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Jackson scratched at the stubble on his chin. “What do you think the marks were for? Were they a message, or an actual spell? What kind of magic is capable of that kind of disfiguring?”
“Blood magic, but not the kind that Viktor taught me. This was something else. Something darker. I’ll have to dig through Viktor’s journals and do some research on it.”
“I can help with that.”
I snorted. “I appreciate the offer, but unless you’ve been studying Viktor’s cypher in your spare time—”
His posture deflated. “It won’t do any good. Paranoid son of a bitch.”
I flashed him a tiny smile. “Thanks for offering though.”
“What about the wound that killed her?”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “What about it?”
He pulled his phone out and slid it across the table to me. “I’ve never seen a wound that messy before. It’s savage.”
I examined the picture of Nadia’s neck he’d called up. It was hard to see how the gaping hole under her ear had ever been a solid piece of skin. I tilted my head to the side and suddenly the shape of the wound looked familiar.
“This was done with a Jagdkommando Tri-Dagger,” I said, frowning.
“Awhat?”
“It’s like the world’s deadliest dagger. Freya, Shado’s sister, uses one. It’s a knife, but the blade is spiraled. It parts the skin in a way that makes it almost impossible to salvage.”
“And where is Cousin Freya these days? Could she have—”
“Last time I checked, Freya was in France, investigating a possible Templar burial site. So, I think it’s safe to say, she’s not a suspect. Though, I’d love to see you try and interrogate her.”
Jackson paled. “Yeah, I don’t see either of us surviving that.”
“You think you could kill Freya?” I smiled wider. My oldest cousin was a cross between Viking Wonder Woman and Indiana Jones. He wouldn’t stand a chance.
“God no,” he said. “She’d kill me in seconds.”
“Then how would she end up dead?”
He smiled. “Are you saying you wouldn’t avenge me? I thought that’s what wives did for their husbands.”
“Most husbands don’t get killed by their wife’s cousin,” I laughed.
He waved his hand dismissively. “We’ve never been normal. Why start now?”
We dissolved into laughter, and for a moment everything felt normal. Peaceful, even. Then Jackson’s smile fell, and a chill crept up my spine.
“I’d never let Freya kill you in the first place,” I said, leaning on the table. I would have done anything for him when we were together, and I still would even now that we were apart.
“I appreciate that,” he exhaled.
There was so little distance between us. It wouldn’t have taken much effort for me to kiss him. Just a few more inches. His scent washed over me. A heady mixture of spice, sun, and cool mint. I wanted to bathe in that smell.
His eyes fell to my lips and he visibly swallowed. “I should go.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t pull away. He was right there. All I had to do was—
Jackson stood abruptly. “I’m gonna go, please get some real food in here. I wasn’t kidding when I said I need you sober. If not for me, do it for the sake of our investigation. Do it for Nadia.”
I sat back in my chair. “Go home, Jack.”
