No sleep, not yet. Just bone-heavy weariness, as though sex with the woman she loved devoured parts of her soul every time they were together. And yet, Ray was as insatiable as Cici.
She really needed to find time to sleep eventually.
When CSI Cat Chase burst into the morgue, Ray perked briefly at the woman’s flustered concern. Her own stunned silence met Chase’s admission she missed a key point of evidence. She slammed down a thermometer, locked onto a number. Seventy degrees.
“That,” Chase said in a shaking voice, “is the present temperature of the water circulating in the fountain at the college.”
“Meaning?” Ray used her quiet inside voice to see if she could calm the young tech. But Chase was too worked up, eyes wide and wild as she went on.
“The body.” She was trembling. “Someone removed the body from the water.”
Ray froze. And her mind, tumbling with weariness and hurt and passion and all the pressures that went with her life right now, remembered wondering why the victim’s clothes were damp.
“Bloody hell,” she said. And reached for her phone, forgetting she’d been dodging Gerri’s calls all day, Kinsey’s. That didn’t matter now. The detective needed to know she’d screwed up.
“Ray.” Gerri’s voice was already a bit on edge. The brunette braced herself. Knowing her friend’s temper, this wasn’t going to be pretty.
“I take full responsibility.” Ray waved off Chase’s head shake. “There was a miscalculation in the time of death. Someone removed the body from the fountain. The cold water would have sped up the cooling of the core temperature, altering TOD.”
Gerri’s silence cut and cut deep. When she finally spoke, her tone was so cold, Ray shivered.
“Jesus, Ray,” she said. “What the hell?”
“Recalculated TOD is now 11PM.” Ray hesitated. “I’m sorry, Gerri. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re fucking right it won’t.” She wasn’t surprised when the detective hung up on her. No, not surprised, but died a little inside, regardless. She should have called Chase on the moisture. Caught that detail. Instead, she’d let weariness and her personal life get in the way.
“You didn’t have to do that.” Chase’s voice was quiet, small.
“No,” Robert snapped, joining Ray, glaring at the young CSI. “She didn’t. You’re damned lucky she had your back. Don’t forget it.”
Ray shushed him gently, meeting Chase’s eyes. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. “We caught it in time. And Gerri will get over it.” At least, Ray hoped so. All the animosity she’d felt building toward her friend washed away in a river of her own guilt. Not Gerri’s fault, Ray’s. In what other ways had she let her friends down?
Chase left, head bowed. Ray knew how she felt. She shed her lab coat and gloves even as Robert stared.
“Where are you going?” He tugged at her half-heartedly, like a child on his mother’s arm.
“To report myself,” she said, quiet but resigned. “And then home to bed.” Ray just hoped, when she woke up, it would be to a job still. To friends who didn’t hate her for putting Cici first.
As Ray left the morgue, she made a decision. Heart broken, she dialed Cici’s number.
***
INT. – GERRI’S CAR to OPHELIA AGENCY – NIGHT
Kinsey sat silently in the passenger’s seat of Gerri’s Charger, just grateful they were parked when the detective took Ray’s call. Bad enough she was trapped in the front with Gerri’s bheast trying to beat its way through her body and let loose, but if they’d been driving, Kinsey was sure they’d have caused a massive pile up by now.
As it was, she found herself placing a wall of power between her and Gerri, a subtle thing that came from instinct. She could have used her ability to calm the detective, to prematurely end her fit of anger. But, Kinsey made herself an unspoken promise shortly after discovering what her grandmother did to her. That she would never use her power against others unless her life depended on it. And though Gerri’s fit would have been terrifying to anyone else, Kinsey was sure her friend would never hurt her.
Okay, was reasonably sure. The little wall of separation—meant to cut Gerri’s bheast off if it came Kinsey’s way—was just in case.
It only took Gerri a few minutes to pull herself together. She was panting and sweating by the end of it. Kinsey watched her lean forward, resting her forehead on the steering wheel, breathing through her open mouth, knuckles white.
“Holy shit, Kins,” the detective whispered. “I’m losing control of this thing.”
The wolf around her faded suddenly, as though sensing Gerri’s fear of it. Kinsey exhaled softly, reaching over at last, letting the wall drop as she squeezed the redhead’s knee.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said, meaning it.
Gerri turned her head, green eyes afraid. “Is it? You’re sure?”
Kinsey nodded. “I won’t let it take you over,” she said. Okay, so she’d never use her power on another unless it meant saving her own life or saving Gerri. And Ray. Exceptions accepted.
It seemed to be enough for Gerri who leaned back, shaking a bit, licking her lips. “You got the gist of what Ray said?”
“Something about time of death.” Kinsey barely heard the conversation, just snippets as Gerri held the phone out so Kinsey could catch a few words.
“Was off by an hour. MacIntosh died at 11PM.”
“So, whose alibi is shot with that information?” Kinsey tried to guide Gerri to the bright side. This might give them the break they needed.
Gerri grunted softly, shook her head. Pulled out her notebook. And grinned suddenly. Wickedly. “Well, what do you know? We have a winner.”
She drove off before Kinsey could ask her who their target was. But she didn’t think she needed to. And as they pulled up a few minutes later outside Ophelia Agency, she was gratified to know she was right.
Donald Ipps’s secretary was nowhere in sight, the place dark and closed for the evening. But the whirring sound from inside his office said someone was home. Gerri pushed her way inside, Kinsey right behind her, catching him in the act of shredding documents.
“Hey there, Donald,” Gerri said in her brightest voice, a warning for Kinsey things were about to get ugly. “Have a few questions for you.”
She wasn’t expecting him to leap to his feet with a gun in his hands. Though she wasn’t surprised when Gerri drew just as quickly, stepping in front of Kinsey. She almost tsked in frustration, though the logical part of her knew she should be afraid of a man with a gun pointed in her direction.
“Don’t be stupid,” Gerri said. “Put it down, Donald.”
Kinsey peeked around the detective’s shoulder, her Nightshade power reading the panic in him, her ears picking it up easily as he spoke in a cracking voice.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.” One trembling hand held the gun, the other a pile of papers he dangled over the now silent shredder. “We could have kept this up indefinitely. That fucking asshole, he ruined everything.”
“Zed?” Kinsey didn’t mean to speak, even as Gerri’s shoulders twitched in answer to her interruption. But Donald just shook his head.
“Malcolm.” The name came out like a growl. “Zed and I were going to work things out. I was willing to phase him into a new deal. But he got greedy.”
Gerri laughed. “Wanting recognition for his own work, greedy.” She shifted, settling into her stance. Kinsey had seen her shoot enough to know she would pull the trigger if he made her. “That’s rich.”
“You have no idea how cutthroat this business is.” Donald’s short retort lost steam a second later. “Those two assholes would have ruined me.”
“I guess you weren’t on a call to Australia at 11PM last night. So why not kill Zed instead of Malcolm?” Gerri took a slow step forward.
“Eliminate the golden goose?” Donald shook his head with a rough laugh. “When Zed could write five or six more books and attribute them to
MacIntosh post mortem? We’d make billions.”
Lives ruined over money and reputation. Kinsey was hardly surprised, but it didn’t make it any less tragic.
“I didn’t mean to kill him.” Donald crumpled slightly, gun wavering. Kinsey caught the barely perceptible loosening of Gerri’s stance, prep for a dive forward. She was going to take a run at him as soon as the gun was clear. “But the fucking moron thought he could write. When Zed gave us his ultimatum, MacIntosh laughed. Said he’d write the books from now on.” His eyes took on a desperate expression. “He would have destroyed me.”
The gun shifted down again, Donald seemingly lost in his despair. Kinsey stayed back, out of the way, as Gerri’s tall body lunged forward. The agent didn’t try to defend himself, dropping the gun as she hit him hard. He collapsed into his chair, Gerri reaching for her cuffs as he began to weep.
***
INT. – CICI’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Ray stood outside Cici’s door. She’d been there for five minutes, hovering. Hand lifting, dropping to her side. She knew, knew in her heart she had to end it with her lover.
She just couldn’t bring herself to knock.
Someone approached from the hall behind her, breaking Ray out of her stillness. She glanced over her shoulder at the handsome man who reminded her of Cici as her fist rapped on the door.
“You must be Rachel,” he said.
She’d never seen him before, but Cici had mentioned him enough times, she could guess. “And you’re Wind,” she said as footfalls approached from within and her lover opened the door.
Cici’s expression started out hard and cold, and Ray dreaded what would come next. But, the frigidity she despised, the hurt it caused, vanished as the gorgeous woman she loved drew a breath and suddenly broke down into sobs so deep and painful Ray lunged forward to support her before Cici could collapse in the doorway.
With Wind’s help, she guided Cici inside the apartment, seated her on a stool at the island in the kitchen. Wind left Ray standing there, holding her, cradling her, murmuring as he fetched a glass of ice water. His sister took it from him with trembling hands, sipping it before hiccupping.
“Ray,” Cici whispered, hoarse, crackling. “You need to know what’s really going on.” She paused, swallowed. “All three of you do.”
Wind looked surprised, but nodded agreement. A cold, hard ball of fear formed in Ray’s stomach. No, she realized. It had been there all along. She was only just now acknowledging its existence.
Before Cici could say another word, a heavy knock on the door drew Wind away. Why wasn’t Ray surprised to find Kinsey and Gerri had come? Summoned, she could only guess, at Cici’s request. The detective’s green eyes flickered to Ray’s, back to Cici while Kinsey hugged herself, arms tight over the strap of her leather satchel, making her look like she was a college kid again. Neither seemed surprised to find her and her brother there, so Cici must have asked them to come.
No one said anything as the therapist—the woman Ray thought she loved—told them what she knew.
“Your grandmother,” she nodded to Kinsey, “and my grandmother,” Wind shifted uncomfortably, “work together at times.” Cici’s hands grasped the glass, condensation dripping over her fingers. “You’re all aware you’re alternate races by now. Wind and I are human. But, we’re different. Legends say our creator, Toqwai, was the father of the six races. And our tribe, the Periqwai, is the guardians of those races. The keepers of the legends.” Cici turned to Kinsey. “And the artifacts that were stolen from us, now in the possession of the Collective of All Souls.”
Kinsey seemed startled. Ray couldn’t bring herself to feel anything. The cold of the vampir power welcomed her, protected her. She already knew she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear. Felt the betrayal of Cici’s secrecy keenly.
“Margot DanAllart and Mama Roan ordered Cici to infiltrate the Collective,” Wind said. He didn’t sound happy about it.
“You disagreed with the plan, I take it.” Gerri’s dry tone matched Ray’s chilly insides perfectly.
Wind shrugged, frowning. “I’ve long disliked the control the Nightshade League seems to think it has over our tribe,” he said. “It’s part of the reason I agreed to take over as chief.”
“How did Simone get involved?” Kinsey’s question almost stopped Ray’s heart.
“I was to go through her to get to Gideon Orter,” Cici said. And started to cry.
Ray knew she should have hugged her lover. Offered some kindness, some support. But she was too far into the vampir, to engulfed by the hurt she knew was coming. “She turned you,” Ray said. “And had you seduce me to get to Kinsey.” Because this had to be about Kinsey, didn’t it? About the only Nightshade in their midst. It confirmed Ray was, as Mummy always said, useless. Peripheral.
Her heart shriveled and went cold.
“She thinks she owns me.” Cici’s whisper sounded like she fought for control of herself. “And Orter… he did something to me.” She shuddered, hands tightening on the glass, making it slip through her fingers. Her brother took it from her before it could fall and shatter. Ray wished he hadn’t. The distraction would have been welcome. As it was, she was forced to just stand there next to Cici and listen.
Wind’s concern was enough for all of them, surely. Though Gerri seemed to have softened toward her former therapist, her grim anger diminished to a hint of sympathy. Ray’s mind called the detective weak and a traitor as Cici went on.
“They both think they own me,” she said. “And through me, Ray.” Cici didn’t try to look up, to meet Ray’s eyes. Just as well. The brunette didn’t know what her lover might see in them. “I was following orders.” Like that meant anything.
“Why?” Gerri’s anger was met with an answer none of them expected. Not when Margot and a tall, red-haired man looming over her appeared as though they’d melted through the door. For all Ray knew, they had.
“It has to be this way, Geraldine.” Margot’s voice was harsh, heavy. Ray flinched from it, from the pressure of her power trying to convince her Margot was right. But Ray was too far gone in her own vampir to fully believe anything the old woman said. And from the surprise in Margot’s face, she knew it.
Surprise and fear.
Whatever that meant.
Wind’s anger was a wash of heat, a wild freedom of emotion Ray could feel, warming her just a little. “You need to stop,” he said. “Cici needs to stop. This is killing her.”
Was it? Ray looked at her, really looked, but still couldn’t see Cici’s death. A good thing or a bad thing?
“No,” the therapist said, voice a little stronger. “I can handle it.” She looked up, smiled at her brother, trembling and small. “I have to.” When she faced Margot, it was with tired resolution. “You were right. Simone is the dangerous one. Orter might think he’s in charge, but she’s working against him behind the scenes. And while the pair might take each other out, it’s likely they’ll expose you for what you are in the process.” She paused and shuddered. “Simone will reveal all to the humans the first chance she gets. She’s obsessed with the idea of paranormals ruling the world again.”
Gerri was glaring at the big man behind Margot. It took Ray a moment to realize who he was. Just before the detective hauled off and punched her father in the shoulder so hard he winced.
“God damn it, Dad,” she snarled. And stalked out of the apartment. He followed her while Ray stood perfectly still, a statue of ice and bone, doing everything she could to smother the hurt still remaining.
“Ray.” She had to do it, didn’t she? Cici had to try, to fake it, to ease her own conscience and convince herself she cared about Ray. She could see it in her lover’s face, in her need.
The vampir in her rejected that need. Head high, one brow raised as she called on Mummy—damn it, she swore she’d never use that word again—Ray sneered at the woman she thought loved her.
“Thanks for the game,” she said. “Tired of playing, no
w.” She brushed past Cici’s reaching hands, avoided Wind’s angry gaze, Kinsey’s pity. Paused in front of Margot. “The next time you decide to use me, don’t.” She kept moving, feet carrying her, to her shock, out into the hall, into the night, home.
Where she emptied her liquor cabinet while the cold inside her grew and grew.
***
INT. – CICI’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Kinsey didn’t get a chance to go after Ray or Gerri. Not when her grandmother’s stern expression settled on her.
“If Rachel is no longer willing and able to assist,” she said, “you’ll have to return to the employ of Simone Paris after all.”
Kinsey gaped at her grandmother. She said what?
“I didn’t want to have to go this route.” Margot sighed and sat on the second stool, perching delicately there. “I really hoped to keep you out of it. But if Cici’s influence over Ray is in jeopardy, we have no options.”
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Kinsey said. Margot’s face tightened, but Kinsey was faster. “Let me get this straight, Grandmother.” The name came out like an insult. “You raise me thinking I’m useless and a waste of time. Bully and control me with power you didn’t tell me I had. Keep me in the dark about my mother and my heritage. Then try to use me in some chess game I’m unaware of, while putting my friends in danger and having me followed.” Kinsey’s fury only grew with every word she spoke. “All while refusing to tell me what the hell is going on or treat me with the respect I deserve.” She slammed into her grandmother with the meager power she had at her disposal, satisfied when Margot’s eyes widened slightly at the push. “Is that about right? Did I miss anything?”
All of her fury died as weight like she’d never known crushed down on Kinsey, driving her to her knees with a cry of agony. Her entire body burned with red-hot pins and needles, her emotions stifled, her soul washed over with shadow. Kinsey couldn’t help the tears trickling down her face, but hate was born despite Margot’s attempt to control her. Lived. Grew even as her grandmother shook, eyes massive, skin pale.
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