by Kelly Goode
‘Forget all this nonsense about an appeal, Ember.’
My mother’s voice brought me back to the moment.
‘Your case deserves to be heard by the court,’ I replied firmly.
She released my hand and sat back in her chair with a sigh.
‘I don’t know why you’re bothering,’ she said.
‘Because you’re innocent.’
‘Innocence is in the eye of the beholder. We’re all sinners, Ember.’
She stared at the security camera on the wall, as if she’d forgotten they were there for a moment.
‘Why did you confess?’ I whispered.
‘Because I killed him.’
I shook my head. ‘No, you didn’t, mum.’
Her eyes narrowed.
‘Yes, I did. Now drop it, Ember. You know I hate talking about what happened.’
Her complete disinterest in my attempts to get her out of the detainment unit confused me.
‘Well you’re going to have to talk about it soon. A new piece of evidence has been found.’
My mother’s face seemed frozen in place as she stared at me in confusion.
‘What evidence?’ she whispered. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Someone found the murder weapon.’
‘Don’t be silly, Ember. S.P.T.F. had the knife from the start. I was holding it when they arrived.’
‘That wasn’t the knife that killed Roger, but you already knew that. Didn’t you?’
My mother pushed back her chair and got to her feet.
‘Stop this right now,’ she ordered. ‘Or else I’ll revoke your visitation orders. We all need to stick to our stories, and not rock the boat.’
‘But I’ve been silent for far too long,’ I replied. ‘You can’t keep running away from this.’
‘From what?’
‘The truth.’
‘You know nothing about the truth.’
‘I know you’re trying to protect me-’
‘Yes, Ember. I am,’ she cut in.
‘But it’s not right. You shouldn’t be in here. Bits and pieces keep coming back to me.’
‘You said you never remembered that night.’
‘And I still don’t,’ I admitted. ‘S.P.T.F. made me talk to a psychiatrist before they cleared me for my assignment. The sessions triggered some suppressed memories. I keep dreaming about Roger. How he used to hurt me while you were at work.’
‘Stop it, Ember.’
‘He used to hurt you too, mum.’
The expression on my mother’s face scared me, as she seemed caught somewhere between anger and pain.
‘Enough,’ she said.
‘It’s not enough,’ I continued, needing to break down whatever barrier she kept putting between us when it came to talking about what happened to Roger. ‘I don’t even think you were home that night. You were working. How could you have killed him if you weren’t even there?’
‘You’re mistaken. Of course I was there. You need to be careful in your pursuit for the truth, Ember. You just might remember something that you can never forget. Guard, I’m finished here…’
The door to the visitation room opened and an S.P.T.F. guard entered.
‘The truth can’t be worse than what I imagine happened that night,’ I said.
‘And what is that?’
‘That I killed Roger.’
My mother’s eyes widened in alarm, and then her whole body relaxed. She even started to laugh.
‘It’s not funny.’
‘Oh, honey. I’m sorry, but it is very funny. You didn’t kill Roger.’
‘I don’t believe you. Who else would you lie to protect?’
My mother stopped laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
‘That is a very interesting question, Ember. A very interesting question indeed.’
23
‘The mechanism of death was cerebral hypoxia,’ Doctor Naomi Porter said, as she addressed the team that Carter had gathered in the briefing room. It was a strong team, hand-selected for this particular mission by a committee higher up the chain of command than he was. Carter suspected there was more at stake than purely solving the murder of three dead witches, and it concerned him that he didn’t know the end game.
Harvey, JC, and Ghent were controllable – they wanted their freedom – it was Perry who was the loose cannon. Werewolves were volatile and Carter’s vow never to work with one again, after what had happened with Cassie, had been broken.
He’d taken Perry to one side before the briefing started and made it explicitly clear that if he ever changed forms or threatened Ember again, his punishment would be worse than going back to the detainment unit. Carter would ensure that he disappear for good.
‘I found petechial haemorrhages in the eyes consistent with strangulation,’ Naomi continued. ‘The groove around the neck came from a thin cord, which after removal, Doctor Alvis confirmed was the same type as the other victims. There was increased bruising in the area, which indicates she struggled against her attacker. I found blood and tissue under the nails from two separate sources. I matched the first DNA profile with the victim, but the second produced a pattern that I’ve never seen before. Definitely not human.’
Carter silenced her with a flick of his hand.
‘Can we have all that again in English please?’ he said. ‘I don’t have time to wade through forensic jargon.’
Naomi pushed back a clump of auburn hair that had congealed against her forehead. Her face glistened with perspiration and it was clear she’d been hoping to impress the team.
‘W-What…I’m trying to say,’ she spluttered. ‘What I’m trying to say is. I mean…it’s just-’
‘Allow me to translate for those with a lower IQ than shoe size,’ Harvey said, scraping back his chair and getting to his feet. ‘Colleen Chambers ripped at her own flesh in an attempt to release the choking pressure around her neck. When that didn’t work and the force grew too much, her eyes popped and leaked blood.
A few groans resonated around the room at the macabre images his words evoked, but that didn’t seem to deter Harvey from finishing his blunt version of events.
‘Finally, her brain starved of oxygen and she died.’
Harvey’s simple, brutal explanation left a bad taste in Carter’s mouth. He looked at Naomi to see if it was a decent interpretation of the forensics and she nodded in agreement.
‘Thanks for the vivid image, Harvey. So glad you’re here,’ Carter said, although he ensured the expression on his face conveyed the exact opposite to his words.
‘No problem, boss.’
Carter moved towards the boards at the back of the briefing room and spent a few moments reading the reports tacked next to the photos of the dead girls.
‘Were there any sexual injuries?’ he asked.
The room remained silent apart from the shuffling of papers, and the creaking of plastic as people fidgeted in their chairs.
‘Any sexual injuries?’ he repeated. ‘You…Doctor Porter, wakey wakey. Was she raped?’
Naomi snapped to attention and frantically flipped through the pages in her book.
‘No overt trauma to the genitalia,’ she said, reading her notes. ‘No abrasions or lacerations…’
Her voice trailed off as she correctly interpreted the look he was giving her. It was the same one he’d given her before when he wanted an answer, not a science dissertation.
‘There are no initial signs of rape, sir,’ she confirmed. ‘Also the DNA under her fingernails was female and definitely not human.’
‘Thanks,’ Carter said, smiling slightly this time.
‘Doctor Alvis and I will process the remaining trace analysis as soon as possible.’ she continued, but Carter wasn’t really listening as his attention had already switched to Ember. She looked tired, and as much as he liked having her around the unit again, he didn’t like the way it was already starting to have a negative effect on her.
‘Keep up the good work, Doctor Porter,’
Carter said, pushing his hands inside his trouser pockets. ‘Just stop calling me sir. I’m not the chief of this unit anymore.’
24
‘And seeing as you’re not chief of the unit anymore, you can’t stop me leaving,’ JC said, winking at me, as he secured his long, blond hair in a band at the base of his neck. ‘I have to see a man about a dog, but Doctor Porter, it was a pleasure seeing you again. You brightened my morning; maybe we can grab a coffee sometime?’
Doctor Porter blushed and left the room without answering him.
‘Is he always like that?’ I asked Harvey who’d come to stand beside me. I briefly contemplated mentioning what happened yesterday in the lift, but truthfully, my loss of control was embarrassing, so I thought it best to pretend it never happened.
‘Like what?’
‘Like hitting on every woman he sees?’
‘I’m afraid so, but to be fair, whatever he does seems to work. We’ve known each other for years and his success rate with the ladies is solid.’
‘And what about your success rate?’
‘I hold my own,’ he said, his eyes focusing on my lips for a few seconds. ‘The new doctor seems flattered by his attention, but not you. Why?’
I shrugged my shoulders.
‘JC is far too self-assured for me. Don’t get me wrong, he’s good looking. Just not my type…’
My voice trailed off.
‘What?’
‘This is ridiculous. I’m talking to you, of all people, about what type of guys I like.’
‘What’s wrong with that?’
Everything - I wanted to say. Harvey should know exactly what my type was. He only had to look in the mirror.
‘I see,’ Harvey said, his dark eyes narrowing, and I could tell he’d totally missed my point. ‘You usually go for guys like Carter, right? Strong, dependable, and safe.’
I wanted to correct him. I wanted to tell him that I never usually settled for the safe option, but it was easier to lie.
‘Carter is too good for me.’
‘Bullshit. You’re out of his league, Red. Not the other way around.’
‘Carter deserves someone special. Someone untainted. That’s not me. I’m too messed up for him.’
Harvey pushed his hands into his pockets.
‘So he hasn’t tried to kiss you again?’
I looked down at my feet, avoiding Harvey’s probing stare.
‘No,’ I admitted, although there’d been a fleeting moment in his bedroom last night when I’d thought he might.
I knew Carter cared about me, but I wasn’t sure whether he felt an attraction to me, or an obligation. He’d been trailing me around for weeks, ensuring I didn’t get into danger. He’d had plenty of opportunities to make a move, but hadn’t.
‘Maybe his attraction towards me has worn off,’ I said.
‘I doubt it,’ I heard Harvey mutter under his breath. ‘He just can’t get past his own righteousness.’
‘Carter’s been running this unit singlehandedly. He held everything together after Chief Andrews died, saving countless lives. He’s a good man-’
‘And you deserve a good man,’ Harvey cut in.
I looked up into his dark eyes, inhaling sharply as his irises turned to the clearest blue. Something that had happened the first time we’d met, and still stunned me whenever I saw it.
‘I don’t deserve a good man, Harvey,’ I replied, and my mother’s words came to mind.
Innocence is in the eye of the beholder. We’re all sinners, Ember.
‘There’s blood on my hands, and sins on my conscience,’ I continued. ‘I’m not the sort of girl that gets the dream house, dream job, or the dream husband.’
An ache hit me hard in the chest as I realised part of me wanted that life. I couldn’t hold Harvey’s gaze any longer and I looked away.
‘I’m tainted,’ I repeated, ‘and your eyes have started changing colour again.’
25
‘My eyes don’t change colour,’ Harvey snapped.
Ember’s brow furrowed at his sudden burst of aggression, but Harvey wouldn’t apologise for it. He was fed up with her mentioning his eyes. It was a cruel joke, to give him hope like that, unless she didn’t realise the implication her words had on him. Had he ever told her he had blue eyes before he became a demon? He couldn’t remember.
Harvey automatically straightened his back when he noticed Carter approaching. The agent might be wearing an expensive suit these days, but he was no less dangerous without his gun. Harvey wouldn’t put it past the sneaky bastard to try to take him out once he’d finished his part of the assignment. Just as he suspected he would’ve done the last time he was recruited into the unit.
‘Did you sleep well?’ Carter asked.
‘Like a baby,’ Harvey replied with a wide grin, although that was a lie as his chest had stung like a son-of-a-bitch from Ember’s burn.
‘I was talking to Ember. I don’t give a shit about you, Harvey. You ended up in the detainment unit again, because that’s where you belong. I hate the fact I had to offer you another chance at freedom. I’d rather you were anywhere, but here.’
Harvey heard his unspoken message. Anywhere but here, meant anywhere but with Ember.
‘You should be nicer to me, Carter. I know for a super-soldier like you, demotion must hurt a hell of a lot more, but just think of the money you’ll save not having to dry-clean your fancy suits once you’re back in uniform.’
‘Fuck you, Harvey. I stepped up when no one else wanted to run this unit. You have no idea about the sacrifices I’ve made to ensure things run smoothly around here. I save lives, you take them.’
Carter’s glare briefly flicked across to Ember, and Harvey smiled. It was as he’d suspected. The man was a moron. He’d had Ember to himself for weeks, but had given up the chance of pursuing her for the good of the unit.
‘I know plenty about sacrifices,’ Harvey said, thinking of all the times he’d wanted to visit Ember, but stayed away. ‘And as I recall, you need me more than I need you. A demon to catch a demon was how you phrased it.’
Carter’s jaw clenched and the scar on his cheek stretched as his muscles worked. Harvey enjoyed provoking the up-tight agent, and he could tell the man was thinking of all the ways he could possibly end Harvey’s life without it affecting the mission.
Harvey wasn’t averse to a little one-on-one after it was all over. His inner-demon liked the sound of that, and Harvey shuddered, trying to ignore the sudden intense craving for violence and blood.
‘Where is Agent Myles?’ Ember asked, as if sensing the mounting tension and wanting to bring the conversation back to a safer topic.
Carter looked at her and smiled tightly.
‘He’s interviewing some of the other team members as part of the formal inquiry. He’ll be back this afternoon to explain the next part of the mission. He wants you to meet with the coven tonight. Does that sound ok?’
Harvey didn’t like the way Ember’s face paled at the mention of her old coven.
‘Yeah, I guess so,’ she said softly.
The worry in her voice was like a punch to Harvey’s gut, and he struggled against the need to hold her.
‘If that’s the case,’ he said instead. ‘Ember must be free for a few hours, right?’
Carter nodded.
‘Yeah, why?’
Harvey didn’t answer, just wrapped his arms around Ember’s tiny waist and teleported them away.
26
Harvey grabbed me and pulled me against his chest before transporting me from one place to another. The sensation made my head ache. Everything around me blurred, as if I were spinning on a waltzer at the fairground. The only constant was the feeling of Harvey’s arms around me, which was strange considering I couldn’t see him, only his black smoke cloud.
After a few seconds, the scenery came back into focus and I blinked several times. My eyes felt like camera lenses, trying to adjust to a subject, which in this case was Harv
ey.
‘The motion sickness will wear off in a few minutes,’ he said, his lips brushing against my earlobe, branding me like a hot iron.
My hands moved up his arms, gripping onto his biceps for support. I took a deep breath to steady myself, inhaling against his shirt.
‘The room is still spinning,’ I replied. ‘Maybe giving me some sort of warning the next time you do that might help.’
‘No,’ he said, and I presumed he was smiling. ‘It wouldn’t.’
I could feel his warm breath against my cheek.
‘Where are we?’ I asked, pulling away from him.
‘Well I thought about taking you to the Ritz, but as I can only teleport to places I’ve actually been in, that ruled out all the classy restaurants in London.’
I shivered as I realised where he’d taken me.
‘I’d have preferred anywhere but here.’
I looked around the familiar four walls, trying not to freak out. This small space was where I’d stayed as a recruit, yet it felt just as much a prison cell as the one I’d been confined to in the detainment unit.
‘What’s wrong with this room?’ Harvey said, eyeing me suspiciously.
I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing how to explain the intense claustrophobia that surrounded me.
‘So much has changed since the last time I was here,’ I said softly.
‘That’s a good thing.’
‘So why does being here feel so wrong?’
Harvey rubbed his chin.
‘I’ve nothing but fond memories of this room, Red,’ he said, his voice lowering to a sexy timbre that had me immediately focusing on the single bed in the corner of the room.
I knew he was staring at the bed too and my cheeks flamed as I remembered us making love beneath the sheets. I recalled how amazing he’d made me feel, the words he whispered in the darkness, but more importantly how I’d fallen asleep, safely cradled in his arms that night.
‘I have to go,’ I said, heading for the door.
‘Wait,’ I heard Harvey call. ‘We need to talk about what happened yesterday.’