little . . . run-in this evening.”
“That is another thing he has to answer for. I will not have my agents threatened—”
“It wasn’t the threats, ma’am. It was the movie that went along with it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It only lasted a few seconds. I mean, it felt a lot longer, but I’m sure it only took up a couple of seconds.”
The boss’s expression darkened, and her dragon aura loomed behind her, flowing up the wall like a shadow. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, and she couldn’t help that she did it, but that didn’t keep me from wishing I’d just kept my mouth shut.
Her eyes glittered dangerously. “What happened, Agent Fraser?”
“He was trying to scare the hell out of—I mean, he was trying to intimidate me by showing me what he’d done to other people who didn’t tell him what he wanted to know. It was . . . impressive. FYI, ma’am, the file we have on him really doesn’t do his past activities justice.”
The spooky shadow flowed back down the wall as Ms. Sagadraco made an effort to calm herself. Her expression softened along with it. “Words, regardless of the language, have difficulty capturing the horror of a situation. Visuals, such as photographs or videos, do a much more effective job.”
“It was effective, all right.”
She gave me a small smile. “And you did not back down.”
“I didn’t see it as an option, ma’am. I don’t give in to bullies. And that’s what Viktor Kain is, a bully. Albeit one with a wider mean streak, who’s had a lot longer to practice.” I hesitated. “The problem is, your sister talked to me in my head on New Year’s Eve, and tonight Viktor Kain bragged on how many ways he’s killed people who sassed him.”
Vivienne Sagadraco raised a single eyebrow.
“Who defied him,” I clarified.
“Oh.”
“That’s not anything I’ve been able to hear or see before I came to New York. Then again, so far it’s only happened with dragons, and until I’d moved here, I’d never met a dragon.”
“Have you heard my thoughts?”
“No, ma’am, but I just figured it was because you were too much of a lady to barge in to my head without knocking.”
A tiny grin curled the boss’s lips. “So my sister isn’t a lady?”
“I’ll acknowledge that she’s female. No offense, ma’am, but that’s about as far as I’d be willing to go.”
Vivienne Sagadraco gave a short laugh. “I couldn’t agree more, Agent Fraser. I had thought the incident with my sister might have been a fluke. Having become accustomed to being worshiped as a goddess, Tiamat became quite adept at forcing her thoughts into the minds of her human priestesses.”
“I’m a dragon priestess?” My voice rose and my alarm along with it.
“There is no such thing, Agent Fraser; merely those who are sensitive to the thoughts of our kind. My sister must have sensed this in you and taken advantage of it.” Her expression grew solemn. “May I have your permission to try something?”
I tensed even more than I already was. “To talk to me in my head?”
“Yes. If it is an ability you have, then it is a rare gift indeed—and one that could prove most advantageous to the entire agency.” She paused. “You have not experienced any uncomfortable aftereffects as a result of the contact, have you?”
“Just a galloping case of the creeps after having a pair of psychos pull a Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in my head.” I stopped. “Sorry, ma’am, but I—”
“I know, Agent Fraser. You call them as you see them. It is a quality I’ve always admired in you, and in this case I agree. Both my sister and Viktor Kain are undeniably psychotic, among many other distasteful things.”
“May I sit down?”
She searched my face, concerned. “Do you feel that you need to?”
“I wasn’t sitting down either time before.” I gave her a tired little smile. “But it’s been a long night, ma’am.”
“That it has, Agent Fraser. Please, do be
“That is another thing he has to answer for. I will not have my agents threatened—”
“It wasn’t the threats, ma’am. It was the movie that went along with it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“It only lasted a few seconds. I mean, it felt a lot longer, but I’m sure it only took up a couple of seconds.”
The boss’s expression darkened, and her dragon aura loomed behind her, flowing up the wall like a shadow. I knew it wasn’t directed at me, and she couldn’t help that she did it, but that didn’t keep me from wishing I’d just kept my mouth shut.
Her eyes glittered dangerously. “What happened, Agent Fraser?”
“He was trying to scare the hell out of—I mean, he was trying to intimidate me by showing me what he’d done to other people who didn’t tell him what he wanted to know. It was . . . impressive. FYI, ma’am, the file we have on him really doesn’t do his past activities justice.”
The spooky shadow flowed back down the wall as Ms. Sagadraco made an effort to calm herself. Her expression softened along with it. “Words, regardless of the language, have difficulty capturing the horror of a situation. Visuals, such as photographs or videos, do a much more effective job.”
“It was effective, all right.”
She gave me a small smile. “And you did not back down.”
“I didn’t see it as an option, ma’am. I don’t give in to bullies. And that’s what Viktor Kain is, a bully. Albeit one with a wider mean streak, who’s had a lot longer to practice.” I hesitated. “The problem is, your sister talked to me in my head on New Year’s Eve, and tonight Viktor Kain bragged on how many ways he’s killed people who sassed him.”
Vivienne Sagadraco raised a single eyebrow.
“Who defied him,” I clarified.
“Oh.”
“That’s not anything I’ve been able to hear or see before I came to New York. Then again, so far it’s only happened with dragons, and until I’d moved here, I’d never met a dragon.”
“Have you heard my thoughts?”
“No, ma’am, but I just figured it was because you were too much of a lady to barge in to my head without knocking.”
A tiny grin curled the boss’s lips. “So my sister isn’t a lady?”
“I’ll acknowledge that she’s female. No offense, ma’am, but that’s about as far as I’d be willing to go.”
Vivienne Sagadraco gave a short laugh. “I couldn’t agree more, Agent Fraser. I had thought the incident with my sister might have been a fluke. Having become accustomed to being worshiped as a goddess, Tiamat became quite adept at forcing her thoughts into the minds of her human priestesses.”
“I’m a dragon priestess?” My voice rose and my alarm along with it.
“There is no such thing, Agent Fraser; merely those who are sensitive to the thoughts of our kind. My sister must have sensed this in you and taken advantage of it.” Her expression grew solemn. “May I have your permission to try something?”
I tensed even more than I already was. “To talk to me in my head?”
“Yes. If it is an ability you have, then it is a rare gift indeed—and one that could prove most advantageous to the entire agency.” She paused. “You have not experienced any uncomfortable aftereffects as a result of the contact, have you?”
“Just a galloping case of the creeps after having a pair of psychos pull a Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling in my head.” I stopped. “Sorry, ma’am, but I—”
“I know, Agent Fraser. You call them as you see them. It is a quality I’ve always admired in you, and in this case I agree. Both my sister and Viktor Kain are undeniably psychotic, among many other distasteful things.”
“May I sit down?”
She searched my face, concerned. “Do you feel that you need to?”
“I wasn’t sitting down either time before.” I gave her a tired little smile. “But it’s been a long night, ma’am.”
“That it has, Agent Fraser. Please, do be
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