Hell, yes, she’d needed the doctor’s help-so she would never be helpless again. But…“I’m not like the other patients you treat.” She’d only seen a few of them, passed them briefly in the hallway. Not the chatting type.
All of the others were paranormals, while she was-was-
Emily’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses. “I’m not sure I’m following you, Holly.”
“You treat Other, okay? And I’m not. I’m just-” Human.
Right?
Silence.
Then Emily put her pen down and licked her lips. “I think I’m a bit confused.”
Join the club.
“Holly, despite what you may have heard, I do treat some human patients.”
Freaking relief. Her hand pushed against her chest. “Right, right, of course-”
A slow shake of Dr. Drake’s dark head. “But, um, you know you’re not human, don’t you?”
Good thing she was sitting down. Emily had the distinct feeling her knees would have done a Jell-O routine and she would have wound up on the floor. “Run that by me again?” A squeak that wasn’t her normal voice.
Emily snatched up her pen and scribbled a quick note. “You didn’t know…”
“I still don’t know.” Okay, so Niol had told her. Dr. Drake was telling her, but-but-
Christ.
But how the hell could she have gone through her entire life without knowing she was Other ?
“You don’t have much power, I’d probably label you as a one or two on the demon scale…”
Demon scale.
“But I knew from the first moment I met you, Holly, that you were Other .”
That hard thump-it wasn’t her heart. It was her world falling off its axis.
Chapter 9
Holly walked down the hallway in Mistro Tower, putting one foot doggedly in front of the other as Dr. Drake’s words rang in her head.
Haven’t you ever noticed that you heal faster than normal?
Okay, yeah, she had-but she’d chalked it up to being a fast healer. All of the bruises and most of the cuts from the hit-and-run were almost gone now, and, yeah, in hindsight, she could see that was a bit, uh, too fast.
Haven’t you ever been aware of a thickening in the air around you? As if pressure is pushing on you?
Just when she’d been around Niol. But she’d thought that was his power.
Not hers.
Certain powerful instances or stressful situations may trigger the latent powers in you. An adrenaline surge-that could ratchet up the strength you have…
Maybe Niol brought out the inner demon in her.
Your parents-surely they knew. Didn’t they say anything to you?
Not a word about being a demon. Just the stay out of trouble and God, whatever you do, don’t take Peter’s path.
Peter. Her steps faltered. Had he been-
Her cell phone chimed. Fumbling, she yanked it out of her purse. “Storm-”
“Get down to the warehouse district.” Niol’s voice. Hard. Furious. “The bastard’s killed again.”
No. Not another slaughtered victim. “How do you know? Niol-”
“Sources, love. I’ve got ’em, too.”
The call ended with a click.
Another dead demon.
Swallowing, she punched in the speed-dial button she’d assigned for her cameraman.
Ben met her at the scene. It would have been hard to miss the place-it was the only building in the old warehouse sector that was surrounded by cops, swirling blue lights, and yellow police tape.
Strangely, though, no other reporters were on scene. Yet, anyway.
A long whistle from her side. “What the hell did you find, Holly?” Ben asked.
Death.
She caught sight of Gyth’s dark head as he stalked toward one of the cruisers. Her eyes narrowed. “Ben, start filming the scene.” Straightening her shoulders, she headed for that parked car.
“Where you goin’?”
She glanced back.
The brim of his cap shielded his eyes. “Oh, no, Holly, that guy is not gonna talk to you. Hell, even I know he hates you.”
“Hate is a very strong word,” she muttered. Her palms were sweating. Her back itching. Gyth looked up right then and instantly his gaze zeroed in on her.
Maybe it wasn’t too strong.
“Get the scene,” she repeated. “I’ll get the cop.” Or try.
Or maybe just get her ass escorted off the property.
But what did she have to lose?
This was her story. Would be, until the freak was locked away…or dead.
Gyth changed course and headed for her.
She kept moving slowly but determinedly toward him.
“Holly Storm.” The setting sun darkened his hair even more. “Why the hell am I not surprised to see you here?”
She lifted an eyebrow. “’Cause I’m good at my job?”
“Oh, I’ll give you that.” His lips twisted. “But I think maybe you’ve just got one fine connection to this killer.”
She pounced and ignored the suspicion. “So this scene is related.” Niol had been right. Cagey demon.
No response from Gyth.
“Come on, detective. Give me something. This makes kill number three.” She had no proof, but he didn’t know that.
“Actually, it’s number one.” He exhaled and shook his head. “Looks like she was the first.”
What?
It took her a minute to process the fact that the guy was actually talking to her about the case. “You’re saying the woman in there was the guy’s first victim?” If she’d been the first, then she would have been in that place for days, her body slowly decaying…
Holly swallowed.
“Looks that way.” He cast her a speculative glance. “You’re gonna have to be the one to tell me for sure.”
“I don’t follow-”
He caught her arm. “I need you to see the victim.”
Oh, hell, not again.
She dug in her heels. “I’m here to cover the story, not to-to-”
“He wants to know if she’s one of us, Holly,” Niol said, his voice like rough silk as he walked from the covering of a nearby building.
Holly didn’t jump at his approach-not this time-because she’d known he was there. From the minute she’d climbed out of her car, she’d known.
Because he wouldn’t have sent her to this scene alone.
Am I starting to trust the guy?
Sure looked that way.
Talk about twisted-she had to be the only person in the state who trusted Niol Lapen.
Gyth swore. “I’m guessing it’s not a fucking coincidence you’re both here?”
Niol caught Holly’s hand. Kissed the back of her palm. “Where she goes, I go.”
His tongue swiped over her flesh and her heart jumped.
“Bullshit.” Gyth looked disgusted as his mouth curled into a sneer. “And I’m not buying this whole lover crap-Wait!” His gaze flew between them. “One of us ?”
Holly decided the best course of action right then was to keep her mouth shut. She was too new at the whole being-a-demon thing.
“Shit.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Two guys in blue uniforms wheeled out a gurney. On top of it, a black body bag was zipped up tight.
Her mouth dried up. A woman. Looked like the killer wasn’t being choosy about gender. Odd, that.
Did she know her, too?
“Hold it.” Gyth’s words were directed at the attendants pushing the gurney. Then, softer, for her ears only, he said, “Tell the jerkoff with the camera to cut or he’s gonna be losing his precious equipment.”
She believed him. Holly raised her hand and motioned toward Ben. “That’s enough. Cut for now.”
He lowered the camera with a scowl.
Gyth took her elbow and urged her toward the body bag. Since Niol still had her other hand, he followed right along, too.
“Open it,” Gyth’s snarled command.
The attendant’s fingers jerked as he hurried to unzip the bag.
The smell hit her first. Thick, cloying, clogging up her nostrils.
“Gyth, what the hell, this isn’t protocol-”
Her eyes darted to the left. Found a scowling uniformed cop she’d never seen before.
“Take it up with the captain,” Gyth said, never looking away from the body.