Maricela shook her head. “He’s in DC until Friday. I’ll update him separately after the call.”
Spencer sank down into the chair next to Fatima’s and didn’t protest when she crawled over the armrests to drape herself over his lap. Spencer scratched behind her ears while Maricela got the director on speakerphone.
“Director Kohli, we’ve had an incident in the Seattle field office this morning. A special agent came in off the field possessed by a demon. Bailey exorcised the demon, but we believe the entire situation is linked to the case you sent him out here on,” Maricela said.
“Bailey?” Priya asked sharply, a question in her tone that Spencer understood without words.
“Not tied to what happened in London and Paris a few years ago, but hunters are definitely involved, ma’am,” he said.
“Is this likely to be an all-hands-on-deck problem?”
Spencer’s lips twisted as he weighed his answer. “The demon I exorcised from Special Agent Ross just now said it was following the orders of its Duke. That’s not a threat we should take lightly, but it’s not the level of what we dealt with two years ago.”
There was no Morrígan’s staff to raise the countless dead for an army. Yes, there were possessed werecreatures, but they weren’t hiding how Andras had when that demon infiltrated the London god pack.
“It’s still a problem. I have an agent in the hospital because of this, and who knows who else might be targeted,” Maricela said.
“About that,” Spencer said, fingers stilling on Fatima’s back. “Director, my CI might be a target.”
Maricela’s attention was laser focused on him. “You haven’t been forthcoming with their identity.”
“I know who it is, and I approved of their use,” Priya said.
Maricela didn’t argue that statement, but she still looked irritated. “Then who is it?”
“Legal can allow for the deputy SAIC knowing your CI’s identity, Bailey.”
Spencer sighed. “My CI is the master vampire of the Seattle Night Court.”
“Takoma?” Maricela drummed her fingers hard against her desk, eyebrows raised in surprise. “You just flew in last week. How did you get him to agree so quickly?”
“He fought in the Battle of Samhain. More specifically, he fought with me by watching my six while I dealt with the dead. I knew him, just not well.”
“No wonder you weren’t worried about pretending to be a human servant.”
Spencer resisted the urge to touch the throbbing bite-bruise on his throat hidden from sight. “Takoma was present at the gala and at both hotels where the poltergeist showed up.”
Maricela leaned forward, eyes snapping with sudden anger. “Why don’t I have a report from you on that situation yet?”
“Because I didn’t want to compromise Takoma’s position as my CI, but if we’re dealing with a Great Duke of Hell because of the Ouroboros Mirror, then I’ll make an amended report. Caitlin and the Cascade Coven know I’m a mage at this point, and I’m betting after this morning’s excitement, they’ll know I’m SOA soon enough.”
“That’s no excuse for leaving information out of a report.”
“I didn’t see any upside to pissing off a Night Court.”
“Maricela,” Priya interrupted before the other woman could really get worked up. “I cleared Bailey’s CI from the get-go. I was aware of Takoma’s identity and Bailey’s use of him.”
Maricela pursed her lips together and didn’t argue, but Spencer knew she wasn’t happy with him. “Fine. But the field team is down a man until Ross is cleared.”
“He’ll be back to work in a day or two. He might need some therapy, but his soul is clean,” Spencer promised.
“If the Cascade Coven is found to be ultimately responsible for the attack, we’ll charge them accordingly. Do you think the demon is working with them?” Priya asked.
“It wouldn’t be the first time covens allied themselves with hunters and demons. But I’m concerned about why they might be potentially targeting Takoma.”
“That’s another angle you and your team will need to figure out.”
“Ross has been handling the coven side of things, and I’ve been juggling the leads into the Night Court and the werecreature community. I’ll continue to follow up on those, but I’ll get started on a warrant to search the Cascade Coven property. Ross getting possessed there in the course of the case is enough probable cause to get it granted by a judge.”
