Yeah, yeah; I know the title situation. But girly corrected it, perfected the “everyone’s a suspect” setup, and made sure women got to solve the crime instead of always being the corpse. That’s more than Doyle ever did between fairy sightings and tantrums.
He exhales. “Now. There are a few precautions we can take. Putting them in place may take a day or two, so Aurora, if it’s acceptable, would you consider not going to work until we can implement these safety precautions?”
The look he gives me is hopeful, and something about him learning and changing because of something I said really makes me hot.
Plus, from the look in his eyes, he’s already five steps ahead of the situation.
“Yes, Ezra. That’s acceptable.”
“Thank you, Aurora. First, we will have to be better about using the damned security system here at the house. Pathetic as it is, it’s still a layer of defense. We should arm it when we leave and at night.
“No one leaves the property or answers the door alone. I suppose I could ask Iain to place some magical protection and detection spells around the property as well. I hate to think what that’ll cost me, but it’s one more thing a trespasser will have to get through.
“I could also reach out to an acquaintance in the city. She’s a tüskvarr who runs a security service. We didn’t exactly part on good terms, but Charlie’s extremely professional. For the right price, I’d assume she has a few employees who might be interested.”
Ezra pauses, then opens a drawer, muttering something about an address book.
He’s such an old man sometimes.
“Don’t we have enoughdogs‘round here already? Adding tüskvarr to the mix is just going to make things worse. Fucking wild, out-of-control animals. It’s like asking frat boys to watch your goddamn house,” Louie grumbles while she picks bacon from between her fangs.
“What’s a tüskvarr?” Once again, I’m truly out of my depth.
“It’s what the werewolves of human lore and literature are based on. They look like the offspring of a wolf and a wild boar, except bloody massive. There are four packs of tüskvarr throughout the world that correspond with the four earthlyelements. They’re complex creatures that mostly keep to their packs and themselves,” Ezra explains while he digs through yet another drawer.
While I wait for Ezra to find his address book, something he said creeps into my consciousness, causing Emme to cackle with violent delight.
She? Charlie is awoman?
Jealousy’s slimy tentacles coil tightly around the rational parts of my mind.
Deep in my subconscious, Emme rages at the idea of Charlie as well, whispering truly batshit ideas that include slicing her tits off and tossing her into the Susquehanna.
Totally healthy stuff.
Emme is one dark cunt. Christ.
Ezra has lived an unimaginably long life. I was bound to meet one of his conquests at some point.
A shadow slithers up my arm, curling lightly around my bicep, as if it’s testing how tightly I’m wound … then pulses, trying to coax me into relaxing.
Ezra’s shadows have already reached for me, but this? This feels different. They’re holding me steady. It’s almost like they know.
I huff, and when I glance up, Ezra’s watching me, an amused smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.
“Aurora, are you jealous?” he asks, his smile getting bigger as he walks toward me.
One of his shadows slithers up my throat, pressing under my chin, trying to tip my head toward him.
Oh, great, now the fucking shadows are in on this too.
“What? Me? Jealous? Of whom?”
Way to play it cool.
I hang my head, not wanting to meet Ezra’s gaze. Meanwhile, my inner rage goddess strokes the writhing tentacles like pampered house pets, whispering,Yes, ruin everything.
Backstabbing bitch.
