Dark Designs (Monsters of New York, book 1)

INTRODUCTIONS

"I don't remember saying you can use my shop for booty calls."

"Shut up, Shay, you know it's not like that." River glared at the smaller pink haired woman wearing a shit-eating grin. "It's just business."

"Uh huh," Shay snickered as she turned to where she'd been arranging various crystals on a shelf. Terra Luna was what you would imagine a hippie new age store to be. A strong smell of incense in the air. Crystals, crystals and more crystals. An assortment of tarot cards and various books of magic that were honestly full of bullshit, but they sold well. Shay justified the bullshit by saying it made people happy and brought them peace of mind, and that magic was mostly in the mind anyways.

River had never been any good at magic herself, outside of certain wards and sigils that she used in her own work. According to Shay it was because her chakras were misaligned and her vibe was off. What most people didn't realize about Shay was that she was the real deal— or at least as close to it as River had come across so far. She was a good ally for a hunter, and also a good friend. Even if the pixie-like woman was insufferable at times.

River rolled her eyes so hard they saw the back of her head as she finished typing out a text to Cain.

River: Can u come to Terra Luna in Williamsburg? I need ur help.

She wasn't even sure if he would show up. It had been about two weeks since the night they met, and even if it had ended in a sort of truce, it hadn't exactly gone well. River still wasn't sure how much she wanted to involve him in this, trying to tell herself he'd dealt enough with vampires and made it pretty clear he didn't really want to get further involved.

"I'd rather keep my name out of it."

Too bad all she had come up with was dead ends and more stonewalling from the Guild. "We just don't have enough evidence." Well fuck, she'd find some then. It might mean eating up what few free nights she had, though.

She quickly added the address to the shop at the end of her text, and pressed send.

—

Cain had tried not to think about it too much, the looming threat of the coven. He'd put the task in the hands of River and her so-called Guild, and it would probably be for the best if that was all he did. But knowing something logically didn't stop the mental fuckery going on in his head, half worried he'd get outed - that his safe haven in Bushwick would get stormed by vamps, or cops, or anything - and half anxious to know how the hunt was going.

He'd felt like shit the days after talking with the hunter. Headaches and chills that barely lessened from pigs' blood popsicles, only subdued temporarily from live animals, and they hadn't fully disappeared until he bit the bullet and used up some of his official supply. That shit was limited; he was still using up what he'd convinced that rat from the navy yard to fence him (from a shipment meant for the coven). He'd gotten ten medical grade bags six months ago and was down to just three. He'd have to actually hunt if he wanted to keep using his powers like that.

But that wasn't the kind of hunt he'd be on today.

He'd had a fight two nights ago— one he'd been paid well to throw, and his body showed it. Injuries to his torso were minor, and fastest to heal when he'd reluctantly sipped a bit of another bag to take the edge off. But he was still green and yellow with bruises to his cheek and chin, knuckles raw despite the usual protections taken. He was flexing his hands, looking at the bruising and wondering if it was worth another sip from his stash, when his phone buzzed.

Looking up the shop, Cain raised a brow at his phone screen. Crystal healing new age shit?

Cain: Before closing? Or after?