Page 9 of Lunar Diamonds
The shade panicked, trying to run. But the light exploded, bathing everything in blue brilliance.
I passed out.
Chapter 3
RILEY
Icame to in the staffroom, laid out on the battered, pink leather sofa. My head pounded, and my knees ached like my foot.
“Oh… God…” I mumbled, slowly sitting up, a nasty taste in my mouth.
“You’re back.” Carol stood over by the small kitchen area, pouring hot water into aDisneymug. Coffee? Tea? A hot toddy? I’d take all three with a shot of spiced rum on the side.
I forced my legs off the sofa, rubbing at the back of my neck. “What happened? Wait. Scratch that. I know what happened.”
Leaning forward, my head between my legs, I drew in some deep breaths. In and out, taking it easy, keeping the horrors of the day at bay.
“How are you feeling?” my boss asked, stirring the mystery beverage.
“Like there’s a rave inside my skull.”
“Nasty.”
I straightened, clocking a woman through the window of the staffroom door talking to Nina. A witchcop from the High Coven,dressed in the white uniform with blue piping, a blue beret crowning her head.
Officially, they were called Agents of the High Coven. But everyone called them witchcops seeing as they were basically magical police officers.
“What’s happening now?” I asked, stretching my limbs above my head.
Oh. Big crack in the right shoulder there.
“The witchcops are taking care of things,” Carol answered. “There did seem to be a delay with the cannon, which means I have a mountain of paperwork to deal with this afternoon.”
The Radiance Pulse Cannons were built to fight off shades. In the event of an attack, they were supposed to respond with a big pulse of magical energy to drive off the shadowy scum. Sometimes they were slow, in need of upgrading. But this pulse meant every cannon in the city would now go off in a chain reaction.
Good. And thank goodness the witchcops were here now. For the next week, as was the usual pattern, there’d be a big increase in their patrols.
Shades attacked for the love of chaos and slurping mortal blood. Kind of like vampires, but less glamorous.
I rubbed my knees, pushing the creeping images of the dead human woman and the goblin away.
So much blood…
Carol joined me on the sofa with two mugs. “Here. This will help with the head and the foot.”
I took the mug from her. “What is it?”
“One of those disgusting lemon paracetamol drinks.” She had black coffee.
My stomach roiled. I might not like the flavor one bit, but I always drank these lemon drinks whenever I came down with a cold. For me, they were a blessing as well as lemony torture.
“So, how are you?” she asked.
I took a sip, shuddering from the clash of sweet and sharp on my tongue. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine, though.” She rubbed my back.
Her touch was nice, reminding me of my mum’s warmth. Well, when she was in a good mood, at least. I desperately needed to visit her soon. I’d been neglecting her a lot lately.
