Herne frowned, putting down his tablet. “That’s one of the things we have to figure out. But we better do it quick before the body count rises, because the police have taken the stance that these attacks are wild animal attacks. Given the reports are coming from cops who are on the take from Névé, my guess is that the Fae are up to something and just trying to deflect blame.”
“Surely the Fae don’t want to start a war between the vampires and everybody else?” I asked.
Herne shook his head. “No, I doubt that’s their motive. My guess is they just want to continue whatever they’re up to without interruption. If they can deflect attention, maybe we won’t be tapped on the shoulder to step in.”
“What do you think their end goal is?” Yutani asked.
“Given that TirNaNog seems to be behind this, my guess is they’re looking to strike a blow at Névé and the Light Court. Trouble is, if they’re raising havoc down in the catacombs, there are things far worse than vampires lurking down there. Originally, a small group of explorers found a subterranean level that was there before Seattle burned, and when they broke through, it became apparent that there were other creatures beyond vampires and humans that tended to go creeping around in the dark. At that time, the catacombs were walled off and forgotten.”
“So what’s the bottom line? Where do we start?” Yutani scrolled through the pictures, raising his eyebrows. “This is heavy-duty mutilation.”
“Yes, it is. I want to move on this before the police spread the rumor that there is a vampire serial killer running around. If you’ll notice on some of the pictures—Angel, don’t feel you have to examine the photos, at least not right now—there are chunks of flesh missing from the bodies. I pulled some strings and got the coroner’s reports. The fact that something took a bite out of the bodies gives the coroner leeway to label the attacks as wild animal attacks. But no wolf or puma did that.” Herne set his tablet down.
“So officially, the call is wild animal attack. Unofficially, the Dark Court is spreading the rumor that vampires are to blame.” I rolled my eyes. “And when you think about it, you could almost chalk up the bites to a werewolf or the like. The waters are so muddy on this it’s hard to tell what’s true.”
Herne poured himself another cup of coffee. “And that is exactly the MO of the Fae courts. Stir up enough muck till everybody loses their way. So, brainstorm. Where do we start?”
Talia cocked her head to the side, then said, “Talk to the families and find out what their loved ones were doing down in the catacombs. Visit the catacombs themselves and see what we can find. What do you need from me?”
“That’s a start, though not all the bodies were found near the catacombs. Why don’t you run a background check on all of the victims? Try to pinpoint if they have anything in common. We have eight humans and four shifters, and that’s a broad spectrum. Did they know each other? Did they frequent the same establishments? Whatever you can find. Yutani, you and I will visit the families.”
“What about us?” Viktor asked.
“You take Ember and go take a look through the catacombs. Six of the bodies were found outside, near the secret entrances, but go through from the inside. See if you can find anything that might give us a clue as to what’s going on. Then head over to Seward Park where the other six bodies were found.”
I was glad that I’d worn jeans and a good jacket.
“Angel, you get the layout of your desk and duties. It’s two p.m. now. We’ll meet back here at six. Okay, that’s about it.” He paused. “Oh, Angel? Can you make another pot of coffee?”
“It figures.” She laughed. “I always get to make the coffee.” She picked up her tablet and phone and headed out to her desk, giving me a little wave.
Viktor turned to me. “You ready?”
Ready or not, I didn’t have a choice. “Sure, lead the way.” And we headed out into the blustery afternoon.
I FELT AWKWARD getting into the car with Viktor, given how little we knew about each other, but he tried to put me at ease.
“Please fasten your seatbelt. I try to drive as carefully as possible, but you never can tell with some of the road conditions out there. No smoking in the car.” The rain was coming down in a heavy, steady stream by now. “Are you cold? I can turn the heat up if you are.”
I realized I was shivering. “A little, if you would. I think I’m still in a bit of shock over everything that’s happened since yesterday. I’m feeling a little shaky. Oh, and I don’t smoke. Neither does Angel.”
“Do you need to drop by a Fast ‘N Go? We can pick up a burger on the way. I could use some food.”
I realize that I hadn’t eaten lunch. And pancakes and bacon only went so far.
“Thanks, I’d like that. Breakfast seems like it was a million years ago.” I paused. “How long have you been working for Herne?”
“I started with the Wild Hunt Agency fifteen years ago. For a long time I worked as a bouncer in a bar, but then Herne approached me about taking a job with him. It sounded a dozen times more interesting than what I was doing, and I’ve never regretted it.” He hesitated, then added, “I think you’ll really like it. I don’t know about your friend, but it’s a good job, and good pay. And Herne is… Well, he’s Herne. Don’t let Talia frighten you off. She’s crusty, and she’s a dangerous old coot, but she knows what she’s doing and she’ll have your back.”
“I didn’t want to ask because it seemed like prying, but she’s not human, is she?”
Viktor snorted. “Human? She’s about as human as a rock. She’s a Crypto, one of the rare ones.”
“Oh? Are you going to tell me, or do I have to ask?” I flashed Viktor a smile, suddenly liking the half-ogre. He seemed good-natured, and he also had brains. And I liked intelligence.
“Talia isn’t in the habit of talking about her past, especially given what happened to her. I’ll tell you, but don’t mention it to her unless she brings it up, which she eventually will. Deal?”
“You have my word.” I was more curious than ever.
Viktor changed lanes, easing over into the less-congested left lane. We were heading toward the docks. As he stopped at a red light, a brilliant flash of lightning shattered the sky, followed by an ominous rumble.
“I hate thunderstorms,” Viktor said. “Anyway, Talia was a harpy when she was born. A number of her powers were stripped from her during an altercation with a liche.”
“What’s that?” I had heard of a lot of creatures, but never a liche.
“It’s an animated corpse that feeds off life energy. Often, the person was cursed before death, and when they die, they rise again. But their spirit’s changed and they’re driven by a thirst for magical energy. They feed off just about any life force, but Cryptos provide an incredible amount of energy for them, and they can permanently drain abilities.” He shuddered. “They’re terrifying, desiccated corpses with fiery eyes.”
I shuddered. “And one attacked her?”
“Yeah, when she was younger. It almost drove her mad, but she managed to reach help and even though she’ll never regain her powers, she’s still got an eye for detail, and an ear for conversation. Talia has a photographic memory, and a photographic auditory sense. In other words, she can remember just about anything she sees or hears. You can see how that comes in handy in our business. She never has to double check any of the research she’s done, since she remembers everything.”
A thought struck me. “Wait. You said she’s a harpy? I thought they looked like bird women?” But then again, I had never known any harpies, nor had any contact with them.
“She used to. By the way, liches have been spotted in the catacombs. At least, in the catacombs that are still fairly desolate. So be careful.”