Page 47 of Wake the Dream

“What about the rogues?”

Kieran shrugged. “This is the best we can do for a first step. If he is a rogue, then we won’t have him on file and we’ll take to the streets, ask around.”

Illaria pointed toward the window. “A little hard when the sun is high in the sky, champ.”

“Leave the worries to me. I want you to go through photos of the vamps we have in the database.” Kieran clicked on a desktop icon to access the files.

“I’m not sure how I feel about your invasion of privacy, here. Keeping the supernaturals on file.”

“It wasn’t my idea. Wasn’t even my superior’s idea. You can thank your mayor for this.”

A female Nephilim had run for office two years before and won. Since taking office, she’d made many changes that some of her constituents were still iffy on, including the census. By doing it for every resident of the town, creatures and humans alike, she thought to smooth over any hard feelings, wanting a record of every man, woman, and Griffin who fell within her territory.

“Besides, you were already in the system,” Kieran continued. “Are you ever going to tell me what really happened?”

The Fae’s arms came around her midsection, her right leg crossed over left, silvery eyes glinting. “It’s something I prefer not to think about, thank you very much.”

Maybe she’d tell him. One day.

Kieran returned his focus to the screen, giving her free rein to take her attention elsewhere.

Ugh, she hated thinking about this place. Hated being here. She’d lost control one time, one time when she’d decided to give in to those dark urges inside of her and broke a chair over some guy’s head when he got grabby with her. She’d resisted arrest, the offending policeman said when they brought her in, the poor human sporting a gash across his chin along with his bruised pride.

They were lucky she hadn’t gotten her hands on a second chair. Or used her magic for evil intent.

She had it in her, of course, and had she still retained the access to Fairy she could have brought down the entire town with a thought.Handicappedwas a good way to describe her situation. Lately, with her spotty access to her magic, Illaria was worse than useless. She was practically human, right along with the slob balls and their ant-ridden desks scattered across the bullpen.

And how they spoke about Kieran...it turned her blood into lava. She heard them now, muttering under their breath. Wondering how someone like him could have a woman like her interested. Not that shewasinterested, but the colorful and nasty language didn’t sit well with her. Nor did the thinly veiled insults and the outright statements claiming him to be incompetent. Claiming she was using him for more than just finding her sister.

Why did men with low self-esteem always shoot straight to prostitution?

“I said ignore them,” Kieran interrupted, his eyes on the screen. A small smile played at the corner of his lips. “And I know you don’t like waiting around. It takes a little bit for the system to load.”

Her booted foot tapped on the floor. “You’re damn right I don’t like waiting. I feel like there is so much we should be doing. We could be out there—”

“Not until we find this vampire. With him on the loose, who knows how many other people might disappear in their attempt to ‘wake up’.”

That got her attention. “You think...other people are disappearing?”

“I haven’t had any other missing persons come across my desk, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. It just means their families might not care as much as you do. Or something prevents them from coming to the police. Ah, here we go.” Kieran swiveled the screen around to give Illaria a better view. “Can you see?”

She nodded. “Yes. I can see you have thumbprints all over your monitor. You are gross.” She didn’t want to consider what else he could do with those thumbs, although the thought crossed her mind.

His scathing look did nothing to faze her. “I need you to go through the registry and see if anyone looks familiar.”

“Stop treating me the way you do everyone else.” She rolled her eyes. “I think we’re past that by now.”

The first few vampires favored each other in looks. They had the same dark hair slicked away from their foreheads, skin the color of milk, and long straight noses. Vamp nests, she’d noticed, tended to stick to certain types of people, whether male or female, to perpetuate the appearance of family lines.

They did nothing for her on any level. Something to do with their lack of a pulse, probably.

Kieran watched her anyway, scrutinizing her face for any signs of attraction. Or recognition. She hoped for the first and nibbled her lip at the second.

“None of them. Go on,” she demanded, tap-tap-tapping her boot. “Next.”

The covens in Hedgehill Marsh stayed small. Tight knit groups where the members kept to themselves. Like tiny isolated nations. As such, and with vampires being territorial beings, it didn’t take long for her to get through the list.

“This isn’t going to help us,” she insisted and winced at the knot of anxiety beneath her sternum. “He isn’t going to be on the registry.” It was a gut feeling.

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