“Who is this girlfriend’s nephew?”

“Declan O’Carroll. Witch. Arcane student. Works directly with Chris Gordon and Demidova. Also, he’s the boyfriend of Stacia Reynolds, the werewolf you two were talking about. And one of the homeowners down the street was up and noticed a green Jeep-like vehicle on the street about four or four-thirty. O’Carroll drives a green and white Toyota Land Cruiser.”

“And where can I find this kid right now?”

“Darci said he had classes this morning, but he expects us to call. I have his number here,” Leblanc said, holding up his notebook.

“Let’s give him a call. I want to meet this kid yesterday.”

“Yeah, about that. We might want to think about how to set that up. Like I said, the kid is a witch and the word from the sheriff’s department is that he’s dangerous as shit. They use his aunt’s skills all the time, to find lost people or missing evidence, but the kid is a whole different ball of wax.”

“You have this deputy’s number, I assume. Let me talk to her,” Schulz said. “And does anyone else smell sulfur?”

“Shredded bowels is what I’d call it,” the CS tech said.

“Bowels smell like sewage. This is more rotten eggs,” Schulz said.

“I guess,” Leblanc admitted, head tilted as he sniffed. “Is that important?”

“Everything is important,” Schulz said.

Chapter 4

“Ready to roll out in fifteen,” the crew-cut block of muscle in the black Demidova Security shirt said.

“Okay, we’re all set, Deckert,” Chris said, pushing the twins’ stroller down the hall past the security chief. Deckert nodded at the baby bags strung on and about the stroller like they were weapons bags and kept walking.

Chris turned into the door marked Chapel, a recent addition to the floor that had raised a few eyebrows. When the clergy had blessed it, Chris had thought he would likely be the only user, but surprisingly, more than a few of the staff, both human and vampire, had taken to using the space. It was empty now as he pushed the stroller through the door, turning to close it behind him.

When he swung back around, he found it was no longer empty.

“I hoped you’d appear,” he said to the tall young man wearing a COEXIST t-shirt with different religious symbols in place of most of the letters.

“I always appear,” the young man said, confused. “When have I not?”

“Well there’s always a first time, Barbiel,” Chris said. “I shouldn’t get complacent, should I?”

Chris was bemused to see the angel scratch his head as he thought about it. To his knowledge, angels didn’t get itches, or cuts, or wounds, or anything of the sort. It was a new affectation he hadn’t seen before.

“I suppose, although I don’t know why I wouldn’t show up. It’s kinda my job.”