Carnal Sin by Allison Brennan Page A
Authors: Allison Brennan
Tags: Horror & Ghost Stories
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have some news. Rod--Dr. Rod Fielding, the coroner," she added for Rico's benefit, "got a call from the Los Angeles morgue. Three confirmed demon's marks in L.A." She held out her BlackBerry to show Rico.
He glanced at the digital photograph and asked, "What do you think?"
Anthony held out his hand, but Rico handed the phone to Moira. A wash of unease ran down Rafe's neck from the anger coming off Anthony. No one else seemed to notice.
"Fuck," Moira said and handed Anthony the phone. "Not identical to the others, but close."
Skye said, "The L.A. coroner will allow me to view the bodies, but they won't send them up here."
"I'll go with you," Anthony said.
"You're going to St. Michael's," Rico reminded him. "Your flight leaves today."
"Skye can't go to L.A. alone," Anthony said. "She doesn't know what she'll face, she doesn't have the training--"
Skye said, "Rod Fielding and I are going to view the bodies, talk to the coroner and the investigating officers, find out about the victims. Rod wants to show the L.A. coroner the brains of two of our victims. Apparently, one of the L.A. vics has a similar anomaly. I'll be back tonight--it's only a three-hour drive."
"What if you locate Fiona's coven? It's too great a risk, and if the marks prove to be true demon's marks, we'll know that one of the Seven is in L.A. It's too dangerous to go there alone--for any of us."
Rico said, "Moira will go with her."
"I'll go as well," Rafe added.
"No." Rico didn't even look at Rafe when he spoke. "There's no need for you to go. Moira is a trained hunter."
Rafe bit back his displeasure, wanted to argue, but Moira was looking at him, silently asking him why he was being so hostile. Rafe didn't like seeing Moira worried about him, but her eyes betrayed her concern. She'd been apprehensive about him and the memories he had--memories that weren't his. They didn't speak of it often, and Anthony had dismissed Rafe's recollections as remnants of his magic-induced coma. At least Anthony pretended he wasn't concerned. But Rafe didn't like being the brunt of scrutiny, and he didn't want Moira or anyone looking at him as though he were crazy. Or worse, that he was somehow being used by the coven.
Then she said, "Rafe should come with us to L.A. We can cover more ground with the three of us there, and leave Dr. Fielding to talk shop with the coroner."
Rico didn't look happy that she'd contradicted him, and Rafe held back a grin.
"That's fine with me," Skye said. "But we should get going. It's a long drive."
Moira walked around the table. "Is this what it's going to be like?" Everyone turned to look at her, unsure of what exactly she was driving at. Her eyes settled on Rafe's. "We won't know where the damn demons are until people start dying?"
Skye said, "My thoughts exactly." She glanced at her watch. "I need to swing by the station and let them know I'll be out all day, clear up a few things."
"I'll get my stuff together," Moira said and left the room.
Skye asked, "How do we know which demon is at work and where it is?"
"That's easy," Rafe said. "Look at the deaths and find out what the victims were doing when they died. That will lead us to the demon."
Anthony nodded in agreement. "When we trapped Envy, it was because we figured out the common denominator of the four people who died. Once we know what connects the victims in L.A., we can devise a plan on how to trap it."
"With another tabernacle?" Skye asked.
"That," Anthony said, "is one thing I'm uncertain about. I hope Dr. Lieber has the answers. At this point, I'd be happy with a theory."
Moira returned wearing her custom leather jacket, her satchel with the tools of her trade draped over her shoulder.
"I'm ready when you are, Sheriff. And Rico?" She paused until Rico looked at her. "If you learn anything from my blood, let me know."
After she walked out, Rafe glared at Rico. What was he planning for Moira?
FOUR
Grant Nelson had been staring at the dead young woman for several
He glanced at the digital photograph and asked, "What do you think?"
Anthony held out his hand, but Rico handed the phone to Moira. A wash of unease ran down Rafe's neck from the anger coming off Anthony. No one else seemed to notice.
"Fuck," Moira said and handed Anthony the phone. "Not identical to the others, but close."
Skye said, "The L.A. coroner will allow me to view the bodies, but they won't send them up here."
"I'll go with you," Anthony said.
"You're going to St. Michael's," Rico reminded him. "Your flight leaves today."
"Skye can't go to L.A. alone," Anthony said. "She doesn't know what she'll face, she doesn't have the training--"
Skye said, "Rod Fielding and I are going to view the bodies, talk to the coroner and the investigating officers, find out about the victims. Rod wants to show the L.A. coroner the brains of two of our victims. Apparently, one of the L.A. vics has a similar anomaly. I'll be back tonight--it's only a three-hour drive."
"What if you locate Fiona's coven? It's too great a risk, and if the marks prove to be true demon's marks, we'll know that one of the Seven is in L.A. It's too dangerous to go there alone--for any of us."
Rico said, "Moira will go with her."
"I'll go as well," Rafe added.
"No." Rico didn't even look at Rafe when he spoke. "There's no need for you to go. Moira is a trained hunter."
Rafe bit back his displeasure, wanted to argue, but Moira was looking at him, silently asking him why he was being so hostile. Rafe didn't like seeing Moira worried about him, but her eyes betrayed her concern. She'd been apprehensive about him and the memories he had--memories that weren't his. They didn't speak of it often, and Anthony had dismissed Rafe's recollections as remnants of his magic-induced coma. At least Anthony pretended he wasn't concerned. But Rafe didn't like being the brunt of scrutiny, and he didn't want Moira or anyone looking at him as though he were crazy. Or worse, that he was somehow being used by the coven.
Then she said, "Rafe should come with us to L.A. We can cover more ground with the three of us there, and leave Dr. Fielding to talk shop with the coroner."
Rico didn't look happy that she'd contradicted him, and Rafe held back a grin.
"That's fine with me," Skye said. "But we should get going. It's a long drive."
Moira walked around the table. "Is this what it's going to be like?" Everyone turned to look at her, unsure of what exactly she was driving at. Her eyes settled on Rafe's. "We won't know where the damn demons are until people start dying?"
Skye said, "My thoughts exactly." She glanced at her watch. "I need to swing by the station and let them know I'll be out all day, clear up a few things."
"I'll get my stuff together," Moira said and left the room.
Skye asked, "How do we know which demon is at work and where it is?"
"That's easy," Rafe said. "Look at the deaths and find out what the victims were doing when they died. That will lead us to the demon."
Anthony nodded in agreement. "When we trapped Envy, it was because we figured out the common denominator of the four people who died. Once we know what connects the victims in L.A., we can devise a plan on how to trap it."
"With another tabernacle?" Skye asked.
"That," Anthony said, "is one thing I'm uncertain about. I hope Dr. Lieber has the answers. At this point, I'd be happy with a theory."
Moira returned wearing her custom leather jacket, her satchel with the tools of her trade draped over her shoulder.
"I'm ready when you are, Sheriff. And Rico?" She paused until Rico looked at her. "If you learn anything from my blood, let me know."
After she walked out, Rafe glared at Rico. What was he planning for Moira?
FOUR
Grant Nelson had been staring at the dead young woman for several
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