Not to mention that I hadn’t been ready for Adam to see the other half of me. The dark half. The half that came out only when the sun slipped away and darkness took hold.
But soon. It was time to let him see all of me.
Each time I’d taken care of a paranormal crime myself, Adam had made it clear he wasn’t happy about it. He believed that he should be with me, taking down whatever being had committed the crime. But he really had no idea what he was asking. He was a brave human and I didn’t want him to get hurt.
This time I wasn’t sure I could stop him from avenging these deaths. If I tried, he would probably never forgive me. But we were dealing with a Demon. What looked like a powerful Demon. A master Demon.
A gut feeling told me this Demon was playing with us, and that a timer had started to count down.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The Demon had given us a bizarre symbol that we had to decipher.
Before we ran out of time.
CHAPTER 8
Rodán was “entertaining” a couple of females when I stopped by the Pit to give the report. By their dainty sizes and the points of their ears, they were clearly from one of the many Fae races.
“Nymphs this time?” I said to Rodán as he finished tying his short, dark green robe and walked toward me.
“Nyx.” Pleasure was in Rodán’s voice. “Have you come to join us?” His lips had twisted in a smile.
He knew my answer to that. I’d always insisted on sex with Rodán just being the two of us, despite his teasing that we should add spice one day. No thanks. “Would you like me to send them away and join me?”
By now I was used to seeing naked beings in his bed, so I didn’t feel any embarrassment and no jealousy. I smiled, and it was genuine. “You’re made to share your lovemaking talents with others, not with just one female or male.”
He took my hands and kissed my knuckles. “If you weren’t infatuated with that human, I would gladly spend as much time as possible in bed with you.” I would have thought his expression was serious if I believed him when he said softly, “And out of bed, too.”
Rodán’s words, and his lips on my skin, always tingled throughout me. He wasn’t serious, of course.
I looked at the naked female Nymphs who squirmed in the large bed that took up quite a bit of the enormous room. The females ignored me as they moved sinuously on the bed. Soft but urgent moans came from the Nymphs.
“That’ll be the day you’d settle for me alone,” I said when I brought my gaze back to his. “You’d get bored.”
“Never.” Rodán gave a soft laugh and brushed my black hair from my cheeks. He kissed me softly on the lips like the friend and lover he was before taking me by the hand and leading me toward his office.
“At least the females aren’t chained to the wall, or bent over a flogging bench while they beg to be spanked,” I said in a dry tone. I’d reported to Rodán enough times to have seen him in just about every erotic act possible—at least I thought so.
“But you’re Drow,” he said, teasing me as always.
“Save the bondage for full female Dark Elves who get into it, and any Fae you can convince.” I shook my head. “Not me, no thank you.”
“Where’s Torin?” he asked as he led me down the steps to his office.
“I ditched him.” When we reached the earthen room, Rodán let go of my hand and I seated myself in a chair close to his. “Along with Lulu, T was going to each officer and paramedic, touching their thoughts and erasing memories when I slipped away.” I wasn’t sure if Lulu was happy to have help, or irritated that T was stepping in on her territory.
I was rather pleased with myself for getting rid of T for now. I felt bad about not saying good-bye to Adam, but putting some space between me and that arrogant male—T, not Adam—was more important.
Changing people’s memories—in most cases only Soothsayers had that talent. I could do it with my air element, but it was draining, so I used the power infrequently, and to conscious beings only.
Rodán raised his brows. “So Torin has that talent as well.”
“You didn’t know?” I set my handbag by the chair and frowned. “What do you know about him?”
Rodán looked thoughtful. “I trust Krishna and her judgment.”
“I’m not so sure I like that explanation.”
He studied me, quiet for a moment. “It’s the best I can give you right now.”
“You, I trust.” I definitely didn’t like his answer, but he was Rodán. “So we’ll leave it at that for now.”
“What did you find out?”
As I thought of the horrors of what the Demon or Demons had done to that family, I tried to let the wisteria and earthy scents of the room calm me. I breathed deep and released a slow exhalation.
My stomach lurched, but I managed to keep a semblance of control as I talked about the murdered children, mother, and grandfather. The smells, the condition of the house, the blue splatters that could have been Demon blood.
When I finished, I turned the conversation to the strangeness with T. The way he had made the dead family look whole and normal again at the officer’s house was just unfathomable. I wasn’t even sure our Healers could do that.
Then I told Rodán about the black/orange fire that had burst from T’s palm to incinerate the dead Demons that had killed Jon.
Rodán focused on me until I finished and then he said, “Interesting.”
“What being could do all of these things without me knowing it exists?” I asked. “Were you aware before Krishna sent him to you?”
Rodán looked calm and beautiful as ever, his long white-blond hair shining in the soft office lighting, the tips of his pointed ears visible through the strands. Normally I would want to touch his golden skin. To feel him inside me.
But now, with Adam often occupying my thoughts, it didn’t seem right to continue a sexual relationship with Rodán.
“No.” Rodán sighed. “I don’t know what he is.”
The calm that had spread over me vanished. “Rodán—”
He held up his hand. “I’ve been trying to contact Krishna, but she’s been busy with the Great Guardian.”
“If only the GG would impart some of her ‘wisdom’ and wasn’t such a—”
Before I could finish, Rodán said, “Nyx. You like your life in this world, don’t you?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” The GG could zap me back to Otherworld before I could say, “Kiss my amethyst Rodán was good at guiding subjects away from dangerous territory.
“The human you’re so fond of, Detective Boyd,” he said with a truly concerned expression. “How is he?”
“Taking it pretty hard.” I pictured how angry he’d been. “He’s determined to get revenge, and not allow me to get in his way.”
“Let him,” Rodán said. “Be there with him, but don’t shield him any longer.”
“But he could get hurt.” I clenched my hands in my lap. “Killed.”
“You care a lot for him.” Rodán smiled. “When will you take him to your bed?”
I ducked my head, my cheeks warm. We’d never talked about Adam in this way before. I looked at Rodán again. “I’m afraid of what he’ll think when he finds out who and what I am.”
Rodán shook his head slightly. “You don’t give this detective enough credit.”
“I know you’re right. But—”
“You’re still afraid.”
I looked into Rodán’s lovely green eyes. “Yes.”
“This human won’t hurt you.”
“How do you know?”
“I have ... abilities.” Rodán was close enough that he could reach up and stroke my cheek with his knuckles. “I’m more concerned about you hurting him.”
“What?” My eyes widened. “I wouldn’t hurt Adam for anything.”
“I could only sense it,” Rodán said as he brushed my black hair over my shoulder. “I don’t know how it might happen. But I want you to be aware.”
<
br /> “I won’t hurt him,” I whispered. “I’d never hurt him.”
“Not intentionally, sweets.” He let his fingers drift down the side of my neck. Not like a lover, but like a caring friend who wanted to soothe me. “Just take care.”
My tongue was suddenly too thick to say anything at all. Hurt Adam? Never.
Rodán helped me find my words again when he said, “Tell me what else you have.”
My fingers shook I drew my XPhone out of my purse.
Adam? Me, hurt Adam? Never.
First thing, I tried to cue up one of the photos I’d taken.
“Bless it.” I made a frustrated sound. “I wondered if the paranormal energy might keep the images from being photographed, and sure enough those came out blank.”
I touched another tab on the gel screen. “Two positives, though. First of all, the energy didn’t fry my XPhone. Secondly, here’s my hand-sketched version, along with my notes.” I handed the pad to Rodán. “It’s not great, but hopefully it’s close enough.
“The symbol burned into the wood was very detailed,” I said. “Since I’m not an artist, I wasn’t able to really capture every nuance of the symbol.” I leaned forward. “I don’t get it. A tornado? Or earth spiraling down in a cone?”
Rodán studied the drawing a little longer.
I gestured to the XPhone. “Do you have any idea what Demon made this mark, how powerful the Demon is, or even what the symbol says?”
“No to all of your questions.” Rodán pushed his long hair behind his pointed ears as he frowned even more.
My heart dropped and I ran my fingers over my choker, feeling the lines of every hidden rune. “I need to borrow your books on symbols, and anything else that might be of use.”
Rodán helped me gather five dusty tomes and I sneezed. A cloud of dust hit me straight in the face and I sneezed again. No, Dark Elves don’t sneeze, but I’m half human. Nothing like a nose full of old dust.
I held the pile of heavy books as I stood by my chair. Rodán handed me my purse after he dropped my XPhone of it inside.
My grip tightened on my purse while I balanced the books in my arms. “I don’t suppose the GG would deign to help by giving us more Trackers.”
Rodán tipped his head toward me, giving an expression that said, “As if.”
“Why not?” I couldn’t help the bite in my words. “The Guardian’s riddles and her refusal to give us any real help drives me out of my mind.”
“You know she doesn’t interfere.” Rodán actually looked irritated himself, but the expression vanished. “She’s given us what she can.”
“You mean she gives us what she chooses to let us know.” I tried to tone down the anger in my tone. “Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled. “Not interfering in worlds and all that crap.” 1 don’t know why I’d even bothered to ask. I’d already known the answer.
Rodán spread his hands and looked up at the ceiling as if begging the GG to forgive me.
I knew he was teasing, but I still said, “Save it.”
Rodán stopped me before I could go up the stairs. He cupped my face in his hands and put his forehead against mine, the books pressed between us. “Don’t leave angry.”
“I’m not mad at you.” I tilted my face up when he raised his head. “I’m just frustrated. I don’t understand why we can’t know more. Why we can’t get more Trackers. I’m sure we can find some really kick-ass paranorms. Like Shadow Shifters,” I said. “Can you imagine what kind of Tracker they would make? Nothing could stop them once they’re trained.”
“They have their own weaknesses, like Shifters do,” he said, and I raised my eyebrows. “But any Shifter weakness is not for me to say.”
“Sometimes you’re as bad as the GG,” I said, but I smiled.
He kissed me lightly before letting me go.
CHAPTER 9
The moment 1 walked into my office, the scent of wisteria hit my senses. Uh-oh.
“What took you so long?” Olivia looked up from a folder on the desk next to her computer screen.
“A little midday recreation with Elves?”
“What’s with the wisteria?” It was a scent that had a calming effect on Dark Elves—which was why Rodán kept it in his office, I’m sure. But when Olivia put it out.. . it usually meant something was up.
“Just thought you might be a little worked up over today.”
Uh-huh.
Bet someone had another agenda.
Olivia kicked back, her feet on her desk. She wore a pair of yellow Keds that, as usual, matched her shirt, which was mostly hidden beneath her Mets jacket. The soles of her Keds were dirty from the city streets, the toes of the shoes had a few scuff marks, and the left heel was worn down more than the right.
She’d changed clothes after visiting the crime scene this morning, something she always did, like she was trying to get the stench and feel of death off of her body.
I set the stack of books Rodán had loaned me on the credenza next to my desk. Blue Persian hair was caught on the edge of a stack of file folders. Kali must be here somewhere. I had no idea how the cat traveled from my apartment to the office and back. Of course, even if she had the ability to tell me. she wouldn’t have. The snot.
What Rodán had said to me about hurting Adam was something I couldn’t get out of my mind. I’d never hurt Adam. Never. How could Rodán think I’d ever do that?
My head felt thick, as if it was packed with Kali’s blue hair, as I slowly sat in my seat behind my desk. Hurt Adam? The mere idea made my stomach churn.
Olivia uncrossed her ankles and braced one foot on the edge of her desk. Good thing there was no way to damage, even scrape, Dryad wood furniture. “Does Rodán know what that symbol is?”
I blinked and let what she had said process in my mind before I shook my head. “No clue.”
“Hell, if Rodán doesn’t know what that symbol is,” Olivia said, “I’m sure not getting any warm fuzzies.”
“Mmmm-hmm,” 1 reached into my Dolce & Gab-ban a and found my XPhone. I scanned my drawings of the symbol, then used the stylus to send the drawings to the computer’s hard drive and to the printer. “Did you sketch the symbol?” I asked as I snatched my copies from my small desktop printer.
Her feet were back on the floor and she was looking at her XPhone. “Printing now.” Olivia’s printer silently spit out a piece of paper.
We each looked at our own renderings before reaching across the space between our desks and swapping.
“Yours is better.” She pored over my two drawings. “Well, the one that doesn’t suck.”
“The sucky one is from the victims’ faces.” I couldn’t help a shudder. “The other is from the symbol burned into the floor.” I studied her version. “You’re right, my drawings are better. And that’s not saying a lot.”
“Bitch,” she said.
I grinned. You had to be good friends to call each other names and not take offense, because you know your friend meant it in the kindest way.
“I’ll shoot my much better drawing to Derek to see what he has to say.”
“Mighty convenient that James’s husband is an occult expert,” Olivia said. “Maybe he’s a Demon.”
“You never know.” I prepared a quick note and attached a copy of the drawing to Derek’s e-mail address. There. I pressed send and it was off. “Sometimes I think you are a Demon.”
“That’s because I am.” She gave me her best wicked look and evil snarl.
“True.” I tried not to laugh. “I’ve never had a doubt.”
When I’d first seen Olivia, I’d been one with the shadows, as usual. But I’d watched and didn’t interfere because she looked like she had a handle on a Sprite, and I was curious.
She’d just finished kicking the crap out of the Sprite using martial arts, while shouting several appropriate words (I thought) at the same time.
In that moment I knew I wanted to work with her. I’d been keeping an eye out for someone to ask to be a partner in my f
irm, and my instincts told me she was the one. Despite the fact that she was wearing a Mets sweat jacket over a T-shirt, I’d sensed Olivia was with the NYPD. Also that she was one hundred percent human.
But she was the right one. I knew it.
I just had to convince her.
Olivia had pinned the Sprite up against a brick wall, her Sig Sauer pressed to his temple, her hand around his throat. Sprites are ugly things. Big heads, hooked noses, lots of nose and ear hair along with protuberant, glassy blue eyes, and ears you could swing dinner plates from.
“Don’t fuck with me. you Halloween reject,” she’d said in a growl. “Tell me what happened to the girl you were just attacking.”
The girl who’d escaped had been a Doppler. I’d watched her morph into a kitten that scampered away the instant she’d had the chance.
The Were came out of a shadowy corner behind the Dumpster and it was time for me to rock. I’d known he was hidden there, just waiting for the right time. As for me, I’d wanted to see how the cop handled the Sprite before I stepped in.
Werewolves in full-moon form stand upright, are at least seven feet tall, have muscles most men would kill for, but have extremely hairy faces and tails.
Yeah, tails. Dagger-sharp claws are on their feet as well as their hands.
If it hadn’t been a full moon, the Were would simply be a wolf when not human.
“I don’t think so,” I said to the Were as I appeared from the darkness, my dragon-claw dagger ready to swing. “At least, not if you like the way your head and neck look on your shoulders.”
The Were growled, a deep earth-moving sound.
Olivia had gone still, but she was a pro. The Sprite gurgled as she increased her hold on his neck.
She cocked the Sig before she looked behind her and saw me with my dagger at the Were’s throat.
She only spared me a glance before focusing completely on the Sprite. “Nice hair.” she said.
“Don’t let go of the Sprite.” I kept my attention on Olivia, the Sprite, and the Were. “I mean, don’t let go of the guy. He’s an expert at escaping any kind of containment. Your handcuffs won’t work. Keep your grip and your Sig on him until I take care of the Were—this ass.”
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