Page 302 of Flirting with Darkness

The less time she spent trapped in a building, the better. Getting into a fight could make her late.

She couldn’t believe Dex watched anime.

Actually, she could. He definitely gave off that kind of vibe for some reason. Maybe it was the way he dressed.

Her footsteps were silent as she went up and up and up. The various different escape routes were in the forefront of her mind while she catalogued scents and sounds without even thinking about it. Twenty years of training and most of what she did was automatic.

That was what kept her alive.

Nova went for the IT department and headed straight for the director’s office. If she wanted intel, she had to get it from the most protected source.

Two seconds and she had the door unlocked. Nova slipped her flash drive in the port and ran the password program. Once she was in, she set up the download. Now all she had to do was wait. She slid to the darkest corner of the room while it ran the programs.

If a guard came in, she’d be behind the door and it would be too easy to take him down.

Being a hunter had its advantages, but it was also one of those things.

Witches didn’t have the physical strength and speed of hunters. They didn’t have the innate sight and hearing. Hunters were immune to enchantments and illusions, but a fireball to the face still burned.

Somehow over the generations, hunters became a tool to be used. The witches used them to keep shifters in line. The Council used them to arrest powerful witches, and honestly, it was all a fucking mess.

But Nova liked to think that she did good work. If there was a paranormal out there hurting others, hurting humans – she and the others like her were called in. She made sure the power in the universe wasn’t twisted and violated.

No shifter would go on a murdering spree and get away with it. No vampire would drain bodies left and right anymore. Witches had agreed to be neutral – as much as possible. That was all thanks to the Council.

There was a wary peace among all the various species because of the Council of Paranormals. Any rivalry was kept quiet and the damage minimal because no one wanted a hunter on their doorstep.

That was why she’d ultimately decided to work for the Council instead of freelance.

Her father still wasn’t sure he liked it though. Going to the university had been against his wishes, and Nova finally understood the gravity of why. It wasn’t because he wanted to keep her isolated and touch starved.

It was because her name was now in their system. She’d caught the attention of the Council and her professors. Nova had graduated at the top of her class.

For a family who preferred to work on their own terms – who preferred not to be used by witches or shifters – they’d been slightly disappointed at her path.

Her name was in the system, and Nova had stupidly given Dex her real name. If he felt like looking her up, he could probably find her. Her first name wasn’t that common.

There were so many problems when it came to him. Nova hadn’t expected to be in Seattle long enough for it to matter, but she also hadn’t expected to fall on her ass the moment she saw his face.

Who was she kidding? Even when all she’d seen were his boots and hands, she’d been drooling over him.

A small sound indicated the download was done.

Nova grabbed the flash drive and headed for the stairs.

Looked like she would have time to change before heading over to the address Dex had given her. How he’d gotten a Saturday night off, she didn’t know, but she supposed as the owner, he could kind of do whatever he wanted.

She heard footsteps and grabbed the railing of the stairs, launched herself over, and dropped three stories. Her knees bent and she rolled soundlessly under the stairwell just as the door opened.

Silence.

Nova kept her breathing even as she waited.

The door closed and she heard the footsteps move up instead of down,thank fuck.

She remained completely still until the guard opened the door again. The moment it closed, she sprinted to the back exit. No more dawdling. Eventually the security guard at the desk would wake up, and she had no intention of being here when that happened.

Nova locked the back door behind her and fixed the alarm. Then she sprinted to the next patch of shadow. She jumped and caught the fire escape, hauling herself up. In moments she was back on the roof, taking a roundabout way home.

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