Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

8. part I - foe or friend

Adeem tried his best to keep his eyes away from the body splayed on the blackened parquet, shivering from the cold breeze. It had been a bad idea to vanquish the balcony door, but at least the fresh air helped to keep the stench at bay.

It was strange to think that he'd sometimes wished Vincent to be less happy—that he'd been bitter about the fact that Vincent had easy smiles for everyone. It had been such a cynical point of view, but he couldn't take it back. He couldn't apologize to someone who wasn't there.

Kyung, poised as ever after the interaction on the balcony, straightened his suit and reached for his left pocket to retrieve his phone. He placed it against his ear, and a mere second passed before he spoke, "Call Lorian. He's got one of his own to take care of tonight." The dragon closed the call, possibly without listening to a reply. Efficient as ever. Cool and unfeeling.

Adeem wondered if it was any use asking who he'd talked to. It seemed rather pointless. It was enough to know that Lorian would join them. Vincent's father would want to take care of everything.

"So, do we wait here?" he asked. "Or do we go and meet Nev?"

Low voices reached them from the kitchen, reminding him that they weren't alone. He realized that he'd posed a question that questioned the dragon's powers. Would the police remain in the kitchen if Kyung left the building? And if not, would the dragon admit that his powers had limits?

"We wait."

He couldn't read the dragon's expression. It was almost devoid of feeling but hinted at determination. There was something about the way the dragon set his jaw, studying the fae as if it somehow had been his fault, or at least his responsibility.

"Why Vincent?" Adeem asked. "And why go through all this trouble to make sure we could identify victim so soon. What do they want?"

"They?" Kyung asked.

"Well, we have a vampire and someone who controls fire with precision. That's definitely not one person." The murders had to be connected, somehow, which meant they could include a werewolf as well. The fire was a disconcerting addition, however. "I still think they want to point the blame toward you."

"Well, who could want me implicated in a crime? What possible threat am I to anyone?" Kyung said, bitterness lacing his words.

"Has this happened before?"

"No. Not explicitly this."

He sighed. There were too many questions. "Who is fearless enough to do something like this when they know what's at stake? They must know what will happen if this continues. Seriously, it can't be Nev. He just doesn't have it in him to murder someone."

"He's a vampire. And you know that vampires have a weakness for the fae. Nev might have drained him dry and decided to start a fire to cover it up."

He snorted. That was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "Not even you believe that."

"Maybe you're right. It certainly doesn't explain everything." Kyung stepped closer to the body and cocked his head to the side. "No, why leave the marks that show exactly who this was. They want us to know that it was a fae who died at the hands of a vampire and possibly someone—" Kyung eyed him. "Can you set people on fire"

"No, that's not what my powers do." His destructive talents wouldn't leave a body behind to investigate.

Kyung sucked his teeth and took a step to the side, surveying the body again as if he might see something new. "And it can't be Astrid because we had her incarcerated while you met up with Vincent. So, who else in this city commands fire?"