23. Oh No She Didn’t
Oh No She Didn’t
‘What the hell did you think you were doing?’ It’s Ruby who voices the words, but they’re emanating unspoken from Micah. I can practically see them written in the air in front of him.
Ruby Blue is almost frantic, her harsh words masking the fear she felt when she discovered me missing.
Micah is the opposite: cool and calm, totally composed, with his arms crossed over his chest. I could almost believe I imagined his rage when he broke his former lover’s neck, his soft admission of how afraid he was for me, and the way he held me as if he still cares.
‘First of all, I thought Micah trusted her. Secondly, she said she had information we need. I was doing my job. And I had my gun with me.’ Now it’s my turn to cross my arms. Belligerence and shame at my stupidity, along with guilt for what I put Ruby through, are fighting for prime position.
We arrived at the hotel only minutes ago, Micah’s wings disappearing as he lowered me onto the pavement, stalking straight inside and expecting me to follow.
Ruby was pacing when we reached the penthouse suite, her dark hair a halo of waves around her head, cami and bed shorts rumpled from sleep.
I wasn’t sure if she was going to hug me or hit me. Instead, she started yelling.
‘A lot of good that did,’ Ruby says, eyes still blazing.
‘Bedding someone does not equate to trust,’ Micah fires at me, his eyes fathomless pools of black, hair still disheveled from the wind.
‘Then why did you ask her for help?’ I won’t apologize for making a rational assumption or following a viable lead. We came to New Orleans to see her.
Ruby looks just as interested in his answer as I am. I blow out a breath as she turns her fierce attention from me to the Vampire standing across from us.
‘I have never trusted a Witch. Certainly not Jezreel. They never do anything that doesn’t benefit themselves. Our relationship has only ever been physical. I was hoping to capitalize on that to get the information we need.’ There’s no apology in his words.
But it explains the blatant flirting. It had seemed out of character for him, but my vision was tinted slightly green, the envy version of rose-colored glasses.
I’m not sure how I feel that he likely would have slept with her to get the info we need.
Heat creeps into my cheeks, and I have to look away from his measured stare.
‘Well, I guess it worked,’ I finally say.
Suddenly, everything that has happened in the past two days hits me. I force my legs to move and collapse inelegantly onto the couch.
‘We got what we needed. Even if we still don’t know who this Necromancer is, or how he’s managed to raise a Daemon and control it- multiple times.’ But it’s more than we had before. And there must be some way to find out without using the Witch community.
Ruby sits beside me, curling her legs beneath her.
‘Yours wasn’t the only flicker I got. I mean, when Micah woke me to find out where you were, and I had no idea.’ Her words slam into me, leaving no room for pride and my usual stubbornness right now. I left a note and a virtual message for my best friend and just disappeared.
I could tell her that I didn’t want to wake her; that I thought I could do it on my own; that I’m a police detective and danger is my job. But none of that excuses the worry I caused her and Micah.
‘Ruby, I’m so, so sorry.’ I take her hands in mine and squeeze them. ‘I don’t have an excuse. I never should have gone off without letting you know.’
‘And me?’ Micah says with a raised brow, sinking gracefully into a chair opposite us. Just once, I’d like to see him flustered, or unsteady, or the slightest bit unsure in a situation. Right now, I hate how unruffled he is.
‘You’re a big boy.’ I meant it to sound snarky, but unfortunately, it comes out a bit breathless, a bit challenging, a lot flirty.
Something flashes through his eyes, a shadow of emotion that makes me think of silk sheets and fangs in my neck. Then it’s gone.
Wishful thinking.
The moment hangs between us like a storm cloud threatening to deluge at any moment, before I swing my gaze back to Ruby to cover it.
‘What was the other message?’ I ask her.
‘It was from the ME. Those autopsy reports I showed him triggered a memory. He didn’t want to tell me until he was sure.
Around a year ago, there was a murder here.
At first, the Bayou Werewolves were blamed.
But the claw marks didn’t match, so he came to the same conclusion as we did.
That it wasn’t a Werewolf. But the investigation went nowhere, so it ended up a cold case. ’
‘I wonder if that was the first time the Warlock raised the Daemon? Like a practice round,’ I muse. ‘What about puncture wounds?’
‘None.’ Ruby shakes her head.
I glance at Micah, but I can’t tell what he’s thinking.
‘So, was this Warlock working alone back then, or was the Vamp involved as well? Any thoughts?’ I’m slightly sarcastic as I shoot Micah a look, daring him to withhold more information on this case.
‘Oh, lots,’ he tells me with a smirk I immediately want to smack off his face. Instead, I roll my eyes in exasperation.
‘Does it solidify your theory on who this rogue Vamp is? Does a possible tie to New Orleans change things?’ I press him, holding my ground until I get answers.
‘If it started here, it could confirm who I think it is,’ he concedes.
‘But you still won’t tell me?’ I have to at least try.
‘No.’ One word. But it’s pure, unbending steel.
The temptation to roll my eyes again at his predictability is real, but I’m too frustrated.
I also want to ask if this is about him.
It’s a crazy theory, and all I have to go on is a feeling that’s been building over the past few days.
But I can’t work out how Jason and Evan tie into Micah and the Coven.
Still, I can’t shake the gut feeling that this is all about him.
Lila’s death is what I need to be focusing on. We need to reevaluate, work our way backwards from her, tying the ephemeral threads together. Like catching a fly in the center of a spider web.
‘What now?’ Ruby asks, looking at the all-powerful Vamp and not me, the lead detective for the PPS on this case.
‘We head back to New York.’ Micah stands with preternatural elegance, all dark grace and beautiful, sharp edges.
‘Now?’ I’m surprised, but also not. Vampires don’t really need sleep, it’s easier for him to travel at night, and it makes sense not to wait until tomorrow evening. I don’t think I could sleep the few hours left before dawn anyway.
‘The chopper is waiting for us on the roof.’ Naturally. The hyper-rail to the airport would be faster, but I doubt he’s ever taken public transport in his life. ‘You can sleep on the jet,’ he adds with a smirk, knowing exactly what I’m thinking.
With travel and the one-hour time difference, we’ll be back in NYC around seven or eight am. Perfect for hitting the office to catch the Captain early and update Tim on the latest developments, minus the part where I almost died at the hands of a jealous, sociopathic Witch.
I will never tell Micah she wanted me dead because she was under the false impression that he has the hots for me.
I know he still cares about me; he’s made it obvious over the past few days.
And I was the one who left, because it wasn’t enough for me.
I was humiliated, but I also knew I would always want more from him than he was willing to give.
So I followed my dreams instead, and I don’t for a second regret it.
Ruby and I manage to get a couple of hours’ sleep, but by the time we land, I feel as if I’ve been hit by a skytruck.
Traveling on a private hydro-jet does have some perks.
Getting through a busy airport quickly is one of them.
Now, all I want is to stumble home and sleep for a week.
Maybe almost having my blood spilled to increase a Witch’s power was more draining than I realized.
Instead, I settle for a quad shot from my favorite cafe on the way to Police HQ.
Coming straight from JFK airport means I don’t have my car, so Ruby and I take an autocar that I ordered using my micro.
I spend the time scanning the news feeds and ignoring my social feeds.
I’m not even sure why I have them. It’s not as if I can post holos or pics of my work.
Or my private life. Clubbing with the Chief ME and Vampire second-in-charge wouldn’t look good to the public.
I’ve never been one to plaster my love life all over them either, and Jake would hate it.
That leaves meaningless inspirational quotes. Gag me.
Micah took a private car back to the Coven, and I didn’t bother to ask what he’ll be doing.
The way the ice-cold mask slid seamlessly over his face told me enough.
He’s going on the hunt, and likely every Vamp in NYC along with him.
They’ll do what they do best, and I’ll stick to my job.
I may have brought him into this, but he won’t stop until both the Necromancer and rogue Vampire have been taken care of.
I doubt he has their arrest and a human trial in mind.
And I get to explain that to Captain Butch Buchanan.
Data gathered by the tech bots should have been analyzed while we were in New Orleans, so I drop Ruby at the morgue in New York General Hospital to find out if anything from Lila’s crime scene stands out. Then I head straight to One Police Plaza.
Tim takes one look at me and my carry-on and gets me more coffee without a word. Best partner ever. I down it as if it’s the elixir of life.
‘May as well get this over with,’ I say with resignation, wishing I’d had time for a shower and something to eat.
I slump down onto the couch in the Captain’s office, my third coffee of the day clutched like a lifeline in my hand.
‘Good news, Cap,’ I tell him, plastering a smile on my face.
I fill him in on everything we found out from Jezreel and the New Orleans ME. I finish by saying we don’t know exactly who this Necromancer is, but now we have leads to follow. I feel like a cheerleader hyping up a pep rally.
‘And what’s the bad news?’ He sighs, leaning back in his chair, which creaks beneath his large frame.
My smile must be too bright, and I think my hands are shaking from caffeine overload. Or maybe from pushing down the memory of a knife at my throat and a crazy Witch who wanted me dead. My sheer stupidity at not listening to my intuition.
‘Micah Saint James won’t tell me who he thinks the rogue Vamp is.’ And he killed a Witch.
‘And he knows?’ The Captain is still. He never fidgets or moves things around on his almost-empty desk. He never shows his agitation, but his face is tight.
‘He’s pretty sure,’ I confirm, staring into my coffee as if it has answers to all the questions swirling around in my head.
‘Eve, your work ethic is impressive.’ I look up to see if he’s being serious. ‘But can you find and arrest a Vampire who has no respect for the Treaty, or our laws?’
I want to say yes. I want to say, I’m going to try my goddamn best. Instead, I half-grimace and look up at the ceiling as if it has the answers.
‘No.’ It pushes out of me on an exhale.
I note he doesn’t bother asking Tim. My partner nudges my arm, and I smile wryly.
‘Then let the Vampires do what they need to. The Treaty is to protect humans by setting laws that supernatural beings must abide by. That doesn’t take away from their own internal justice system, and you know it.
The Packs sort out their issues among themselves, as do the Covens.
As long as it doesn’t involve taking a life, or serious maiming, there’s not much we can do to stop them. ’
‘So, as long as these murders stop, we count it as a win.’ I take another sip of my coffee, only to find my mug empty. I stare into it in confusion that mirrors how this investigation feels: unexpectedly empty of answers.
‘We count it as justice,’ Butch says, his voice steely, his piercing blue eyes uncompromising. There’s nothing soft in his expression. ‘Easten. Update.’
‘A few things.’ My partner glances at me, his blue eyes filled with understanding. ‘A Daemon makes sense. Janus told me illegal supps don’t do anything for a Lyco. No extra strength. So if we didn’t already know it wasn’t a Werewolf, that would have confirmed it.’
‘So Evan’s stash was from his human life.’ Jake will be pleased, and there’s no need to tell Mrs. Reynolds her son was using, as it has no bearing on the investigation. No need to cause her more pain or tarnish her view of her dead son. ‘Any link between him and Jason Rodriguez?’
‘Yeah, one of Rodriguez’s low-level dealers said he knew Evan.
From before. Hadn’t seen him for over a year, confirming that he stopped with the illegals once he was Changed.
Which means he likely knew Jason from back then.
We can almost guarantee their paths crossed.
’ Tim grins, and it’s well-deserved. He’s been busy during the day I was gone, and come up with the goods.
‘That still doesn’t explain why them? Why a mid-level cartel guy and a fairly new Were?
Are these murders more to do with the Vampire or the Warlock turned Necromancer?
What connection can they possibly have?’ I can’t help the frustration that finds its way into my voice.
There’s a piece of the puzzle we’re missing.
It’s floating in front of me, just out of reach on a phantom breeze, and my skin hums with how ineffectual I feel.
The Captain looks between my partner and me, frowning, before his face relaxes.
‘Keep digging. Let Saint James go places you can’t, while you do what you do best. Investigate.’ He’s giving us carte blanche to take this wherever we want as long as we get results. Which is one of my favorite things about the Captain.
So far, the media has been very forgiving, but there’s a clock attached to their goodwill, and it’s running out fast. I know the higher-ups are riding the Captain for closure on this case.
They probably don’t care how it’s done. It might even help their public image if the Vampire King is helping the police.
‘Which angle do you want to work now? Maybe Ruby has something on Lila?’ Tim asks me once we’re back at our desks in the squad room.
But there’s something else I need to do this morning. Because I’m done with him closing ranks and not sharing information that will help with this investigation, preventing me from effectively doing my job.
I’m going to see an Alpha Werewolf in his territory.