Page 7 of Soul Sucker

Feehan glanced at her again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m just thirsty.” She opened her eyes wide at him. “What’s up? Are you worried I’m losing it?”

To his credit he didn’t back down. “You are almost twenty-seven. I understand that can be a difficult time for an empath.” He clicked on his turn signal, turned under the Bay Bridge and they were swallowed in the roaring tunnel-like darkness. “Have you received your notification letter from Otherworld yet?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Well, it is one solution to your…issues.”

“Myissues?” She glared at him. “A stupid one. I think I’d rather go nuts.”

“I doubt that.”

“And what would you know about it, boss?”

They emerged from under the bridge into glaring sun and the usual stationary traffic. “Quite a lot, actually,” Feehan replied. “My mom was an empath. She died in a home for the mentally unstable at thirty.”

Ella swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. That must’ve been tough for you.”

“Tougher for her. She died when I was four.” He waited for the secure gate to rise at the SBLE underground parking lot. “It was just before the two governments instigated the new mating policies to keep empaths alive and functioning.” He parked and turned off the engine. “So you can see why I’m particularly keen for you to survive. Your work for the SBLE is exceptional, and as a department, we would hate to lose your gifts.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel special or something?” She took off her seatbelt and scrambled out of the car. “You can’t force me to do anything I don’t want to.” Gee, now she sounded like a petulant five-year-old. Maybe she should stamp her foot and pout.

Feehan followed suit and stood staring at her. “That’s true, but as your superior, I can only offer you the benefit of my advice.”

“Well, thanks, I sure appreciate your input.” She pushed open the door into the main building and enjoyed the rush of cold air. “Now, shall we focus on catching this killer?”

* * *

An hour later,fortified by three jelly donuts and two cans of lemonade, Ella sat in the largest of the three conference rooms awaiting her colleagues. She’d taken off her jacket and was busy trying to scrape jelly off her purple kitty T-shirt.

“Hey, Ella.” Liz Goddard took the seat next to her and wrinkled her nose. “What the hell is that on your shirt, blood?”

“Nope, just the internal gushings of a donut. I somehow missed my mouth.”

Liz shuddered and smoothed out the perfect pleats in her off-white pantsuit. She always looked immaculate. Ella had suffered severe clothes-envy until she’d realized that Liz was part Fae and able to create her own glamor.

“How’s Doug?” Ella asked.

“He’s good,” Liz said, her smile brightening. “He’s got a new contract with the government to work on the Fae/Human database, so he’s the happiest nerd on the planet.”

“Cool. So you’ll be able to stay in the city, then?”

“Yeah, which is awesome.” She nudged Ella in the ribs. “I need to return the favor and introduce you to some hot dude.”

“I don’t want a hot dude. I want a nerd like Doug.”

“No, you don’t. He’d drive you batshit.” Liz grinned. “He drivesmebatshit, but somehow that’s okay.”

“That’s because you are a better, kinder person than I will ever be.”

“No, it’s because when he gets really annoying, I can cast a spell and shut him up.”

“I wish I could do that.”

Liz gave her a skeptical look. “You can wipe their minds. That’s way cooler.”

Her smile died. “Not really. Who wants to be the girl no one ever remembers?”

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