vengeance.
“So what do we do?” Nick asked.
“Give me a few more minutes, then I’ll take you to Kyrian’s.”
“Ash!”
Nick looked around Ash to see a young African-American guy rushing over to them.
Ash turned to face him. “Hey, Tate. You investigating?”
He nodded. “I was out with my dad when the call came in.” He gestured to the medical examiner, who was talking to the police. Then his gaze went to Nick.
“This is Nick Gautier. He’s working for Kyrian and knows about our darker side.”
“Ah…” He smiled at Nick. “Tate Bennett. Nice to meet you.” He seemed friendly enough as he held his hand out.
Nick shook it. “You, too.”
Tate leaned in to speak in a low tone with Ash. “It’s a demon thing, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. But I don’t think a demon killed him. I’m pretty sure the killer was human and so was the kid.”
Tate appeared confused. “How do you mean?”
Ash gestured toward the circle. “That’s a containment and destruction spell. The kind meant to trap and weaken a demon so that you can kill it easily.”
Tate’s eyes widened. “The kid was possessed?”
“I don’t think so. It’s a weird vibe. I’m really not sure what went on. All I know is it ain’t right.”
Tate’s frown deepened. “How can you not know what happened?”
Ash lowered his tone even more. “That’s what I’m trying to say. Whatever human did this has me blocked and with those symbols.… I don’t know. But I’m thinking the kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In spite of the fact that the kid is dead, I don’t think he was the target. I think the killer was after something else. What about you? You have anything?”
“Only the vic’s description: Caucasian. Male. Fourteen years old. We think he was killed this morning around eight. No ID at all, but he did have—”
“Hey, I know those shoes.”
Tate and Ash turned to him as Nick pointed at the body they were now moving. As they’d lifted the kid, the tarp had been pulled back from his feet.
“What?” Ash asked.
Nick inclined his head to the lime green Converse they were zipping the body bag around, which were decorated with a Magic Marker. “That’s Barry Thornton. He sits behind me in study hall.”
Tate stepped toward him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Those shoes are distinctive. No one else in high school draws Pokémon on their clothes.” Not to mention the green was pretty neon, and most of the kids he knew preferred more sedate colors.
Tate considered that for a second before he spoke. “Has he been messing with the occult?”
Nick gave Tate an agitated stare. “Let’s go back to the Pokémon on his shoes, shall we? Dead giveaway. He wouldn’t even play D&D, ’cause he thought it was Satanic. He didn’t believe in anything paranormal.” Which was ironic when you thought about how many preternatural beings went to their high school. “He was the captain of the chess club and an A-plus student.”
Tate met Ash’s gaze. “Why would anyone think he’s a demon?”
Ash shrugged. “The world is insane, and you’re asking me for the reasoning of a psycho? I’m not a profiler.”
“But you are omniscient,” Tate reminded him.
“It, like my immortality, has its limitations. I can’t see everything, unfortunately.” Ash sighed. “Nick said this was the second boy found?”
“Yeah. There was a kid named Alistair Sloan found last night.”
They both looked over at Nick.
“Why y’all looking at me for? I don’t know him at all.”
Ash snorted. “You seem to know everyone else in town.”
“Well, I do get around.” Nick grinned.
Ash shook his head before he returned his attention to Tate. “This entire event isn’t adding up.”
Tate agreed. “Could be a zealot on a killing spree. Sometimes the weird crap is human. I know it doesn’t happen often in this town. But … every now and again, we do find humans being insane.”
Ash appeared less than convinced.
“So what do we do?” Nick asked.
“Give me a few more minutes, then I’ll take you to Kyrian’s.”
“Ash!”
Nick looked around Ash to see a young African-American guy rushing over to them.
Ash turned to face him. “Hey, Tate. You investigating?”
He nodded. “I was out with my dad when the call came in.” He gestured to the medical examiner, who was talking to the police. Then his gaze went to Nick.
“This is Nick Gautier. He’s working for Kyrian and knows about our darker side.”
“Ah…” He smiled at Nick. “Tate Bennett. Nice to meet you.” He seemed friendly enough as he held his hand out.
Nick shook it. “You, too.”
Tate leaned in to speak in a low tone with Ash. “It’s a demon thing, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. But I don’t think a demon killed him. I’m pretty sure the killer was human and so was the kid.”
Tate appeared confused. “How do you mean?”
Ash gestured toward the circle. “That’s a containment and destruction spell. The kind meant to trap and weaken a demon so that you can kill it easily.”
Tate’s eyes widened. “The kid was possessed?”
“I don’t think so. It’s a weird vibe. I’m really not sure what went on. All I know is it ain’t right.”
Tate’s frown deepened. “How can you not know what happened?”
Ash lowered his tone even more. “That’s what I’m trying to say. Whatever human did this has me blocked and with those symbols.… I don’t know. But I’m thinking the kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In spite of the fact that the kid is dead, I don’t think he was the target. I think the killer was after something else. What about you? You have anything?”
“Only the vic’s description: Caucasian. Male. Fourteen years old. We think he was killed this morning around eight. No ID at all, but he did have—”
“Hey, I know those shoes.”
Tate and Ash turned to him as Nick pointed at the body they were now moving. As they’d lifted the kid, the tarp had been pulled back from his feet.
“What?” Ash asked.
Nick inclined his head to the lime green Converse they were zipping the body bag around, which were decorated with a Magic Marker. “That’s Barry Thornton. He sits behind me in study hall.”
Tate stepped toward him. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Those shoes are distinctive. No one else in high school draws Pokémon on their clothes.” Not to mention the green was pretty neon, and most of the kids he knew preferred more sedate colors.
Tate considered that for a second before he spoke. “Has he been messing with the occult?”
Nick gave Tate an agitated stare. “Let’s go back to the Pokémon on his shoes, shall we? Dead giveaway. He wouldn’t even play D&D, ’cause he thought it was Satanic. He didn’t believe in anything paranormal.” Which was ironic when you thought about how many preternatural beings went to their high school. “He was the captain of the chess club and an A-plus student.”
Tate met Ash’s gaze. “Why would anyone think he’s a demon?”
Ash shrugged. “The world is insane, and you’re asking me for the reasoning of a psycho? I’m not a profiler.”
“But you are omniscient,” Tate reminded him.
“It, like my immortality, has its limitations. I can’t see everything, unfortunately.” Ash sighed. “Nick said this was the second boy found?”
“Yeah. There was a kid named Alistair Sloan found last night.”
They both looked over at Nick.
“Why y’all looking at me for? I don’t know him at all.”
Ash snorted. “You seem to know everyone else in town.”
“Well, I do get around.” Nick grinned.
Ash shook his head before he returned his attention to Tate. “This entire event isn’t adding up.”
Tate agreed. “Could be a zealot on a killing spree. Sometimes the weird crap is human. I know it doesn’t happen often in this town. But … every now and again, we do find humans being insane.”
Ash appeared less than convinced.
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