Page 60 of The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid

Dull-eyed and weary, Sidnee looked up from her cell floor. ‘Great news,’ Gunnar said with a smile. ‘You’re free to go! One of the girls confessed. You didn’t kill Donovan.’

She burst into relieved tears. When the cell door was open we bundled together, the three of us hugging with happiness. She’d been through so much, and she’d been so brave.

In the other room, Fluffy barked twice before falling silent. It was odd for him to bark but perhaps he hadn’t reacted well to Mrs Kaleak’s arrival. Foxes and dogs didn’t get on, right?

‘Are you okay?’ I asked my bestie softly.

‘No,’ she said in all honesty. ‘I’m an absolute wreck.’ She sniffed and tried to rein in her tears.

‘That’s understandable,’ Gunnar said. ‘But in time this too will pass.’ He said the words like he’d said them to her before, like he was quoting someone.

Her lips tipped up in a small smile and she nodded against his shoulder. ‘I know, I know. But I’m not sure how much more I can bear. Where’s Thomas, Gunnar?’

Gunnar shook his head. ‘I don’t know and that’s the truth. He was seen in Anchorage. He’s near, and if I know him even a jot he’s fighting to get back to you.’

‘I’ll go to Anchorage,’ she said fiercely.

‘And do what?’ he asked softly.

‘I don’t know! But I can’t do nothing for one second more!’

The cell door clanged shut behind us and we all whirled round. Captain Reams was smirking at us. ‘You’ll do nothing for a few moments longer.’ He held up the key to the cell door tauntingly.

Dismay washed over me. We’d rescued Kate and now Robertson’s men had her and Essie. And Sigrid, Fluffy and Shadow!

I pulled out my phone to call for Connor, but my signal was completely gone. Reams winked at me. ‘We’re not rookies, Jessica Rabbit.’

‘Fuck you!’ I spat back.

‘Maybe later,’ he said mildly.

‘If you harm one hair on anyone’s head, I will rip you to pieces!’ I snarled. Luckily, I stopped myself before I threatened to burn him to ashes. No giving away my hybrid self, even at the height of panic.

Reams looked amused. ‘This has been fun but I’ve got some lovely ladies to question. Do be good, won’t you?’

As he sauntered out, Gunnar let out a roar of rage that shook the building. It didn’t help. We were stuck in our own jail cell – the kind that stripped the magic right out of you.

We were well and truly fucked. And Reams hadn’t even taken us out on a date.

Chapter 36

I closed my eyes and tried desperately to think. Connor and I were mated and that was something that transcended mere magic between us. I turned my attention inward and reached inside myself, my knees nearly buckling when I found the fragile thread of our nascent soul bond.

I reached out to it and shoved all my panic down that link – every desperate, screaming thought – then prayed like hell that he’d get my SOS.

Nothing rebounded back and I got no sense that he’d felt me, but somehow I knew that he had. Connor would be on his way to me now, come what may. I just hoped he’d get here in time; if Reamswashere to clear up Cobalt’s mess, then Kate was in real danger. She had no time to wait for Connor’s arrival.

‘Try to open the door,’ I urged Gunnar. ‘Maybe your lock-opening thing will still work!’

Gunnar tried using his usual magic mojo but that ability had been ripped from him as surely as my fire had been torn from me.

‘Well, finesse didn’t work,’ I said grimly. ‘Let’s try brute force. On three, run at the door. One. Two. Three!’ All three of us hit thecell door with everything we had, but though it clanged it didn’t so much as budge. Fucksticks.

‘I’m sorry,’ Sidnee sniffed. ‘This is my fault.’

‘In what world is this your fault?’ I snapped. ‘This is Reams’ fault and no one else’s.’

‘It’s a little mine,’ Gunnar growled. ‘I left the key in the lock in my haste to get in.’

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