Soul Eater

Chapter 1Thaddeus Ezax stared at Captain Kol Jaecar, dread curling in his gut. His hands shook as he wrapped his fingers around the cool, too-thin manila folder. “You can’t be serious.” Wulfric ‘Ric’ Hunter leaned against the desk, scowling at Jaecar. Ric was head of the shifter team—there wasn’t an official shifter team, but when he spoke, the shifters working in the department obeyed. Except for Jaecar, of course. It always fascinated Thad. If anyone else objected to what Ric said, there’d be hell to pay, but if Jaecar so much as looked at him, Ric fell in line. “We want to solve the case, don’t we? You can’t give it to the psychs.” Ric’s eyes flashed in the icy blue of his wolf. Thad swallowed the objection wanting to be voiced. He was a magic user, but he didn’t have any psychic abilities, not one. His partner, Elora Long, was a clairvoyant, so he kept his mouth shut. Plus it never did any good to get into a discussion with Ric. Werewolves were so stupid. It was amazing they could carry on a conversation at all—thickheaded, crack-brained, cocky, idiotic wolves—they always thought muscles and a good nose solved everything. Thad looked away so he didn’t get caught staring at Ric’s broad shoulders and strong arms. He’d lost himself in a daydream while watching him on his first day working in the department. Never would he forget how Ric’s eyes had shifted to icy wolf blue before he’d announced to the entire floor that Thad was a fag who lusted after him. It wasn’t his fault Ric was heart-stoppingly hot. It had been a nightmarish first day, but he’d had worse days since then. Ric might look like a wet dream come true, but looks weren’t everything, and since he was an utter ass, Thad had mostly forgotten he’d once found him attractive. Most people, both humans and magical beings, feared Ric. Thad didn’t, and he’d almost managed to make himself believe it, too. If things went bad, he could always turn him into a toad, and Ric knew it. Though he was a lousy wizard, and if Ric wanted to rip his throat out, he’d do it before Thad could cast a spell. Slumping on his chair, he did nothing to try to muffle his sigh. Jaecar straightened his back and stared Ric in the eyes—not many did for more than a second, but Jaecar didn’t lower his gaze for anyone. A sizzle went through Thad. There was so much power hidden beneath the disheveled surface. Jaecar was a shifter too, but Thad had no idea what his animal was. Something solitary since he didn’t belong to a pack, pride, or family group. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve requested a couple days of vacation, starting about half an hour ago.” Jaecar’s voice was cool and controlled, and while Ric didn’t move a muscle, it was as if he deflated. “Yeah, but a woman’s life is in danger.” “And Ezax and Long are looking into it.” Ric snorted. “Might as well tell her family to contact the funeral service, those two will never solve a case. They’re f*****g useless.” Jaecar didn’t respond, but Thad suspected he agreed with Ric. He chanced a glance at Elora who had shrunk several inches during the conversation. Elora couldn’t afford to lose inches, she was short for a woman, and Thad, who was relatively average in the height department, appeared tiny next to the shifters. Elora was a curvy, quiet woman in her early thirties with skin like melted chocolate and black, close-cropped hair. Thad liked her, a lot, but none of them had any brawn, none of them had the nose of a shifter, and therefore not the tracking ability of one either. Thad could’ve cast a tracking spell if he’d been more powerful. Had he been anywhere near as powerful as the rest of the members of the Ezax bloodline, he’d be able to find the woman within minutes. Now they had to solve this case like the mundanes did because there was no way in hell he’d admit Ric was right and that it would be better to hand the case over to the shifters. He glanced at Elora again. Perhaps she’d be able to pick up on something. For once the odds might be in their favor—they never were. He was being unfair. Elora was clairvoyant, Thad had seen it happen, but she never got any clues as to find missing people or murderers on the run. She was formidable at finding a lost glove or sock, which might have been good if she’d worked as a dry cleaner or something. If she accidentally touched a dropped chopstick in a restaurant, she instantly knew where its mate was, but it didn’t mean she’d find missing people. The most useful Thad had seen her was when she found a lost cufflink at a crime scene. She touched it and told them where the other one was. If it was close by, she could point the correct direction and know when they were getting close, if it was farther away, a map worked pretty well. Finding a cufflink now would be too much to hope for. Sighing, again, Thad spun the small, ceramic jack o’ lantern bowl Elora had placed there and wished he could go home and hide. Glancing inside the bowl, he pursed his lips when he saw there only were two tiny chocolate pieces left. He’d eaten the entire bowl—the entire super-small bowl of chocolates. He’d gotten this job due to his name. Poor Jaecar hadn’t known he was about to hire the least powerful magic user in the Ezax bloodline when he’d held the interview, and Thad hadn’t told him. Had he investigated Thad’s personal life, he’d have found out how his mother always tried to keep him out of family business, excluded from photos and birthday dinners. Thad didn’t care, his name had gotten him the job, but how Elora had managed to snag a position, he didn’t know. Ric claimed she was there to make the department look good—black and a woman—but Thad refused to believe it. Jobs in the Paranormal Investigations Department were sought-after, the department had a great reputation—or it had at least had a great reputation before they had hired Thad and Elora. How the hell would the two of them find the missing woman? They couldn’t afford another unsolved case; the department’s statistics were already down a lot since they’d added a wizard-s***h-psychic team. In their defense, they never got much of a chance to solve cases. Had the collaboration between wizards, psychics, and shifters worked, they could all gain from each other’s strengths. As it was now, there was nothing more than competition; hushed conversations between team members so no one else could intervene or give their opinion. Thad sighed and bit his tongue until he tasted blood. They had to solve this. “Perhaps, I could stay and help.” Leo Norden, who despite Thad’s first assumptions wasn’t a lion shifter, but a jackal, and Ric’s partner, took a step forward. “As I recall, you too, have two vacation days coming up.” Jaecar’s voice was flat as he crossed his arms over his chest. Leo cleared his throat. “Yeah, but it was to spend Halloween with Ric and his family up at the cabin in the mountains.” He pointed at Ric, his shaggy sand-colored hair falling into his eyes at the gesture, “I don’t have a…eh…mate or kids. I can cancel.” “No.” Leo’s eyes flew to the floor when Ric spoke. “You’re coming with me. Either we both work or none of us do. Fay has some woman from her job coming to meet you.” Thad grimaced as Leo’s shoulders slumped. He could sympathize—a Halloween blind date, poor soul. Thad had met Fay, Ric’s mate, once, and it was not something he wanted to repeat. Her body was ample and she had honey-colored, soft curls framing a heart-shaped face. Thad’s initial reaction had been to smile because she looked warm and lovely, then she’d opened her mouth…He guessed if you were to be mated to someone like Ric, you had to be a bit bossy, and she was—more than a bit. “Then get out of here, both of you.” Jaecar turned toward his office. He was the only one who had an office. In the open area, there were two rows of desks, and they each had their own. His was in front of Elora’s. If they wanted to have private meetings, they used the conference room. “Better get cracking, Ezax.” “Yes, sir.” Thad held the folder in his hand as he spun around on his office chair so he was facing Elora. Her desk was filled with Halloween trinkets—skulls, witches, ghosts, and Thad’s favorite, a skeleton cat. He couldn’t find anywhere to place the folder, so he continued to hold on to it. “Show us some of that spark now, Ezax,” Ric sneered. Fucking wolf. Thad opened the folder and looked down at a photo of a beautiful woman with olive skin, sparkling greenish eyes, and a dazzling smile. She couldn’t be more than twenty-five, if that. Ric kept on watching him as he handed the picture over to Elora and read her information. Ava Davis, twenty-three, had never come home from her shift on the night of the twenty-sixth, so that meant she’d been gone for two days. She worked at The Depot, a nice restaurant in the building of the old train station, as a waitress. She’d left on her own, and her roommate hadn’t noticed she wasn’t there until the morning after. “Here’s an earring.” Thad held up a Ziploc bag with a thin gold hoop with a small heart attached to it. “Oh, no.” Elora recoiled. “They picked it up about two blocks from the restaurant where she works, and they believe it might be hers.” He reached over Elora’s desk and pointed at the earrings Ava Davis was wearing in the picture, which looked to be the same. “So it’s likely she fought. There’s some blood on it.” He wanted to ask Elora some questions about her skill, but Ric and Leo were still hanging around, and shifters heard way too much. Elora lowered her voice into a whisper. “I don’t want to touch it.” Had it been any other person, Thad would’ve patted her hand, but this was Elora. A touch could mean so much more than just a touch. Most often she wore gloves and clothes covering as much as possible of her skin, and it was enough. There had to be direct skin contact for her to pick up on anything, but touch was never something that calmed her, even if Thad always was careful to touch her where she was clothed. “Do it, get it over with. I’m here.” He curled his fingers into a fist so he wouldn’t forget himself and reach for her. Why had she applied for a job where she was expected to use her ability when she dreaded doing it? “It never does any good. I never find them.” “We know.” Ric’s shadow fell over them and tiny blue sparks sizzled at Thad’s fingertips before he was aware of having muttered a spell. “We’re trying to work here.” He glared at Ric. “I know you can’t help being stupid—” Ric’s dark brown eyes turned into the icy blue of his wolf. “—but can’t you at least try to use your brain for more than flexing your muscles? I’m sure there is some mental capacity in there, the tiniest little spark between two old and tired neurons.” He allowed more sparks to leave his fingertips to illustrate. The growl was low and menacing. Thad jumped when another, louder followed. Jaecar appeared behind Ric. Oh s**t. His eyes were glowing yellow, his pupils round, and Thad swallowed hard. “Wulfric Hunter, you’re leaving. Now.” Ric dropped his gaze to the floor, but Thad didn’t miss the low growl as he walked away. “Continue.” Jaecar didn’t look in Elora and Thad’s direction, his attention was on Ric and Leo as they grabbed their coats. A whimper had Thad focusing on Elora. She was gripping the earring, having taken it out of the bag. Sweat was beading on her forehead, her hands shook, and her skin had lost all its luster. Another whimper left her blue-tinged lips, and Thad had to prevent himself from gripping her arms. “What do you see, Elora?” She didn’t speak. Her breaths were coming faster and faster, her lips turning bluer, and her unseeing eyes shifted to an orange glow. “Elora! What do you see?” For all too long, Elora didn’t breathe at all, then she screamed. Her eyes lost the glow. She would’ve fallen off her chair if Thad hadn’t thrown himself across the desk to catch her, the Halloween decorations scattering across the floor. He shook the earring out of her hand and tossed it on the desk. “Elora.” He shook her gently. “Elora, come on, wake up.” Her eyelashes fluttered as Jaecar helped Thad get her seated again. Her arms were cold through the fabric of her top, her lips still blue. “Dammit, Elora.” Thad pulled in a shaky breath. “We need to work out a routine for how we’re gonna do this in the future.” She had to learn how to speak while she was seeing…whatever it was she saw, and they needed to be in a safe environment where she wouldn’t hurt herself if she fell. Elora gave him a pleading look, and Thad realized they were all staring at her—Jaecar, Thad, Ric, and Leo. “Ava Davis is the Angel Maker.” Elora shivered. “No.” Leo’s voice was a hoarse whisper. “No, she’s not.” Jaecar ran a hand through his longish, jet-black hair. “We can’t keep calling her that? If it gets out to the media, there will be tabloids everywhere.” “It can’t be.” Ric crossed his arms over his chest. “We caught him.” He nodded at Leo. “We got him. I severed his spine.” “You shouldn’t have.” Thad hadn’t been part of the investigation, but it hadn’t escaped anyone, that while the killer Ric and Leo were convinced was the Angel Maker had been caught red-handed carving patterns into a murdered woman’s skin, the woman hadn’t been given wings. “Even if we were wrong, which we weren’t, it doesn’t fit the Angel Maker’s M.O.” Ric turned to Jaecar as he spoke. “His victims are young, white women, most of them barely out of their teens.” Thad rolled his eyes. “One was a Japanese woman, and wasn’t one Pakistani? You can’t assume simply because the majority of the victims were Caucasian—” “You’re not part of the investigation.” Ric stepped closer while snarling. Thad wasn’t impressed, and his racing pulse had nothing to do with an enraged werewolf wanting to kill him. “It’s ours now. You can leave.” “It’s not the Angel Maker!” Elora cleared her throat. “She was preparing wings to make the women pretty, but it’s their scents enticing her.” “What?” Ric whirled around and glared at Elora. “What do you know about scents?” “N-Nothing.” Elora glanced at Thad. “Seriously, Ric—” Anger manifested itself in more tiny, blue sparks at Thad’s fingertips. “Get out of here. We’re trying to work. We have a few minutes before Elora crashes, and I want to hear what she has to say before she does, so if you could bury your massive ego for a couple of seconds, we’d appreciate it.” Ric flashed sharp teeth at him, and Thad was tempted to throw a ball of fire at him. Thad patted Elora’s knee and nodded for her to continue. “It’s their scent, their magical scent.” “Magic doesn’t have a scent.” Thad didn’t so much as think, he flung a rain of blue sparks over Ric. They wouldn’t harm him, but they did sting. Ric hissed, but Thad spoke over it. “Magic has flavor. Every practitioner has a unique…taste.” He didn’t know how to explain so they understood. “As a psychic, Elora can’t sample it, so explaining it as scent makes sense. How can you be able to know what she’s thinking?” They were running out of time. After Elora had touched something she—’fell asleep’ wasn’t the right expression and she wasn’t unconscious either, rather something in between. “Not thinking. I saw the wings…sensed the hunger.” “How?” “Have to have skin contact with the other earring.” She was speaking slower and slower. “Elora, can you tell me anything about where she is?” Elora shook her head. “She’s wearing it.” She whimpered. “She wants to see them turned into angels, to bask in their divine…glow or something similar. It didn’t make sense. I wanted to see them eaten, or not eaten, but…consumed.” Thad swallowed bile, old tales niggling at the back of his mind that he didn’t want to acknowledge. “But she’s alive?” Elora nodded, then she shrugged, her eyelids slowly drooping. “Can you tell me anything else?” Thad held his breath, hoping for a clue—any clue. “She’s underground, somewhere cold. Something is blocking me from finding the location.” She frowned. “I’ve never been blocked before.” Magic. Thad had never been able to cast a blocking spell, but he knew it could be done. “You’re sure it’s underground?” It was October, anywhere without heating would be cold. Elora yanked her head up after having dropped it. “I-I…think so. Somewhere without windows at least…and damp, the air is damp.” Her eyes closed while she spoke, and Thad grimaced at Jaecar. He couldn’t find the Angel Maker on his own. And who could kidnap the Angel Maker? Thad had always assumed he or she was a powerful wizard, powerful wizards weren’t easy to capture…unless you were an even more powerful wizard, of course.