Chapter 9 #4
Luke gave him a pointed glare. “I do because it is true.” Hands on his hips, he turned toward Sorcha. “’Cause, Fuck You, Ken, right?”
She burst out laughing, then hid it behind a coughing spell. How could he do that to her? Inside jokes didn’t belong at a crime scene.
“What the hell does that mean?” Rory asked in an irritated tone.
Luke sneered. “Someone’s obviously screwing around with me for some unknown reason.”
“That’s hard to believe.” Rory scoffed. “Who would dare?”
“I have enemies like anyone else. And some of mine hold serious grudges for a really long time.” He looked past Rory to Sorcha who saw the fury in those amber eyes.
What are you thinking? she asked him with her thoughts.
That’s not a snowflake. It’s an effing fairy star painted in blood, and so is the pendant in her hand.
Sorcha had no idea what he was talking about, but she took her own photo of the blood pattern for later. She was dying to ask him some questions where they could discuss it outside of her head.
Honestly, she knew next to nothing about a fairy star so she Googled it while Luke bickered with Rory.
Those two had some dicey history and it was clear they should never go out drinking together. No doubt, they’d both land in jail for assault.
Even Bernadette moved closer to them, and Sorcha didn’t miss the fact that Bernadette rested her hand on her taser as she placed herself between them.
Laughing over that, Sorcha thumbed through her search. The fairy star was a pretty symbol. She’d seen it from time to time while in New Orleans at a lot of the new age, voodoo and occult stores. Even on a few book covers.
Honestly, she’d never paid it much attention.
Now…
Luke knew something and she wanted to pick that gorgeous brain.
“Do I have to separate you two?” Bernadette gently backed Rory up. “Don’t make me call your boss, Corvan. We’re supposed to be coordinating on this.”
Holding his blue-gloved hands up, he stepped away.
Luke took a step toward him. But Bernadette cut him off with a hand to the center of his chest. “Why don’t you and Sorcha search the area?”
In other words, they were being banished from Corvan.
Luke’s nostrils flared. “Fine.” Then, he returned to her side.
“You know something about this. Spill.”
Luke glanced to the unis before he nodded. “They need to run the DNA for a fox. That’s our canine. Not a wolf of any kind.”
She blinked at his words. “Fox? Like a kitsune?”
“I wish.” He gave her a bland stare. “This smacks of the sídhe.”
“Are you telling me this is from the Unseelie Court?”
“Not that simple. And yes, it could be them or one of the other factions. Off hand, I’m thinking it’s a leannán sídhe, given that the victims are art students.”
“I’m confused. I thought there were only two sídhe courts. The Seelie and Unseelie.”
He screwed up his face. “It’s much more complicated than that. In addition to those, they have splinter groups and other factions. The Seelie and Unseelie have better press agents so people know of their existence and tend to want to put all fey into those two groups.”
Interesting…
Luke’s gaze went past her, toward the small crowd that had gathered to watch them.
At first, she had no idea why he was looking at them. Until something caught her attention. It was an exceptionally tall, handsome man with dark skin and long braids. Given his beauty and demeanor, she assumed he wasn’t human. “Friend of yours?”
“Some days.” Luke left her side to climb up the ramp to where the “man” was being held back with the other onlookers by the police who were protecting the barrier.
Luke showed his badge to the uni. “This one’s with me.” He motioned for his “friend” to join them.
Following after him, Sorcha waited for an introduction, but Luke seemed reluctant.
Instead, Luke gave her a pained grimace. “Will you excuse us?”
“Of course.” She headed back down the hill wondering why Luke had been so curt with her.
Luke led Sorath farther up the road almost to where he’d parked.
Every step they took made him more suspicious. Sorath didn’t tread in the human world lightly. He held as much love for this place as Luke—in and out as soon as possible before the stink of humanity clung to him. “What’s going on? Did you find out who betrayed me?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
Sorath’s gaze turned dark and foreboding. “There’s something brewing in Hell and I thought you needed to know immediately.”
Luke waited for Sorath to continue, but for some reason his friend didn’t. “And what do you want me to know?”
“I think the Ancient Orders are on the move. Vying for power.”
That wasn’t good. For centuries their truce had remained intact. After an eternity of fighting, the Ancient Orders had divided up the world among them with a promise that no one would renew their ambition to subjugate the others. “How do you know?”
“The head of the Phoenix Society just met with your father.”
Luke snorted at Sorath’s paranoia. “That doesn’t mean anything. They could have been reminiscing about old times.”
“This is different, Xynzara. Can’t you feel it?”
“Don’t call me that,” Luke growled, hating his name. And he wanted to deny what Sorath was saying, but… “Have you seen or heard anything about The Brotherhood of Shadows?”
“Why?”
“There are art students dying and someone’s gathering their souls. I’m thinking leannán sídhe.” Not to mention the fact that there was bad blood between him and the little prick who thought he ruled over them.
Freaking sídhe. They were worse than humanity. Worse because they didn’t end up in Hell where he could torture them.
Immortal little shits.
“Is that what happened here?” Sorath asked.
“Yeah.”
Sorath’s eyes flashed red. “Are they blaming us for it?”
“Relax. They think it’s a serial killer.” The normal LEOs thought of IA as consultants on occult matters. The fact that there were actual preternatural predators out here was more than most of them could handle.
Humans didn’t need to know what actually stalked them. Blame the devil while denying Lucifer’s existence.
Made all the sense in the world.
Someone whistled. “Hey, sexy! Want to follow me home?”
Luke and Sorath turned to see a young woman hanging out of a car window so that she could catcall to them both.
Sorath lifted his hand in a way that told him his friend was about to strike her with lightning or fire.
Luke grabbed his wrist. “We’re in public.”
“So? They need a lesson in manners.”
“Teach it to them in Hell.”
“That’s what I was trying to do. Why did you stop me from taking them?”
“We’re in public,” he repeated. “You know the rules.”
With a hiss, Sorath pulled his arm out of Luke’s grasp. “You used to be more fun.”
“Get me home and I will be again.” He raked a glare over Sorath’s T-shirt and jeans. “How are you not freezing?”
“I wasn’t born in Hell,” he reminded Luke.
“You’ve been there long enough to acclimate.”
Sorath scoffed. “I’ll never get used to that level of heat.”
Luke nodded, knowing what Sorath refused to say out loud. He regretted following Lucifer in his rebellion. As loyal as Sorath was to his father, the angel knew he’d screwed up.
But like Lucifer, he’d never admit it.
Luke had never understood that. But then pride wasn’t really his sin.
Lust and wrath were.
Granted the freezing cold here had seriously dampened his lust. The thought of getting naked without being in boiling water didn’t appeal to him at all.
At least not until Sorcha had shown up.
Something about her was a lot more tempting than it ought to be, and she might be worth the frostbite.
And speaking of…she was heading for them. The last thing he wanted was for her to be on Sorath’s radar. The fallen angel was way too volatile and perceptive.
“Anything else you want to tell me?” he asked Sorath.
He arched a brow at Luke’s tone. “You want me to leave?”
“Don’t want to have to explain you to humans.” He raked Sorath with a smirk. “You tend to stand out.”
Sorath passed an interested look toward Sorcha as if he knew Luke specifically didn’t want to introduce the fallen angel to her. “As you wish, my lord. But I did learn one thing. Remiel has nothing to do with your banishment.” And with that, he turned and headed toward Delilah.
I hope Helly isn’t still there. She’d never been fond of Sorath. His imp might even scream if she saw him. But Helly could hold her own.
He headed toward Sorcha. “What’s up?”
“Sorry to interrupt…” Her voice trailed off as she saw that he was alone. “Your friend left?”
“He had things to do.”
“And who was he?”
Luke tsked. “Keep your detective questions on matters related to the students not on my personal business.”
She made a sound that let him know he’d just pissed her off. “Okay, then. So… Rory really has a problem with you.”
“I’m aware.”
“Why? Did you bite him?”
He scoffed at the mere suggestion. “Never. I don’t want rabies…or cooties.”
“You’re the canine,” she said as if he didn’t know that half of his genetics.
“And Rory’s a raven. What’s your point?”
“Wait. I’m lost. He’s what?”
“Corvus. Corvan… Never mind. I know way too much Latin. Anyway, did you need something more specific?”
“They’re about to move the body. I just came to see if you wanted to take another look before they did.”
“I think I have what I need.”
Sorcha gave him a penetrating stare at his odd behavior and peeved tone. “Did you take issue with something your friend said or are you pissed at me?”
“Neither.”
She cocked her head. It didn’t sound that way. Luke wasn’t his usual happy self. Something in him had changed and she didn’t like this version of him. It was…a little scary and lot of off-putting. “Anything I can do to help?”
Luke ground his teeth at her question. Those words tugged at him. He wasn’t used to anyone trying to help him.
Seduce. Tempt. Torment. Set up. Punish…those happened all the time.
But never help. He wasn’t sure what to do with that.
“Can I get a copy of the photos you took?” he asked.
“Sure. I’ll email them when we get in the car.”
“Thanks.” As Luke started toward Delilah, the hair at the nape of his neck stood up.
Someone was watching him and not just some random lust-filled woman or man.
This was different.
Turning around slowly, he tried to find the source of his discomfort.
Nothing stood out and Sorath was gone.
Where are you, you bastard. More importantly, who are you?
“You okay?”
He glanced down at Sorcha. “Sure.”
“That’s a weak sounding sure. Should I be worried?”
Honestly, he didn’t know. Something wasn’t right. He felt it deep inside.
And if Sorath was right about the truce being broken…
His father was in danger.
Why do you care?
Because Lucifer was his father. Rotten soulless bastard that he was and Luke’s job was to protect the throne.
Someone had kicked him out of the game, knowing that would leave his father in a position of weakness. Something that could be fatal if the Orders began warring again.
“Luke?”
He ignored Sorcha. “Helly!”
His imp appeared instantly. “You barked, dominus?”
“Find my mother and tell her I need to see her. Now.”