Read Online Fire Song (City of Dragons) by Val St. Crowe - Free Book Online
Authors: Val St. Crowe
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caused horror to shoot through me.
How could I have been so stupid?
Compulsion. Alastair was going to compel Flint to do his bidding, and I was going to have no protection whatsoever against him. I thought that I could be strong, but I wasn’t sure. I might fall right over on my back with my legs open if Alastair pushed.
And I never wanted that man to put his hands on my body again, despite how the stupid mating bond might make me aroused in his presence.
Alastair had ruined me. It had taken every shred of strength to get away from him.
I would be damned if I let him touch me now.
“No,” said Flint, “I don’t.”
What? The compulsion wasn’t working on Flint? Why? Did he have a talisman somewhere that I didn’t know about? He was so clueless about magic that it seemed unlikely he would know to wear one for protection.
Alastair’s face twitched. “What are you?” he growled.
“I’m a police detective,” said Flint. “ And I want to know about Sophia Ward.”
“Yes, I saw her,” said Alastair.
“You, in fact, may be the last person to see her alive,” said Flint.
“I don’t know about that,” said Alastair. He turned back to me. “Penny, why are you here with this man?”
“I’m a consultant for the police department,” I said. “I’m the magical creatures expert.”
Alastair shook his head. “You protected him.”
I hadn’t, but let him think what he wanted.
“Mr. Cooper, I need you to focus. What was the nature of your interaction with Sophia Ward?”
Alastair was furious. I could see it in the way he was holding himself. He wanted to punch something. But he didn’t. He looked Flint up and down. “I was looking after her. She was my neighbor. Her family lives next door, and her older brother asked me to keep an eye on her. Why are you asking me this?”
“Well, she was murdered,” I said. “Maybe you heard about that?”
Alastair sneered. “You’re spreading lies about me again, aren’t you, Penny. Telling people that I beat you, making them think that I’m a bad guy. Well, I’m not. You’re a lying bitch, and I’m not answering any more of these questions.” He put a finger in Flint’s face. “Out of my house.”
Flint smiled. “All right, then, Mr. Cooper. I’ll be in touch If I have anything more.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Where is it?” I said to Flint as he pulled the car out of Alastair’s driveway.
“Where’s what?” he said. “You know I was expecting you to start ripping off your clothes or something. You were really very subdued. Or did you find that the unbridled lust had faded with time?”
“I told you, I have a talisman,” I said. “Where’s yours?”
“I don’t have a talisman.” He gave me a strange look.
“How did you resist the compulsion, then?”
“What’s compulsion?”
“It’s mind-control magic.”
“Dragons have mind-control magic? You didn’t think to tell me this before we went to this interview?”
“I…”
“Do I need to explain to you exactly what I might want from a magical creatures consultant?”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “It didn’t work on you, anyway. I don’t know why.”
He furrowed his brow. “Maybe your ex-husband isn’t at the top of his game. Maybe seeing you affected his magic. Is that possible?”
I considered. “Maybe.”
He put on his blinker and turned the car into the driveway of the house next door to Alastair’s.
“Hey,” I said. “What are you doing?”
“Going to talk to Sophia Ward’s brother. Alastair said that they were his neighbors.”
“But that doesn’t mean that her brother lives here. Maybe Sophia lived on her own.”
“Well, her parents live here anyway,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’ve been here already once before. I took her father to the station to identify Sophia’s body.”
I tried to imagine the horror of that, how every fiber of her father’s being must have wanted the body to belong to someone else, must have wanted that body
How could I have been so stupid?
Compulsion. Alastair was going to compel Flint to do his bidding, and I was going to have no protection whatsoever against him. I thought that I could be strong, but I wasn’t sure. I might fall right over on my back with my legs open if Alastair pushed.
And I never wanted that man to put his hands on my body again, despite how the stupid mating bond might make me aroused in his presence.
Alastair had ruined me. It had taken every shred of strength to get away from him.
I would be damned if I let him touch me now.
“No,” said Flint, “I don’t.”
What? The compulsion wasn’t working on Flint? Why? Did he have a talisman somewhere that I didn’t know about? He was so clueless about magic that it seemed unlikely he would know to wear one for protection.
Alastair’s face twitched. “What are you?” he growled.
“I’m a police detective,” said Flint. “ And I want to know about Sophia Ward.”
“Yes, I saw her,” said Alastair.
“You, in fact, may be the last person to see her alive,” said Flint.
“I don’t know about that,” said Alastair. He turned back to me. “Penny, why are you here with this man?”
“I’m a consultant for the police department,” I said. “I’m the magical creatures expert.”
Alastair shook his head. “You protected him.”
I hadn’t, but let him think what he wanted.
“Mr. Cooper, I need you to focus. What was the nature of your interaction with Sophia Ward?”
Alastair was furious. I could see it in the way he was holding himself. He wanted to punch something. But he didn’t. He looked Flint up and down. “I was looking after her. She was my neighbor. Her family lives next door, and her older brother asked me to keep an eye on her. Why are you asking me this?”
“Well, she was murdered,” I said. “Maybe you heard about that?”
Alastair sneered. “You’re spreading lies about me again, aren’t you, Penny. Telling people that I beat you, making them think that I’m a bad guy. Well, I’m not. You’re a lying bitch, and I’m not answering any more of these questions.” He put a finger in Flint’s face. “Out of my house.”
Flint smiled. “All right, then, Mr. Cooper. I’ll be in touch If I have anything more.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Where is it?” I said to Flint as he pulled the car out of Alastair’s driveway.
“Where’s what?” he said. “You know I was expecting you to start ripping off your clothes or something. You were really very subdued. Or did you find that the unbridled lust had faded with time?”
“I told you, I have a talisman,” I said. “Where’s yours?”
“I don’t have a talisman.” He gave me a strange look.
“How did you resist the compulsion, then?”
“What’s compulsion?”
“It’s mind-control magic.”
“Dragons have mind-control magic? You didn’t think to tell me this before we went to this interview?”
“I…”
“Do I need to explain to you exactly what I might want from a magical creatures consultant?”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “It didn’t work on you, anyway. I don’t know why.”
He furrowed his brow. “Maybe your ex-husband isn’t at the top of his game. Maybe seeing you affected his magic. Is that possible?”
I considered. “Maybe.”
He put on his blinker and turned the car into the driveway of the house next door to Alastair’s.
“Hey,” I said. “What are you doing?”
“Going to talk to Sophia Ward’s brother. Alastair said that they were his neighbors.”
“But that doesn’t mean that her brother lives here. Maybe Sophia lived on her own.”
“Well, her parents live here anyway,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’ve been here already once before. I took her father to the station to identify Sophia’s body.”
I tried to imagine the horror of that, how every fiber of her father’s being must have wanted the body to belong to someone else, must have wanted that body
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