The Hex Files: Wicked Moon Rising

by Gina LaManna

  “So, we can deduce that an actual vampire killed her,” the chief said. “And not an imitation?”

  “I wouldn’t rule that out,” Dani said. Then she stopped, considered. “But if I had to make a guess, a judgment call based on what I saw and what Sienna has found, I would say yes. An actual vampire killed that wolf.”

  The room fell into a terse emptiness that felt like a void. There was no good path to take from here. Hands were tied, emotions ran high, and death clung to everyone’s thoughts.

  “Where do we go from here?” Dani asked eventually. “If we’re not allowed on the case, and you’re not going to fight for us, then what’s next?”

  The chief ignored Dani’s dig. “You two are going to sit on the sidelines and watch your back. That’s all I can tell you.”

  Matthew watched the chief, sensing an underlying anxiety to the chief’s words. Dani looked ready to explode at his orders, but she condensed her frustration into a single, loaded nod.

  However, as Matthew and Dani prepared to leave the office, the chief pushed a napkin across his desk with a thin scribble on it. The words there were another order, a silent one.

  FIND HIM.

  Chapter 6

  “Don’t you try to hold my hand,” I said, snatching my arm from Matthew’s grasp as he stood next to my desk and reached for me. “You still owe me some answers before you get all lovey dovey on me.”

  “I wasn’t aware that I was a lovey dovey sort of fellow,” Matthew said, a slight raised eyebrow the only giveaway of his amusement. “Apologies.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “You should be sorry. Until you answer my questions satisfactorily, these hands are off limits.”

  I pushed past him and got started packing up for the day. With the chief’s covert orders in hand, Matthew and I had found ourselves forced to rest the case on the backburner after we left his office. We’d been sucked into the bureaucracy of the Sixth Precinct for the duration of the afternoon, our time occupied by meetings, paperwork, and reports that needed filing.

  When Matthew appeared at my office door at the end of the work day, I was itching to get out of the precinct. We descended the stony front steps together, and as I gave a curious look to the new crack in the pavement, Matthew gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head that told me not to ask.

  “I’m sorry,” Matthew said, once we were safely out of earshot from the precinct’s protective spells and charms. “I know you’re upset with me, but I can explain.”

  We passed the lower marketplace and turned our toes in the direction of Matthew’s house. Neither of us even looked toward the spell-powered trolley, choosing instead to take the longer route by foot.

  “Well?” I prompted after a pause. “Are you going to explain?”

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t make me.”

  “No such luck.”

  “You’re wondering about the vampire markings on that woman’s neck,” Matthew began. “Dani—”

  “I’m not wondering about that,” I snapped. “I know you didn’t do that. We all do, hence the chief’s little message. I’m still wondering why you didn’t seem surprised to find Grey hiding out at my apartment this morning.”

  “I think that’s an exaggeration.” Matthew looked straight ahead, not quite meeting my eyes. “He wasn’t hiding out at your apartment.”

  I thought about rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t muster the energy.

  “I had business to attend to last night for the precinct,” Matthew continued. “I might have asked Grey if he wouldn’t mind keeping an ear to the ground for me.”

  “For you?”

  “Well, for me, on you,” Matthew said. “You know how much I care for you, Dani. I don’t need to sleep. Some nights, I just feel a little better if I can check in and see for myself that you’re doing okay. It doesn’t take much—if I can get within seeing distance of your apartment, I can detect if things are okay.”

  “Now you can see through walls?”

  “Not exactly, but I can see through windows, and I can hear raised voices, scuffles, or the sound of your deep breathing.” Matthew paused, as if listening. “You have to understand, it’s more for me than it is for you.”

  “It’s creepsville. That’s what it is.”

  “It’s love.” Matthew stopped walking. “I’m sorry, Danielle. You’ve dated me for two years in the past. You must know that when I love, I love with all I have. And I have years—centuries—of love to give. It’s not an easy thing for me to hold back.”

  “Well, I love you too—all twenty-eight years of me—but I don’t stare at you in your sleep.”

  “I know how fragile you are.” Matthew glanced at me, realized his misstep. “Not in the traditional sense, of course. Half the precinct cowers when you arrive at a crime scene.”

  “That’s about the nicest thing you’ve told me all day.”

  “You know what I mean,” Matthew said. “Comparing my durability to yours, biologically, they’re just not the same.”

  I huffed a sigh. “You couldn’t have taken one night off duty?”

  “Apparently not, seeing as you were attacked.” Matthew said this firmly, then hesitated. “Grey might be my sworn enemy, but he is one of the only other people in the borough who cares and is able to protect you almost as well as me.”

  I gave a brief laugh. “Almost, huh?”

  Matthew’s eyes flashed a humorless glance at me. “Yes. Nobody can ever care for you the way I do.”

  I felt my heart pound faster at the intensity in his gaze. “I was joking, Matthew. I mean—I guess the sentiment is nice, but we’re going to have to work on communication. I don’t want people watching over me when I don’t know about it.”

  “I suppose that’s fair.”

  “It’s definitely fair,” I said. “And I really think you need to keep Grey out of it.”

  “Why?”

  I resumed walking after our brief stall. I didn’t want to meet Matthew’s eyes because the truth was, things were a bit complicated between the wolf and myself. I enjoyed his company as a friend, but at times I sensed he expected more from our arrangement. Not at the moment, but just... hovering in the background in case things with me and Matthew went sour. In fact, it was Willa who’d pointed the fact out, and I’d been unable to push her warning out of my mind ever since.

  “You think his feelings for you are growing,” Matthew said. “And you don’t want to hurt him.”

  I gave a one-shouldered half-shrug.

  “How very thoughtful of you.”

  “Matthew,” I warned. “Grey is a friend. I care for him and look out for him like I would Willa or anyone else. You knew that going into this, so I don’t want you getting all weird over it.”

  “I don’t ‘get weird’, Danielle.” Matthew gave a forced grin.

  “You’re upset.”

  “I’m upset because someone tried to attack you, and I wasn’t there.” Matthew deftly changed the subject. “But that tells me something.”

  We’d reached Matthew’s house, a tall, intimidating building set back from the street. It offered the sort of privacy, of grandness, that only old, well-kept buildings could. The sort of building with ghosts in the walls and high, dusty rafters, and windows lined with years and years of rainy tears.

  The house had settled years back, stately and sturdy, much like Matthew himself. The very building ached with the decades of life it’d seen pass by—both inside and out—and I was sure that if the walls could talk, they’d have much to say.

  Matthew led me inside and threw his things on the kitchen counter. I followed suit. We’d been slowly getting re-accustomed to the fact that we were together. Not just working together, not just friendly, but really, truly together. The movements were at once similar and foreign, and it would take more time than what we’d had for us to become comfortable existing with one another in a truly intimate way.

  “You think whoever attacked me has been watching?” I asked. “Watching wh
o? You?”

  Matthew bit down on his lip, his intelligent eyes sharp as they glanced my way. “I admit, I’m a bit stumped.”

  “Nobody watches you without you knowing,” I said. “You have the sharpest senses in the entire borough.”

  “Unless the watcher wasn’t in the borough and was using a form of spell to keep tabs on you and me,” Matthew suggested. “That would explain their lack of physical form.”

  “Except last night, their form was very physical,” I said. “So even if they are watching from a bit of a distance, they’re not all that far away. Or they can get here quickly. Do you think...” I hesitated. “Never mind.”

  “What is it?”

  I gave a shake of my head as I slipped my shoes off my feet and pulled my leather jacket from my shoulders. Matthew’s eyes briefly flicked over my bare shoulders, down my black tank top, and to the top of my leather pants. All black was sort of my thing. Mostly because my mother often explained my lack of fashion sense made me look blind if I tried more daring color combinations.

  “I was wondering for a moment if the vampire attack could be related to the one against me,” I said, “but that wouldn’t make sense. I know vampires—er, I know you—and that was no vampire that attacked me.”

  “If a vamp wanted you dead,” Matthew said, flinching slightly. “You would have been dead. Grey’s watch be damned.”

  I gave an agreeable nod. “Still, timing is odd.”

  “It was a full moon,” Matthew said. “Everything is odd when the moon rises completely.”

  I acquiesced his point with a nod and made my way to the fridge. Matthew’s was the polar opposite of my fridge, Fred. Matthew’s was filled to the brim, overflowing with crisp purple grapes and cans of Diet Coke and neat Tupperware with prepared meals all labeled and ready for consumption, stocked by Matthew’s housekeeper.

  I raised an eyebrow. “Thank you.”

  “Rosalind enjoys it,” Matthew said simply.

  “You know, my furniture has gone mute.”

  “Praise be.”

  I whirled to face him. “It’s quite traumatic, actually. They were my friends.”

  Matthew gave an emphatic blink. “They were—are supposed to be—furniture.”

  “Yeah, but I got used to chatting with them.”

  Matthew expelled a huge breath. “It’s the equivalent of someone fixing a faulty radio that’s been blasting obscenities for the last few years. It’s a good thing.”

  I shook my head. “I think I want Felix to take a look at them. At least get a sample from Carl or something—I’m suspicious at the sudden change, and I want it checked out.”

  Matthew closed his eyes, probably praying the furniture had been rendered permanently silent, but he didn’t argue. He rarely did when it came to matters of my safety.

  “What do you say we go upstairs?” Matthew said. “I could use a rinse after today, and from the smell of you, it should be high on your priority list as well.”

  “Your romance game is on point, King.”

  “Someone puked on you today, Detective.”

  “Fair enough,” I said. “I do need a shower, but we don’t have time for... you know. We have to meet Grey.”

  Matthew looked quite pained at this declaration. “The wolf can wait.”

  “Not really,” I said. “He knows about The Hex Files. I’d say that’s pretty darn important, wouldn’t you?”

  Matthew went silent, but I could tell I’d hit a nerve. Instead of a response, he reached for my hand, pulled me toward him, and planted a kiss on my lips that had us twining together all over the kitchen table.

  By the time we separated, I was missing a tank top and Matthew’s suit jacket was gone, along with most of the buttons on his shirt.

  “If you kiss me like that while I smell like vomit,” I said, “it must be true love.”

  “The sacrifices I make for you,” Matthew said. “About that shower?”

  I glanced at the clock. “I don’t know...”

  “I do,” Matthew said, and then kissed me again.

  His fingers did their magical little dance, and his arms lifted me to his chest as I wrapped my legs around his waist. Before I knew it, we were upstairs in his dual-headed shower with my back against the wall, and as it turned out, we had plenty of time for everything.

  Chapter 7

  “Nice of you to join me.” Grey stood on the edge of The Depth looking like his usual self. Like some sort of vigilante hero out of a western flick, all tanned skin and blue jeans and worn T-shirt. He glanced up at the first signs of the moon appearing in the distance. “Remember not to list punctual on your resumes.”

  I slid a guilty glance at Matthew, who smiled broadly at his pseudo-enemy. And I realized with a scowl that this had all been part of Matthew’s plan. I didn’t know exactly what all the two could see, smell, or hear with their supersonic senses, and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to know. With the dark look Grey shot Matthew, however, I could gather there weren’t many secrets between us.

  I felt my face flush as Grey’s glance landed on me. He kept his expression perfectly passive, but there was an air of agitation beneath the surface. He knew.

  “What’s the plan?” I asked gruffly, even though I was the one who’d called the meeting. “I thought we could grab dinner at the pizzeria and have a civilized chat, but it seems that might be a stretch. All I know is that we need to find a private place and hash a few things out.”

  “I have the perfect place,” Grey said. “In fact, you’ve been there before. Wouldn’t you agree my quarters are... private?”

  Matthew cast me a curious glance, but I tried my best to stonewall an expression back. Not that it would make much difference, seeing as Matthew could hear the very beat of my heart as it leapt into superspeed.

  “Isn’t there someplace else?” I suggested. “Maybe Matthew’s—”

  “No,” Grey said shortly. “Follow me. I trust you can get Dani there?”

  The second half of Grey’s question was directed at Matthew. The vampire looked mildly amused and a hint intrigued, but he nodded anyway.

  Without warning, Grey reached up and tugged his shirt off, holding it in his hands. I averted my eyes to the ground, feeling mighty uncomfortable with this little showdown happening.

  “Give me a second alone unless you want a view,” Grey said, “and then follow me.”

  Matthew and I stood still for a moment, an awkwardness between us as Grey disappeared into the forest, presumably to strip down and shift into his other form. I dutifully looked up at the stars, as if there was an earth-shattering message written there, until enough time had passed that I deemed it safe to return my gaze to the forest floor.

  A glimpse of white fur shone through the edge of the trees. Matthew saw it too.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded, then circled behind him and took an easy jump onto him, piggy back style.

  “I liked the way we did this ten minutes ago a hell of a lot more,” Matthew said. “Are you sure we can’t go home and resume?”

  I smacked the side of his head. “Giddyup, partner.”

  Matthew gave a hiss, turned, and somehow managed to swivel himself into a position where I was wrapped around the front of his chest all over again. Before I knew it, he’d landed a kiss on my lips that had me feeling like we were a pair of giddy kids sneaking into the Golden District for a sordid make out session beneath the stars.

  By the time I realized what was happening, I gave Matthew another elbow to the chest. Matthew returned me to his back, my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist as he took off after the wolf.

  The experience of traveling quickly with Matthew was vastly different than traveling with Grey. When I’d gone on Grey’s back, my fingers had curled into his fur, and I’d shut my eyes for most of the journey, fearing the branches with their extended arms, the underbrush, the close calls as he dove around tree trunks and bounded over logs. There was something so natura
l, so fluid, about Grey’s wolf form.

  With Matthew, I mostly felt like I was moving through a tunnel at warp speed. My view was somewhat obscured, but the ride was smooth and significantly less frightening than on the back of the wolf. Matthew’s motions were precise, almost surgical, and entirely logical, whereas Grey moved in sync with nature, following the flow of the forest and leaving me to fend somewhat for myself.

  The three of us raced through the wilderness, pushing through to the very outskirts of the borough. When we burst past the last line of trees and emerged into a wide-open pasture, once again, it stole my breath.

  The grassy hills were dotted with flowers, an entirely different sight as they glittered against the moon instead of the sun. In a way, the world came more alive at this time of night, as the moon inched up and the sun fell away. It was freer, less reserved, as if the very rules of the day vanished into night.

  Several tiny fireflies flitted between flowers, blinking with ethereal light. Moonflowers raised their necks high, tilted toward the beams, absorbed the light and buzzed with energy. Even the greenery looked deeper, darker, more intense as darkness crept around the corners of the earth.

  Matthew set me down as Grey circled back to the forest to change into his clothes. I watched as his eyes flicked up toward the gorgeous house built into the highest point of the fields around us.

  Unlike Matthew’s old home, this house was airy and bright. Huge windows allowed for sun-soaked days and moon-drenched evenings, and the lofted ceilings and open floor plan gave the feeling of a cozy, modern art display.

  I could see Matthew comparing this to his place, a more somber, cathedral style one. The corners of Matthew’s house were darker, edgier. His décor wasn’t white and platinum and sleek, but dark, mahogany woods and maroon carpets. Big, oriental rugs lined his creaky hardwood floors and his library was lit solely by a fireplace and a dim torch beside the ancient chaise lounge.

  The homes were vastly different, just like the men.