Read Online Magick Rising by Evelyn Vaughn, Parker Blue, P. J. Bishop, Jodi Anderson, Laura Hayden, Karen Fox - Free Book Online Page B
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degrees of dismemberment and
injury. She’d never seen more than one or two laid out.
Hadrian’s hand on her back kept her from retreating. Plus Kelly had
sounded weird.
The M.E. glanced up from studying something under a microscope and
frowned. “Who’s that?”
“Kelly, Hadrian. Hadrian, Kelly.” She drew him forward. “He was with
me when you called. He’s okay.”
“Not for this, he isn’t.”
“Uh, yeah, Kel, he is. He knows more about that acidic ash tumor thing
than either of us do.”
Kelly seemed about to question him, but Miko shook her head. “Don’t
ask.”
Hadrian paced along the foot of the carts, studying each one.
The M.E. shrugged and pulled Miko to the first body. Rather the
collection of body parts. “This is what I wanted you to see.”
Miko was actively trying not to see, but she obediently looked at the
jigsaw puzzle parts with the decapitated head. Ewww . “What am I supposed
to see?”
“No ash-filled organ. No characteristic wound from the abdomen into
the heart.” Kelly turned to the second body. “Same thing here.”
“They’re human?”
“Yes, but I can’t say the same for two of them.” Kelly shot her a
puzzled look. “Why’d you ask if they’re human? What else would they be?”
Miko cast a glance at Hadrian across the room. “Later.”
Kelly gave Hadrian a wide berth. “If you want to talk about not human,
these two are it. They have the Butcher’s trademark wound tracks, as well as
those acidic organs. Everything else is where no M.E. has gone before.”
She gestured to Apophis and Malphas, detailing the feathers and
snakeskin and everything Miko had already seen. Plus more than she cared
to see.
Motioning Hadrian to lean down, Miko whispered, “Are these all
yours?”
“These two, but not the others. However, they have demon scent on
them from the attacks. Appoloin is sending me a message: This is what I will
do.”
“They can do that much damage to a lot of people at once?” She leaned
into him, felt his heart beating slow and steady.
Kelly finished up with an all-over shiver. “No one who hasn’t seen
them will believe me. Maybe not then.”
“I think it only matters that we believe,” Miko said. “You’ll have to trust
me. The police can’t handle this.”
“The police can’t . . . ?” Kelly met her level gaze then looked hard at the
two demons that Hadrian had dispatched. Exhaling sharply, she nodded.
“Okay. We’re in this together.”
She walked to the head of the last body. Unlike the others that were
partially draped, this one was completely covered. “I’m sorry, Miko. Really
sorry.”
An origami bird made from a dollar bill lay on top of the body’s clothes,
neatly folded at its feet. A large chocolate chunk cookie rested below it.
No . Miko shook her head. No .
“I’m sorry, but it’s Bert. You don’t have to look. He’s already been
positively identified.”
Hand trembling, Miko pulled down the sheet to reveal his grizzled face.
His hair fell over his forehead, and she brushed it back. “Oh, Bert.”
Hadrian pulled her against his side, offering comfort and warmth. “A
friend?”
“A good friend.” Dried blood crusted his fingernails, and defensive
wounds covered his forearms. She brushed his hair back one last time then
firmed her lips. Bert had fought. Now it was time for her to do the same.
She waited until she and Hadrian were outside where the reflection of
trashcan fires lit the low-hanging clouds. The scent she now associated with
demons streamed up from the river, overwhelming all others.
“How do we fight them?”
Chapter Eight
MIKO FELL ASLEEP on Hadrian’s sofa after hours of argument about
her joining him in the imminent battle with Appoloin. She’d run out of
words and finally ended curled against him, falling uneasily asleep. He
imagined she fought demons or nightmares of them.
Closing his eyes, he sighed. For years he had no comrade in
injury. She’d never seen more than one or two laid out.
Hadrian’s hand on her back kept her from retreating. Plus Kelly had
sounded weird.
The M.E. glanced up from studying something under a microscope and
frowned. “Who’s that?”
“Kelly, Hadrian. Hadrian, Kelly.” She drew him forward. “He was with
me when you called. He’s okay.”
“Not for this, he isn’t.”
“Uh, yeah, Kel, he is. He knows more about that acidic ash tumor thing
than either of us do.”
Kelly seemed about to question him, but Miko shook her head. “Don’t
ask.”
Hadrian paced along the foot of the carts, studying each one.
The M.E. shrugged and pulled Miko to the first body. Rather the
collection of body parts. “This is what I wanted you to see.”
Miko was actively trying not to see, but she obediently looked at the
jigsaw puzzle parts with the decapitated head. Ewww . “What am I supposed
to see?”
“No ash-filled organ. No characteristic wound from the abdomen into
the heart.” Kelly turned to the second body. “Same thing here.”
“They’re human?”
“Yes, but I can’t say the same for two of them.” Kelly shot her a
puzzled look. “Why’d you ask if they’re human? What else would they be?”
Miko cast a glance at Hadrian across the room. “Later.”
Kelly gave Hadrian a wide berth. “If you want to talk about not human,
these two are it. They have the Butcher’s trademark wound tracks, as well as
those acidic organs. Everything else is where no M.E. has gone before.”
She gestured to Apophis and Malphas, detailing the feathers and
snakeskin and everything Miko had already seen. Plus more than she cared
to see.
Motioning Hadrian to lean down, Miko whispered, “Are these all
yours?”
“These two, but not the others. However, they have demon scent on
them from the attacks. Appoloin is sending me a message: This is what I will
do.”
“They can do that much damage to a lot of people at once?” She leaned
into him, felt his heart beating slow and steady.
Kelly finished up with an all-over shiver. “No one who hasn’t seen
them will believe me. Maybe not then.”
“I think it only matters that we believe,” Miko said. “You’ll have to trust
me. The police can’t handle this.”
“The police can’t . . . ?” Kelly met her level gaze then looked hard at the
two demons that Hadrian had dispatched. Exhaling sharply, she nodded.
“Okay. We’re in this together.”
She walked to the head of the last body. Unlike the others that were
partially draped, this one was completely covered. “I’m sorry, Miko. Really
sorry.”
An origami bird made from a dollar bill lay on top of the body’s clothes,
neatly folded at its feet. A large chocolate chunk cookie rested below it.
No . Miko shook her head. No .
“I’m sorry, but it’s Bert. You don’t have to look. He’s already been
positively identified.”
Hand trembling, Miko pulled down the sheet to reveal his grizzled face.
His hair fell over his forehead, and she brushed it back. “Oh, Bert.”
Hadrian pulled her against his side, offering comfort and warmth. “A
friend?”
“A good friend.” Dried blood crusted his fingernails, and defensive
wounds covered his forearms. She brushed his hair back one last time then
firmed her lips. Bert had fought. Now it was time for her to do the same.
She waited until she and Hadrian were outside where the reflection of
trashcan fires lit the low-hanging clouds. The scent she now associated with
demons streamed up from the river, overwhelming all others.
“How do we fight them?”
Chapter Eight
MIKO FELL ASLEEP on Hadrian’s sofa after hours of argument about
her joining him in the imminent battle with Appoloin. She’d run out of
words and finally ended curled against him, falling uneasily asleep. He
imagined she fought demons or nightmares of them.
Closing his eyes, he sighed. For years he had no comrade in
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