Zoey Rogue (3 page)
Authors: Lizzy Ford
Vikki climbed into the back of the van and slammed the door shut. Ginny drove across Washington DC, from the Maryland side to the Virginia side, where their campus was located.
As Zoey calmed, the sex magic caged within her made her edgy. There was no real relief from the magic. She could absorb incredible amounts of it, but if she didn’t get rid of it fighting, her head felt like it would explode and her body felt feverish. Fighting and sex were the only two known cures.
Sex with Eric, however, barely took the edge off. She’d been considering this as well over the past few weeks. At first, Eric was enough for her to remain functional. Lately, however, nothing seemed to work, but she loved the fact he was normal. She was almost able to pretend she was normal, too, when they were together and not some sex-magic obsessed warrior.
Her phone vibrated. She glanced down, expecting a note from Eric. Instead, it was from her guardian, the Professor. Every Halfling was assigned a guardian to try to help them manage the sex magic. Her guardian was one of five Incubuses who remained within the Succubus society, after a bloody war tore the two societies apart.
At the library again?
She could almost hear him laughing at her. The good-natured Incubus had aged, because he was no longer allowed to collect sex magic to sustain himself. He was still handsome, his charisma remaining despite his age, like the seasoned charm of Harrison Ford or Daniel Craig in twenty years.
“You’re so not funny, Professor,” she growled. She hadn’t told him, either, that she was going out to kill Cambions. Their mission would’ve remained secret, if they hadn’t found the bodies in the basement.
Nice quiet night studying
. She replied. He would know; they were bound in a way that allowed him to stabilize her sex energy. So he would feel the sudden increase when she soaked up that of the Cambions. The bond provided guardians with numerous gifts they bestowed upon their Halflings. They could balance their absorbed sex magic, block Halflings’ minds from being read by their Incubatti enemies, and heal the Halfling when they became injured, which considering the job, was frequent.
Your room is always ready
. His response made her smile. Her guardian was the only person she knew who never got angry when hearing of her wild ways. Unfortunately, even his efforts to help her were no longer enough.
“Hey, it’s Saturday. The new girl told me about a party,” Vikki said. “You guys in?”
“Sure,” Ginny said.
Zoey thought for a minute. “Pretty sure, but Eric is pissed at me.”
“All the more reason to come drinking with us. Tell him we’re going out,” Vikki insisted.
Glancing down at the screen of her smart phone, Zoey considered. It was going to be a miserable night anyway, if she went home.
“Maybe,” she said.
She put her phone away as they reached the headquarters for the Succubae’s campus located in Annandale, on the Virginia side of the DC Metro area. Disguised as an elite girls’ school, it housed the headquarters, training grounds and cultural and operations centers for the Succubus society, known as the Sucubatti. They passed through the tall, wrought-iron gate surrounding the compound and continued to the multi-storied parking garage, beneath which was the operations center and the armory.
Heidi was waiting for them. A sizzling blonde, full-blooded Succubus with blue eyes and curly hair tamed by a clip, she didn’t look happy. There was a frown on her face and her arms were crossed. She had the reputation of despising Halfings anyway. If she was acknowledging their existences instead of buried in her smart phone or tablet computer, she was super-pissed.
Vikki groaned. “Rock, paper, scissors for who takes the blame this time?”
“I got chewed out last time,” Ginny said quickly. “It’s between you two.”
Ginny pulled the van to a halt, and Zoey twisted to face Vikki. They both held out their fists.
“One,” she started.
“Two,” Vikki said.
“Three!”
Zoey’s hand was flat, the sign of paper. Vikki made the sign for scissors.
“Dammit!” Zoey snapped.
“You always lose!” Vikki giggled.
The van’s side door whipped open, and they all looked at Heidi, startled.
“If you’re done fucking around, get out,” the operations officer said.
Zoey and Vikki hurried out of the van. It was supposed to be forbidden for Halflings to defy or talk back to the full-blooded Succubae. Heidi waited for all three of them to line up in front of her. Her cold eyes were a reminder of her other role in the IAB – that of eliminating issues and those who caused them. A cold assassin, she was one of the two most feared members of the Sucubatti.
“You have three seconds,” she said coldly.
“It’s all my fault,” Zoey started with a glare at Vikki.
“You lose a bet?”
“No, it’s really my fault.”
Heidi studied her. After a moment, she nodded her head to the side. Ginny and Vikki darted off. Vikki gave Zoey the peace sign as she trotted towards the gates. The dorms that housed the Halflings were located outside the gate while full-blooded Succubae were afforded the dorms behind the protection of the wrought iron fencing, guards, and state-of-the-art alarm system.
“Another entry for your ever-growing disciplinary file?” Heidi asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” Zoey said.
“Misuse of official Sucubatti property, failure to obey orders, and did you steal intelligence from our databases?”
“If you know a bad guy is there, why not go get him? We saved two girls tonight, Heidi!” Zoey said.
“There’s a bigger picture here, Zoey, one which a Halfling like yourself is too stupid to understand.”
Zoey sighed. The lecture she expected ensued.
Lack of discipline, failure to think strategically
… She waited for Heidi to finish, mind on the time. If she didn’t get home soon, Eric was going to kick her out. She’d end up on the Professor’s porch swing, the way she did every once in awhile when she got too drunk on a mission.
“… recklessness.” Heidi paused. “Olivia wants to see you again tonight.”
“Again?”
“It’s the second time she’s called you in this month. I can’t imagine she’s happy. She’s in her office. You know where to go.”
Zoey opened her mouth to ask why. Accustomed to Heidi’s lectures, Zoey was usually dismissed after them. She had never been sent to see Olivia and definitely hadn’t seen the IAB chief earlier this month.
The look on Heidi’s face discouraged her from asking anything. Zoey walked away instead, into the central building located next to the parking garage. She knew where Olivia’s office was, but had never been there before. Assuming Heidi was confusing her with someone else, she went down the hallway to Olivia’s office.
The door was closed. Zoey’s heart quickened as she read the title engraved in brass on the door in front of her.
Chief, Internal Affairs Bureau
She was really in trouble this time, if Olivia requested to see her.
Zoey knocked.
“Come in,” came the muffled voice from within.
Drawing a deep breath, Zoey entered. Olivia sat at a small table near a window, her long, lean legs crossed as she sat reviewing a file. With porcelain skin and blue eyes, Olivia was in her prime, radiating the seductive power of a Succubus. She glanced up.
“Another wild night, Zoey?”
Zoey said nothing, surprised the chief of the IAB had any idea who she was, let alone her activities. Of course, Heidi was her right hand. Maybe Zoey really had exacerbated the operations officer to the point she brought it up to Olivia.
“Have an energy drink. I’ll be done in a moment.”
That’s not a good sign.
The Sucubatti developed their own energy drinks. The can was the size of Zoey’s thumb. There would be a tray of them on the corner of Olivia’s desk. Much about Olivia’s office – including the layout and scent of vanilla in the air – was familiar, even though Zoey didn’t recall being there before. The sense she had stood in this very spot not long ago was strong, even though she didn’t recall ever setting foot in Olivia’s office.
Zoey turned, surprised at finding her hunch about the energy drinks correct.
She picked up one of the small cans and popped off the top. It smelled bitter and made her nose wrinkle, but she tossed it back, hoping she would soon be excused.
After a few minutes, Zoey began to grow drowsy. She glanced at Olivia, wishing the energy drink would kick in faster. She grabbed another one and drank it. Her head started to spin. Feeling nauseous, Zoey sat down in one of the chairs in front of Olivia’s desk. She leaned forward to put her head between her knees.
Seconds later, she slid to the ground, unconscious.
Table of Contents
Chapter Eight: Zoey and Declan
Chapter Eleven: Declan Unveiled
Chapter Twelve: Declan Troubled
Chapter Thirteen: Zoey Trapped
Chapter Sixteen: Zoey Embattled
Chapter Seventeen: Zoey Unleashed
Chapter Eighteen: Strike Three
Chapter Nineteen: Declan Tricked
Chapter Twenty One: Declan Betrayed
Chapter Twenty Two: Zoey Rogue
Chapter Two: Zoey Drugged
A few hours later, north of Washington DC, a
n
Incubus entered his favorite, private club in wealthy Chevy Chase. The exclusive, beauty-filled venue was hopping. He made his way through the crowd, well-aware of the effect he had on every woman within a few feet of him. Though one of the least powerful of his kind, he was still able to draw in any human he wanted, which was all that mattered to him tonight.
