Sure enough, I saw a glimmer of silver that was likely Sarge’s hair about two blocks down.
Reassured, I turned back to Considine and the werewolves—who were coming out of it.
I found the werewolf who hadn’t lost consciousness—the one who had complained that they’d “paid for reassurance.”
I crouched down next to him, aware when Considine stood at my back.
“What’s reassurance?” I asked.
The werewolf snorted and looked away.
“Who told you there wouldn’t be anyone on patrol?” I pressed. “A Curia Cloisters employee?”
The werewolf scowled at me. “I ain’t sayin’ nothing to no O’Neil!”
I froze, my whole body growing cold.
They know my name?
CHAPTER
FIVE
Jade
Considine went from behind me to over me in about half a second, reaching down to grab the werewolf by the collar of his shirt. “What did you say?”
“O’Neil?” The werewolf dangled from Considine’s grasp, unable to get his feet under himself as Considine had scraped him off the ground. “Everyone knows the slayer on the task force is named Jade O’Neil.”
“Since when?” I asked.
“About a week ago,” the werewolf wheezed.
“Who told you?” Considine growled.
“No one,” the werewolf said before he got a look at Considine’s face and added. “And everyone! I don’t know who found out! My Pack learned about it when we were casing the place.”
Considine dropped the werewolf, who landed on the sidewalk with a pained whimper. “Gisila,” he said. “Iknewthere was no way she’d so spinelessly run off without a parting shot.She’s probably biding her time, hoping someone else will finish you off now that your daytime name is known.”
I pressed my lips together as I considered the possibilities.
Gisila was the most likely culprit. A werewolf mercenary had seen my face, but he didn’t know who I was, and he was still in custody. Outside the Department of Supernatural Law Enforcement, Emi, and Considine, Gisila was the only one who knew my two personas.
“I assumed she’d eventually use my identity to her favor.” I stood up and brushed my knees off. “It’s not that surprising she made it public.”
“No, but it’s still maddening.” Considine stood inside my personal space bubble—a place I hadn’t minded when he was Connor, and even now while my slayer senses prickled with havingtheConsidine Maledictus at my back, the uncomfortable feeling wasn’t so much fear as much as I felt weirdly awkward that he was getting so angry on my behalf.
Don’t be ridiculous. He probably sees me as a toy and is angry someone else is putting that toy at risk.
That didn’t feel quite right, but I wasn’t about to ponder it with the news that had just been dumped on me—not to mention I hadn’t forgotten about thepaid reassurancethe werewolf had mentioned.
“We’ll have to go back to the Cloisters tonight, until we come up with a plan,” Considine decided.
“Maybe, depending what Sarge says when I tell him,” I nodded to our naiad sergeant, who was ambling down the sidewalk.
Which means Considine is right and we’re going back to the Cloisters.
Sarge was all about safety, so he’d probably side with Considine on this one.
