“What do you think he’s up to?”
I shrugged, but asked, “Did you get that thing organised for me?”
“Done. Though I’m still not sure why.”
“Call it a hunch.”
We parted ways at the gates, Erin in her BMW, me on my bike.
Dr Angelshire met me in the foyer of the Mentis Institute and suggested we take a stroll in the park across the road. Aware, if not completely convinced, of the supernatural elements in our world, Dr Angelshire was the only person I could talk to about any of this shit. He listened and, even if he wasn’t totally on board with the reason behind all my trauma, he promised to help me deal with it.
From there, I went to Coorparoo.
As I walked through the corridors to the Belascos’ unit, I could feel the tingling remains of Dev’s anger at finding it empty. He might have sworn to quit the sorcery but I guessed it wouldn’t happen immediately.
Stopping at the unit next to the Belascos’, I keyed in the PIN Erin had given me and the door rolled up slowly.
Inside was all the information the Belascos’ had spent their lives gathering. The boxes, the filing cabinets. Even the antique armoire.
Sighing, I pulled out a folding chair and put it in front of the As.
It was time to finally learn just what was out there.
About the Author
L.J. Hayward has been telling stories for most of her life. Granted, a good deal of them have been of the tall variety, but who’s counting? Parents and teachers notwithstanding, of course. These days, the vast majority of her story telling has been in an honest attempt to create fun and exciting ways of entertaining others (and making money).
As such, she is still a mad (always provoked!) scientist in a dungeon laboratory (it has no windows. Seriously, the zombie apocalypse could be going on outside and she’d have nary a clue) who, on the rare occasions she emerges into the light, does so under extreme protest and with the potential hazard of bursting into flames under the southeast Queensland sun.
You can find L.J on her website and Goodreads, or cringe at her tweets @lj_hayward
Other Books in the Night Call Series
Blood Work - Matt Hawkins kills monsters for a living. Slay and pay. Werewolves, trolls, the occasional ghoul that gets a bit too big for its grave; but basically, whatever nasty critter crosses his path. Mostly, he kills vampires. While he’d made something of a living out of it, he doesn't even need the promise of cash to take down a vampire. Sure, it’s a nice bonus, but vampires are his personal crusade.
Demon Dei - It's been six months since the harrowing conclusion of Blood Work and Matt's waiting for the fiery repercussions. And waiting. And waiting. Even if no Big Bad wants revenge, shouldn't he be in hot demand? Like the lawyer who wins the unwinnable case. Or the mechanic who works out what that clunking noise is in your car. Instead, Matt finds himself struggling to maintain his career as the Night Caller. But things are about to get nasty in a big, big way.
Here Be Dragons (short story) – Sunday. Day of Rest. To anyone not Matt Hawkins, vampire-slayer extraordinaire, that is. A short story set in the world of Night Call, between the novels Demon Dei and Rock Paper Sorcery.
Death and the Devil
Where Death Meets the Devil - Jack Reardon, former SAS soldier and current Australian Meta-State asset, has seen some messy battles. But “messy” takes on a whole new meaning when he finds himself tied to a chair in a torture shack, his cover blown wide open, all thanks to notorious killer-for-hire Ethan Blade.
Rock Paper Sorcery Page 40
