Shifter Magnetism by Stormie Kent Page B

neighbor had made the night before. The odor reminded her of the cloying scent of tar. She followed closely behind as Nic stalked toward her door. It stood ajar. The memory of having her essence drained from her came back full force. She gasped for breath. No.
    Suddenly, Nic’s arms were around her. “Shh. Stay here while I check it out.”
    She tried breathing slowly to calm herself. Nic disappeared inside her apartment, and she wrestled her fear and won. She wouldn’t allow him to face danger alone. She was moving when he suddenly appeared in the doorway.
    “He’s gone, but it’s bad. Prepare yourself.” He held out his hand, and she took it.
    Leila held on to Nic tightly. “Was it him? The Brain Surgeon?”
    “Yes, this is the same guy I’ve tracked at each crime scene.”
    The living room was completely destroyed. Someone had run amok in her space, having a gigantic temper tantrum. There were burns in her couch and wall that could only have come from an angry witch or wizard tossing energy balls about. The place looked as if an earthquake had shaken her pictures from the walls, books from the bookcases, and vases from tabletops.
    Leila stepped over the detached leg from her cocktail table. “Does the entire place look like this?”
    “I’m afraid so. I’ll call the police while you look to see if anything is missing.”
    The crazy bastard had done the same thing in each room. In the bathroom, her towels were actually shredded. She closed her eyes for a moment, and the rest of her senses took over. She could hear the hum of the light and discern what she was coming to recognize as the vandal’s personal scent. Something new inside her sat up and growled. When she found this guy, she would tear him limb from limb.
    Nic stepped in front of her. “A patrol car will be here any minute. Does it look as if anything is missing?”
    “Nothing but my sense of security.”
    She didn’t resist when Nic pulled her close and rested his chin on her head. She had to believe they would find the man who’d attacked her. The sorcerer who was still attacking her by stalking her and tampering with her personal possessions. He was telling her without words that he could get to her.
    The doorbell rang, and she and Nic walked out to let in the police. She waited, arms crossed over her chest and hands clutching her upper arms, for Nic and the guys to finish shaking hands. He knew the two responders and took a few minutes to talk with them about what was going on. Then the questions started. How many ways could she tell them that no, she didn’t know the guy personally, and she didn’t think anything was missing?
    Finally, she turned to Nic and refused to say another word. Before she knew it, he’d smoothed over her silence and escorted the policemen out with their evidence. They wouldn’t find anything. The Brain Surgeon wouldn’t have had to touch anything to do his damage. The guy had magic, and he wasn’t afraid to use it.
    Nic said, “Pack a bag with anything that isn’t destroyed. You can’t stay here. I’m going to see if I can find a trail to follow.”
    Then he was gone. Leila went to the bedroom, reluctance in every step she took. Without Nic there to be strong for, her throat grew tight and her eyes watery. She was like her things, strewn about, sad, and displaced. She looked through her possessions, but she couldn’t make herself touch any of it to place in a bag. She would simply have to buy some new things until anything salvageable could be cleaned. She left her bedroom and went out to the living room to wait on Nic.
    When he returned, she could feel the frustration roiling off him. “I lost the trail about a block away. He must have gotten into a car.”
    “Are we ever going to find this guy?”
    “We’ll get him. He has to slip up eventually. In the meantime, we stick together. I’ll watch your back, and you watch mine.”
    Leila stared at the strong lines of his face. He hadn’t lied to her yet,