The one thing that stuck out was Orrin’s labeling my actions to save my teammates as reckless.
Maybe…maybe he didn’t hurt any humans by design. I assumed he attacked at night because that would be the best time to take a crack at Tutu’s. But maybe his goal was more personal and less nefarious. If Tutu’s was his target, why would he—or, possibly, Gisila—want to attack it? It’s impenetrable, and Tutu is Gisila’s sister!
The investigative end of this was mind bogglingly difficult—it was far too easy to jump to conclusions. Maybe I needed to add some police procedural books to my research on social rules?
When I was almost to the meeting room, I started unsnapping my mask so I could take it off to drink my smoothie. I’d removed all the hooks from the left side when my cellphone rang.
I pulled my cellphone up, smiling when I saw it was Nan. I swiped to accept the call, then slipped the phone between my hood and the unfastened part of my mask and held it up to my ear. “Hi, Nan!”
“Good evening, Lass!” Nan’s familiar voice leaked from my cellphone speaker sparking memories of hugs, which always smelled of the saddle soap we used to clean all our leather gear and the soothing scent of gunpowder. “I know you’re about to start your shift, so I won’t keep you long.”
“What’s up?” I moved to the side of the hallway so I wouldn’t block anybody and leaned against the wall.
“I was just calling to make sure you’re doing well. I know no news is good news, but I do fret.”
I smiled at Nan’s familiar love of American proverbs. “Sorry. The last few days have been… interesting. There was a fire at the public library, and I had to question some wizards as part of the investigation,” I said.
“Oh my. Well, as it is said, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!”
I locked my legs and pressed my back harder against the wall. “Yeah, I’m just being cautious about it. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“You needn’t fret,” Nan said. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, I’m sure you’re doing right.”
“Thanks. Um, how is everyone?” I asked.
“Let me think… Fergus is out on a mission with John and Mack,” she said, listing my Dad, uncle, and cousin. “Your mother got a new dagger sharpening kit and is as smitten as a kitten. Oh! Your brother created a new practice drill for loading a gun while blindfolded. He’s going to record it and send it to you.”
“Which brother?” I asked. I had three of them, all older, and all obsessed with training and improving. I was the easy-going member of the family.
“Peridot,” Nan said. “He’s been getting sloppy with his gunwork lately, but practice makes perfect!”
“How’s Paddy?”
“He’s as happy as a clam! Stephen and Joe are coming out to help him with a few projects.”
“Uncle Stephen and Uncle Joe?” I asked, naming two of my Mom’s many brothers.
“Yes!”
“Are they coming for house or vampire projects?” I asked.
Everyone in my mom’s family had taken up a trade in addition to being trained as vampire slayers. My mom did landscape design and installation before she married Dad. Uncle Stephen did roofing and siding, while Uncle Joe was a plumber. (Both families were delighted when Mom and Dad got married. Mom’s family, the Carters, were able to semi-retire as slayers—they just acted like reserves for the O’Neils, and instead did construction full time, and usually patched up anything we O’Neils destroyed in the process of a mission for super cheap.) “House projects,” Nan said. “It was supposed to be just a few simple fixes—change out a water faucet, check all the toilets since I think we have one that won’t stop running, and replace a few shingles on the roof. But your Uncle Stephen had to open his mouth and say that the roof could use a gun mount, and that got them all harebrained.” Nan grunted her displeasure. “I’ve tried stuffing their mouths with food to keep them preoccupied from getting more ideas, but I’m not sure it’s working. The proof of the pudding is in its eating, I suppose. How’s that little friend of yours?”
I paused. Friend? I didn’t tell her about Connor, did I?
My family wasn’t anti-vampire, but not even my mom’s family would be thrilled at the idea of me living next to a vampire.
“What was her name…Sunshine?”
“Sunshine is good,” I said. “I got a text from her this morning—she’s been doing a lot of yard cleanup with her folks. I’m hoping to get her opinion on the wizard thing.”
“That sounds wise. She is one smart cookie; I’m sure she’ll have a new perspective.”
“Yeah. I’m still trying to wrap up a few things with a previous case—the one where the fae loosed several rounds of fae monsters in Magiford,” I said. I told Nan about most of my cases—just nothing about Considine/Ruin—but I didn’t share if it wasn’t public. Orrin’s case was considered solved, so it was fine for me to talk about it. “She might be able to give me a few insights on fae culture.”
“As a brownie herself, I imagine she might have a few tips and tricks to share!”
“Yeah.” I glanced up and down the hallway. It had been mostly abandoned before, but more task force members were passing through as we got closer to the shift change. “I should probably go—I still have to eat before muster. Thanks for calling, Nan!”
“Of course! Love you, Lass! Take care—and remember to stab first and ask questions later!”
I laughed, and my phone clicked as Nan hung up.
My heart lighter, it only took a minute to get to the team’s meeting room.
I opened the meeting room door and stepped in, expecting the usual quite atmosphere.
Instead, I was greeted with Tetiana wailing.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Jade
“You cannot take my fae queen. I have the Night Queen—you can only have her if you have the Night King!” Tetiana glared at Juggernaut across the table.
It took me a moment to realize that she was referring to the cards fanned out in her hand.
Oh, they’re playing cards again. They must have gotten here really early.
Today Binx, April, Juggernaut, Tetiana, and Clarence were all playing. They were the only ones in the meeting room this early, and they nodded to me as I slunk deeper into the room.
Juggernaut rearranged his cards in his hand. “She’s not the Night Queen, she’s the queen of spades,” he said to Tetiana. “And the king of spades isn’t a match—she needs to be matched with other queens!”
“You said I could call her the Night Queen,” Tetiana stubbornly said.
Juggernaut set his cards face down so he could rub his eyes. “I said you could call her whatever you want! And Clarence, don’t think I haven’t noticed that you are cheating somehow! You’ve won the last four games in a row!”
I sat down at my table—where my smoothie was waiting—and finished removing my mask so I could take a sip.