Drained: The Lucid Read Online Free

were trained succubi and incubi with access to the dream realm. The remaining employees were human, but they’d traded their silence about the existence of the supernatural for the guarantee of immortality. They maintained the public face of Trusics’s global empire—human resources, accounting, customer service, marketing and sales—all the pieces necessary for the day-to-day survival of the company.   
    Riley avoided the elevator and began the long hike to the twenty-third floor. Her employee status as an active agent gave her access to most floors in the building, save those reserved for the Los Angeles Branch Director, Niall Price, and the office of the company’s CEO, Robert Thaser, who bounced from one location to the next depending on corporate needs.
     
     
    The twenty-third floor was a veritable maze of administrative desks and permanent offices. Riley waved hello to a few familiar faces who returned the pleasantries. She herself had an office on the twenty-first floor, but she rarely visited unless she had to file paperwork about an unorthodox mark or if the internet was down at her apartment and she needed to access the company database.
    Generally, she avoided that floor because it creeped her out; all of the cubare offices were bundled together on five levels, giving those floors a ghost-town aura.
    “Riley. Glad I caught you.” Josh, the resident tech-geek, popped out of the copy room. “Just wanted to give you a heads up. Think raise.”
    Riley paused briefly and arched an eyebrow. She was surprised to see her friend on the higher level. As a member of the web team and not an active agent like herself, his desk was located miles below. “Really?”
    The tall man with moppy brown hair shrugged. There was a childlike innocence to his lopsided smile. “That’s what my inside sources are saying.”
    “Right. Because you totally have those.” A soft laugh escaped her lips.
    Josh’s shoulders slumped, caught in the thinly veiled lie. “Okay, you got me.” He fell into step with Riley who continued to walk down the corridor. “I overheard when I was taking a leak.” She made a face at the unnecessary bit of information.
    “Did you take the stairs again?”
    Riley’s eyebrows knit together. “Yes. Why?”
    “In those heels?” he said, pointing at her less than sensible boots.
    “What are you doing up here anyway?” Riley deflected. “I thought you computer types liked to hang out in the dungeon.”
    Josh scowled. “Because someone still thinks I’m copier tech support.” He shot a glare over his shoulder at no one in particular.
    Riley shook her head as she maneuvered around bustling workers darting in and out of open rooms. It was impossible not to notice how lively everyone was. The office was normally a peaceful environment, a laid-back workplace that would occasionally indulge in team-building games like ultimate Frisbee and paintball. But there was nothing carefree about the scene that played before her. People ran in all directions and the earsplitting sound of shrill, ringing phones echoed throughout the floor.
    “So, what’s going on?” Riley paused to gesture at the scene. Her hands fell to perch at her hips. “Everyone looks like chickens with their heads cut off.”
    “Yeah, PR and tech are having one hell of a time getting rid of the last set of rumors.” Josh’s hand settled on the back of his neck and he kneaded at the muscles. “You would think anonymous writers wouldn’t have as much clout, but in the twenty-first century, they are the cool shepherds to the many sheep.”
    Riley took one last glance at the headache before continuing to her destination. Josh struggled to keep up with her pace. While she took effortless strides, practically gliding across the carpeting, he had to make an effort to puppeteer his feet.
    Josh broke the brief silence. “Anyway, when you have time, come over to my house. I got a special video game I want you to try.”
    Riley’s