Page 14 of The Blood Widow

I knew you wouldn’t take another phone call from me, so I sent this with the ice cream. It’s not good news, butthankfully it’s not about what happened yesterday. My seer said the demons are up to something.

It’s something big.

I have no idea what it is but keep an ear to the ground for me. She said whatever was coming might start a war.

P.S.

There’s more blood ice cream in your freezer.

“Great. Just what I needed,” I complained to the note like the situation was its fault.

The satisfying sound of the page ripping wasn’t enough. I wanted to burn it, but the paper would magically disappear in a few seconds. Crumbling the letter and throwing the stupid thing across the room was all I had time for.

I grabbed my ice cream as dread filled me, making my body feel weighted down. What the hell was I supposed to do? She literally gave me nothing to work with. I wasn’t a fucking miracle worker.

Chapter

Seven

Ihunted for information every night since that message a week ago, but I hadn’t heard or seen anything. Until now.

You’d think I’d be used to the smell of death. I’ve killed so many people that I’ve lost count. Yet I couldn’t get over the sting of decay in my nose. My lip curled in disgust as I got closer, and my stomach turned.

Why did supernatural dead bodies have to smell so quickly? The demon lying face up on the blood-covered bed wasn’t even my kill. I was just here to clean up a young shifter girl’s mess.

I was searching for answers when I heard what happened from a seer's whispered breath. They could see into the future or past. Most people in power were only sitting on their thrones because of seers. I was surprised there was one so unprotected in the Underground.

Anyone out and about after dark, especially on the west side of the city, was up to no good. The feel of magic in the air added to my unease and made me consider my next move carefully. Approaching to get a better view, the cold air bit into my flesh as I listened from the shadows.

The huddled seer’s humming got my attention before she spoke. “The shifter Alpha’s daughter has committed a crime,Master.” She hummed and rocked. “Rose. Sweet little Rose. She has killed a prince of demons. I saw it happen. She told him no, and he didn’t stop. Rose wasn’t able to stop him in time, but she killed him. So bloody.” The seer's voice was high and squeaky, she was young, with wide white eyes full of fear and disgust. The poor girl had probably seen horrible things. Things a young person shouldn’t see.

This could be a catalyst to trigger the demons to retaliate against the shifters, and if they did, the vampires would let them pick each other off, and then swoop in to take both factions out when they were weak enough. It would be all out war. No one in the city would be immune to the violence that would result from it. This must have been what Bell had meant about the demons doing something to start a war, raping one of the three family's heirs would do that.

I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not in my city. Besides, no one deserved the worst night of their life to turn into something even more horrendous. Knowledge and secrets were the best kinds of power in the underground crime world. And Rose had a huge secret now, one worth fighting for. Once the demons knew the prince was missing, they’d do anything to find out what happened. I needed to get rid of the evidence.

Secrets were the currency of the Underground. Money still held some sway, but it eventually went out. The green paper might rule the above grounds, but in the criminal world, it could only get a person so far. That was why supernaturals used beings like seers. They were prisoners and forced to channel their magic through the city's ley lines, so they could look out for crimes and new secrets their masters could use for currency.

This was a prime example. The chubby guy in a cheap suit with oily hair that the seer called “Master” glared down at her. His mouth salivated at the chance to gain more power.

“Shut up, seer, tell me where, and I’ll send my men. Do it now. Do you know how valuable this information is? The Sinisters will have to award me elite status. It could change everything for me,” he hissed out. His eyes scanned around him as he grabbed the girl by the hair and dragged her inside. Her cries tore me apart.

Maybe I should kill him… another night.

That douchebag had one of the worst reputations, but he always had too many people around him to do something about it. For the city’s sake, I hoped he never gained power. He’d have all the women in cages.

I picked up my phone and speed-walked down the alley to make sure he didn’t hear me. My footsteps were now silent on the hard pavement. The noises around me would have drowned out the sound of me walking, but old habits were hard to shake. People laughed, music blared, and gunshots went off in the distance.

There was a reason I came to the bad side of town to hunt. Even if I couldn’t wear my red wig because it was too noticeable, my hood and black fabric covering the bottom of my face was enough to give people pause. Hunting here was worth it when I got to take out some of the more depraved criminals before they gained status. The cops wouldn’t help anyone in this neighborhood. All the wannabes fought to make a name for themselves here. For me, it was the perfect place to feed and get rid of some evil people at the same time.

The streets were dirty and filled with trash. The neglect of the city was evident in every step. Most buildings were in disrepair. Owners didn’t give their properties much attention because blending in was safer. The air of desperation meant any store that sparkled around here would end up a target. The dark alleys and creepy nooks hiding less than legal dealings were as normal as breathing here.

I needed help and only one person could help me, but I didn’t really want to make the call. Cole could sense death. He was also a genius with technology—being a techno-path helped. He had a mechanism that increased his abilities, and he used it to find the exact locations of bodies. Mostly to eat them, but he helped me sometimes. I hoped he wasn’t upset about me skipping out on him.

The phone only rang a few times before he answered. There was a pause before he said anything, but I could hear the deep breath he made before speaking.

“What do you want?” His deep, raspy voice gave me chills.

“I need a location of a dead body, murder. I’m pretty sure it was brutal,” I explained.

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