I reached out, squeezed his calloused hands, and smiled. “Dazzle me.”
It didn’t cost anything to show kindness. Sure, some homeless were junkies or terrible people, but like most humans, you could never know that at first look. You had to brush off some dirt to find some treasure.
“Okay…” he said, studying me with a silent question.
“Callie,” I said, smiling.
“Callie…” he repeated with a distant look. “Is that short for…” he mouthed the last word.
I leaned back in surprise. “You’re the first person to ever guess correctly, Arthur…” And I waited for him to tell me a tale.
Chapter 25
I had sat with Arthur for an hour, and even wandered down the street with him to buy him a disposable cell phone, strictly to contact me. I wanted to make sure he was taken care of, but I had other things to do that couldn’t wait. One of those things was a party, but the other was a short trip.
We left with a hug, and I was sure to tell him to swing by Abundant Angel for a change of clothes and a makeover. It wasn’t far away from here, or I would have called him a cab. I did call Father David to let him know ahead of time, but I was sure that he would’ve been entertained as a king if he had walked into the church on his own. Still, I felt protective of the old man.
And his story—
My phone rang, and I glanced down at it. I didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
Beckett sighed on the other end of the line. “Burner phone.”
I lowered my voice, stepping into an alcove in case someone walked by and decided to listen in. “Everything okay?” I asked.
“As well as, considering,” he said tiredly. “Although a couple officers couldn’t stop babbling about a smoking hot white-haired chick hanging out with a homeless guy at a coffee shop nearby,” he said, trying to mimic the tone of his fellow officers.
I laughed. “Yeah. He was a good alibi, and one hell of an interesting guy, actually.”
“Well, you convinced them of the virtues of charity,” he said, laughing. “They offered to live on the streets if you would consider continuing your good deeds.”
I laughed. “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” I said cryptically, smiling to myself. “Now, tell me what happened. And how did you hear about it?”
His tone grew more formal. “Anonymous tip. I might have been lurking around your apartment, keeping an eye out for you, so I was closest when the call came in.”
I was silent on the other end of the line, surprised. “Oh… Thank you.”
He grunted, sounding embarrassed. Then he cleared his throat. “Anyway. You might not have noticed, but he had a wooden stake in his chest. And all of his teeth were ripped out.” He paused, speaking quieter after a few seconds. “Vampire?”
“Yeah,” I said, withdrawing the garland from my pocket and studying the abnormally long canines. “Definitely. Did anyone suspect anything?”
“No, but theories abound about where his teeth are. Other than the religious angle, no one thinks it’s the same killer, thank god. Or else we would be creeping up on serial status.”
“Any leads?”
“Nothing,” he growled. “The call was anonymous. Probably the killer. We tracked it to a nearby payphone. It has the same motivations as the wolf. Do you think it’s the same guy?”
I sighed, thinking about the caller. If a Regular had seen it, they would have been running into the precinct for protection, so I agreed it was the killer. Which meant he was bold. And that he had no fear of using a payphone right after. Just strolling around my neighborhood, killing a vampire in broad daylight while I was asleep. It made me shiver.
“You still there?” Beckett asked.
“Yeah, sorry. I would think it’s the same killer. I mean, not many could take on a Freak, especially two different kinds of Freak. But I didn’t have time to get a feel for the area. And there wasn’t any sign of struggle, right?”
“None.”
“Which means the victim was easily overpowered and tortured. While alive, judging by the blood. Right?” I asked, not extremely familiar with things like that. But knowing my side of the fence, it made sense.
“We’ll have to wait for the official report from the medical examiner, but it looks like the dental work happened while alive. Real sicko,” he muttered angrily.
Which made me feel very good about Beckett. Most might decide to side with the killer, since he had only killed monsters. But to Beckett, a killer was a killer. And anyone who tortured another was below evil. Now, if the victims had simply been found murdered, he might have leaned closer to agreeing with the killer, but in a way, the torture had swayed Beckett to think like I did. That although monsters, we could also be victims. And we were being targeted merely for that reason.
“Do you know who it is? Either of them?”
“The werewolf’s name was Horatio Gomez. He worked in human resources at one of the insurance companies nearby, but I don’t know about the vampire. I don’t know if I was being paranoid or not, but I was sure to keep the body out of sunlight.”
I almost slapped my forehead. “I’m glad one of us is thinking clearly!” I hissed. “The body would have likely disintegrated into a pile of ashes,” I gasped.
“Yeah, well, glad I considered that, then,” Beckett said, sounding relieved he wasn’t crazy. “I guess the killer wanted us to see the body. If it was simply murder, he could have left him in the daylight and we wouldn’t have ever even found a body…”
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s likely why he chose the alley. For the shade. No reason making a display if the body disappears. Although, he was likely hoping you would transport him during the day and see his body disappear,” I said, thinking furiously.
The other line was quiet for a few seconds. “He’s trying to show us the truth. That’s why he left the teeth… He’s probably not very happy right now.”
I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. “Which means he’s probably going to strike again, soon. And worse than the other two. To make the facts impossible to refute.”
Beckett sounded about to throw up. “Could you imagine if he recorded one of these? Brought a vampire into the daylight so everyone could see him disintegrating?” he asked with a shaken breath. I grimaced in agreement. “There would be no hiding that.”
“We need to find this guy. Now,” I said angrily. “But how? We don’t have anything to go on, but…”
And a sickening feeling hit me.
“That new church…” Beckett said softly. “You think they are behind it?”
“I… maybe.” Sure, I had considered someone in their congregation. They had the same motives. But the leadership? Pastor Benjamin? Desmond? Brigitte? I hadn’t sensed an iota of magic on the three, so it was more likely that one of their sycophantic followers was a die-hard.
“Well, how do we find our way into their fold to sniff out the killer?” Beckett asked.
I groaned inwardly. “They’re having a luncheon tomorrow. To stand up against the violence.”
Beckett was silent on the other end. “I haven’t heard about that. How did you?”
“Well, I work for the Catholic Church. Abundant Angel.”
“Yeah, I remember… But you said you were an assistant. What would your church have to do with this new one?”
“I’m not really an assistant,” I admitted.
He was quiet for a minute, likely scowling. “Wait. Are you a… magic Sister?” he asked incredulously. “The fucking church knows about this stuff?” He began to babble. “No, wait. If the church knows, why would the new church actively take a stand on witches and stuff? Unless… only the Catholics know this stuff is real, and aren’t happy about the new church pointing it out?” He let out a long sigh. “I don’t get it,” he admitted.
“Listen, we probably need to meet up. I have an errand to run. Want to join me? Can you get out for a few hours?”
“Sure,” he said, but he sounded wary.
<
br /> “Okay, meet me in twenty minutes.”
“We need to meet somewhere out of sight. No coffee shop, church, home, or police station. You’re technically a witness, so we can’t just meet up in public. How about the Sprint Center?”
“Good idea. I’ll be there soon. Second level parking lot. Be ready to drive. And arm for bear.”
“Okay. Hold on,” he said, his tone growing urgent. “You’re not being literal, right? We’re not going to go fight freaking care bears, are we? Because that sounds monumentally stupid.”
I smiled to myself. “No, it was a figure of speech. But speaking of, have you found anything out on Yuri?” I asked.
“No. Nothing.”
“Worth a shot,” I sighed. We were back to square one. “Gear up for a fight, Beckett. I’ll see you in twenty.”
“Look forward to it. I think…” he admitted, sounding resigned.
I let him. It was a healthy feeling. Roland always sounded that way around me.
Chapter 26
I got to the parking garage early, and called Claire, just to make sure she was okay. We spoke very briefly, but she confirmed everything was fine, and that everyone was incredibly kind. “I think we misjudged them entirely,” she had said before we hung up.
I was simply relieved that she was okay. She hadn’t changed yet, but she had been learning a lot about their past, their hierarchy, and about shifters in general. Bears were solitary shifters, and didn’t typically form packs or anything, like wolves. Sometimes one or two would partner up, but it typically didn’t last more than a few years before they grew apart and wandered their own way.
Which made the Kansas City Cave kind of an anomaly.
Claire had found a family of sorts, which meant more protection. With a killer hunting Freaks, this made me unbelievably happy.
With one of my concerns appeased, I focused on my upcoming tasks. I had the party with James Vane tonight, but I wanted to first check out the house where I had fought Johnathan. And since Beckett was getting a crash course in my world, I decided he could tag along. We could talk and work at the same time.
Also, he was a cop, so his skills in searching the house for clues might prove useful. I had Shadow Walked to the Sprint Center, not wanting to leave my truck behind in case any of his pals on the force decided to follow him here. I realized that I really knew nothing about Beckett.
Was he married? Single? Kids? How old was he? Was he from here?
He pulled up, as if merely thinking of him had summoned him. He was staring into his rearview mirror as he drove, and seeing nothing, parked his car. He drove a new Jaguar, of all things. Not one of the low-end models, either. Had I stumbled upon another rich guy?
Another thought hit me. Was he more than he seemed? Every rich person so far had been. Nate Temple was some kind of deadly more-than-just-a-wizard, and Johnathan had been a demon. What was a cop doing with such a nice car? And… he had been lurking around my place this morning. Before the murder.
But at the same time, I factually knew he wasn’t either of my stalkers. He’d helped me chase down silver hood – making him innocent of the wolf murder – and I had seen the black stalker outside the murder on the church steps – while Beckett was standing right in front of me.
Still, I felt suddenly wary of my decision to share my world with him. But he had seen me do magic. All I had done was confirm it for him. But he had been so… accepting of magic.
I needed to keep my guard up.
I approached his car, and was surprised to find him already outside of it, locking it with a beep of his alarm. He studied me thoughtfully, and then glanced back behind him.
“Is everything okay?”
He nodded absently. “A few of the guys were ribbing me. They connected that the white-haired girl from the coffee shop was the same witness from the murder outside of the church. And that I had questioned her.”
I frowned nervously. “And?”
“They found your homeless friend. Questioned him, too.” He saw the territorial fire in my eyes and held up a hand. “I was present. They were as kind as I’ve ever seen them. Trust me. He backed up your story that you were there the entire time with him. Still, they’ve grown mighty interested in you, and were very curious about me leaving work a few hours early.”
I nodded slowly. “You think they would follow you?”
He shrugged. “Ever since the evidence with the… werewolf disappeared, I’ve been edgy,” he admitted. “I don’t think anyone would follow me out of suspicion of what’s really going on, but I know a few who would follow me for more nefarious reasons…” His face was serious, and then it split into a faint grin. “Trying to catch me out on a date, since I’m suffering such a long dry spell,” he said with air quotes.
I smiled, the tension in my shoulders fading, somewhat. “Dry spell, huh?”
He nodded, but his smile was gone. “Yeah. Ever since my partner died.”
I frowned. “You were married to your partner?” He closed his eyes for a moment, and I had a sudden thought. “Wait, you’re gay? I didn’t even think of that. I thought you meant police partner,” I said, blushing with embarrassment.
He laughed loudly. “No, definitely not gay,” he said, holding up his hands. “But I’ve found it’s easier to say that my partner died, and let people assume I meant a cop.” He took a deep breath, then let it out in a rush. “I’m a widower. My wife was… taken from me. A long time ago, but still. I’ve found it’s less of a buzzkill if I say partner, rather than wife. Less pity. Like you’re showing right now…” he added with a frown.
“Well, of course I pity that. You should be upset if I didn’t pity that,” I said forcefully. He met my eyes for a long second, unblinking, and then nodded.
“I don’t want pity, Callie. But… I do appreciate it.”
I studied him curiously. “You said she was taken from you… and you weren’t surprised about magic and monsters. Do you think…” I trailed off, watching him.
His shoulders stiffened and he nodded. “It actually makes more sense than any other theory…”
I swallowed tightly. “Okay. Maybe I can help you look into that. Later. If you want.”
He turned away. “Thanks. Are you ready?” he asked in a rough voice, changing the topic.
“Yes. But why did you lock your car up?” I asked. While his back was turned, I took a step closer, reaching out with my magic to see if I could sense anything supernatural about him. I hadn’t attempted to replicate that odd chrome sight I had used to chase down silver hood, slightly afraid to try.
But I realized I had slept… a lot, recently.
Sure, I had been up late, and gotten up early, but I had still managed to get a solid five hours of sleep. And I had napped hard. Harder than I usually did, and that was saying something.
I began to consider the fact that I had been so short tempered with Roland, David, and Benjamin – before my nap – but had been so kind to Arthur – after my nap.
Like I was bipolar. None of my actions were out of character, but they were two very different swings of mood in a short span of time. And I began to wonder if that new power – being able to follow that man in the alley with the silver hue to my surroundings – had somehow affected me.
So, like an idiot, I tried it again. I dove deep within myself, and found the cracked door, tugging at the faint sliver of light.
And stared at Beckett.
He stood before me, outlined in shining silver between one second and the next, startling me enough that I almost dropped the sight, the real-world flickering into existence as if trying to force it away. I gritted my teeth and grasped on, surprised that it had come so much easier this time. Maybe my rest had helped more than I thought.
The vision solidified, and I realized that Beckett was standing in the center of a silver ring of light on the pavement, and that unknown runes were circling the interior of the circle, like I was staring at a cell under a microscope, the runes the individual par
ts of the cell. The mitochondria or DNA, or whatever those squiggly things were. Claire would know what they were called.
Regardless, Beckett stood in the center of that ring of light, and the runes circled around him. I wondered what it meant, and then remembered that the last time I had used this, it had almost felt like I was seeing into the future by a small portion of time.
Without realizing it, I lifted my hand, and a glowing orb of light appeared in my fist. Beckett spun, eyes wide, especially as the orb began to drift closer to him.
“Callie, what the hell is—”
“Shhh…” I said. “I won’t hurt you, but I need to check something before we go anywhere,” I said in a very cool voice, more like I was hearing someone else speak, because it didn’t sound like my voice.
Beckett gasped, staring at me as if he had never seen me before. “What…” he began, eyes dancing around the parking garage, as if searching for something. His eyes finally shot back to me. “What is that? It sounds like… singing,” he said in a very soft tone.
I didn’t know what he was talking about, and couldn’t have cared less in that moment. Whatever was going on, I wanted it done fast, in case the power faded away again. I forced the orb closer to him. He tensed as if expecting a bolt of electricity to the sphincter. But instead, the orb touched him and he shivered in ecstasy, eyes almost rolling back into his skull. Then I pressed the orb deeper into him. Whispers filled my ears as Beckett froze completely still.
Whispers of pain, anguish, and outrage drifted into the parking garage – softer than whispers, but clearer than a bell. Screaming, shouting, cries of outrage, despair, hopelessness…
Then… silence.
And a faint grumbling roar grew from the pain, as if eating the previous sounds, gaining strength from them, devouring them, and wrapping that pain around it like armor.
And I saw a superimposed face over Beckett – that of a warrior, a chrome face of such clarity and resolve that I almost shied away from it. But I couldn’t. His mouth was closed, but that roar grew louder, and I realized I was experiencing his transformation – a transformation of his life, from the moment his wife had been taken… to now.
Feathers and Fire Series Box Set 1 Page 40
