by A. Blythe
That explained the slavery connection.
“So he obviously knew she was a djinni when he killed her.”
Reed nodded. “He was blessed with the Sight. That was how he became friendly with her in the first place. It seems he collected as much information as he could about binding a djinni to his will. Unfortunately for Lily, he chose her as his intended victim.”
“So why go after PAN?”
“Because Katrien felt that the case should fall under PAN jurisdiction since Lily was a djinni and the murder was the result of his interest in the supernatural world. Because the man was human, PAN disagreed and left it to the human courts. The man received a lighter sentence because a body was never found.”
It wouldn’t have been. Lily’s human body would have disintegrated.
“And this did not sit well with Katrien, I would imagine.”
“Not really. She began a crusade against PAN. She recruited other djinn who viewed PAN as weak and too inclined to defer to humans. She apparently became more radicalized as the months ticked by.”
My stomach twisted in knots and I realized with a start that, despite everything, I still felt sorry for Katrien. “She really loved Lily.”
Reed pressed his lips together. “Seems so.”
“Do you think it was unconditional?” I asked.
“Who knows?” He eyed me carefully. “Are you still upset about our dinner conversation? I never meant to insult you.”
“I know that.” And I wasn’t insulted, not really. I knew that Reed thought more of me than I thought of myself. His view of the real me, however, seemed to differ from reality.
“Maybe we should arrange another date,” he said. “One that doesn’t involve such heavy conversation. Or Flynn. Maybe I’ll even have a beer.”
“Do you really think after the hot mess I created at the zoo that I’m a good candidate for courtship?” I asked.
“Courtship,” he repeated. “People don’t use that word often enough anymore.”
“Your brother thinks your mother would have a heart attack if she knew about me. A mother’s disapproval is the kiss of death for a relationship.” Or so I’d heard.
“Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m not interested in what anyone else has to say about you. If I were, I would’ve fled the scene long ago.”
“Gee, thanks.” I summoned the only thing I was capable of—my courage. “Reed, you’re an amazing guy…”
He raked a hand through his thick, wavy hair. “You’ve complimented me once today. I already don’t like where this is going.”
I heaved a sigh. “You deserve someone to love you the way Katrien loved Lily. That insane, unconditional love.”
He chuckled. “It doesn’t have to be insane, you know. Some people just love each other deeply without the need for vengeance or dramatic uprisings.”
My mouth quirked. “Are you telling me if someone murdered me, you’d simply throw your hands up and say ‘what a shame’?”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Oh, there might be a few fireballs involved.”
Despite my efforts to resist, I swooned a little. I gathered my strength and said what I needed to say.
“Reed, you deserve someone as perfect and together as you. I’m a disaster. All the time. I’m not fit for a relationship.”
His hands slid up my arms to rest on my shoulders and my whole body tingled. “Stop telling yourself that. It isn’t true.”
“My priority has to be fixing my life and it’s going to be hard and it’s going to be dangerous. I don’t want to drag others down in the process.” I released his hold on me. “It’s best if I deal with things on my own.”
“So I won’t help you,” Reed said. “Why does that mean you can’t pursue a relationship?”
I smiled, despite the circumstances. “Because I know you, Reed. You’d help me in any way possible. It’s in your blood. To help humans.”
“But you’re not human,” he protested.
“But I think, deep down, you see me as human because I don’t have my magic. What happens when I get my cuffs off, huh? And I show off my rather impressive powers? You’ll be running for the hills.”
He moved closer to me, his breath hot on the curve of my neck. “You think I can’t handle a woman more powerful than I am?”
I pressed my palms flat against his chest. “You’re a Boy Scout, Reed. You need a Tessa. You need some sweetheart with a soft spot for kittens. That will never be me.”
“You don’t like kittens?”
I grabbed his chin. “Focus, Reed.”
“I’ll give you time, Alyse,” he said, his lips hovering far too close to mine. “I can afford to. I age very slowly.” He grinned. “And I’m still going to want to help you, whether you agree to date me or not. Like you said, it’s part of who I am, so you can’t stop me.”
I took a step backward before I did something I regretted. “I’ll see you around, Captain.”
“You know where to find me. Just light up the sky with the big pair of white wings and I’ll come running.”
I cracked a smile. “And so will half the pigeons in the city. I’ll stick to the phone, thanks.”
“Goodnight, Alyse.”
I went inside before he saw the tears in my eyes. I hated being human. I swear it made me feel things I had no business feeling.
I walked alongside Wissahickon Creek, lost in thought. Jamie’s birthday card was a crumpled mess in my hand. Now that I had uncovered the message, I had no reason to keep the card anymore. Still, I hesitated to sever my last physical link to Jamie.
Since my failed conversation with Jonathan, I’d made a few attempts to call him again. I left several voicemails, but no return call as of yet. I’d even given Mix the phone number to trace. Although I didn’t expect to get anywhere with that, I had to try. Whoever Jonathan was, he lived off the grid.
I was no closer to understanding the reason for contacting Jonathan. Did he know something about my cuffs? If he did, then that meant Jamie knew in advance, a fact I couldn’t wrap my head around. Now that I knew Katrien was responsible for Jamie’s death, it was clear that Jonathan had to be a source for some other closely held information.
Leaves stirred behind me and I looked over my shoulder. The park was devoid of people today, probably because of the fierce wind and colder temperature. Although I wasn’t a fan of the cold, I felt the need to be outside, to clear my head and gain perspective.
“Love letter?” Flynn materialized beside me, wearing a navy blue pea coat and dark jeans.
“Not a love letter.”
He smirked. “Didn’t think so.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Are you feeling any better about Rose?”
I softened. Once in a blue moon, Flynn surprised me with his sensitivity. “A little. I had to go and offer my condolences to Rocco.” That visit was not a walk in the park. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t take it well. “She and Jamie are still on my mind, though.”
“If Dragon Mage hadn’t killed Katrien, someone else would have.”
I knew he was right. Katrien had made her choice and would have been forced to suffer the consequences, one way or another.
“So are you and Angel Boy going to give things a shot?” he asked. “I saw him fight at the zoo. He’s a major player. I thought so after the Colony Games, and even more so now.”
High praise from Flynn. “There will be no giving of shots and I don’t want to talk about it with you.”
“But isn’t that the relationship we have now?” he asked innocently. “We’re friends. We talk about important events. Share juicy tidbits about our sex lives.”
I elbowed him in the ribs. “You’re not that kind of friend.”
“Speaking of important events, I have news.” He paused for effect. “Tessa and I are engaged.”
“You stalked me all the way here to tell me that?” I pulled up the collar of my coat to protect my neck from the cold air.
“I was going to appear soon
er, but you seemed preoccupied.”
I stuffed the birthday card back into my pocket. “So you finally caved, huh? How did you propose?”
“Ice skating in Central Park.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. Her idea?”
“She may have dropped a few subtle ultimatums.”
Subtle like a nuclear bomb. “Are you sure about this, Flynn? You seemed perfectly content to play the field for eternity.”
He drew a deep breath. “Tessa’s right. It’s time to settle down. I’ve been drifting through life long enough.”
“I understand, but what about Tessa? Does she really grasp what it means to marry a djinni? Have you discussed the future? Children?”
“Here and there,” he said vaguely. “Tessa has very firm ideas about what her future looks like.”
“And you didn’t bother to correct her version of events?”
“If I need to, I will.”
“Flynn, no offense, but that sounds like a recipe for marital disaster.”
“There’s more.”
More? “Oh gods,” I said. “Is she already pregnant?”
“No, no.” He waved me off. “She’d never want to look fat in her wedding gown. She’s already obsessed with losing five pounds.”
“She’s already a walking stick.” A flexible stick, but a stick nonetheless.
He hesitated.
“What is it, Flynn?” I sensed another bombshell coming.
He cleared his throat. “Tessa would like you to be a bridesmaid.”
I stopped walking and glared at him. “Has Tessa been possessed by a demented demon?”
He clasped his hands together and pleaded. “Alyse, please say yes. She thinks you’re still an important part of my life and should be included.”
“How about I just show up?” That was enough inclusion for one lifetime.
“It’s going to be open bar. I know how you love your vodka tonics.”
“Do you seriously think you can tempt me with free booze? I’m not a college student.”
He threw up his hands. “Fine, I’ll pay you.”
I burst into laughter. “You’ll pay me?”
“You need money, right?”
While I was doing better in the financial department than when I’d first arrived, more money couldn’t hurt. After all, I didn’t want to live with Farah forever. “How much?”
“Name your price.”
I did and he accepted, to my utter disbelief. “You don’t want to negotiate?”
“With you?” He shook his head. “When does that ever work in my favor?”
I slid my arm through his and carried on walking. “Flynn, my love. This is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
Also by A. Blythe
The Magic Bullet Series
Burned, Book 1
Death Match, Book 2
Demon Hunt, Book 3
Thank you for reading Demon Hunt, A Magic Bullet Novel, Book 3. If you want to be updated on new releases or other urban fantasy news, please sign up for my newsletter http://eepurl.com/bdGrRT or like my Facebook page www.facebook.com/MagicBulletSeries. To find out more about me or my books, visit my website Augusta Blythe.