It was… five months ago. I vividly remembered, since it was the first time I’d gone to his store after stealing the Dagger of Truth, and he’d turned the air blue with his curses when he’d seen me with it. So why had someone placed this in Mary’s mailbox? I needed to talk to Gary. Maybe he’d recognize a photo of the witch.
I scarfed a bag of Doritos for lunch, and when nothing had happened by mid-afternoon, I started to get antsy. My file said Mary was distantly related to a werewolf, and while it was unlikely they would harbor a witch, I may as well check it out. I started the car, glancing down at my phone as it vibrated with a text.
W Greer parking lot.That was all it said, but they’d dropped a pin with the exact location. I ground my teeth. A demon was summoningme.Oh, the irony. “Get it done, solve the mystery, and get the mark removed,” I muttered as I gave up on my werewolf visit and turned the car around.
A demon stood on the far end of the lot, his gaze cutting to me as I parked on the street.
I scanned him as he strode toward me, his feet punching the ground. Like every high demon I’d come across so far, he was beautiful. His hair was a glossy black, the hard block of his jaw said he could take a punch, but his gold-flecked brown eyes seemed ancient.
“A demon was killed here five days ago,” he said as soon as he was a few feet away. “He was waiting for his friend to finish work.” He gestured toward the tattoo shop and I nodded.
“And you are?”
“Agaliarept,” he said.
“That’s quite a mouthful.”
“Search for evidence, witch.”
I shot him a look but turned away, knowing he’d chafe at the dismissal in my body language. I had to get my kicks somehow.
The parking lot was empty. At the far end, it jutted out over the bank of a hill, which led down to an empty field. A wire fence encircled the lot, although it was reinforced with steel bars on the west side, where it overlooked the back of a restaurant.
“Where was the body found?”
“Shouldn’t you know that?”
I glanced over my shoulder and he folded his arms, his muscles bulging.
“You just told me it’s been five days,” I said very slowly. “Which means there’s likely no physical evidence left. Why don’t you just tell me where to start looking so I can get to work?”
He scanned my body, sizing me up. I was glad I’d tucked the Mistilteinn Dagger under my shirt where it was hidden away. With a shrug of one shoulder, he jerked his head toward the left side of the parking lot, about halfway down.
I smiled sunnily at him. “Thank you.”
Ignoring his snarl, I strode toward the area he’d indicated, close to the outdoor area of the restaurant. A group of trees bordered the parking lot behind the wire fence, and I moved closer. Someone could’ve waited behind those trees if they’d been targeting this exact demon.
“Did he know this area?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. I still hated using my magic, but if it got me out of this deal with the demon, it was worth it.
I slowly dropped my shields, shivering as power flooded through me. Behind me, the demon muttered a curse, and I ignored him, focused on the black smudge a few feet away.
I pointed. “His body was found there?”
A pause. I’d surprised him. “Yes.”
“Strange.”
“Why?”
“Demons get their magic from the underworld right? Even if they’re located in this world?”
I could practically feel him grinding his teeth behind me and I rolled my eyes. “It’s relevant.”
“Yes.”
