Page 12 of Wake the Dream

Illaria rolled her eyes, arms across her midsection. “Don’t you think I have? I’ve looked everywhere she might have gone that night. I’ve searched! There’s no sign of her. What else can you give me?”

But Caryss shook her head and mimed zipping her lips closed over her metal mouth.

Illaria thought about using force, then grimaced. “You old fool.” How could she have thought this would help? Caryss never gave anything concrete. Not even when she peddled in the square for tourists. She could only stand there and twitch, smiling her truly terrifying smile.

This was a waste of time.

Illaria stomped back down the stairs listening to the woman laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

Chapter 4

Kieran

Kieran stumbled outof bed not long after his literal wake-up call and searched around for his slippers. He had the thermostat set to a whopping seventy degrees but the inside of the apartment still resembled the walk-in freezer at his favorite restaurant. Damn this cold weather. Where was July when he needed it? Sometimes he felt like it would be nice to move. If he had the funds he would jet off to some far-off island where it stayed eighty degrees through winter. Yeah, that would be nice.

A nicefantasy.

But it was only Tuesday, which meant he had to drag his frigid ass back in to the station and work on his one open case.

Illaria.

Damn Fae. She had called him earlier, he remembered now. Ooh, boy, yeah, and he’d hung up on her.

Kieran swore under his breath, slipping his feet into fuzzy slippers at last and drawing a comforter around his shoulders. He didn’t need the Sight to know she was going to be pissed the next time they crossed paths. He’d have to mentally prepare.

Kieran made himself a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, then added a couple of pancakes to the plate, vowing to go to the gym later. He was behind on his workouts. The pancakes sat heavy in his gut but the full feeling would take him through the next several hours without issue. First burgers, then pancakes. God, he was slipping.

If today went anything like yesterday, he’d need the extra calories, because Lord knew his superiors wouldn’t give him a break. Or so he told himself.

With a full mug of coffee nestled in his cup holder, he drove in to work making sure he scanned the streets for unusual activity. Unlike most humans who chose to pass through the Marsh, Kieran saw what others did not. He saw each person, or monster, for what they truly were. It was one of the most basic criteria to pass when applying for the police force, and although he’d been surprised at first by their policy for the first interview done in person, he hadn’t complained. Freaked out, maybe. Okay, definitely. Questioned his sanity? Absolutely, yes.

Then he’d taken the job.

He wondered if it had something to do with his gift, how he knew things about others without being told. But no, Pembroke had no such gift and he had still made the squad. He didn’t have a problem with monsters for the most part, except for his strange hatred of leprechauns.

It had something to do with his gambling issues, if Kieran hazarded a guess.

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