His eyes narrowed on me, as if he was having trouble seeing, then they widened with comprehension. “You’re that bitch’s boyfriend. You interrupted my interrogation.”
“You were interrogating a victim,” I said. “You must have the smallest dick on Earth to do something like that.”
With a roar, he charged at me. He was so unsteady it was easy to avoid him by stepping back at a moderate pace. He almost tripped over his own feet as he followed me around the corner of the house and down the driveway.
“I’m going to break every bone in your body,” he thundered. “I’m a fucking cop! You can’t say shit like that to me.”
The moment we were mostly out of sight, I misted and enveloped him. He was full of brutality and cruelty. He’d hurt and even killed people who couldn’t retaliate against him. As I absorbed him, nothing I found out about him was surprising.
He nourished me as people like him always did, and soon there was nothing left of him but clothing, and I took my human form again.
“Vie?”
Inola’s voice came from the front of the house. I gathered the clothing and shoved it in the neighbor's backyard. She didn’t need any investigation focused on her.
After doing that, I rushed to the front of the house to find Inola cautiously looking out from the front door.
“He gave up and went away,” I told her.
“What? He did?” Inola opened the door all the way, looking over at the house next to hers.
I waited until she met my gaze. When I spoke, I emphasized my words. “He went away. Other than that, you don’t know anything.”
Comprehension crossed her face, then her expression tightened with satisfaction. She gave a little nod. “Um, right, he probably went home to sleep it off. Did you come by? I mean, should I say you were here if they ask?”
I was sure some Ring camera somewhere probably saw me, so I nodded. “Sure. You can give my number to anyone who needs it. I’ll explain that he stumbled past me and went home.”
Inola gestured behind her at the open door. “Do you want to come inside?”
“No, I—”
I felt a sudden spike of fear sweep over me, cutting off my words. It was Willow.
Without another word to Inola, I turned and ran until I was hidden enough to mist. I rose into the air and flowed in the direction I sensed Willow.
After the first time we’d had sex, I was able to sense where Willow was. All I had to do was focus on her, and I was drawn to her location. It was how I knew to go to the shop to find her the other day after I’d finished hunting with Vengeance.
Now I raced across the sky, her fear pounding at me.
I was hit by anger, then triumph as I materialized near her. I took in the scene, feeling a moment of relief.
I could tell from his scent that the man on the ground was the same one Vengeance and I were still hunting for. This had to be Alex.
On the other side of Alex stood Jina holding a gun, and next to her was a relieved-looking Willow. When she looked over and saw me, her face filled with happiness.
Everything happened too quickly for even my speed to stop. Alex pulled out a gun and aimed it at Willow. I misted and rushed at him, but he was able to fire moments before I solidified on top of him. I didn’t have time to consume him, so I grabbed his head and slammed it against the ground.
He went still. I kicked the other gun away and rushed to Willow’s side. Jina was standing next to her, shaking her head, and repeating the wordnoover and over again.
Blood poured from her chest and filled her mouth as I knelt next to her.
“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. Her gaze met mine, then her eyes rolled back.
I could feel her soul detangling from her mortal flesh, ready to go wherever souls went after a human died. I couldn’t let that happen.
Acting on instinct, I turned to mist and sank into her body, desperate to keep her soul caged. Her body responded to my action by also turning to mist and mingling with me.
I felt her confusion, then shock as we both rose into the air, hovering about six feet from the ground.
