Light in Torment: An Annora Park Novel: Book Three

Chapter One: The Light That Never Fades

    "I hate you," I put the bottle of Johnny Walker down on the counter and glare at it, as if it is somehow responsible for my current misery. "What good are you?" I say, feeling halfway ridiculous talking to a bottle of liquor.
    I'd been drinking my sorrows away for two days now and nothing was getting better, in fact everything was getting worse. Not only did having hangovers suck major ass, but the ache in my heart was growing, the pain was growing too. But I was absolutely determined not to let any of it sway me. I knew my course and my course was not leading me back to Tir na nOg and a certain lying asshole king that I hated.
    But that was the problem. I said I hated him. Hell, most of the time I DID hate him. And yet, in my heart of hearts I didn't REALLY hate him. I was furious, I was hurt, I was, yes, heartbroken...and yet I didn't hate him. I just had to remember, I had to remember what he had done and then all the anger and hatred came back. I needed to remember. I needed to hold onto that hatred.
My phone rings and I pull my sloggy self over to my cell phone and answer it, "Parks here."
"Hey Ann."
"Oh, Garrett, hey..." Garrett and I hadn't left on the best of terms. I'd basically tossed him out of Walker's house after calling him an asshole racist.
"Uhmmm....the captain needs us as 39th and Barrington."
Instantly I perk up. A murder? I could do a murder? It would definitely take my mind off of the shit I was dealing with right now. I felt sorta terrible that I was actually HAPPY someone had been murdered, okay, not happy exactly, but relieved that I had something I could do, something that I could do and something that would help me out.
"Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Okay, and hey Ann...it's good to hear your voice again."
I sigh. "You too, Garrett, you too." I hand up and quickly rush to my bathroom. Oh my God I look like a Holy Terror. I quickly braid my hair and smell under my armpits, do they smell bad? Okay not to bad. I put on some deodorant, quickly splash some water over my face and check myself out again. Better...not great...but better. I grab my knives and my service revolver and strap everything on and I'm off.

I pull up and there's a bevy of police vehicles already on site.  Lights are flashing and the usual suspects, aka spectators are all around.  I jump out of my car and walk up to Garrett.  He stands out like a beacon in a dark night.  His golden hair seems even more golden today and as always he's dressed immaculately.
   "Hey Garrett."
   "Hey Ann." Garrett points to the alley.  "We've got a weird one here."
   "I assumed as much, otherwise I wouldn't have been called in, would I?" I follow Garrett into the alley and what I see stops me cold.  A girl lays on her stomach on the ground and her back has been completely skinned.  Whoa.
   "You see why it's weird though right?"
   I give him a, am I stupid look, and nod.  "There's no blood. She's been skinned but there's no blood."
   "Yup. Captain assumed that magic was used."
   "Good assumption."  I walk over to the dead body and kneed down next to her.  "Okay, you know the dill.  Just stand back a little bit." I drop my shields and the shadows jump me immediately.  God, they come at me faster these days.  I pick through the shadows and I try to find her signature.  I finally find it and see her, she's taking a shortcut home.  Something comes at her, a bright light? That can't be right... but it's definitely a bright light.  It blinds her and then it's on her in seconds.  The light covers her body and then meticulously peels the skin off of her back.  I draw deeper into the shadows to see what else I can find and then swear.  I come out of my Tread sweating.
   "What, what did you see Ann?"
   "Give me a second, Garrett."
   "Your nose is bleeding." Garrett hands me a tissue and I press it against my nose. 
   "The dead girl...she was a Fairy."
   "A Fairy?"
   "Yeah.  She was definitely a Fairy.  The signature was..." And fuck if I didn't want to do this.  "The signature was Light Fae."  I sigh.  "I don't know what attacked her, it looked like a bright light.  And it covered her body and skinned her back.  But what I think it was after was...."
   "What?"
   "Her wings." I say softly.  "I think the light wanted her wings.  It skinned her back, that's what it looks like, but it took her wings."
   "Jesus, Joseph and Mary," Garrett says.
   "Yeah.  I need to...I'm going to need to regroup.  And probably talk to a few people.  I'll get back to you and—"
   "—NO," Garrett says.
   "I'm sorry, excuse me?"
   "I said no, Ann.  I wasn't there for you on the last case and you could've been killed.  I was an asshole.  I should have said the fuck with protocol and been there for you.  So I'm with you now.  I'm all in."
   My eyes widen.  "Even if this get's...messy? Even if I have to go to the in-between or other places?"
   "Like I said, I'm all in!"
   I smile slightly.  "Okay, then. Let's get to Walker's house.  I need to check in with him."
   Garrett makes a moue of distaste but nods.  We get into my vehicle and we're off.