Page 38 of Half Dead

“I’ll speak to friends and relatives of the afflicted men and see if I can find a commonality,” I offered.

“Or you could try delegating that task to someone else, like the police,” West said wryly.

“The chief and Leo are too new.”

“They aren’t new to investigations, only to supernaturals,” West argued. “Offer the extra information that will help guide them and let them do their job. This is one of the reasons we brought them into the fold, remember?”

“You’re right. I’ll talk to them.”

“On second thought, let me deal with Elena.” West walked me to the door. “Thanks for bringing this to my attention.”

“We’re a team, remember? That’s what teammates do.”

Sage yawned. “Stay safe, Lorelei.”

When we reached the doorway, he leaned over and whispered, “And I’d appreciate your discretion about Sage. We’re still figuring things out.”

I pretended to zip my lips. “Consider it in the vault.”

I left the trailer park feeling as lost as I did when I’d arrived. All I wanted now was a sound sleep, which I wouldn’t get at the Devil’s Playground. It was karaoke night, for starters, not to mention that one look at Kane and I’dforget all about the desire for sleep in favor of another desire. The demon was far too enticing.

I forced myself to turn toward the Castle. The sooner I was asleep, the sooner I’d stop fantasizing about another deeply satisfying night with His Highness.

A loud, insistent clicking sound drew my attention to the blue-black sky. The birds flew so close together that their silhouettes looked like a giant inkblot spilling across an even darker canvas.

Crows.

There was only one reason a murder of crows would make a desperate bid for my attention, and she lived reasonably close to here.

Heart pounding, I broke into a run.

A plume of smoke appeared on the horizon, rising above the treetops. It reminded me of a spirit departing. I shoved aside the dreadful thought and ran faster.

Birdie’s house came into view. From a distance, it looked like an abandoned mill. The wooden structure leaned to the left, as though the elements had been nudging it over and hoping no one would notice.

Right now, the element seemed to be fire. Smoke billowed from the left side. I yanked my phone free of my pocket and dialed emergency services as I skirted the building. The heat of the flames warmed my skin even from this distance.

“Ma’am, you’ll need to slow down,” the operator said. “I could only understand the word ‘fire.’”

I shouted the address one more time from the back patio, the place where Birdie preferred to enter and exit because of her wheelchair. The door to the kitchen had been torn off its hinges and lay on a patch of grass. There was no sign of the home’s occupant.

I pulled off my sweatshirt and wrapped it around my nose and mouth, tying the sleeves behind my head. I racedinside the house, yelling her name. The smoke was thick and noxious as I stood in the kitchen and tried to get my bearings. The fire seemed to emanate from a room on the right.

Birdie’s computer lab. It was the room where she housed the equipment that she used to keep tabs on activities in Fairhaven.

“Birdie!” I choked out another scream. For one hopeful moment, I thought the house might be unoccupied. Then I spotted the edge of a familiar blanket. The one she often wore to cover her legs.

I cut through the kitchen, bumping my hip against the corner of the counter as I ran. Birdie was sprawled across the living room floor, six feet away from her toppled wheelchair. If she’d fallen, she would’ve been right next to it, unless she’d been trying to crawl to safety.

Flames licked the doorway between this room and the lab. The ceiling could collapse at any moment.

I dropped to my knees beside her. “Birdie, it’s Lorelei. I’m going to get you out of here.” Although my voice was muffled by the sweatshirt, she should’ve been able to hear me.

There was no response. Not even the flicker of an eyelid.

I slid my arms underneath her body and rose to my feet. The back of my neck broke out in a sweat as the fire continued to spread. Even if the firefighters arrived right now, the old house wouldn’t survive.

I hoped Birdie still had a fighting chance.

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