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Digesting this information for a moment Helgastein nodded slowly. “Okay.This meeting is over. You.” She pointed a finger at Shaw. “Go make sure theparty crap is under control. Check in on Stephanie. Gauge her state of mind.Fix her if she needs fixing.” Shaw paled, mouthing the words - fix her - underher breath in bewilderment. Helgastein shifted her attention to Kaleb. “Andyou… put me down for one ticket for that Christmas mixer.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Don’t you have some King crap you need to take care of?” Shaw enquired,stepping off the elevator onto the vast Staging Area level. Where all theValkyrie campaigners arrived and departed via a series of Portals overseen bythe staging crew. Who worked fast and efficiently to keep the traffic flowmoving. Ensuring the oxen pulling the supply wagons were content. That the teamleads had their squads lined up, kitted out, ready, waiting for the command tomove out.
To the far right of the floor the Elves’ workshop was located. Oneof their kind busy buffing out some smudges on a set of armour. One leaning onthe counter, making no bones about the fact he was spying on the closed doubledoors of Zuri’s lab, located across the far side of the cavernous space.Another three Elves were sharpening and rearranging the stock for lease andsale. Displaying their goods so the lights hit the gleaming sharp edges oftheir weaponry at just the right angle to make a Valkyrie salivate.
Only one group was awaiting a green light. About twenty of Shaw’sbrethren, gathered around a medium sized Portal. From the gear and equipmentthe staging crew were loading them down with Shaw would hazard that they were aquest team. It would explain the mix of mountain climbing and scuba gear, theodd tiki torch, and what looked like a talking skull in a small cage. Probablytheir guide.
More than a handful of those bustling around lifted their hands ingreeting as they walked by, heading to the Executive Portals, Kaleb’s name ontheir lips, not Shaw’s. He was their favourite now, was he? Ungrateful heifers.How many of their limbs and lives had she saved over the years? Shaw wasvaguely disgusted with them.
Honestly? A hot angelic looking Demon with a dimple saunters byand they were all a flutter. And the Demon… other than a casual wave andfriendly smile, his entire attention appeared to be fixed on her. Huh?
Shaw’s instincts fired. Just what was the sneaky male plottingnow? She gifted him with a suspicious glare to let him know she was on to him.
“What?”
“Don’t what me. I’m on to you… whatever it is. So just quit italready.” Shaw warned, heading towards a set of golden doors, etched with anepic gory battle scene that parted silently as they approached. The room beyondhad warm cream walls and gold threaded cream marble floors. Large golden orbslit the space, spinning seemingly in mid-air, with nothing to suspend themthere. There were comfortable cream couches against one wall, and a long giltedged table beside them, groaning under the weight of all the decadent bottlesof alcohol and foodstuffs arranged upon it.
This was the Executive Portal Lounge. One of Stephanie’s ideas.Her logic being that in order to charge premium rates you had to act and looklike a premium operation.
A tall muscular Valkyrie stomped into view. Her dark hair long,falling past her beyond broad shoulders in tangled waves. A fulsome rackfilling out her gold breast plate to impressive proportions. She was missing aleg. From the left knee down a silver metal column etched with Nordic runessupported her weight. But what really caught your eye about this particularValkyrie was the deep scar that ran from one temple down over her nose, carvingthrough her right cheekbone, ending with a large part of her jaw gone.
“Shaw. Long time no see. And you brought a friend.” The Valkyrie’svoice was almost musically low and sweet.
“Hey Rissa. Meet Kaleb.” The two shook hands. Only the slightestflicker of Kaleb’s dimple indicating that he found Rissa’s handshake to be alittle on the enthusiastic side. But then that was Rissa. Enthusiastic. Never abad word to say about anyone. Always with a ready - if slightly troublesome -smile on her face. Given her personality and hardened battle visage, Rissa wasthe perfect first impression Stephanie wanted to make upon their more esteemedvisitors and potential clients. “We need to head over to Stephanie’s place tocheck on the party prep. You’re coming tomorrow, right?”
“Absolutely. You know how I love a good party. I heard something aboutan ale tasting contest? Can’t wait.” Rissa walked over to an alcove, producinga blade magically, swiping it back and forth in an intricate fashion in the airto fix the required coordinates. “It’s good to go whenever you are. I’d betterget back in the kitchen, I have scones in the oven. See you tomorrow.”
“Hold on.” Shaw raised a hand to block Kaleb from approaching thenow shimmering Portal, careful not to make physical contact. “The King crap?Don’t you have things to do before you can… offload the position?”
“Nope.”
“Nope?” Shaw’s green gaze narrowed. Sneaky, scheming Demon. He hadso many tricks up his sleeves it was a wonder he could lift his arms.
“I’m all yours.”
Damn, why did that statement cause things low in Shaw’s body toflicker to life, bringing unwanted heat. At the same time her gut roiled, awave of adrenaline surging in anticipation, as if she were facing off againstthree battalions of Marva Orcs, and about to have an awesome time. Weird.Heavens. She was so getting ahead of herself, she hadn’t even booked any battletime yet. “I only have to put up with you for two more days.” Feeling as if shewas reminding herself as much as Kaleb. Who did nothing more than nodagreeably, the sunny smile never leaving his features. “Come on.”
The sooner she checked on the party prep and Stephanie, thesooner… hold on, Shaw had nothing left to do after that. The only thingremaining on her calendar was the party tomorrow. Sweet Freyja, once that wasover it would just be her and Kaleb alone, trying to come up with things thetwo of them could do… together.
A whole host of activities raced through Shaw’s head. In everysingle one Kaleb was naked. Seriously. What, by Freyja’s Sword, was wrong withher? Perhaps she was going insane. She’d heard rumours of Valkyries going mad,but that was generally the good kind of mad. Raging, bloodthirsty, weaponsslashing, couldn’t be stopped, didn’t want to be stopped, gripped by battlelust… lust?
All Shaw’s instincts suddenly tingling, sending up a red flag ofwarning… lust? But not for battle… for a Demon. One specific, annoyinglysmiling, chatty, easy-going, forever plotting, forever planning, devilishDemon.
Okay, but so what, she lusted after Kaleb. Who wouldn’t? Theangelic packaging alone was pure temptation. Doubly so if you included hisadequate cock in the offering. Compounding the problem, the biggest factor ofall remained his convenient proximity. His constant, never ending, alwaystrying to push past her personal boundaries, proximity.
Valkyries liked to fight and they liked to fuck. Her wires weregetting crossed, that’s all. Besides, lust was a perfectly acceptable feelingto have for such a good looking - knows what he’s doing in the sack - male.Yes, perfectly acceptable… except, when she thought about two days’ time whenthey officially went their separate ways, Shaw had to fight the urge to callher halberds. Not in order to kill the Demon, but to defend, to protect her…territory?
Bloody hell, there were so many disturbing things about thatthought. Shaw needed a battle, and she needed one now.
Thankfully she had her hormonally psychotic boss to… fix? Ifnothing else, dealing with whatever was going on with Stephanie should ideallydistract Shaw from whatever the hell was wrong with herself right now. Yeah,keeping busy, that was the answer.
***
It took Shaw five seconds to work out who Jenna, the partyplanner, reminded her of, Stephanie. Sure, the woman stood only just over fivefoot, slender as a reed, with black hair she tied back in a smooth chignon. Herskin tone a mix of caramels and creams. Her eyes a hazel brown. Dressed in whatShaw supposed was smart casual; tan slacks and a gold and white sleevelessblouse. The shape of Jenna’s ears indicating she had a touch of fae somewheredistantly in her lineage. No mundane would notice, because other than that, atleast outwardly, Jenna seemed like nothing but a savvy, go-getting businesswoman who knew her stuff and was seriously enthusiastic about parties and theplanning of them.
It was that… energy Jenna exuded, where the similarities withStephanie began. Reinforced by the fact she clutched her phone to her chest,constantly making notes and checking off things - it wasn’t a clipboard but itmight as well have been. Then there was the bouncing. Shaw didn’t thinkStephanie had infected Jenna, she could only presume the woman came by itnaturally. Bouncing along on gold coloured luxury brand name sneakers like shewas on springs.
