Breaking the Nexus (Mythrian Realm) (8 page)

But then she’d never been the best at following orders, and where was the fun in leaving things alone?

*******

Connor couldn’t shake the memory of the taste of Sha. When he’d carried her from his car to the house, the weight of her in his arms had felt…right. He didn’t have a logical explanation for the way he wanted her. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to protect a woman, he was a cop for heaven’s sake. He’d aways been able to maintain his objectivity, but Sha was different. She was special. Touching her was like touching a live wire, and it hadn’t sated his desire an iota to kiss her. No, if anything, it had intensified it.

As much as he craved to have her in his arms, it was a bad idea on so many levels. Sex with a witness could be a death knell for a career, not to mention it would cloud his judgment. If only he could convince his body it was a bad idea. He looked to where she was stretched out on the couch, fast asleep. Once inside, she’d stayed awake long enough to eat the sandwich he’d thrown together before she started to nod off, nearly falling out of her chair. She had wanted to wait for Ian so she could get the latest updates, but he’d managed to convince her to take a nap until he arrived.

Showing her how to work the microwave and refrigerator and watching her face light up with childlike curiosity had been priceless. If he hadn’t already believed her story, and how could he not after the incidence with the freaking banshee, her utter fascination would have convinced him of her sincerity. So many questions raced through his mind about where she came from, but they’d have to wait for now.

He rose and grabbed a quilt one of his sisters had given him for Christmas and shook it out, spreading it over her body. She was curled on her side, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. In sleep she looked so serene, but awake she was a spitfire; never had going head to head with someone been so much fun. Tucking the blanket around her, he indulged himself in a single caress over her hair before returning to the kitchen to review the case files.

Going over his notes after the events of today was surreal. How was he supposed to look at the photos of the runes and not think that real magic could’ve been involved? He snorted. God, listen to him. If someone had told him a few days ago he’d be contemplating the use of actual magic in a homicide, he’d have had the person committed for psychiatric observation.

Hell, the only reason he wasn’t checking himself into the nearest psych ward was because he’d seen that creature with his own eyes. A shudder rippled down his spine at the memory of the banshee. He still had a hard time reconciling that thing had been female. Something told him that if Sha hadn’t blasted it into oblivion, it would have sliced and diced him as deftly as the chefs on those cooking shows his sisters loved.

Going down in the line of duty was a possibility every cop had to come to terms with; going down because a nightmarish monster wants to make you dinner was
not
what he’d signed on for. Lucky for him, Sha remained cool under pressure. She’d been magnificent, facing down the banshee without hesitation. Granted, she’d also been somewhat foolish and scared ten years off his life, but he had to admire her courage.

Hours later, Connor surfaced from the endless sea of papers and crime scene photos, his neck and shoulders stiff form being hunched over for so long. A glance at the clock told him it was approaching midnight. Holy crap how was it midnight already and where was Ian? He should’ve been here by now.
 

A thread of worry began to wind through him, not for his partner since he could handle himself, no he worried what else could have gone wrong today. The scene had been chaotic with multiple accidents when frightened bystanders tried to flee, but it shouldn’t have taken this long to wrap up; most of the legwork would’ve been done by uniforms.

A knock at the door broke his train of thought. Speak of the devil, that must be him now. Rising, he went to the door, hand on his holstered gun just in case. He’d taken precautions to ensure they weren’t followed, but it never hurt to be safe. Through the peephole he made out Ian’s grim face. Wonderful, something
had
happened. Dammit.

Opening the door, Connor didn’t waste any time. “What’s wrong?”

Ian shook his head, pushing inside and locking the door before answering. “It’s bad. Where’s Sha?”

“Sleeping on the couch. Spit it out, man.”

“There’s been another murder.”

Okay, that was bad, obviously, but not cause for the concern he could see in Ian’s eyes. There must be more. “And the rest?”

His partner hesitated, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. “See for yourself,” he said finally, handing Connor a folder.

Connor took it, motioning for Ian to follow him to the kitchen table. Opening the folder, he absently flipped through the pages until he reached the pictures taken of the victim. He grunted, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. The latest victim was without a doubt connected to their other murders, the same runes and dismemberment were present, but there was one glaring difference. This time, the killer had targeted a woman.
 

A woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to a certain blonde and blue haired temptress asleep on his couch. Rage ignited within him at the clear threat to her safety. No question, this was meant to send a message, one Connor received loud and clear, though probably not what the perpetrator intended.

Anyone who came after Sha would have to go through him first.

Waves of anger beat at her, pulling her from a deep sleep. Someone was inches away from exploding and she was pretty sure it wasn’t her. Sha had some empathic traits, so it wasn’t hard to figure out they had activated and her instincts told her the emotions she felt belonged to Connor. Why was he in such a rage?
 

Well, she wasn’t going to get answers lying on the couch, comfortable though it was. At some point, Connor must have covered her with a blanket and her lips curved at the gesture. He wanted to fight the attraction between them, but that was okay; she loved a challenge and the compulsion to break through his defenses was strong.

Hushed voices drifted from another room, sparking her curiosity. Ian must’ve come back but it didn’t explain the strong feelings rolling off of Connor. She even picked up faint traces of worry and anger from Ian. Alright, she
had
to know what was going on now. With a sigh she sat up, her head swimming at the sudden movement. Mother Night, her head was
pounding
. The banshee had been stronger than she’d anticipated and the amount of effort needed to break through the forces blocking her had drained her energy faster than usual. It had been years since she’d suffered backlash, but tonight she’d skirted the line of it. Thank the Gods she hadn’t; it could debilitate her for days if it was bad enough.

She dropped her head, centering herself the way her instructors had taught her long ago. Sha was an oddity among the Sorceri in that she belonged to both Aquarum and Infernum classes. It wasn’t unusual to possess power in multiple elements, however, it was rare for a person to have equal strength in such polar opposites, not that she complained. The fire elements played a large part in her offensive magic, but the water traits were particularly helpful at aiding her in grounding herself as well as minor healing.
 

Drawing on the Aquarum gifts, she worked to block out the burgeoning headache threatening to transform into a full-blown migraine. The cursed banshee was still causing trouble, even after being decimated by the energy burst. When the pain subsided to a dull throb, she decided it was time to announce she was awake and ready to receive the bad news.

She rose, padding toward the sound of the men. Connor was holding a folder, hands clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Hearing her steps he turned toward her, a muscle ticking in his cheek, fury blazing in his eyes.

Hoping for a little levity, she smiled at Ian. “I take it you aren’t bringing news that you’ve found the murderer?”

He shook his head. “He’s killed again.”

A pang of sympathy struck her for the man who had succumbed this time. “What was his name? The latest victim.”

“It wasn’t a man,” Connor bit out, the words thick with roiling emotions.

“I don’t understand. You said he’s only targeted men, it seems illogical he’d change his preference.”

He handed her a picture from the file. “See for yourself.”

By the flame
, it was like looking at a member of her family. The woman appeared to be a similar age, coloring and build as Sha, her hair almost the exact shade as her own. Wait a minute, something wasn’t right. Her eyes narrowed on the victim’s roots. “This isn’t her natural hair color is it?”

Connor craned his head to get a better view. “What do you mean?”

“If you look closely, you can see her natural shade is much lighter, almost platinum blonde.”

“Are you telling me you have hair dye in Mythria?” Ian sounded amused at the prospect.

She leveled a cool glare at him. “You think blue streaks occur naturally? I doubt it’s the same as what women use here, but yes we’re able to dye our hair. In any case, this looks hurried. Her nails are well-kept and painted so it doesn’t make sense she’d rush that.”

Understanding dawned on her. “He wanted to send me a message didn’t he? He knows about me, knows I was at the crime scene. He’s going to come after me.” The knowledge didn’t scare her, it strengthened her determination. She never backed down from a fight.

“He will
not
come after you,” Connor said fiercely.

His reaction warmed her, made her want to break out in a huge grin despite the gravity of the situation. “Connor, as sweet as that is, did I prove earlier how well I can take care of myself?”

“Of course, but this guy has taken down three grown men and now a woman with disturbing similarities to you. Yes you’re powerful, but you’re not in Mythria. You’re out of your element here. I’m afraid you’ll race headlong into danger like you did with the banshee. Did you stop to think that maybe there were other perils besides the banshee?”

Puzzled, she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“It could have been a trap to lure you out into the open to give him a shot at you.”

Her mouth opened to protest, but then she thought about what he’d said. “You may have a point. I may or may not have been called impulsive a time or two.”

The words had the desired effect, coaxing a small chuckle from him. “I can believe that.”

Ian cleared his throat and Sha realized she’d forgotten he was even in the room. “The captain wanted to know if you could tell us anything about this victim.”

She studied the pictures carefully. “I’m not sure what he’s hoping I’ll see. I don’t recognize the girl…” Sha’s voice trailed off.

“What is it?” Connor demanded.

“See here on her right shoulder? These lines radiating outward almost in a starburst pattern? That’s mage fire.”

“Okay…” He lifted a brow, motioning for her to continue.

“Oh, right. You wouldn’t know what that is, would you? Suffice it to say, mage fire is one of the most painful weapons you could ever feel. It’s near impossible for most to harness its power effectively, and even when you can wield it, you run the risk of it doubling back upon you. When it strikes, the magic explodes for lack of a better word, racing along the skin and prolonging the agony as it dissipates. The size of the wound depends on the location where it first makes contact with skin, the closer to major veins or arteries, the larger the pattern. If you survive the blast, you’ll always bear the distinctive scarring.”

“You sound like you speak from experience,” Ian said.

The ghost of remembered pain spread through her back. Without a word, she turned and lifted her shirt to bare her back, revealing the evidence of her misfortunate encounter with the excruciating magic. Gentle fingers traced the faint blue lines of the scar, drawing a shiver from her. She didn’t have to see his face to know it was Connor’s hands on her body and she leaned back into his touch.

Disappointment shot through her when he dropped his hands. Already she’d grown accustomed to his touch and she wanted more. She wasn’t sure what to think of that.

“So what does that mean for the case?”

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but I’m almost positive it means your killer is…Mythrian.”

Knowing Sha had suffered such excruciating pain, seeing the permanent evidence of it, ripped at Connor. How and why this woman had gotten under his skin, he wasn’t sure, but the thought of her hurting brought out a visceral urge to protect. Granted, she didn’t
need
protecting as she’d pointed out. This woman was an enigma and he’d always loved puzzles.

He felt Ian’s eyes boring into the back of his head, scrutinizing his reaction to Sha. His partner was like a brother to him, especially since he’d grown up with only sisters, and there was no chance the other man was blind to his attraction to their witness. Connor tried to hold back his sigh. There was going to be no end to the ribbing he’d get for this.

“There’s a definite consistency between our victim’s wound and yours,” Ian said, his words prompting Sha to cover herself. “Would there be any way for you to identify who made the wound?”

Connor’s hands began to ache, making him realize they were fisted at his sides. Loosening them, he considered the action carefully. He was a possessive man, but it had never before bothered him when Ian would check out women. Why was Sha so damn different?

She shook her head. “If I got really close to the body, perhaps. I’m able to track magical signatures sometimes, but it doesn’t always reliably work. It may be even harder since it’s a dead person.”

An idea started to formulate. “It’d be hard to get you into the autopsy, the captain frowns upon civilians interacting with the body while it’s in the morgue unless they’re next of kin. Does this tracking only work with people or could you do it with an inanimate object.”

Nodding slowly, she pursed her lips, considering his suggestion. “You’re wondering if I could track our killer from some of the evidence he left behind. I can’t make you any guarantees, but if you get me some samples, I’ll give it my best shot.”