Wow, I’m flubbing this.
I took a breath, then blurted out, “If Grove gave it to you filled, it might be poison. He mixes up poisons and potions a lot.”
Orrin blinked. “It’s chamomile tea. I made it myself.”
I deflated. “I see. Good.” Embarrassed, I pulled down the knit navy-blue hat I was wearing to combat the cold—I’d never appreciated my slayer mask for being a wind break for my face. I missed it now in the cold temperatures and icy winds that made my nose numb.
Considine moved in, affectionately bumping my shoulder. “Do the humans know we patrol their neighborhoods?” He gave me a devastating smile that smoldered, but I was more aware of how close he lingered.
Not close to the point where if we were attacked it would be a disadvantage, or so close it was a personal invasion.
He was just…there. All the time.
I returned his shoulder bump without thinking. “Yes. I’m pretty sure they think it’s for show, but we mostly patrol the neighborhoods that have wizard Houses in them.”
“Ahhh, so we’re snooping on the wizards?”
“Exactly.” I set my jaw and settled into work mode so I could quiz Orrin without stammering. “Did you have time to review the case file on the missing person, Orrin?”
Since we were being selective with what cases Orrin was allowed to view, one of the earliest ones I’d gotten approval to use him in was the stalled missing person case we’d gotten from the human police.
The investigation didn’t have any sensitive information, and while we weren’t likely to get any farther than the human police had, it would be good practice for Orrin. Additionally, it gave me an excuse to try working the case. It didn’t sit right with me to merely ‘keep an eye out’ for the woman when we had skills the humans didn’t.
“Iris Delphini,” Orrin said. “Age: 32. Estimated medium height, blonde hair, brown eyes. She’s a human, has lived in Magiford for two years, works from home for a marketing firm. No known relatives. She told her neighbors she was an only child, and her parents died when she was in college. Her neighbors haven’t seen her entertaining anyone at her house, and she didn’t belong to any groups, clubs, or leagues. The neighbors are the ones who reported her missing.”
“Sounds like she could have been targeted.” Considine scanned the street. “No relatives and no close friends means she would have been an easy grab.”
Orrin studied a pile of branches left on the curb for the city-wide brush collection. “She could have been a vampire’s victim.”
“Ahh, you give us too much credit,” Considine laughed. “No vampire stupid enough—or ancient enough—to illegally feed off humans would bother to research a target. They’d just grab the closest one when they got hungry. Your theory could hold out and Iris was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time, but typically there would be a cluster of such cases if it were a vampire’s doing.”
Orrin paused with his thermos halfway up to his mouth. “Why?”
“Vampires usually consume blood multiple times per day,” I said. “If they feed off a donor they can stretch it, but they would need to feed again in a day or two.” I kept my pace brisk as we turned up a new street, but I tried to study every house—just in case.
About half of the homes were darkened, but some of them still had lights on that shone a warm orange through closed curtains and shades. It looked cozy and made the houses resemble toys.
Orrin sipped at his tea for a minute, thinking. “That seems like a fairly big difference in feeding times.”
“Fresh sources make for more nutritious meals,” Considine said. “Which reminds me, Luncheon, are you up for experimenting sometime?”
I glanced up at a green street sign posted on the corner. “We turn here. And experimenting?”
I could feel the smugness radiating from Considine as we turned up a new stretch of sidewalk. “Yes, experiment with letting me take a sip.”
“No,” I said without hesitation.
Considine reached over and fixed my knit hat, tugging it down over my ears again. “Ahh, you want me to build up more trust and rapport between us? Understood.”
I studied the house numbers posted on the mailboxes. “No, it’s because my blood is poisonous!”
“I’d survive it. Probably,” Considine said.
“We’re not going to risk it.”
“You care about me that much?” Considine sounded genuinely surprised. When I glanced up at him, his eyebrows were furrowed, and there was an odd tilt to his lips.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
