Regardless, I couldn’t risk the distraction of such a task.

  We rejoined the barbeque at that point, but I continued to keep an eye on Lassiter and my power was bent toward revealing immediate threats to my life and the lives of our guests.

  The government didn’t make any more moves though, not that day. No doubt they were plotting behind wards, but hopefully they just stopped being asses and went with it.

  Chapter Twelve

  The house was much quieter with the guests gone. We’d cleaned up, and at the moment we were at the kitchen table. June and I were drinking water, while Brenna happily sipped on a coffee.

  “That was fun, and it could’ve gone better. The news is already breaking stories of corruption about the president and heads of four major federal agencies. It’s not really a fight I wanted, but I’m not the one that picked it. Anyway, what did you discover, babe?”

  June’s eyes twinkled at me, “We’ve got three likely locations to check out in Chicago and San Francisco. Four in Manhattan.”

  “Alright, I think we should take video of it. Document us saving those cities from certain destruction, and then send it to the media and post it online. Explain this stuff got past the government’s notice, and they’re going to have to try to work with us if they want to be dealt in, otherwise the truly bad gods won’t get stopped. Or will that cause a riot and panic?”

  Brenna said, “It might, but if a few waves stops the end of the world it’s worth it. If you get killed, the government will be screwing itself when the next major thing comes along. I’ll come along and record it on my phone.”

  I nodded, “We’ll record the false ones too, if appropriate, and then forward it to the correct authority to deal with it. I have the feeling those will be some kind of criminal enterprise a rogue witch or two are covering up.”

  Brenna winked, “That’s entirely possible, even likely.”

  “Let’s get changed then?”

  Both ladies nodded, and then we all headed upstairs. Neither our clothes nor our faces were going to work, them being in dresses and me in shorts. Fighting monsters was clearly heavy jeans, boots, and a leather jacket activity.

  June looked pretty amazing with reddish brown hair, slightly less tanned skin, and hazel eyes, with the strong cheek bones that lent her classic beauty. She was in a pair of jeans and probably the redhead’s leather jacket. I was already regretting telling her the reddish brown haired one was disguise only and no sex in it, so she could be focused when on missions.

  Brenna looked lovely too. She’d just changed her hair from auburn to light blonde, her skin about ten shades lighter, her eyes from light blue to light green, and her facial structure was just slightly softer but that was more than enough to make her look completely different.

  “We ready? We can eat out in New York, after we’re done.”

  June smiled, “Threesome date? I approve, sir. But we’ll have to come home to change.”

  Brenna nodded.

  I chuckled, “True enough, alright. Take us away, sexy.”

  June bit her lip as we all moved closer together, and we disappeared in a golden bubble.

  We were in a dark hallway, a loud roaring sound behind us that I identified as a train.

  “Where are we?”

  June said, “Underground by the El. There’s an old subway turnaround past this door. She did the same thing for one of the Manhattan locations too, but that one’s an abandoned subway tunnel.”

  I nodded, and we all started to study the ward on it. It wouldn’t bar us from entering, but it would prevent us from leaving… except it wouldn’t block our power. So we could teleport out, when the monsters couldn’t.

  “I think it’s safe enough to just go in, and better than risking them scattering and getting out if we break the ward.”

  Brenna said, “I agree.”

  I cast the unlock spell, and the padlock on the door popped open. I pulled it off and then turned the knob and pushed the door in. It was just another hallway, and Brenna stayed behind us holding her phone up high to get video of it over our heads, while we headed in.

  About fifty feet in, there was a door to the left, and when I opened it we saw the stuff and smelled the stench of nightmares. It was a vast room, with tracks running in both directions as well as huge circular turnstiles. There were also about three hundred monsters, not all of them adult, but they were all looking our way.

  I held up a hand as they started to charge and they all screamed as the blinding light and waves of heat started to roll into that room, both Brenna and June safely behind me. It wasn’t even a fight, it was a slaughter as they all rushed the open door to their deaths. As if their instincts wouldn’t allow them to flee, that they had to try and kill us, then find more things to kill and destroy.

  Brenna took a moment to upload the video with a brief explanation. Most people probably wouldn’t believe it, but I was guessing it’d go viral anyway. It would also give the government a truer estimate of my abilities, instead of the silly crap I’d done to them earlier that day.

  It wasn’t a perfect solution, it’d have the national security paranoids frothing at the mouth even more, but scaring the government into meeting at the table with me was really my only option. I just hoped it wouldn’t escalate too far before they finally decided to make me an ally.

  “Next spot, sexy.”

  She leaned into my back and shivered.

  It had been hard to do. Not destroy the murderous monsters but the sounds, scents, heat and destruction. This wasn’t exactly a pleasure jaunt.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded against my back, “Fine, sir. It’s one thing to know it, but it’s another to see it.”

  I said, “The first time I saw them I fled from the dream. The only reason I’m so calm is because I saw this and worse, in my vision, including the scents, heat, and death.”

  June smiled wanly, “Thanks for that. Alright, let’s go.”

  She teleported us to the front of a dark warehouse. There were a few cars parked nearby, so it didn’t seem likely this was a monster den.

  “Let’s levitate up to those windows.”

  I walked a few feet to the side, and then cast the spell on the three of us. We sedately floated up about thirty feet, before I steadied us. The windows were dark and murky, but another spell popped out the pane entirely. The bright light from within put everything in stark relief. There was a lab table, equipment, and more than a few people down there.

  Brenna was already recording, and she said softly, “Looks like they’re cutting here, major drug operation. Then whispered the address we were at. She sent it to the DEA, and the local cops, then I cast another spell that replaced the pane.

  “Last one?”

  June nodded, and we disappeared in a golden globe, only to appear in a closed Chevrolet dealership. She nodded to the fifteen-garage door service center in the back.

  Brenna said, “No cars.”

  I nodded, “She may have a couple of nests in each city.”

  June giggled, “Or the drug dealers have the day off.”

  I snorted as we approached the main entrance. The office was clear enough in the daylight, but it was impossible to see through the side door that led into the cavernous and long repair depot garage. I took a moment to ensure the ward wasn’t any different than the first two, and that it wouldn’t cause us trouble.

  I cast another unlock spell, and the door clicked open. We headed inside, and then we moved to the window that looked into the garage area. The place was empty of the usual tools, no doubt emptied out, save the hydraulic car lifts. It wasn’t empty of monsters however, there were even more in this place, several hundred and again, not all of them adults.

  I waited for Brenna to get a little more footage, then opened the door next to the window and let it rip. Waves of heat and light left my hand and incinerated everything. The only bad part was unlike the subway, the walls weren’t entirely all concrete, and there was a hell of a fire on the ceiling and walls as I closed the door and stepped back.

  I was fairly sure it wouldn’t work, as I focused my power on putting out the fire. I wasn’t a pyrokinetic, I was the sun, and it wasn’t within my powers to stop what I’d started. A potent witch spell of the elements however, snuffed the fire in seconds with a loud whoosh. Something I’d wished I’d thought of back at that Brownstone I’d burnt to the ground, but you live and learn, right?

  Brenna said, “Just a second,” as she uploaded to YouTube with an all clear for Chicago note.

  The late afternoon continued along the same vein, the monsters just weren’t a threat to me if I used my major power, and gathered all together they were easy targets.

  San Francisco only had one monster den, in a shut down arena. There were about six hundred of them, which was about the same as both locations in Chicago, so we were pretty sure of ourselves. The other two locations in San Francisco had been drug businesses, one in an abandoned apartment complex, and the second in a closed ice-skating rink.

  Manhattan went back to two locations like Chicago had been. One the abandoned subway tunnel, the second was an old movie theatre. The other two were drug businesses again, in an abandoned defunct power station and a closed down Gold’s Gym.

  That night I went out with the ladies to dinner and dancing, and June surprised me by coming out of the closet in an extremely conservative black dress, and as the adorably beautiful and worshipping light brunette. She hung on me all night, with starstruck and adoring eyes, and it was heady as hell with my witch hardly being better that way.

  They also absolutely spoiled me when we got back to the house, both of them double teaming me exclusively to overwhelm me with pleasure, adoration, and outright worship. Both of them sucking me off at the same time, with looks of wonder, devotion, and adoration in their eyes as they looked up at me. It was powerful, and I couldn’t imagine ever deserving it.

  After that my giggling and blushing midnight haired goddess came back so to speak, and the rest of our nightly romp went in a more typical threesome way.

  They were both overwhelming at times, in a good way. Sometimes I thought too good, but if I was worried about it, I figured I hadn’t changed yet. When I started to just take their adoring regard for granted, and it didn’t fill me with awe of them, I knew I’d be in trouble.

  My dream that night was drama free, which verified we’d gotten all the monster dens, and that at least tomorrow the government wouldn’t be trying to kill me. For the moment, it seemed the dangers had passed, the serious ones anyway, against humanity and my home…

  Allison kept looking at me with awe out of the corner of her eyes, which was really strange because she was usually so poised to the point of seeming snobbish. The secret was out of course, there was plenty of speculation going on in the media and social sites.

  When she’d called to ask if I was really a god, I’d told her about the two other series, and she’d insisted I bring them in.

  She looked them all over very carefully, then nodded.

  “These are even better than the first series, which I’d have said was impossible just an hour ago. I’m going to set up a showing and party in the downtown gallery, we’ll make more if we have a bunch of rich people trying to outbid each other. Add on the fact you’re… well a god, and the sky is the limit. I’ll insure these and give you a receipt?”

  “Sounds perfect, Allison.”

  She chewed her lip, “After this you should slow down for a while, too many too fast and the market will drop your prices like a rock. Eighteen paintings is a perfect debut for a showing.”

  “I get it, rarity is an important factor. I was already thinking I would limit myself to single paintings on commission every few months, or bi-annually. I’ll let you work out the details and arrangements on that. Maybe add another series every decade or so.”

  She smiled, “That would be lovely, Mark. I’ll take care of it. The first commission might be in six months or even a year, then we can move to a quarterly schedule. We’ll need to wait for all the buyers’ rich friends to get a chance to see it and become desperate for one of their own.”

  I laughed, “I’m still me. I’ll be guided by your business sense.”

  She headed for her office to take care of that, and I followed.

  “Stephanie Carter, as I live and breathe.”

  The cute and petite blonde woman blushed at my jovial greeting as she took me in. She’d been waiting a few feet from the door, as I exited Allison’s gallery.

  “Mr. Levinson, the FBI asked me to apologize to you on behalf of Agent Lassiter’s actions and inappropriate escalations. I’d also like to thank you for not missing the beach when you sent me,” she grinned, “Anyway, I’m also here to extend an offer.”

  “What do you think about the offer, Stephanie?”

  She said honestly, “It’s an olive branch, if one with a catch. A working relationship with the U.S. government, even a wary one, is better than dodging bullets.”

  I nodded, “That sounded like the voice of experience. Alright, I have a few minutes. Coffee?”

  She replied, “That would be wonderful.”

  I wasn’t a huge fan, but the stuff wasn’t horrible with milk and sugar, and that’s what people did, talked over coffee. It wasn’t like the caffeine would even affect me. My body would process it fast. We headed down the sidewalk to the coffee shop just two doors down from the gallery, and then we headed inside.

  She seemed a little nervous, but she was doing her best to disguise it. There was some attraction there too, but not enough to make things awkward as we got in line, picked up some coffees, and found a quiet table in the back. Plus, the idea of getting Lassiter’s sloppy seconds was anathema.

  “So, where is your support?”

  She said, “I’m wired, so they’ll know if you compel me, but I suggested I go alone. Backup won’t really help, will it?”

  I laughed, “I suppose not, Stephanie. What are they thinking?”

  She replied, “They’ll drop all charges and not pursue you, unless you’re caught breaking the law again. In return I’ll act as your liaison to the FBI. If you have any visions involving supernatural threats you’re to call me and brief me on them. Even if you think your power will be necessary, and that the FBI can’t handle it, we need to at least be tangentially involved. It’s a perception and control issue, the government simply can’t allow gods to go around burning things down, even if it is to save the world.

  “There has to be checks and balances, so they can be assured you haven’t gone rogue on us.”

  I tilted my head, “So, how much are they paying me, as a seer consultant?”

  She blinked, “Pay?”

  I shook my head, “Surely your coven doesn’t find people, things, and build wards and make enchanted prison spell cuffs for free. They’re asking me to point out the biggest dangers to the country, the citizens, and the world because I’m a seer and dream of bad things. So, does that not have value, or are you saying this is like… unofficial community service for daring to save the world without permission.”

  I bit my tongue and stopped there, it still made me angry when I thought about it.

  She sat back, “What did you have in mind?”

  I shrugged, “I’m not greedy, but it’s a point of principle, I won’t be the government’s dog and I won’t be controlled, that means paying me for my willing help. So, how much does a witch get for consulting, per case basis?”

  She nodded, “A thousand a case. To find a kidnap victim or the kidnapper, or murderer, or what have you. Same for wards, the cuffs are different and we’re a vendor for that. Normal sales, not a consult thing.”

  I replied, “That works then. A thousand for information I dream assuming it becomes a case in the system, or it isn’t already. In the latter situation, I still get paid if my intel is what breaks the case. Then a thousand more if I’m required to help to end the danger or close the case, past information and using power.”

  She took a sip of coffee, so I followed suit without grimacing.

  Stephanie said, “I think I can talk them into that.”

  “Sounds good, just call me when you know, and I’ll come in and do the paperwork.”

  Stephanie asked, “I think that’s it for official business. Can I ask about the coven?”

  “What about them? They’re Brenna’s family, and friends of sorts. They were curious to meet me, so we set up a barbeque, why?”

  Stephanie asked nervously, “They’re not… yours?”

  I frowned, “Under compulsion? No. Neither is Brenna, she can leave whenever she wants if she decides she doesn’t want to serve me anymore. Her family is free to visit, come and go, as they please. I don’t use compulsion for anything but saving a life.”

  She bit her lip, “Oh. That’s good.”

  “Is that why you’re nervous?”

  She blushed, “Well, you did say I was cute, and there was the lieutenant.”

  Implying they had no reason to believe I wasn’t freely using compulsion.

  I rolled my eyes, “You are cute and attractive, but I normally wouldn’t say something like that to a stranger, and I’ve never been a rapist. I was just screwing with Lassiter because I was mad at him, sorry if I made you nervous or uncomfortable, it won’t happen again. As for the lieutenant, saving the world definitely falls under acceptable use of compulsion in my mind. On the other hand, if I’m working with the FBI that shouldn’t be necessary anymore.”

  She asked, “Just one more. You said you needed our help, then you took care of the problem the same day in a single afternoon?”

  I shrugged, “Inexperience. There was a relatively easy way to find them without my seer power, and Brenna figured out how to do it by prompting me with the right question. You can tell your bosses I slept like a baby last night, and that I’m sure I found all the nests. Free of charge. The drug busts too, since I suppose I don’t have a contract agreement yet.”