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Authors: Angela Dennis
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place.
“It’s a puzzle,” she said, turning the page the opposite direction. “But for what?”
Gray leaned forward. “Look at the symbols found at every crime scene.” He pointed them out with his pencil. “These are from our world. But these symbols—” he slid another paper over top the first, “—are demonic and only show up on the last four victims. The bodies of all the victims except Xavier were recovered and the demonic symbols were carved on the palms and the bottom of the feet as if they were used in a sacrifice.”
“So the demons only came into the picture recently.”
“It appears that way.” He rose to his feet, pacing around the small room. “I’ve been turning it over in my mind, but the symbols together don’t mean anything. And the only connection I can find between the victims is that they all have some link to the IRT. Some were victims. Some were criminals. And Xavier was a hunter.”
Brenna sighed, her body slumping in the chair. “Yeah, but in this world victim and criminal doesn’t narrow things down much. Where do we start? Do you think someone is feeding information about our cases to the outside? Is that how he’s picking victims?”
“It’s a possibility.”
She needed a drink, the tension in her head was overpowering. “Any other options?”
“Someone could be watching you.”
Her hand froze over the glass. “What do you mean?”
Gray pursed his lips. “The connection between victims goes beyond just the IRT. They are all from your cases. If someone had been watching you, they would already have the information. It wouldn’t take a leak.”
“And it would make it easier for Seraph to believe I did it.”
“Exactly.”
She drew a deep breath and sank further into the chair. “There is only one person I can think of who has the strength and the determination to pull all that off.” Gray said nothing but waited for her to continue. “Orien. My father’s general. He was executed after the attack for allowing me to kill his men. At least that was my father’s public reason. I suspect it was so he wouldn’t spill the truth to the Council. It’s impossible. But there is no one else. Even among the dead.”
“What about your husband’s family? Surely one of them would have motive.”
She looked at him, puzzled, and found his gaze had turned hard. “The Vires have no reason to hate me. I didn’t betray them. My father did.”
Gray nodded, but it was clear he didn’t believe her. It was bad enough to be judged out of ignorance for things you had done, but worse to be judged for things you hadn’t. She felt the first stirrings of anger, but pushed them down. Nothing good came of protesting your innocence to someone who had decided not to believe you.
“Why don’t you make the list of suspects? You seem to know more about my past than I do.” She slid the paper she had been doodling on across the table. Curious, he didn’t notice. He had drifted off into a world of his own, eyes unfocused on the wall.
“Did you bother to tell Dunham’s family?” Ah, he was still damning her as a traitor.
“There wasn’t time what with the public beating and being banished through a dimensional portal against my will.” She paused. “I’m going to find Marissa. A third pair of eyes may be helpful.”
That snapped him out of his stupor.
“This isn’t housekeeper work,” he growled.
“There you go, jumping to conclusions.” She wanted to slap that smirk off his face, but managed to restrain herself. “Marissa is a retired hunter. She was my partner before Xavier.”
Gray sighed. “Of course. I’m an ass.”
Yes, you are .
“I’m sorry.” He sat back. “If she can still hack it, you should bring Marissa into this, but Hilda told me she hasn’t been here all day.”
“What about the cookies?”
He smiled. “They were in the kitchen. I have low impulse control.”
It wasn’t like Marissa to leave without word. A sense of
“It’s a puzzle,” she said, turning the page the opposite direction. “But for what?”
Gray leaned forward. “Look at the symbols found at every crime scene.” He pointed them out with his pencil. “These are from our world. But these symbols—” he slid another paper over top the first, “—are demonic and only show up on the last four victims. The bodies of all the victims except Xavier were recovered and the demonic symbols were carved on the palms and the bottom of the feet as if they were used in a sacrifice.”
“So the demons only came into the picture recently.”
“It appears that way.” He rose to his feet, pacing around the small room. “I’ve been turning it over in my mind, but the symbols together don’t mean anything. And the only connection I can find between the victims is that they all have some link to the IRT. Some were victims. Some were criminals. And Xavier was a hunter.”
Brenna sighed, her body slumping in the chair. “Yeah, but in this world victim and criminal doesn’t narrow things down much. Where do we start? Do you think someone is feeding information about our cases to the outside? Is that how he’s picking victims?”
“It’s a possibility.”
She needed a drink, the tension in her head was overpowering. “Any other options?”
“Someone could be watching you.”
Her hand froze over the glass. “What do you mean?”
Gray pursed his lips. “The connection between victims goes beyond just the IRT. They are all from your cases. If someone had been watching you, they would already have the information. It wouldn’t take a leak.”
“And it would make it easier for Seraph to believe I did it.”
“Exactly.”
She drew a deep breath and sank further into the chair. “There is only one person I can think of who has the strength and the determination to pull all that off.” Gray said nothing but waited for her to continue. “Orien. My father’s general. He was executed after the attack for allowing me to kill his men. At least that was my father’s public reason. I suspect it was so he wouldn’t spill the truth to the Council. It’s impossible. But there is no one else. Even among the dead.”
“What about your husband’s family? Surely one of them would have motive.”
She looked at him, puzzled, and found his gaze had turned hard. “The Vires have no reason to hate me. I didn’t betray them. My father did.”
Gray nodded, but it was clear he didn’t believe her. It was bad enough to be judged out of ignorance for things you had done, but worse to be judged for things you hadn’t. She felt the first stirrings of anger, but pushed them down. Nothing good came of protesting your innocence to someone who had decided not to believe you.
“Why don’t you make the list of suspects? You seem to know more about my past than I do.” She slid the paper she had been doodling on across the table. Curious, he didn’t notice. He had drifted off into a world of his own, eyes unfocused on the wall.
“Did you bother to tell Dunham’s family?” Ah, he was still damning her as a traitor.
“There wasn’t time what with the public beating and being banished through a dimensional portal against my will.” She paused. “I’m going to find Marissa. A third pair of eyes may be helpful.”
That snapped him out of his stupor.
“This isn’t housekeeper work,” he growled.
“There you go, jumping to conclusions.” She wanted to slap that smirk off his face, but managed to restrain herself. “Marissa is a retired hunter. She was my partner before Xavier.”
Gray sighed. “Of course. I’m an ass.”
Yes, you are .
“I’m sorry.” He sat back. “If she can still hack it, you should bring Marissa into this, but Hilda told me she hasn’t been here all day.”
“What about the cookies?”
He smiled. “They were in the kitchen. I have low impulse control.”
It wasn’t like Marissa to leave without word. A sense of
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