Page 32 of The Bone Man

Flint jolts upright with a startled cry, snatching his hand to his chest.

“Dammit, I was onto something just now.” He glares down at Anny. “We’ve talked about jolting me with ley line magic.”

“Better that than fire,” I drawl as I join them. “You’ve been out too long, pretty boy.”

Clear, blue eyes lift to meet mine, the thick fringe of black lashes turning them vibrant in his pale face. “Did you come to take me home, mama bear?”

“No.” I push his hair back into place, restoring the image of perfection he presents to the world. “We have a problem.”

Flint’s brow furrows, and his hand absently drops to the top of Anny’s head as his gaze sharpens. “What’s happened?”

“Pen and Darius missed their check-in.” I help Flint stand and steady him while the circulation returns to his legs after sitting too long. “Meredith called me, and when no one picked up their phones, I came to get you.”

Flint’s eyes widen, a mix of shock and fear crossing his face. “What do you mean, missing?”

His fear mirrors my own. When one of ours vanishes, it never means anything good.

“They haven’t checked in, their phones are untraceable, and last Meredith heard from them, they were heading for the Bone Yard,” I explain. “I figure finding them will go faster with you in on the search.”

Flint's gaze turns distant as he processes the information, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. "Damn right, I'll make the search faster. I'll send every demon in the Bone Yard back to the demon plane, if that's what it takes to find them."

Anny, sensing the tension in the air, leans against Flint’s leg with a soft whine.

“I don’t think we’ll need anything so dramatic.” I crack my knuckles. “Though, I won’t object to busting some heads together. Come on, I’ll drive while you gather your power for more deep diving.”

“There better be pain relievers and coffee waiting for me,” he grumbles.

I grip his shoulder in comfort. “I have one of the two.”

Wary eyes meet mine. “Please say it’s coffee?”

“We can get some in the break room before we head out,” I promise, and he lets out more grumbles.

The coffee in the break room is notoriously bad, which is why the shop down the street gets good business around the clock.

Leaving the Ward behind, we make our way back up to the main floor of the Woo Woo Squad.

We step off the elevator into chaos, the bustling activity in the squad room having doubled in the short time I was in the Ward.

The new people bunch up around the break room and the conference rooms, looking hoodwinked and still getting their bearings for their new office.

Over their heads, I spot Sharpe’s tall figure and Mayn’s sleek head, giving directions.

Even without calling for Sharpe's attention, his hazel eyes find us through the chaos. He murmurs something to his partner, who nods before he pushes through the crowd.

He stops in front of us, his body blocking the rest of the squad room. “Marc, Flint. What brings you two here?”

"Pen and Darius are missing," I say. "They went to the Bone Yard and haven't checked in."

Sharpe’s brow furrows. “How did you two already hear about the Bone Yard directive?”

“Bone Yard directive?” I shake my head. “They were running a missing person’s case.”

Sharpe’s eyes narrow, a flicker of concern passing over his features. “Missing person’s case? No, Bailey, Lynch, and Berdherst pulled a power move in the meeting this morning, and Pen and Darius were sent in to start negotiations for opening the Bone Yard up to tourists.”

“Sounds like they were running two cases at once,” Flint says.

I nod in agreement and relay the information Meredith gave me earlier. Then Sharpe catches us up on his side of things.

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