Shadows of Fate (Shadow Born) by Angela Dennis Page A

gave away nothing. “You can’t think I had something to do with this?” She paused, sucking down the bile in her throat. “Is that why you won’t let me be part of the investigation?”
    “You always think the worst of me.” Seraph shook his head. “I trust you, Brenna. Never doubt that.” He sighed. “Do you have any enemies who may have followed you here? Is there anyone who hates you enough to do this?”
    Gray snorted. “It would take days to make that list.”
    “Those without sin shall cast the first stone.” Seraph quipped. His hand fell on Brenna’s shoulders. “If my loved ones were ripped apart, I would probably do the same thing. It’s not my place to judge.”
    “You’re one of the few who feel that way.” She glanced at Gray. By all accounts, she had killed at least three hundred men. But she had no memory of it, only the events that had precipitated the massacre. She held her breath and lifted her mask so she could better examine the remains. The residue from the poison stung her eyes, but it had dissipated enough to be bearable. Xavier’s ashes held the signature greenish tint from the toxin.
    She let her eyes slip closed and focused on the texture of the residue. The poison had to be mixed with blood to work. This made it easy to trace the substance back to the original creator. It was not commonly used because of this risk. The poison had been invented by her people, yet here there was no hint of Shadow Bearer blood. Instead the ashes held the stench of another creature.
    “Demon.” She looked to Seraph. “I don’t know how, but the ash reeks of manticore blood.”
    “Host blood?” Seraph asked.
    “No possession. Pure demon blood.” She moved away from the table, replacing her mask.
    “She’s right. The scent is too strong to be anything else.” Gray moved beside her. “The Veil must be torn. It’s the only way they could survive here without a host.”
    “Impossible. The Guardians would have sounded the alarm.” Seraph moved away from the examination table. “Even if the Guardians were dead, we’d have noticed the destruction. A matter sucking chasm isn’t something you easily miss.”
    Gray nodded. “True. But there’s no other explanation.”
    “There has to be.” Brenna sighed. This was not the place to discuss a breach in the Veil. She liked Lucy, but the gargoyle was the worst gossip on the team. She had stopped working a while back just so she wouldn’t miss a word of their conversation. “We should leave Lucy to her work.”
    Seraph nodded as they left. They made their way to Brenna’s office to continue the discussion. Brenna tossed her coat onto the back of her chair. “Demons aren’t smart enough to organize and execute these types of killings. They’re primal, bordering on instinctual. They would need help—.”
    “—from a Shadow Bearer,” Seraph finished. “Which is why I can’t have you on the case. There have been traces of Shadow magic at every crime scene. My men can’t differentiate between yours and the killer’s. Having you involved might contaminate the scenes.”
    “But you don’t have anyone capable of bringing a Shadow Bearer down. You need our help.”
    Seraph blocked the door to the office. He placed a hand on either side of the frame. A shimmering wave sealed the door, then the rest of the room, giving them absolute privacy. He turned back to them. “I agree. I believe the Veil is torn, but I can’t prove it. I don’t know why it’s different this time, but it is. The resources of this world have not recovered enough to survive another war. You are the only ones that can help me stop it. That’s why I put you two together. At some point I’m going to need you. We all are.”
    “So if we die, the world dies?” Chilled, Brenna crossed her arms as she met Seraph’s eyes. “No pressure there.”
    “Pressure is all we’ve got. The Veil opening, the murders, the increase in demon possessions have to be connected and I