Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
I unlock my phone and it opens to my texts. I take a few steps away from the house—and the smell—and text Xavier, letting him know what I found, but first let him know I’m safe.
Me: We’re out and we’re okay.
Me: I found the third recruit Antonio mentioned. All I know is the guy’s first name is Abbot and he had a tattoo on his arm, like this one.
I send the photo and text bubbles pop up
Xavier: Maybe next time clarify you found him *dead*
Me: lol
Xavier: Come home. I don’t like you there.
I roll my eyes and take a few more steps toward the street. Delphi is already down by the sidewalk, waiting.
Me: Should I call this in to the cops or do you want to talk to your contact or whoever?
Xavier: I’ll have one of my people handle it.
Me: Thanks <3
I put my phone in my pocket and turn, making sure the door is closed. It might take a while for the cops to show up and animals could come in and start eating the body. Giving it one last try, I close my eyes and extend my hand, seeing if any sort of stain has been left on the house from the demon. If I could just get something to identify it with, it would be a start.
I don’t feel anything demonic, but something is pulling me to the side of the house. I motion for Delphi to come with me.
“Please tell me I’m smelling the same body that’s inside and there’s not another out here,” Delphi says, covering her nose with her hand.
“It might be a dead raccoon or—” I cut off when I see a pile of goo on the floor. “A vampire.”
“Oh! Nope. No, no, no. That’s what happens to them when they die?”
“Yeah, they turn into goop.” I pull my phone out to take another photo when something silver glints in the sunlight.
“No fucking way,” I say and carefully step over the pile of goo, reaching into the pile, picking up a silver tipped stake. “These are issued by the Order.”
“Are you sure?”
I flick a rotting chunk of vampire goo from it, turning it over so she can see the Order’s emblem
“Positive.”
Chapter
Twenty-Five
“We have a problem.” I set the wooden stake down on the counter and look at Xavier. I dropped Delphi off and came right home. “The more I dig into this, the worse it seems. Is there any way to make Devon remember the last few hours of his human life?”
“Doubtful.” Xavier picks up the stake and inspects it. “If his memory was altered before he was turned, it wouldn’t come back.” He sets the stake back down and crosses his arms over his chest. If he had to breathe, he would sigh right now, I’m sure. “The Order killed a vampire at the same location one of their recruits was found dead. This is getting messy. You need to be careful.”
“I am, and I need you to trust me. Something big is going on and I can’t really explain it, but it’s like I know there really are two players and one is the Order and the other is a demon and they’re working together. Each on their own is bad enough, but together?” I shake my head. “That came out flustered, but you know what I mean.”
“I do. Everything is intertwined. The Order wants you out of the way. If they can’t remove you, they’ll distract you. Getting a vampire to sell drugs to werewolf kids who, in turn, die, is a very reasonable way to start something.”
“And then kill that vampire before he can even talk.”
“Exactly. Humans killing vampires is a punishable offense, but this one is staying off the record. He probably was a new vampire who didn’t know the rules or was too young to realize they apply.”
“Not all vampires know about the Order, do they?”
“No. The VC has issued warnings, but the whole thing still operates in secret. Since vampires came out, vampire hunters in general have lessened.”
“The Order is threatened by me. They couldn’t reproduce my magic and they couldn’t me. They’ve been threatened by you for centuries. Now we’ve teamed up and I think we’re quite the power couple and that terrifies them.” I bite my lip, thinking back to what Delphi and I talked about earlier. The Order started as a group of people wanting to fight against the creatures of the night. Monsters who crept out of the woods at night and snatched children from their bed. Demonic entities turning friends on each other. And even vampires, who drank from unwilling humans until there was nothing left.
How could something with such good intentions have gotten so corrupt? And how has no one stopped them? Certainly others have stood up over the years. Said something about the cruelty in their methods. There are a handful of hunters out there refusing to affiliate themselves with the Order. They know it’s not as black and white as the Order likes to make things seem.