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I fumbled and almost dropped my magazine. “I messed up, and it got Grove spelled.”
“So?” Sunshine’s eyebrows crawled up her forehead with her skepticism. “He should have been paying more attention in an active fight situation.”
I shook my head. “We’re a team. We’re supposed to watch out for one another and work together. I should have been more aware of his presence and taken precautions.”
“The squad might, by definition, be a team. However—my precious jewel—you’re the only one who is actively aware of that.” Sunshine opened her massive purse and pulled out a crossword puzzle book. “The rest of the task force is still very singularly minded—I see it in the day shift, too.” Sunshine tapped her crossword puzzle book on her thigh. “Though I’m not sure if it’s a product of supernatural culture or the kind of individual the Cloisters recruited for the department. They understandably sought out strong supernaturals to fill the team, but it seems to me that strong supernaturals also tend to be more independent and less aware of others.”
I glanced around the room—more of my night shift squadmates had arrived, so the room was half full, but it was still quiet as most everyone was keeping to themselves.
Tetiana was seated at the back of the room, filing her nails. Clarence—the only other vampire on the task force—was seated next to her trying to adjust the fancy Regency style cravat he always wore.
Juggernaut and April—the squad’s two wizards—were also seated together, but they were chatting as Juggernaut casually shuffled a deck of cards. They entirely ignored Binx and Brody who sat just behind them.
“I guess I understand what you mean,” I said.
“Mmhmm.” Sunshine raised her eyebrows again, until a new emotion flickered across her face. “Oh! I can’t believe I nearly forgot to tell you! You won’t believe what I heard.” Sunshine tapped my shoulder with her rolled up crossword book. “A dragon shifter is coming to Magiford!”
I paused in the middle of clipping my magazine back on my belt. “Really? That’s rare.”
Dragon shifters were the most powerful shifter in the world. They were a selective bunch and as a result there weren’t a whole lot of them, which is why they weren’t in many positions of power and it was rare to see one.
I double checked that the safety of my handgun was on before I holstered it. “Is it Tutu, visiting her business?”
Magiford saw one particular dragon shifter, Tutu, reasonably often (which meant once every couple of years). Tutu ownedTutu’s Crypta & Custodia, a franchise she founded and ran that operated as a bank and vault system for supernaturals. (No place was safer to store your valuables like your ancient artifacts, priceless spells, or family heirlooms than with a dragon.)
There was a location in Magiford, but as a new resident I’d never seen the famed dragon shifter. It was one of my idle hopes to change that—I’d never seen a dragon shifter before.
“It’s not Tutu,” Sunshine said. “At least, I don’tthinkit is. I just heard an unknown dragon shifter is coming to Magiford and that her staff arrived this week to prepare. Tutu would be known to city residents, so I figure it must be someone else. Still, pretty exciting, right?”
“Yes,” I agreed.
Sunshine scanned the room. “Looks like it’s about time for muster, but—really quick—do you know the answer for this block? The clue ispopular martial artist, Jackie, and then I’m supposed to fill in his last name.” She unrolled her crossword book and opened it up to show me a puzzle.
I stared at the blank spots. “I apologize, I don’t know much about human pop icons. Is Jackie a movie star?”
Sunshine’s shoulders fell and she shut the book again and rolled it up. “I don’t know, I only get the one clue.”
“I could look it up for you on my phone,” I offered.
“No, that would be like losing.” Sunshine stuffed the puzzle book into her purse with feeling. “I’m willing to seek help, but I can’t let themachineswin!”
I laughed. “Okay, I will support your decision. Have a good night.”
“Thanks! Have a good shift!” A wink and Sunshine was gone, scurrying out of the room.
I barely had enough time to straighten up and point myself at the front of the room before our captain—the supernatural who dispatched us, assigned cases, and generally managed the night shift Magical Response Task Force squad—stepped inside the meeting room.
Captain Reese was a werewolf who had made it to her early 50s—something of an accomplishment for a werewolf as they weren’t known for their self-preservation skills.
On first impression, Captain Reese was no nonsense with her steely blonde hair kept shoulder length and a sure and steady stride. She had a prosthetic leg—she’d lost her leg a decade earlier, saving a human child from getting hit by a car—though I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d gotten it magicked to conceal a weapon or spell.
A second look at the werewolf and you’d notice deep smile lines that hinted at her quick grin. Despite being our captain, she was always quick to joke with us, and her desk was covered with artwork her kids—now full-grown adults—had made in elementary school.
“Good evening, night shift,” Captain Reese said—her voice had a lilt to it that made it musical and instantly settled down what little conversation my squadmates had been having. “Fae kings Harel and Nover have been quiet, so it seems you intimidated them both enough last night. Well done.”
Supernatural society didn’t have the justice system humans had, so when we intercepted a supernatural endangering others one of two things happened. If the issue was large scale enough—like the vampire who launched an attackinsideCuria Cloisters nearly two years ago—the individuals were arrested if they were lucky or taken out if they were particularly dangerous. If it was a smaller issue—like fights between fae Courts—usually we fought with the perps to beat the struggle and emotions out of them. If they’d raised a big enough ruckus we’d drag them back to their leaders, who we would either warn or threaten with the political power of the Curia Cloisters if they failed to toe the line. (There was a reason why the task force required strong individuals.)
Last night had been a warning—the fae hadn’t created any property damage besides a few small potholes in the road, and they hadn’t harmed any humans. Regardless, we still had to put an oomph behind the warning or the Courts would keep taking their battles public—something that would be disastrous for supernatural PR efforts among humans.
