Chasing Demons (Book 2) Rated R

Chapter 4

I hated when people offered me tea.

Because if they really wanted me to relax, they'd offer me weed.

But no, it was always tea.

I waved away the cup that the blonde woman instructor offered me.

Unaffected, she shrugged, set the mug down in front of me and left the room, leaving the door to her office slightly ajar.

Both Raven and I turned in our chairs to the sounds of commotion just outside the door.

"How could you allow this to happen on your own land?" Someone growled. The voice wasn't familiar but as he walked past I could tell he was a vampire. A reader, to be exact.

"We assure you we are doing everything possible to find the culprit."

"You are not doing enough!" The man shouted. "These killers are only getting bolder and now it has happened in your own backyard."

"Victor, I understand your frustration. We want these killers behind bars as much as you do."

"Do you?" Victor said, voice dropping down an octave. "It's interesting to me how the Bulgarian massacres were carried out with stakes. Only people I know who wield stakes are your kind."

"Those are serious and offensive accusations," Garton responded calmly. "We uphold treaties not break them and need I remind you these murderers killed two faerie women in Bulgaria? Our sole purpose in life is to protect faeries!"

"Collateral damage then perhaps."

"Victor," Garton continued, voice as patient as if he were speaking to a small, unruly child. "As director of the vampire bureau of investigations, you must know that our kind is not the only ones who wield stakes. Perhaps your Bulgarian coven was careless and let slip to the humans what they really were. In any case, we want to put these people behind bars as much as you do."

"Monsters," Victor corrected. "Not people. They slew two vampire children. You know one of them was only a few months old?"

"Yes," Garton said gently and with a hint of sadness, "I agree. Please, come into my office so we can further discuss the evidence we've gathered so far. Everything appears to point to human fanatics..."

"What the hell is going on around here?" Raven said as she spun back in her chair at the sound of Garton's door clicking shut.

"A whole lot of murders apparently."

Raven grunted. "A few years back, when I was still staying with my asshole vampire father in New York there were two murders I remember because they'd scared the shit out of me. The news called them satanic murders because both bodies had carvings of crosses all over their skin and were left in front of St. Patrick's."

"Years ago?" I echoed. "These murderers have been loose for years and no one's done anything about it?"

"VBI has been trying but with no success. Without the Defender's help, it's nearly a lost cause. They have more connections with the human government than we do but all they care about are Faeries."

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard his voice. It wasn't particularly loud. In fact, it was low and dark and angry but yet I'd recognize it anywhere.

"Take me to your incompetent leader." His words travelled down the corridor, washing over me from head to toe. It created a familiar longing in my chest, my mind warring with heart, trying to keep me rooted to my seat.

My heart won out and I wandered to the door just as he strode past. He was surrounded by an army of guards but our eyes still managed to meet. His were dark blue, clouded over with a quiet fury. In a split second, he tore his gaze away and disappeared into Garton's office and relief rushed through me.