is following instructions today,” Heidi allowed. “Declan could calm the fire of anyone.”

“No one in their right mind would piss off Declan,” Ginny said. “Though I would’ve loved to have been at the inquiry yesterday.”

“You following the rules, Zoey?” Wes asked.

“Rules? He’s had to tell her more than one in what, the two days she’s known him?” Ginny laughed. “Zoey, they only tell you rules when you break one.”

“What are they?” Lydia asked.

“It’s what happens when a Halfling f*cks over her soul-mate,” Wes said warily.

“What are you up to, Zoey? Twenty?” Ginny was still laughing.

“F*ck all of you,” Zoey said acidly.

“I know one,” Ginny said. “What’s the second?”

“What’s the first?” Lydia asked.

“Rule one: don’t ever draw your weapons on me again. Rule two: don’t ever lie to me again,” Zoey recited. “Rule three: know the difference between where you play and where you sleep.”

“Three rules in two days!” Ginny exclaimed.

“My god, Zoey. It’s definitely a record,” Wes said. “I feel bad for Declan. What did you do to him?”

They were all laughing at her. The Professor was near tears. Zoey gritted her teeth. She thought Declan was giving her a run for her money while he was coasting. She felt somewhat vindicated realizing she was testing him as well.

I love a challenge. His voice was a husky whisper in her mind. It made her blood stir remembering how he turned her anger into passion. The magic fusing them was subtle again today, so much so she barely noticed it, except when she focused on it. Her calm came from him and the bond.

She turned off the mic again then asked, “How many rules are there?” Uncertain if he heard her words or not, she squeezed off a few more shots to cover the girls fighting near the forest. The Cambions down the block were venturing out of hiding once more. She swung around to shoot a few more down before returning to the forest. Flipping on the mic, she spoke to Heidi.

“Squad one is out of commission. Cambions headed onto campus. Five minutes until contact with the front gate. Where the f*ck are the evacs?” The parking lot below was surrounded by the Hunters.

“How many are headed this way?” Wes demanded.

“Twenty so far out in the open. Nineteen. Eighteen,” she counted as she picked them off.

“Wes, they’re shifting towards the forest,” Ginny reported.

Zoey heard a boom and a crunch, similar to what the houses and dorms sounded like as they crashed. She raised her head, looking around then finally down into the parking lot. The center of the parking lot had collapsed. Cars, Halflings and elders dropped into the sinkhole.

“Shit!” she exclaimed.

“On my way. Take out the Cambions,” he ordered.

She shifted her eyes away with some effort, horrified by the sight below. Zoey picked off the Cambions as quickly as possible while more spilled from the forest. Those down the street were charging as well. She focused on those already clambering up the gates surrounding campus, her agitation and magic rising within her.

Four, Declan answered. Stay calm or you’ll be learning the final one tonight.

She drew a deep breath, knowing he was right. Breathe. Hold. Squeeze. She took out a few more before Wes reached her. He looked out over the parking lot, listening to whoever addressed him on the other channel.

“Zoey, Ginny, grab your gear and head to the armory,” Heidi said over their channel. “Our evacuations have been rerouted. The humans alerted the police; we can’t risk involving them in this. We’re moving the elders out of here ourselves while Olivia buys us time before the cops arrive.”