Page 69 of Cold Sacrifice

If that happened, she would roam the city, killing humans while hunger raged through her. I needed to speak with the witch, Trinity. Not only see if she could tether Richard to me if I managed to release him from my office, but to help me create something that would prevent her from sinking into the ground and escaping when I found her.

I wanted to split up, to leave Sam and Remy watching the alley while I went to my office, but we had only one car. So I left my car with them and took advantage of something the council had lent me.

I called Aaron.

Chapter Twenty-Five

There was a small chance that Jolene would reappear in the alley from which she’d disappeared. Remy agreed to stake out the area with Sam while Zach and I headed to the office to meet with Trinity, who’d agreed immediately when I’d called to ask her if she could come.

“Jolene might be a necromancer, but she’s also a vampire,” I told Sam and Remy. “If she comes out of the ground, use your stakes if you get the opportunity. Or call me and I’ll meet up with you as you track her through the city. You’ll know what you need to do if you see her.”

Rick had been called back to the van. They were preparing to move it out and transport it to an evidence bay, where a team would make sure not a single inch was left untouched.

It didn’t matter that when we’d gone into the ground, we seemed to have displaced the earth around us. Both Zach and I still had dirt clinging to us, and we both needed to shower and change clothes. The best we could do was wash up in the office bathroom. I had a change of clothes in the office, but Zach had to be content with just brushing the dirt and debris off his clothes.

Half an hour after we reached the office, Trinity and Clementina arrived, followed five minutes later by Max and Gracie Dawn. Richard rushed eagerly into the room and went straight to Trinity.

“Who do we have here?” he asked, drifting around her. He peered into her eyes, pushed his nose against her hair, and lifted a hand to touch her throat.

“Stop doing that,” I told him, irritated. “I don’t care if she can’t see or feel you. Keep your hands to yourself.”

Trinity lifted an eyebrow. “Am I being molested by the ghost?”

“He doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries,” I told her.

Her other eyebrow went up. “Really,” she said. “Tell me exactly where he is, Kait.”

“He’s right in front of you. He’s about five feet eleven inches tall—”

“I’m six feet one,” Richard said, offended.

I ignored him. “And he’s staring at you with a cocky look in his eyes. He’s also an alpha. A ghost alpha.”

Almost before I finished speaking, she shouted a word, balled her fist, and punched the ghost right in the nose. It didn’t matter that she was so much shorter than him or that she had to angle up to reach him. There was a sound like crackling electricity, and Richard reeled back, shocked, his hand to his face.

For a few seconds, everyone in the room simply gaped at her while she blew on her fist and beamed at all of us. Clementina jumped to my desk and licked a paw. I wanted to pet her, but when I held out my hand, she stopped mid-lick and glared at me.

“Can you show me how to do that?” Gracie Dawn asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Trinity told her. “Mr. Slaymaker, you’ll agree to mind your manners, or I won’t help Kait release you from this office.”

He lowered his hand and narrowed his eyes, but he was smiling. “I agree, tiny witch.”

“He says he agrees,” I told her.

She dusted her hands. “Good. Then let’s get started.”

“You can teach me a lot,” I said, as I cleared my desk so she could lay out supplies.

“I can,” she agreed. “You have a gift. And for freeing Richard, you already know what to do. I’ll help, but first we want to tether him to you.”

I nodded. Tether first, because if he was freed first, he could simply run off and I’d never see him again. I wouldn’t free him upon the world without some sort of restriction in place.

“I’m hurt by your mistrust,” Richard said, but there was an eager gleam in his eyes. “Ask her where she wants me.”

I pulled a small chair to the middle of the room. “Sit here,” I told him, “so she won’t have to wonder where you are.”

He didn’t argue.