Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
“There’s only one person to cook for now,” I tell Alan when I come into the kitchen the next morning. He looks at me as if I just stated the most obvious thing in the world. Ah, of course. Xavier must have already held him spellbound so he wouldn’t realize anything was amiss. “Like always.”
“Right,” he says, keeping his gaze down. “How would you like your omelet today, miss?”
“With spinach and asiago cheese.”
“Coming right up.”
I get a cup of coffee and go outside while I wait, enjoying the sun.
Xavier’s words echo through my head. I haven’t felt the sun in seven hundred years, but being next to you, I remember what it feels like.
My heart swells inside my chest and I don’t know if I should let myself enjoy the feeling or quickly squash it away.
I’m not scared that he’s a killer or has no hesitation to resort to the most unorthodox ways of doing things to get what he wants. What scares me is the risk of getting my heart broken again because last time I barely survived it.
The landscapers are here today, and I lean back in my chair watching them work.
It looks peaceful, and creating something as beautiful as this garden has to feel so rewarding.
If I wasn’t a hunter, what would I have done with my life?
The choice was never presented. The Order tells all kids who are born into it that if they want to leave, they can.
Leo and I equated it to being as difficult to leave the Amish community.
Sure, you can go out on your own, but with no money or friends or really any knowledge on how to pretend to be normal after being raised knowing the monster under your bed is, indeed, real.
I go back inside once my coffee is done, bringing the Book of Shadows in with me after having left it outside all night.
Ending the night with Xavier might have been a little distracting.
I eat my omelet with a side of sourdough toast, and then get dressed and come back downstairs with my laptop and a notebook.
I spread the files from the coroner’s office out on the floor in the parlor, keeping Mabel company while she sets up for another tea party.
“Hi.” Devon appears in the threshold of the parlor.
He looks more like his old self today, yet the memory of him in here last night, saying things just to hurt my feelings haunts me.
I don’t want to have to admit to myself that I might have to grieve for him after all.
Being turned was a way to make it so he wasn’t really gone, but the man standing before me… isn’t a man anymore.
He’s a vampire.
“Hmph,” I grunt in response and go back to organizing the files.
“Still working on the demon-case?” Devon asks and I can feel Mabel looking at me. She knows Devon’s a loose cannon. She’s older and stronger and would step in if necessary. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that.
“Yeah. I’m trying to make sense of it.”
“I can help,” Devon offers. “I might not remember whatever it was I found out that night, but I do remember working on this.”
“Maybe your new, sharper mind will see things my feeble female human brain can’t,” I snap.
“Wren,” he starts but then lets out a heavy sigh. “Do you want my help or not?”
“Gee, when you put it that way…” I look up and shake my head. “I’m fine, thanks.”
He stares at me for another few seconds and then walks away.
“Ellen doesn’t like that you guys aren’t friends anymore,” Mabel says.
“Well, sorry, Ellen.” I look up and see the doll in Mabel’s hands. She’s creepy as fuck and is probably close to a century old herself. “But Devon turned into an asshole. With really good hearing, so he knows that.”
“I’m not defending him,” Mabel starts. “But Ellen did remind me how hard the transition was for me. I woke up with my head just swimming in emotion. All the things I wanted to say when I was human just came rushing out. I wasn’t worried about hurting nobody’s feelings anymore.”
“So you’re saying Devon’s always thought I was less than the rest of the family because I’m human?”
“He felt less than because he was a human.”
I blink, hating that it kinda makes sense. “And he’s had a massive crush on you since the moment he saw you. You were supposed to be his and then Xavier took you.” She gives Ellen a shake. “You know what I mean. Ellen said I sounded antiquated there.”
“I get what you mean. Devon picked me. I was supposed to be his human plaything—” I cut off.
Yeah, I was supposed to reproduce with Devon, but it was more than that to him.
He’s been living here, feeling like an outsider and struggling with his own worth.
Finally, he was going to have a human companion and, hopefully, someone to actually bond with.
Then I got picked instead of Larissa.
I couldn’t be held spellbound, forced to comply, and the rules changed. Even the marriage of convenience developed into something deeper that neither Xavier nor I expected.
“It’s still no excuse. I’ve had talks with Gia about the difference between being honest and being mean. She’s a kid and she gets it.”
“She is a kid.” Mabel whispers something to her doll. “Do you think she’d like Ellen?”
Now it’s my turn to practice honesty without being mean. “She’s not really the kind of girl who plays with dolls. Vivian traded her Barbies for a set of throwing knives two years ago.”
“Kids shouldn’t grow up in the Order.”
“No, they shouldn’t.” I shake my head and let out a breath. Mabel is really good at going off on tangents, and she can bring me along with her. “I see your point though. This isn’t easy for Devon. He’s a vampire but he’s still…”
“Not one of us,” Mabel finishes.
“Yeah. He fits in even less,” I say quietly. Shit, now I feel bad for him. “Fine. He can help. If he remembers anything from before, he should help. I don’t have all my regular resources and I’m starting from zero on what demon could be responsible for all this.”
“Could your brothers get you access to the Order archives?” she asks.
“I don’t know. They could get access.” I lean back, stretching my legs out in front of me. “It shouldn’t be this complicated, but it is. They can’t go to Order with a concern if the Order is involved. It’s probably best if they pretend they have no idea.”
Putting my hands to my face, I rub my eyes.
“Okay,” I say, thinking out loud. “Antonio overheard Vivian and Marcus talking about the drug problem. He heard them repeat the rumor that vampires were behind it.” I open my notebook and scribble down my thoughts.
How long ago was that? It doesn’t matter.
“And then a vampire supposedly was dealing to teens in the area, and some of the wolves from Larkin’s pack bought from him. ”
I tap my pen on the notebook. “There’s something here and I’m missing it. I can feel it.”
“The whole thing does feel really set up.”
“It does. Getting the werewolves to fight us would distract from anything and everything else going on at the moment.”
“Where do you even get drugs?” Mabel asks, which gives me an idea.
“Every rinky-dink dealer has someone above them. If you follow that chain—”
“Eventually you’ll find the supplier.”
“Yep.” I smile. “Thank you, Mabel.”
“What did I do?” She fixes Ellen’s curls and puts her in a highchair next to her.
“Just sparked the idea. The only problem is, people know who I am and what I look like. You’re a vampire, so you wouldn’t buy drugs. I need someone undercover but also who knows about demons and wouldn’t be freaked out by a vampire drug dealer.”
“I don’t know anybody. Sorry. I do have great-granddaughters. I’ve never met them so they would definitely think it was weird I asked them to buy drugs.”
“Yeah, probably best you don’t ask. Do they live around here?’
“No. They’re all out west. Well, the ones I know about.”
I hold up my hand. “I’m gonna need to unpack that later.
” Biting my lip, I get up and pace to the fake window.
Up close, the screen gives off an unnatural glow.
Today, Mabel has it set to a view of New York City at sunrise.
The video plays on an endless loop, casting faux sunlight into the room.
This is exactly the kind of thing we do as hunters when we travel from city to city.
If I were still in the Order working this case now, I’d ask another hunter to—
“That’s it!” I gasp.
“What’s it?”
“Delphi. She knows what’s going on and wants to put a stop to it. This dealer already sold to wolves so he either doesn’t care or is too young to really tell the difference yet.”
I go back to my computer and look up her office number. Impatiently tapping my nails on the coffee table, I call and tell the receptionist I have an emergency and Doctor Brenner told me to contact her directly. I’m on hold for a minute before she picks up.
“Hey, it’s Wren.”
“You have a medical emergency?”
“No, but I have another kind of emergency and I need your help. It has to do with that condition we talked about.”
“Go on.”
“Can you leave the office?”
“I have two back-to-back- appointments coming up but then I have a free hour.”
“Perfect. Want to come with me to buy drugs?”