upright and then pulled out of the embrace. He had to let her go. Things were getting out of control but fast.
“Sydney, are you sure you are okay? I heard you scream for me. And then I heard a shot. What happened down there? I sensed no one. No humans. No supernaturals. Wait, who do you mean, she ?”
Really? A floating ghost woman and my vampire sees nothing? “Yeah, I’m fine. But Kade, I have to tell you…it's going to sound crazy. I heard voices, laughter, a woman’s. And when I got in the tunnel, there was just this small light and then it turned into this ghost woman. She was beautiful with long, black hair and then she seemed like she wanted to attack me. That’s when I called for you...and well, Kade. I know it sounds crazy, but it was like she knew I was calling for you. She screamed, ‘He is mine,’ and rushed me, and that's when I got off a shot. Do bullets even kill ghosts? All I know is that I dodged right, but she missed me and then I fell down. And shit!” Sydney looked down at her clothes. She was covered in slimy, malodorous water. “Look at me! Ewwww. This is so gross...I gotta get home and take a shower. What the hell was that thing back there, anyway?”
“Wait, Sydney. Let me see you and make sure you are okay,” Kade said, checking her over for injuries. There was no blood and she appeared uninjured as she claimed.
“I’m fine. Really, I just fell when that…that ‘woman’ flew at me. I'm telling you Kade, I didn’t really believe in ghosts before tonight. But that was no person. I don’t know what the hell it was.” Sydney shook her head in frustration.
Kade could tell that Sydney was pretty much freaked out by her spectral experience, not to mention that she was covered in a mystery liquid that smelled of urine and who knows what else. Truth be told, Kade was shocked at her description. It was Simone, but how did she transport herself as an apparition? Magic? Someone or something was helping her. He had to get Sydney home and away from this place.
Within minutes, Kade’s limo arrived. On the way over to the brownstone, Kade and Sydney told Luca what happened in the alley. While Kade did not mention Simone, Luca could tell from Sydney’s description exactly who had visited them in the alley.
“Luca, I want to you to locate Ilsbeth,” Kade commanded. “I tried calling her shop but there was no answer. If you can’t reach her at home, then try her coven. Do not tell her the details of what happened. I want to speak to her myself.” Ilsbeth was a local witch from the French Quarter. She was cagey at times and not always easy to deal with, but Kade and Ilsbeth had been allies for several years. He could not claim they were close friends, but she could be trusted.
Luca was eager to make progress in the case so he could go home to New Orleans. “Right away. I will call her on my way over to Eden. I was planning to go there to feed and see Tristan. Do you want me to update him on today’s events?”
“Thank you, Luca, yes. Please let him know what happened, but do tell him up in his private office. We cannot afford to be overheard. Tell Tristan that Sydney and I will be at the brownstone for the rest of the night.”
Sydney shot him a look of surprise, but didn’t voice her concern. She was going to be there all night? Working the case? Or working Kade? She wasn’t sure she was going to be staying all night with Kade, but they did need to go over the details and work through the facts of the case. Maybe they were missing something. She could tell Kade wasn’t being completely honest with her. Sydney wasn’t ready to press him back at the crime scene, but she would damn sure find out after she got a shower and some food. She could tolerate a lot, but not lying.
When they arrived at the brownstone, the garage door opened to let the limo in under the house. Kade and Sydney exited the car and went into the house through the garage door. As they entered the living room,
C. J. Cherryh
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