Fury and Flame | 3

1 | 7

J A X O N

     I was at my breaking point with Marcella Krasowski. The sound of her voice made me want to hit something. And if she shot me one more smug, superior look, I was going to go insane.

     "So Traversa is incapacitated now," she said and licked her red lips before pursing them together. "That's one more team member we've lost in a span of weeks."

     "We did beat the Imperium soldiers and live to tell the tale," Finn said, trying to look respectful. Even his endless patience was visibly wearing thin.

     "I wouldn't call it a victory if one of our own was nearly murdered and has now lost her memory."

     "Delphinium and her men are powerful. More powerful than you seem to realize, if you think we can just grab her and bring her back here so easily," I said in my most sickly-sweet tone while staring daggers at her.

     "I'm more than aware of how dangerous she is, Williams. Why do you think we need her gone so badly?" She shook her head. "After all, it is your job to protect our people from threats like these. You all said you would eliminate this problem."

      I scoffed. "That was before you refused to listen to our side and our ideas." Arlo gave me a wicked grin of approval at my open dig.

     "We almost had Delphinium," Finn said after shooting me a glance, warning me to not anger her. "She was blind and weaponless."

     "She's not meant to be able to use her power without vision. Why, then, couldn't you capture her?"

     "Exactly. That's where things went wrong. She was able to use telekinesis even while blind. And she was using more power than we've ever seen her use before."

     "Orion did something to her," Jake stated tonelessly. His eyes were fixed in a predator's gaze on the director. "Something to make her able to do those things."

      "Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "And what do you suspect that is?"

     Jake said nothing, probably not having the answer. So Finn spoke instead. "Do you see our problem?
They were basically invincible before. Now that they have Delphinium, they're even stronger. We can't beat them."

"They think they're invincible," Jake corrected coldly. "I can work with that."

"You can work with that?" Krasowski's brows knit together. "What is that supposed to mean? Another plan that's doomed to fail?"

He gave her that withering look he'd become so accustomed to giving. I could have sworn the room became colder. "I'll have you know none of my plans have failed. They've always accomplished exactly what I said they would. My interests and yours just don't line up."

"None of ours do, really," I added, crossing my arms threateningly.

      "However, our interests do come close in this case. Delphinium Tesla. I want her captured as much as anyone else. And I have a way to do it."

      Krasowski wasn't impressed. "Is it going to fail as dismally as last time?"

      The room got colder. I had a feeling Jake was waiting for her to shiver under his freezing power. "No. This time, we will be using my plan, not yours. Or need I remind you again that it was your plan that resulted in Riley's memory loss and our failure?"

      Krasowski opened her mouth but this time Kane spoke. "I would listen to what he had to say." His tone was soft, but we all caught the underlying threat to his words. The way he was hulking in the corner like some silent guardian only helped further the idea that he might slam her face into the desk if she wasn't careful.