Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2)

Chapter Twenty

Christmas Eve.

The Associate paced the wide bank of windows lining her office.

The winter streets were snow-strewn, streetlights decorated with red, white and green for the festive season.

And she hated it all.

This exaggerated cheeriness added to fuel her desire to crush it out of the folks that tried to ‘do good’ in the spirit of the season.

Bullshit.

She turned away, strolling past her desk, allowing her fingertip to brush the solid brass desk plate bearing her name, E. S. Chernalog, on her way to the decanters in the corner of the room.

Susan poured herself a glass of brandy, cradling it in her grasp as she approached the blueish glow of her laptop, admiring the crisp numbers of her report.

Her goal had been to downsize before the end of the quarter, and she’d successfully cut the company’s costs in her allotted time. Her day job.

Seeing the devastation on the faces of the severed employees had given her the deepest thrill of power she’d ever tasted—aside from her control over the Taints .

That was wholly different, and special.

Though she liked it better when she could use the words ‘you’re fired’, which no one used anymore, rather than ‘let go’ or ‘laid off indefinitely’.

The best was last week, when she’d stood before that annoying Boncoeur woman and told her she was long longer needed.

Her expression had been priceless.

Her work had been good, exceptional even. Enough to warrant claiming it as Susan’s own and giving the company executives excuses to allow her to end Boncoeur’s contract.

Who could have guessed she would have to deal with her again? That she would get herself tangled up in Susan’s mission to disrupt her target’s ability to do his job? That was vital for tilting the balance.

Nicholas Klaus.

Her off-the-clock job. Her true work. The day job was more of a hobby that paid her condo expenses and provided cheap thrills.

Susan scowled, disgusted with her sloppy work. Olivia had evaded her efforts to get rid of her, disappearing into the other realm. The coveted one.

The one that held the true currency of the world. What reality was built on.

The whimsy of hopes, dreams and wishes. Raw potential.

No matter. The pawn will take care of it, now that they were assured the second djinn had left the realm, clearing the way for their work to continue.

The waiting would soon be over.

Everyone was in place, now that she’d got her pawn on track. The spore had gone dormant after so long in the otherworld, but she’d nurtured it back to action; her hook to control him, and do the Consortium’s bidding.

After years of infiltrating his dreams, studying his desires, growing the connection, she had him.

Dolph wanted out of that realm. It was a simple promise to make.

It probably would happen at some point, anyway, not that Susan herself had any control over that.

Tipping the glass to her lips, she sipped the liquor.

Some point. Probably long after she no longer had any concern with him or it, and was firmly on the Consortium’s board, overseeing the next phase of the Ascension.

A grin stretched her lips and she sighed, contented.

Returning the glass to the decanter tray, she glanced at the uncovered mirror.

I should check in.

She’d given the pawn his instructions. The Consortium’s team were in place.

Susan glanced at her watch, moving toward the scrying mirror she kept in her workspace. A simple make-up mirror, spelled to tap into the Taints’ power.

She smiled, sliding her fingers over the locket that held the processed djinn shard.

The Taints.

Susan never could have imagined that she would be entrusted to handle such powerful magic as fractured djinn power, created and harvested centuries ago.

But she had earned the Consortium’s trust. Done exquisite work to prove herself, and was committed to continue doing so.

She was never told how they came to possess such rare magic. Just that they did, and they accepted her as part of the team dedicated to handle the Taints and their corresponding spores.

Pure corruption.

She shivered, savouring the sensation of knowing it was in her grasp.

So close.

She removed the locket, words of power on her lips, preparing to open the channels as she stared into the mirror.