Undercity: Manifest

Chapter Seventeen

Emilie only had two months left until she was due to give birth. Due to die. Sadie couldn't shake the thought any time she saw or spoke to her sister, and it was taking its toll on her. Lack of sleep had caused bags to form under her eyes. She knew she had lost weight from training and lack of appetite. 

She was now officially a rookie partnered with Ben full-time. Despite the looming darkness she couldn't escape, she loved her job. The police force wasn't a career she ever considered, so she was surprised by how well she had taken to it considering it had practically been forced on her. 

Her training was progressing to the point that she was able to mostly control her magic and hold her own in a fight. She was still wearing her necklace outside of her training with Zach. The only time she would take it off was when it was necessary for her to assess somebody on a job. Other than that, it remained around her neck. 

Finally feeling like she might drift off to sleep, Sadie rolled over to meet the refreshingly cool side of her pillow. It was past one in the morning as she willed her brain to shut off and for unconsciousness to take her. The unwanted and incessant buzzing of her phone from her bedside table murdered any hope of sleep. 

'Get dressed'. Dante's commanding tone took her by surprise. She was too out of it to check the caller ID before she answered. He didn't give her time to protest. 'You're meeting me and Ben for a job. Don't wear your uniform' The connection ended abruptly. 

The arrival of a text message, providing the address of where to meet, came through before she had set her phone back down.  

Dante had been working at the station for the past few months investigating a string of missing people. Their paths rarely crossed at work, and he was his usual delightful self whenever they did. 

Today had been Sadie's day off. After visiting Emilie, she spent the rest of her day wallowing at home. The fact she was now pulling on her jeans and hoodie did not fill her with joy. 

Sadie arrived at the closed mechanic garage by taxi twenty minutes later. Dante and Ben were standing by the lowered curb outside of the entrance waiting for her, overshadowed by the tall, corrugated iron fence running around the outside edge of the parking space. Ben passed her a coffee cup and a brown paper bag, no doubt containing food. He hadn't commented on her appearance at any point, but she could tell by how many times he offered her food that he had noticed.

'You look like shit.' 

'Always nice to see you Dante.' She shot back before sipping her coffee. She left the paper bag untouched. 'What's going on?' 

Ben was the one to fill her in. 'We've had a report of suspicious activity coming from the garage. A unit on the day shift detected magic when they came by today and passed it on to the Coven.' 

Emily gestured she was following. 

'We need to break in and look around while it's empty. That's why he's here.' Ben pointed to Dante who grunted in annoyance. 

'Lead the way.' Sadie didn't hesitate or question it. 

Dante led the way to the back of the building and produced a set of bolt cutters from the back of his jeans before snapping open the external chain holding the door closed. 

'Not very secure for a secret underground lair.'

Ben was the only one to snicker at her joke. 

'If you two kids are finished, we have a job to do.' Sadie threw Dante a mock salute before throwing her half-drunk coffee cup and unopened paper bag into a bin. 

They didn't turn the lights on, opting to be guided by a low sphere of light magic Dante had generated. It looked like a typical garage. There were cars propped up on jacks and discarded tools scatter haphazardly on all surfaces. A distinctive smell of oil and paint filled Sadie's nose as she made her way through the main room. An office sat off to the left. Ben discovered the door was unlocked and made his way inside to shuffle through papers and check the computer for clues.