Page 63 of Peacemaker

Chapter Twenty

Dark and Twisty

I called Alejandro on my way out of Bay Town. I told him where I was headed and why. “I could use some backup.”

“I’ll meet you there,” he said.

When I pulled into the station—early, as usual—I sat in the parking lot watching the bustle for ten minutes or so before Al arrived. He wasn’t alone.

Jade Noel climbed out of the passenger side of his car.

“Shit,” I muttered. I didn’t know what it was about her, but she rubbed me the wrong way. She pissed me off, and there was no reason for it. I didn’t even have a gut feeling, a niggling doubt, or a worry that she’d turn on me.

She just pissed me off.

“Jade was with me when you called,” Al said, smiling as he walked toward me. “She offered to come along just in case we need extra muscle.”

He looked from me to Jade as we stood silently staring at each other, both of us grim and unfriendly.

“Uh,” he said, “I hope you don’t mind, Trinity. You can’t get better backup than Jade.”

“Of course not.” I gave her a nod. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” she said.

“Delaney is toying with the idea of arresting me,” I told her as we walked across the parking lot. “And I’m not even a supernat. You’re not worried he’ll try to take you?”

She snorted loud enough to scare away a couple of starlings scavenging a discarded wrapper littering the asphalt. “Fucking Todd Delaney doesn’t scare me.”

“He’s scared of you,” Al said.

“Scared humans are dangerous,” I growled. “They don’t like anything that makes them afraid.”

“You’d know what makes humans tick better than I would.” Her voice was mild but in no way hid her contempt.

She didn’t like me any more than I liked her. I wondered if she had a better idea of why, but I wasn’t going to ask.

As soon as we entered the station and people caught sight of us—or Jade, rather—they quieted. Their expressions were mostly curious.

I hadn’t recognized Jade when I’d first seen her in Willow-Wisp. She rarely made appearances in the city. Anything she did was carried out behind the scenes, away from the humans’ attention, and little was actually said about her. Jade Noel was a very private person.

I glanced at her, wondering how she kept such a low profile, as curious—and in the dark—as the rest of the humans.

“We’re here to see Captain Crawford,” I told the man at the desk.

Crawford yanked open his door, then groaned when he spotted Jade. He glanced back over his shoulder, then hurried out, closing the door behind him. He glowered at me. “What the hell, Sinclair?”

“Ididn’t invite her.” I squinted at her. “Why are you here, anyway? This is not exactly a friendly place for supernaturals.”

Al hung back and kept his mouth shut.

“When the humans have reached their lowest low, I’m going to be one of the heroes who swoop in to save their whiny, entitled asses. I want them to get used to seeing me before that happens.” She shrugged. “As Himself said, it’s time.”

I looked at Crawford. “Delaney in there?”

He nodded. “Jade, wait out here. You know how the mayor feels about you. And please…don’t cause any trouble.”

Jade put her hand over her heart. “Now you’re just being mean.”