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The memory faded as I watched the woman put that scrap of red lace into a clear bag and seal it. My hand fell to my side, and Logan turned to see what had caught my attention.
My jaw clenched, and I turned away. “I need you and the team to find out who this man was and what he was into. I need names, next of kin, anything you can find.”
“Samkiel.”
“What?” I snapped, turning toward Vincent.
“I don’t think you’ll need it,” he said, scanning some pages he’d picked up. “Looks like his name was Webster Malone, and these records show transactions from an account tied to Donvirr Edge.”
“What’s that?”
“Let’s find out.” Vincent handed the papers to the celestial hovering at his elbow. The man grabbed them and quickly scanned them. His fingers flew over the thin tablet he held, and a few minutes later, he turned the device to show us an image of a dock. Ropes hung from a wooden bridge, and a large ship took up the background.
“It’s a shipping dock. Transportation of goods, mostly foods. There have been a few arrests for illegal activity and gambling in the last couple of years.”
“Okay, a shipping dock. I’ll go there.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go,” Logan said, striding toward the door.
“No, Logan. I want all of you to stay here and see what else you can find. See who he worked for and what else he might have known.”
Vincent put his hands on his hips and frowned. “You’ll need a ride. We can get a convoy—”
“I do not.”
I didn’t know if it was the rage that bubbled inside me or that the room now smelled of arousal and death, but I had to leave. I had to get away from it and all of them. Tendrils of electricity danced around me, and the room shook from the pent-up rage inside me. One minute I was in the room, and the next, in the clouds. A booming echo followed in my wake. Lightning struck, and rain poured from the sky as I turned toward Donvirr Edge.
Ten
Samkiel
Rain poured from the sky, droplets bouncing off the metal chains that swayed in the growing wind. A storm had followed me here, one I’d created by accident. I changed out of the suit as I landed, the fabric of my new clothes light but durable, like the ones we used to wear on Rashearim. The black long-sleeve shirt and matching pants made blending in with the shadows at the end of the alleyway easier. The nap Logan had forced on me days ago had helped. Sleep, even for a moment, let me recharge, even if all I dreamt of was her once more.
I stayed low, surveying the area as several people moved large wooden sealed boxes onto a ship. I counted at least fifty heartbeats, but from the magic that hummed off their skin, they weren’t mortal. Witches. That explained how they were moving those large crates so easily.
“Come on!” one man yelled. “This storm isn’t letting up, and we have two more. We can’t be late.”
A gust of wind battered the docks, and the massive gray ship swayed. I needed to calm down. The rings on my fingers vibrated, begging me to summon a blade. I would welcome the opportunity to let off some steam. It had always helped in the past, but then I had never been tied up in knots over a woman. It had never been about someone I cared so deeply for.
They loaded the remaining crates and closed the thick doors on the back of a large truck. The engine revved, lights shining as it pulled away. Now that the vehicle was out of the way, I realized this was no ordinary cargo ship. It was massive. How much material was he moving? The trees behind the fence bent beneath the force of the howling wind, and the rain continued to pelt the concrete. I pulled my hood up and studied the treeline, my eyes straining against the darkness. It felt as if someone or something was there, yet I saw nothing.
I shook it off, turning back toward the ship as the last few people boarded. They joked as the ramp slowly creaked and disappeared. I waited until the ship left the harbor before I shot back up into the sky.
* * *
My feet hit the deck with a soft thud. I landed in a crouch and remained there for half a second to make sure no one heard or came from below. I had followed them from above, riding the storm for a few miles. The city lights were so far away now you’d have to be a Netherworld or Otherworld creature to see them.
Where were they going? Originally, I had wondered if they were going to Novas, Kaden’s previous base of operations and his home, but that was in the opposite direction from which the ship sailed. They seemed to be headed to the middle of nowhere. I moved, staying close to the bridge. No one was at the helm, but the witches on board had taken control. I could feel the magic they wielded.
Voices echoed from below. “I’m not going back up front. It’s fucking freezing, and now it’s raining. It’s like the damn storm is following us.”
I heard shuffling feet and a mean chuckle before another man said, “His instructions were clear. He said we need someone on watch, so you go.”
“No, you.” There was a pause, and then the stench of anxiety floated through the air. “You heard what they said. They are calling her winged death. You hear a clap like thunder before she descends and rains fire. She is hunting anyone fucking involved in that girl’s death. We’re done for, and of course, the idiot had to tape it.”
“I would love for you to call Kaden an idiot to his face,” the other voice shot back.
“I will if you go watch.” Laughter, deep and quick, followed before I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
