Page 26 of Soulmarked

Skye shot him a warning look. “Sean...”

“Dublin,” he said flatly. “Same pattern. Different players.”

The tension in the room thickened. Clearly, there was history there, the kind that left scars.

“So what's our play?” I asked, deliberately shifting focus back to the present.

Skye responded by pulling up security footage that made my skin crawl. The video showed a crumbling cathedral, its Gothic architecture stark against the night sky. Shattered stained-glass windows gaped like empty eye sockets, but it wasn't the decay that caught my attention.

Under the full moon's light, shadows moved with impossible purpose. Dark energy coiled around the building's spires like living smoke, pulsing in a slow, rhythmic pattern that reminded me sickeningly of a heartbeat.

“This was captured last night,” Skye said. “Watch.”

Without warning, the energy surged. The screen flickered violently as the motion sensors overloaded. But in the last frame before everything went dark, I caught something that made myblood run cold. A humanoid figure literally melting into the darkness, red eyes gleaming with ancient hunger.

“That's not a normal vampire,” Sean said, his jaw tight enough to crack teeth.

“Nope.” Skye pulled up energy readings that spiked off their charts. “Whatever Phoenix is doing with these ley lines, they're not just storing power. They're fueling something. Or someone.”

I exhaled sharply, trying to organize the growing horror into something manageable. “So let's sum this up. Phoenix is targeting supernatural hotspots throughout the city. They're eliminating anyone who gets too close to whatever they're doing. And now we've got evidence they're manipulating ley line energy for some unknown purpose.”

“Unknown but definitely not good,” Skye added helpfully.

Sean nodded, his expression grim. “Are they trying to control something, or summon it?”

Neither option filled me with confidence. In my experience, corporations messing with supernatural forces never ended well. Usually with a body count.

Before I could voice that thought, a sharp alarm cut through the room's tension. The sound was high and urgent, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Skye's fingers flew across their keyboard with renewed intensity. Multiple screens flickered to life, showing real-time data streams and thermal imaging. “New activity detected. Old church on 34th Street. Multiple supernatural energy signatures.” They frowned at the readings. “I've never seen patterns like this.”

My pulse quickened as I recognized the location. “That's six blocks from Phoenix's main research lab.”

Sean was already moving, strapping on weapons with practiced efficiency. “Then we don't wait. Skye...”

“Already on it.” They pulled up building schematics and street camera feeds. “Church has been abandoned for decades. Three entry points, lots of blind spots. The energy signature is strongest in the basement level.”

I checked my gun, standard issue, useless against most supernatural threats. Sean must have noticed because he tossed me something from his arsenal.

“Silver rounds,” he said shortly. “Try not to shoot yourself. Or me.”

“Your concern is touching.”

“My concern is practical. Dead feds generate paperwork.”

Skye snorted, not looking away from their screens. “You two are adorable. Now if you're done flirting, maybe focus on the fact that whatever's in that church is giving off enough energy to fry my sensors?”

They had a point. The thermal imaging was starting to distort, supernatural energy interfering with the equipment. Whatever was happening at that church, it was building toward something.

“How long to get there?” I asked, checking the magazine Sean had given me.

“Ten minutes if we take the tunnels,” he replied. At my raised eyebrow, he added, “You think these maintenance passages are just for show?”

“Of course not. They're for your dramatic exits.”

“Children,” Skye interrupted, their voice sharp. “Whatever's happening down there, it's not waiting for you to finish your witty banter.”

Sean grabbed extra ammunition and what looked like modified flash-bangs. “Skye, keep us updated on any movement.”

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