Enter the Janitor (The Cleaners) (Volume 1) by Josh Vogt

dousing, the top in his other hand.
    “What was that for?”
    “Sorry, but it’s the best way,” Ben said. “Most talents get stronger through focused willpower. Kick the focus in the nuts and you scatter the energy.”
    Warily, Dani quested toward the power. The energies had indeed subsided, though a knot of it slumbered in her chest like a swallowed stone.
    Ben held the spray bottle her way. “Okay. C’mon back.”
    “Excuse me?” She jumped as the water soaking her hair and robe splashed to the floor, leaving her dry. The animated liquid formed a platter-sized bubble which rolled Ben’s way and flowed back into the bottle.
    Dani didn’t blink until her eyes started to burn. After he scooped up the rest of the water, Ben sealed the bottle and offered it for inspection.
    “Meet my partner, Carl.” He swished the contents. “He’s a water elemental. I did his folks a big favor a while back and he was their thank you gift. Was gonna introduce you earlier but this all needed sortin’ out first.”
    Dani remembered how to operate her tongue. “A water elemental.”
    “Yup.”
    “Named Carl?”
    “Well, people can’t rightly pronounce his real name, and he seems fine with it.”
    She edged over and flicked the bottle. The water swirled, forming cavities and geometric patterns too fast for her to identify.
    “Was that him talking? What’d he say?”
    Ben harrumphed. “Well, the whole of it means he thinks you’re attractive. For a human.”
    A giggle escaped Dani. It rose into a few hiccups of near-hysterical laughter, and she came close to hyperventilating again before regaining control. Ben kept an eye on her, likely making sure she didn’t trigger another earthquake.
    “I know it’s a lot to take in at once,” he said, “but don’tcha worry. You’ve already been assigned an instructor to teach you to control your abilities.”
    That cut off any lingering mirth. “Who? That Francis stiff?”
    Ben cleared his throat and tapped his chest.
    “You’re. Kidding.”
    “Wish I was.”
    “Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the whole bonding-in-a-morgue shtick, but I’m a big girl.” She set her jaw and raised a fist. “I can accept all this because I don’t have any other options, but I don’t want to be chaperoned by someone old enough to be my grampa; especially one who looks and smells like he hasn’t showered for a week.”
    Ben wrapped his hand over her knuckles and forced her arm down. She jerked away and applied a liberal amount of gel to where he’d touched.
    “Let’s not make this personal, princess. First off, I’m the furthest thing from your granddaddy. I ain’t gonna dole out candies and tell the same joke six times in a row. Second, I got as much choice in this as you do. And third, I’m doin’ this for your own good. I may not like being saddled with your diaper bag, and you may not like havin’ to put up with my handsome mug, but I don’t think either of us wanna see the Board hunt you down and scrub you out quicker than you can spit on their shiny shoes.”
    “What?”
    “Oh, did Jason skip that part? Lemme clue you in. If the Board thinks you might go over to the other side, to Corruption, they’d rather wipe you out before lettin’ Scum get a hold of your power. Francis would be delighted to do it himself.”
    The blood drained from her face. “He … they wouldn’t dare. I’ll …”
    “You’ll what? Reality is, you’re a … what’s the word? Libation?”
    Her scowl returned. “I think you mean liability .”
    He snapped his fingers. “Right. I’m here to teach you how to be dangerous to Scum and whatnot, instead of coworkers and innocent bystanders. So whaddya say? Wanna learn how to put the fear of Dani into all things foul and nasty?”
    She had to admit, she liked the sound of that. It’d be a nice reversal of the role she’d played most of her life. Maybe someday she wouldn’t need her sanitation kit. Germs would flee at the sight of