BLOODFIRE

   Trea was visibly bored sitting in the waiting room outside Mr. Meadowhart’s office. The secretary across the room busied herself with paperwork but managed to keep half an eye on Trea. She couldn’t blame her, Trea had walked into the office carrying a weapon and grumbling obscenities behind Kalwren. Trea was certain that her sheer height didn’t help matters.

This was the third trip in two weeks to Mr. Meadowhart’s office. Every time they had gone he had found a new reason to put Kal off for another week, and Trea was getting annoyed. Mercy’s tactics had gone from nosy investigations to outright threats and it wasn’t in Trea’s nature to let these things just “slide”, as Kal had suggested.

Trea checked the clock on the wall, she was convinced time was now moving backwards. From behind the heavy wood door, she could hear Kal raising his voice, something most people never did towards his father, but Kal was just as irritated with his father as Trea was and he was letting it be known.

Trea had promised to sit quietly and wait, but waiting was also against her nature especially when it was her life at stake. She had approached the door once, but the secretary was faster than she looked and cut her off before Trea could reach it. She gave her a cold, hard look and pointed towards the sitting area. Trea sat down, pouting like a scolded child.

The clock on the wall showed that twenty minutes had passed, and she was getting irritated. She stood and the secretary’s attention snapped to her. She frowned and gave Trea the same cold glare, but Trea wasn’t in the mood to be so obedient anymore. She approached the door once more, the secretary stood, ready to block her again.

“Do it and it’ll be the last step you take.” Trea said in a low growl.

The secretary’s eyes widened in shock. No one had ever threatened her life before. She sat back down and allowed Trea to pass. Loyalty only went so far and Mr. Meadowhart didn’t pay her enough to die for him.

Kal spun around when the door flew open. He opened his mouth to yell at the intruder, but quickly shut it  when he saw the expression on Trea’s face. She didn’t often get angry, but, at that moment, she was. Kal stepped back as she approached his father’s desk.

Mr. Meadowhart stood and slammed his hands on the desk, “Now what’s all this?” He demanded.

Trea stood opposite of Mr. Meadowhart and slammed her hands on the desk in the same fashion, only this time the desk tipped up a few inches on it’s front legs then fell back to it’s original position with a loud bang, causing both Kal and Mr. Meadowhart to jump back in surprise.

“The meaning of this,” she said through clenched teeth, “is that I’m sick of doing this dance with you. You’re going to give Mercy a position, and it’ll start next week. Are we clear?”

Mr. Meadowhart’s expression went from shock to amusement. He a laughed a bit and looked at his son, “Where’d you find her? I could use someone like that on my negotiation team.”

Kalwren backed as far away from the two as he could. He couldn’t believe his father was laughing. The look on Trea’s face read “death” and his father was laughing. Kal began to wonder if such insanity was genetic.

“I said: Are we clear?” Trea repeated. She didn’t find the situation amusing in the least.

Mr. Meadowhart turned his attention to her, “There are no positions open besides a few on the secretarial level.”

“Make one.”

“I can’t just come up with a job out of nowhere.”

“Fire someone.”

“It’s not that easy. I’ll have to compensate…”

“Either you clear a position for her or I will.” Trea didn’t bother to fully veil the threat.

“Now isn’t the time to doubt her, Father.” Kal said from the across the room, “They’ve been making threats on our lives, and Trea places her survival above some old man on the board.”

Mr. Meadowhart frowned. A threat to his only son’s life was no laughing matter, never mind the fact that the tall desert-born woman just threatened to kill an employee. He took a deep breath and let it out loudly.

“Fine.” He said after a moment, “She’ll be an assistant to the Vice President in accounting. We’ll see how she does there and if she’ll be promoted further.”

Kal smiled, but Trea continued to glare at the man from across the desk.

“Write it.” She said

“What?!?” Kal and his father said in unison.

“Write it down. I want proof of your word.”

Mr. Meadowhart felt the heat of anger rising in his face, and he fought to keep calm. He reached into his desk and grabbed some paper.

“Fine.” He growled,”But if you threaten one of my employees again, you’ll be in front of a judge and hanged before the week is out.” He scribbled his promise onto the paper. Trea snatched it from him.

“So long as you keep your word, I doubt I’ll have to.” She turned and walked out.

Mr. Meadowhart looked at his son, “Why can you be more like that, son? Six years in the Royal Army and you’re still too nice.”

Kal rolled his eyes and followed Trea out the door.