When they hate fuck, it’s going to be electric.
I clap to steer everyone back on course. “Okay, let’s stop fighting and get down to why we’re here. Whoever is copying Zav’s killings just committed another murder.”
Zav clears his throat and holds up a finger. “Let’s say copying loosely since it doesn’t look anything like my work.” Of course he has to make that distinction again. I’m not even surprised. “It’s super fucking weird, though. Where did it happen this time?”
I rattle off the general vicinity, and he loses himself in thought before shaking his head.
“All this weird shit going on has to link together somehow, or no? The rain from a potential concentrated area of supernaturals, Valen’s captivity and the usage of his blood, the killings, and your magic,” Zav finishes.
“It has to be,” Celine agrees, looking a little paler than normal. I itch to hug my best friend, but I stay where I am because I know Zav would end up holding on tight to her rather than letting me get to her.Possessive fucker.“But how?” She voices the question that plagues us.
We all sit and try to connect the dots. Well, everyone except for Levi, who seems to be in his own world, cuddling with the familiars. A small cloud of black smoke appears on and around his body occasionally. It shimmers in and out of existence almost like the bond he shares with Luna.
“Are you on fire? What’s going on with the smoke?” Zav suddenly asks.
Glad it’s not me going crazy.
Valen must sense my thoughts because he leans close. “I saw it before myself.” I turn to look at him and he nods.
Levi whispers a word that must be in another language, andthe foggy cloud materializes once more on his forearm. He speaks to it softly, seeming to encourage it?
“Speaking to your nonexistent friends?” Zav scoffs.
The cloud flares for a second before settling into a familiar form.
“A chameleon?” I ask, confused.
Sure enough, a green chameleon sits on Levi’s arm. It looks nothing like the black cloud from five seconds ago and exactly like a reptile you’d get at the pet store. Levi strokes the back of it lovingly, and the chameleon’s eyes shutter in pleasure. The only odd thing about it? Its eyes are a crimson red.
“This is Trix,” Levi supplies but doesn’t say anything else.
“Okay.” Zav drags out the word. “Not only do we have a freeloading demon, but he brought a discount dragon.”
Levi’s head snaps up and his eyes flare angrily. His hair flashes a red color, and I realize the pattern I’m noticing but don’t voice it.
Holding the chameleon to his chest, Levi directs his retort at Zav. “You can say whatever you want about me, vampire, but don’t say shit about Trix. You will regret it, I can promise you that.”
Luna looks over at me, stunned, and I catch a wide-eyed Celine glance over as well.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Luna scoots a little closer to Levi and tries to defuse the situation. Rubbing Midnight’s furry ear, she looks at Levi. “He’s just joking. He didn’t realize it was a sore spot.”
None of us know what’s going on since Levi doesn’t offer up much information, but he seems to deflate a little at Luna’s ministrations.
“Wait,” Celine says suddenly. “Do you have the addresses on hand for the killings from the copycat?”
“Actually, I do.” I pull out my phone and find all thepictures I’ve taken. I figured they might be useful. “Here.” She grabs the phone as I pass it over to her.
Setting her phone on the coffee table, she references mine and draws a little dot on each of the sites. The rest of us watch as she does her detective thing.
“Holy shit,” Celine breathes.
“What?” Luna leans forward.
Celine has drawn a star, hitting each of the murder sites, and at the dead center of them all is a familiar location.
“The hotel.”
CHAPTER 48
