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“What kind of supe are you, sir?” the water elemental asked. She had fae-like features, delicate and fine, and her eyes were a vivid blue, almost glowing with her power. “You had a demonic shield up, but you’re not like any demon I’ve seen.”

“That’s not important right now,” I said, knowing the deflection wouldn’t last.

“Damn right,” Reyes interjected in his gravelly voice. “We need command to get here with containing forces, but I want my people back at base. We’ve seen enough.” He hit the comms button again. “Update, Command?”

“Two helos enroute with Sierra Troop, ETA six minutes. Evac helo four minutes out.”

“Copy, Command.” Reyes looked around at what was left of his squad. “Gert, Hannah—you two watch to see if those bastards come after us. Rest of you don’t relax until we’re in the air. We’re going home.”

*

Director Madeline Marlow was on the helo pad as we landed, hands clasped behind her back, bearing rigid.

She waited as the med teams ran forward, helping the dryad with the most injured. Her gaze on me, not Captain Reyes, her lips pressed thin.

He approached her stiffly and saluted. “Director.” It came out as a near-growl, despite shifting back from his satyr form and back into human. “They were waiting for us. This wasn’t a supe faction fight, that was just bait to get us there.”

“I’ll read your report later, Captain. Go ahead and see to your troops.”

“Ma’am,” he acknowledged, his eyes flicking toward me as he noticed the direction of her focus. He hesitated. “We would’ve lost more today if it wasn’t for the Assistant Director.”

“Noted, Captain.” The tightness of her expression relaxed a notch, but she still radiated disapproval.

“Ma’am.” Reyes gave her a nod and left with the medics. What was left of his troop followed behind, leaving the director, Kara, and me on the helo pad.

She gestured to my face. “Your eye okay?”

I resisted the urge to reach for it. “Yes. I had some healing in the helo.” Enough to stop the bleeding, at least; there were more important injuries to focus on.

Marlow nodded and turned to head into the building. I glanced at Kara, who shrugged, and we followed after her. She led us through to her office in silence, back stiff as she walked, and those we passed took one look at her expression and stepped aside.

We reached her room, and she closed the door behind us before she spoke. “It seems I owe you thanks.”

“Then why do I feel you’re about to chew us out?”

Her lips thinned. “Sit down.” She pressed the intercom button on her desk phone. “Get Vera Kline in here, right now.” Then she picked up a remote, pointing it at the wall TV.

The news came on as I slumped into a chair, Kara beside me.

The coverage showed the docks, mid-fight, from an aerial angle at a distance.

The flaming Humvee drew the eye, a pillar of dense black smoke obscuring much of the scene, but I watched myself and Kara fight off the were cats again while the squad battled for their lives.

It somehow looked worse from this angle.

“A civilian drone recorded this,” she said.

“Less than twenty minutes, and it’s all over the news.

” She paused the screen, then did something with the control that allowed her to zoom in on the quadrant where Kara and I were about to climb into the Humvee.

Kara’s black nimbus was clearly evident—and so was mine.

“Fortunately, with the aether and the poor resolution, it’s not easy to identify you.

But this is everyone’s focus. The image is going viral.

” Marlow threw the remote onto her desk and glared at me.

“I thought you said you were going to take work off my plate.”

My stomach churned. Kara stiffened beside me, her hand gripping the edge of the table.

“You didn’t ask if I was a demon,” I said carefully, buying myself time.

The director gave me a scathing look. “Because I know you’re not , Mr. Sullivan.

” She gestured at the screen again. “No black skin, no red glowing eyes, no tail, not even the horns that suit Miss Hargrave so well. None of the traits that might mark a demon.” She put both hands on her desk and leaned forward. “Just the demonic shield.”

“Kara can cast it on others,” I said, playing dumb. “A rare ability, but useful.”

Marlow stilled, her face hard. “Is that the line you’re going with? Really?”

I swallowed. What the hell was I supposed to say?

‘Surprise, I’m a warlock. Please don’t kill me for it?

’ It was like a gut punch, going from a nobody and quite happy like that, to being splashed all over the news.

A week ago, I had control over every damn thing.

Now, in the blink of an eye, it was all unraveling.

Supes after me on Halloween, Dacien holding my life in his hands, and now this—my powers, new, dangerous, and puzzling, exposed to the world.

A sharp knock broke the tense tableau, and a second later Kline entered. She took one glance at the screen and closed the door behind her.

“You’ve seen this, I assume?” Marlow asked, waving at it.

“A few minutes ago, Director. Speculation is already rife on the news channels and forums.”

Marlow sighed. “I suppose it’s too late to suppress it?”

Kline grimaced. “We can try, but … basically, yes.”

“Better not to try,” I said, and they both looked at me. I shrugged one shoulder. “It’ll just draw attention to it.”

“Yes,” Marlow said, the word dripping sarcasm, “like we don’t have that already.”

“What’s the line you want to take?” Kline asked.

“You’re the Head of Media Liaison,” Marlow said curtly. “You come up with one.”

She hesitated, then suggested, “How about something like a prototype shield? Tell them it’s a new project, imply it was supposed to be top-secret. They might latch onto the fuckup instead.”

“Great,” Marlow said. “Divert by making us seem incompetent.” She gave me a look that made it clear it was all my fault.

“What about Xan’s idea?” Kara asked.

Kline’s focus snapped to her. “Which is?”

“No one will believe you can share your abilities,” Marlow interrupted, “no matter how rare it’s supposed to be.”

“Blend it,” Kara pressed. “Make the new shield one that duplicates others’ abilities.”

“That could work.” Kline frowned, glanced at the screen, then at me. “How did this happen?”

“Classified,” Marlow snapped. “Focus on the media angle, Vera.”

“Yes, Director.” Kline gave us a curious glance, then let herself out.

Marlow slumped into her chair, face tight with frustration. “Day two. Day fucking two. Couldn’t have given me a heads-up?” Her laugh was hollow, laced with disbelief. “No, I suppose not.”

“At least Xan saved lives today,” Kara said. “We should focus on that.”

Marlow waved a hand. “It’s not that I’m not grateful.

I am. But no one outside of SPAR cares about that, Miss Hargrave.

You watch. There’s nothing people like more than the inexplicable.

Heroism? SPAR getting screwed over? Juicy, but fleeting.

Conspiracy theories? A secret? This’ll linger.

They’ll prod and probe until they have an answer. ”

She sighed again. “Go on, get out. Go back to your office while I try to clean up this mess. And Xan? Try and stay under wraps from now on?”

We both rose and headed for the door, but she lifted a hand, stalling us.

“On second thought, it might be better if you go home. Give me the rest of the day without you around.” She fixed me with her gaze.

“You did well today, Mr. Sullivan, and I am grateful. I just wish you’d done it without opening a can of worms.”