I watched as file after file was brought into the large oval office where both teams sat trying to comb through the evidence. This wasn’t going to stop the next murder from occurring, we knew if the killer kept to the pattern it would be Fae. Ryder had sent out a call to his people which might slow the killer down but it wouldn’t stop it. We were missing pieces, something that was covered up by the exploding crime scene.
"I need to call Alden, we need to call back the Witches who moved out of the Guild," I complained for the fifth time.
"Alden already has, he called an hour ago to check and make sure you were still breathing," Adam said coming over to where I was set up on a white sofa with a flannel blanket to keep my body temperature up.
I rubbed my temples and shook my head. "The aura today was red, which means undead—more likely a newborn Vampire or a fledgling five years or younger. The neck was torn and it could be a cover up. The murders are on the front page of every tabloid and newspaper out there. This one feels wrong, like a set-up."
Ryder nodded from where he stood with his back to the wall, his arms folded over his chest in a leisure stance. "The bomb and pattern fits though."
"Yeah, it does. But her throat was ripped out, which is common among the vamps that can't control the feeding urge. The bomb in the last victim made the headlines yesterday. So did the disfigurement of the face of the Fairy. This victim however had no missing parts. Just the skin on her face was missing."
"If you're right that means the real killer has yet to make his move on a Witch to keep his pattern up," Adam said softly.
"Who is guarding Alden?" I asked.
"The Paladin's," Larissa said grinning.
The Paladins were knights that protected Guild leaders and others in the world of supernatural beings, an elite group who could wield magic and enchanted weapons. It's who you called when all hell broke loose, as it just had.
"Who called them in?" I inquired.
"Not sure, but the two Washington Guilds have called in Paladins now. Protocol I guess. Alden said he was recalling, not who though. It's likely they would only call back those who are without coven. It's not likely the killer would go after a full coven since they are stronger together." Larissa finished off with a sad smile.
"It’s going to take them too long to bring them all, which means we will have a new crime scene soon," I winced as I moved my arm causing my side to move and the injury winced from the movement from where it had yet to fully heal. Fae magic took time to work, as it healed from the inside out, sealing the internal organs first.
"You need to rest Syn. We can go through these alone. You've been almost blown up twice now." Adam said as he sat down and allowed me to curl up against him. The glare Ryder gave us was worth it, his eyes narrowed as a possessive glow lit in his molten lava depths.
"I'm not sleeping while someone else dies Adam. According to all these files only Witches and Fae have been the targets. What if it's not just Fae and Witches and the others are doing the same thing we do and keep the problems of our own silent?"
Ryder pushed off the wall and walked towards us before pulling out a chair and flipping it around to face him before he straddled it and set his hands on the back of it. "You think other groups are being victimized and not reporting it?"
"You think they could keep the newspapers from finding out better than we could?" He countered.
"Who do you report it to when dead bodies pile up?" I replied back hiding the wince that threatened to show in my face as I settled in more against Adam's chest.
"We don't report it, we handle our own." He said with a deadly glare leveled right at me.
"Bingo and no one from the Horde reports their deaths now that the Horde King decided to tuck his tail between his legs and go into hiding."
Everyone inside the room stopped and looked directly at me. Ryder's eyes glowed with anger as he narrowed them on me. "I can assure you that the Horde King is not tucking anything, or hiding. He's a busy man and if I were you little Witchy—I'd watch that pretty pink tongue of yours while speaking of him."
I snorted, "He's been gone for years and I’m pretty sure his caste is slinking around fucking shit up while he's gone. He's the King of the Unseelie Ryder, one of the most powerful Fae in the universe and yet not one flipping Fae knows where he went, or why for that matter, so yes, he is missing right now. And while he's gone, his horde is running around leaderless, so who the hell do you think they're reporting it to while he is gone? No one, instead they're handling it by themselves. Hell for all we know it could be him running around in lipstick killing people!"
Thirteen male's growled in unison. The sound alone was enough to make the hair on my neck stand up straight.
"You think the King of the Horde is out prancing around wearing lipstick while he implants bombs inside body cavities?" Ryder asked with his sexy little smirk plastered on his full mouth.