Page 113 of The Hive Queen

“Food.” Pen pulls out her phone. “Everyone good with pizza?”

Order requests come from around the room, and Pen punches them into the app on her phone.

“So, that’s him, huh?” Trent peers toward the hall. “Marc’s demon?”

Savannah elbows him in the side while Elizabeth smacks him.

He cringes back from both women. “What? You were both wondering, too.”

“Yes, that’s Darius,” Pen says before she looks at me, putting an end to further questions. “We should have Mayn, O’Hara, and Paul join us, too.”

Surprised that she included Johannsson on her hunting team, I step away from the dining room to make the call.

When I pull out my phone, Chief Lynch’s name pops up on my screen. The conversation with him last night hadn’t gone well, and I didn’t check in with him as directed before heading to the demon court today.

A headache starts at my temples, and I lift a hand to rub them. I’ve been getting a lot of headaches lately. The stress of the job is starting to really get to me.

I swipe away the missed call notification and call Mayn first. My partner can handle the duty of collecting the others.

She answers on the first ring. “Was your hunt fruitful, sir?”

“Yes.” I glance toward the hall where Darius disappeared, the sound of water coming from the bathroom. “We have a real chance this time.”

“Chief Lynch is at the station, sir,” she says in an equally hushed tone. “He brought Captain Bailey with him.”

I stiffen at the news. “Are they with you now?”

“They took over the planning room,” she murmurs.

The pounding in my head grows. “Are O’Hara and Johannsson with them?”

“No, they haven’t reported in yet. But they pulled all the other able-bodied officers into the meeting. I am on coffee duty.” The sound of the elevator digging comes through the speaker. “I will go collect them. Where are you?”

“At the cabin.” My hand tightens on the phone. “You have my permission to break the speed laws. Get here ASAP.”

“Yes, sir.” She disconnects without saying goodbye.

When I turn back to the dining room, I find Pen’s concerned gaze on me. “Everything okay?”

I tuck my phone away. “Mayn is picking up the others. They’ll be here soon.”

Her golden brows sweep together. “But is everything okay?”

“As okay as it can be.” I walk over to her and run my hand down her back. “There’s a lot of pressure to solve this case, but then things will return to normal.”

Her lips part before she closes them with a shake of her head, leaving me feeling like I failed her just now.

But thingswillget better. I have to believe that. My department has solved a lot of big cases lately, even if my superiors don’t like the damage that’s been caused to the city.

We’re fighting beings who can use magic. We’ve faced down adragon. Our cases can’t be judged on the same scale as the usual human crimes. I just need Chief Lynch to understand that and argue for my department in front of the review board.

But a small part of me knows it won’t be enough. Even if I deliver the Hive Queen’s head on a platter, there’s no way to spin the death of so many citizens in a way that will leave my team looking good.

The media will say we should have stopped this monster before any lives were lost, no matter how unreasonable that demand is.

Marc rejoins us in the dining room, and Pen bustles around, making coffee while Flint puts together dinner for Anny.

Mayn arrives with the others at the same time the pizza does, and Marc makes introductions.

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