AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lynch’s expression turns thoughtful. “How do you expect me to spin appointing Ms. Cay as police captain when she’s not even a police officer? You know how people will react.”
“Tell them the truth.” Sharpe reaches out to take my hand. “Pen has been with the department since the magic resurgence and helped create the current infrastructure. She’s the best candidate for the position.”
His shoulders slump, the fight going out of him. “People will accept that, but what about my peers?”
“Like the mayor?” Sharpe arches one eyebrow. “Or the liaison for the demon plane, Julian Poe, who’s worked with Pen? Not to mention her connections to the High Council on the demon plane, which can only work in our favor.”
The last comment earns him a frown from me. I don’t like to use my sire’s position for my gain.
“Okay, you have a point. I’ll make it happen.” Lynch’s hand trembles as he rubs the back of his neck and winces. “So, what’s our next step in figuring out how to stop this murder spree. Five are already dead. I’m assuming this is some kind of ritual sacrifice situation?”
Since the previous mayor, Berdherst, had come from a long line of sacrificing murderers, I’m not surprised Lynch jumped to the right conclusion.
“Correct. The black dog is after seven sacrifices in total.” I lean forward. “Bailey’s been marked, which is why we have him under our protection.”
Lynch reaches for his laptop and opens it. “What’s the end game?”
“Worst-case scenario, we fail, and when the solar eclipse happens, the Wild Hunt will enter the human plane and go on a killing spree to wipe out sinners.”
Lynch’s eyes flick up to us. “On a scale of one to ten, how much worse is this than the Bone Man or the Hive Queen?”
Fair question. Both monsters were world-destroyers, but we’d been able to stop them.
I lift my shoulders helplessly. “We’ve never faced the Wild Hunt before, but we’ve narrowed it down to a specific race based on their weakness to iron and salt.”
“Fae?” Lynch grunts, his attention returning to his laptop.
Sharpe stiffens. “You know about the fae?”
“Nasty stories, but they haven’t been an issue in a long time.” His gaze shifts to me. “Is this a precursor to their return?”
“No, just a worldwide murder spree.” My fingers drum against my thigh with agitation. “Think mass plague.”
“Survivable, but it will wreck our infrastructure.” His fingers fly over his keyboard. “How much time do we have?”
“Two days.” I tuck my hair behind my ear. “Our primary goal now is to make sure Bailey stays alive through the end of the eclipse.”
“Simple, but sometimes those kinds of plans are the best.” Lynch presses a button, and his printer splits out papers. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Can you tell Bailey to keep his mouth shut so his guards don’t kill him?” I ask, only half joking.
Lynch snorts. “If I could, I would have a long time ago.”
“If he pushes it too much, Marc will tie him up and gag him.” Sharpe’s eyes gleam, as if he’d like to see that.
Lynch reaches down to grab the stack of paperwork from the printer. “Let’s make your position as police captain official. This way, if you need officers to help with this situation, you have them at your disposal.”
He slides the papers in front of me and gestures to a cup of pens on his desk.
For a moment, I hesitate. This is a step in a new direction for me, and not one I planned for myself. But I’ve never backed away from a challenge, and overseeing the protection of an entire city will keep me more than busy.
Picking up the contract, I read through it carefully before signing my name at the bottom.
Lynch takes it back, counter-signs, and turns in his chair to drop the papers into a fax machine on the credenza behind him.
As he waits for the paperwork to go through, he rubs the back of his neck once more, his face contorted with discomfort.
“Are you all right?” Concern seeps into my voice. “Your neck is bothering you.”
