put the water back on the desk. “They were sorta dating.”
He nodded, scribbling something in a notepad. A small blue bandage decorated Boyd’s left eyebrow. When he looked up from his writing, Boyd touched the wound tentatively with his fingers. “We’ll call him in for questioning.” He tapped the pencil against the notepad. Tap, tap, tap. “Had she been seen or overheard arguing with anyone recently?”
Ariana wiped tears on the sleeve of her hoodie and sniffled. “Not that I know of.”
Boyd scribbled something in his notebook again. “Had she been upset about anything?” Tap, tap, tap.
Ariana blinked back tears. “I have no idea.”
I sat a little straighter, trying to see what Boyd was jotting down in the file. He pulled the page closer to him, resting his elbow on it, one hand under his chin. Tap, tap, tap. I wanted to grab that pencil and chuck it out the window.
“I want you to know that we’re trying to locate your parents, Ariana.” The sheriff’s fingers tensed around the pencil, his dark eyes locking on her blue ones. “In the meantime, do you have a place to stay until we canreach them?”
“She can stay with me. We have a spare room,” I said, and Ari gave me a grateful nod.
“One more thing, girls. There was a piece of paper clutched in Cadence’s hand. It said, ‘The Thirteenth Daughter must stop the cambion before more blood is spilled.’ Does that mean anything to either of you?”
Uh, yeahhh. It obviously meant moi and Trent. My throat went dry and my hands shook. I tugged at my collar. Damn, it was warm in here. Ari’s aunt must’ve planned to give me the note, or she’d written it while she lay there dying. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Should I keep my big mouth shut or spill my guts…
Oh, just tell him.
No, don’t. Not a good idea.
But Boyd knows about paranormals. You can trust him.
Don’t do it, Shiloh. It’ll only put him in danger.
Go for it.
No. Shut up!
While this internal conflict raged in my head, Ari and I shared a quick look.
“I don’t know what the note means,” Ariana replied.
“Me neither,” I lied.
“What about this symbol?” Boyd asked, holding up a piece of paper with the image of an upside down Y.
An uneasy, tingling sensation ran down my spine, and warmed my blood, like fiery pins and needles beneath my skin.
I shook my head. “What does it have to do with Ari’s aunt?”
He slipped the document into a folder.
“Please,” Ariana said. “You can trust us.”
The silence was stifling. Sirens screeched in the distance.
“It might be hard to hear…” Boyd finally said and rocked in his seat, the legs of his chair complaining. “That symbol was sliced into her forehead presumably by the killer.”
Throw him a bone, Shiloh. Boyd was your dad’s best friend.
“I think it’s Gaelic. But I’m not sure what it means,” I said.
“Thanks.” Boyd shifted in his chair toward Ariana. “While you two were here, I dispatched the crime scene unit to search your home for clues and dust for fingerprints.”
Ari sniffled. “Oh…can I go by later and get some clothes?”
“Of course.” Boyd eyed us for a few long, agonizing seconds. “Anything else you girls want to tell me? Anything useful that might help us catch this person?”
My mouth opened, but no sound came out. There was plenty I wasn’t telling him, of course—the Evil Triad, the scary paranormal activity, the demon I’d vanquished in an alley before he’d killed one of the BRC—but none of those things fell under the heading of stuff the cops needed to know. It might even get more people killed. A sharp pang of sympathy struck my gut for Boyd. He might be searching for the killer in the wrong places, but at least he was trying to help save lives.
“No,” Ariana said, then nudged me with her elbow.
“Yeah, nothing I can think of,” I said quickly.
“Uh-huh. Do me a favor and please keep this conversation, in particular the note and
He nodded, scribbling something in a notepad. A small blue bandage decorated Boyd’s left eyebrow. When he looked up from his writing, Boyd touched the wound tentatively with his fingers. “We’ll call him in for questioning.” He tapped the pencil against the notepad. Tap, tap, tap. “Had she been seen or overheard arguing with anyone recently?”
Ariana wiped tears on the sleeve of her hoodie and sniffled. “Not that I know of.”
Boyd scribbled something in his notebook again. “Had she been upset about anything?” Tap, tap, tap.
Ariana blinked back tears. “I have no idea.”
I sat a little straighter, trying to see what Boyd was jotting down in the file. He pulled the page closer to him, resting his elbow on it, one hand under his chin. Tap, tap, tap. I wanted to grab that pencil and chuck it out the window.
“I want you to know that we’re trying to locate your parents, Ariana.” The sheriff’s fingers tensed around the pencil, his dark eyes locking on her blue ones. “In the meantime, do you have a place to stay until we canreach them?”
“She can stay with me. We have a spare room,” I said, and Ari gave me a grateful nod.
“One more thing, girls. There was a piece of paper clutched in Cadence’s hand. It said, ‘The Thirteenth Daughter must stop the cambion before more blood is spilled.’ Does that mean anything to either of you?”
Uh, yeahhh. It obviously meant moi and Trent. My throat went dry and my hands shook. I tugged at my collar. Damn, it was warm in here. Ari’s aunt must’ve planned to give me the note, or she’d written it while she lay there dying. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Should I keep my big mouth shut or spill my guts…
Oh, just tell him.
No, don’t. Not a good idea.
But Boyd knows about paranormals. You can trust him.
Don’t do it, Shiloh. It’ll only put him in danger.
Go for it.
No. Shut up!
While this internal conflict raged in my head, Ari and I shared a quick look.
“I don’t know what the note means,” Ariana replied.
“Me neither,” I lied.
“What about this symbol?” Boyd asked, holding up a piece of paper with the image of an upside down Y.
An uneasy, tingling sensation ran down my spine, and warmed my blood, like fiery pins and needles beneath my skin.
I shook my head. “What does it have to do with Ari’s aunt?”
He slipped the document into a folder.
“Please,” Ariana said. “You can trust us.”
The silence was stifling. Sirens screeched in the distance.
“It might be hard to hear…” Boyd finally said and rocked in his seat, the legs of his chair complaining. “That symbol was sliced into her forehead presumably by the killer.”
Throw him a bone, Shiloh. Boyd was your dad’s best friend.
“I think it’s Gaelic. But I’m not sure what it means,” I said.
“Thanks.” Boyd shifted in his chair toward Ariana. “While you two were here, I dispatched the crime scene unit to search your home for clues and dust for fingerprints.”
Ari sniffled. “Oh…can I go by later and get some clothes?”
“Of course.” Boyd eyed us for a few long, agonizing seconds. “Anything else you girls want to tell me? Anything useful that might help us catch this person?”
My mouth opened, but no sound came out. There was plenty I wasn’t telling him, of course—the Evil Triad, the scary paranormal activity, the demon I’d vanquished in an alley before he’d killed one of the BRC—but none of those things fell under the heading of stuff the cops needed to know. It might even get more people killed. A sharp pang of sympathy struck my gut for Boyd. He might be searching for the killer in the wrong places, but at least he was trying to help save lives.
“No,” Ariana said, then nudged me with her elbow.
“Yeah, nothing I can think of,” I said quickly.
“Uh-huh. Do me a favor and please keep this conversation, in particular the note and
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