Page 7 of Crossing Between
"Is he the first one found like this?" It made me curious why the Captain of homicide was looking into this case personally. I didn't think he'd be out in the field if he didn't have to be. That's what the detectives were for.
"Smart question." Varon pulled into a parking lot behind a large brown government building. "He is the first to have all of the organs removed, but he's not the first victim. We've managed to keep it out of the press for now, but we have had four other victims over the past two months. They've had one or two organs removed but their stomachs were disemboweled as well." He shut the engine off and got out.
I attempted to follow, except I had an issue getting out. It felt like I was climbing out but I didn't want to scratch the paint with my nails, even if I knew that was highly unlikely. Call me cautious. An annoyed sigh interrupted my feeble attempts to get out. Varon stood in front of me, an eyebrow quirked up.
"Are you having some troubles?" His face may have been blank, yet I somehow could tell that he was amused with me. "Take my hand." He held out his right hand, looking at me with a challenge in his eyes.
What was the challenge though? I wanted to get out of the Bentley on my own. It wasn't going to happen at the moment, though. Plus, I was never one to back down from a challenge, even if I knew it was a bad idea. Touching my handsome vampire boss, even if briefly, there was a possibility it was going to rev up my libido.
I could do this.
I could.
Our hands touched and Varon pulled me out of the car easily. His hand in mine, even briefly, made me lick my lips unconsciously as my heart rate sped up slightly along with a tingling between my legs. There was no denying it. I found him attractive. I had to keep telling myself that he was also my boss. So that meant no naughty thoughts. Especially since he could smell my emotions. Repeating to myself not to think about anything but the case, it took a few seconds to realize Varon had released my hand but had taken my bookbag from me and slung it over his shoulder.
"Come along, Zoey." His smooth gait ate up the stairs as I followed behind, working to ignore watching his ass. It wasn't easy.
Sue me. I hadn't had a good lay in I don't remember how long. I've been too busy taking care of my brother as I tried to keep our heads above the creditor's acid pool. That's all this was. Pent-up lust. All it was.
The building was freezing as we walked in which was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the outdoors, however short of time I had been out in it. It made sense considering dead bodies were housed here.
"Captain Varon." A deep voice that sounded familiar called out ahead of us. "We're over here."
"Perfect. Zoey, this is Detective Yamashita and Detective Erikkson." Varon stepped aside to let me come up to his side and my mouth popped open in surprise. "Erikkson is also a healer and Yamashita, on top of being an oni, has a small foresight ability."
The oni from yesterday stood in front of me next to a man who screamed Viking heritage. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall. He and the oni were almost the same height. His hair, a shocking shade of blond, cascaded down his broad shoulders and it was intricately braided on both sides. His irises were a mesmerizing shade of bright gray. He had a kind gaze as our eyes met. His chiseled facial featured a short beard, but it was the distinctive scar that cut across his left eye that caught my attention before someone cleared their throat. Both men had suits on that were a shade lighter than Varon's.
"We've met. Sort of. I'm Detective Yamashita, but you can call me Kenji." The oni stepped forward to shake my hand, holding it as his eyes focused on my bruises. His touch was warm as I worked not to get caught staring at him again. "Seems that fall did more damage than I thought. If I'd known, I would have insisted we go see my partner for healing."
"Hi, Zoey." The viking stepped up next to Kenji. "I'm Detective Erikkson or Elias to my friends and coworkers. Let me take a look."
Before I knew what was happening, the muscular hunk was reaching out to touch my chin. He was using some type of magic that I couldn't recognize. I stepped back as fast as I could, jerking away from his touch. Shit. I hoped he hadn't had enough time to see that I had a charm spell cast upon me.
A flash of concern and a hint of suspicion flew across Elias' face as he held his hands up apologetically. "I'm sorry. I should have asked permission to touch you."
"Oh. Ah. No. I'm alright. I'm sorry." I fought not to fidget under the three men's gazes. Smooth move on my part. Not.
"Anyways," Varon broke the awkward silence and I could have kissed the melancholic vampire. "Let's head in. I'm curious what Dr. Drajin has found out about the victim." He turned toward the door we were all standing in front of and let himself in.
The detectives followed after him with Kenji pausing to look back at me. He held the door open and I followed after quickly, thanking him quietly. I had always thought oni's were supposed to be gruff and scary, but so far, he'd been a gentleman around me.
Upon entering, the atmosphere immediately shifted to one of solemnity. The sterile air carried a faint scent of disinfectants and coolness. The walls were pale, unassuming colors that didn't help with the solemn feeling. That feeling was familiar to me. I took in a deep breath in. It was the comforting feeling of death that wrapped its tendrils around my body. I could feel the dead so close by, calling out to be brought back. I had to pinch my arm to focus back on the situation at hand and glanced around the large room.
Fluorescent lights embedded in the ceiling cast a stark and unflattering glow over a series of stainless steel examination tables. Each table had equipment with precise instruments meticulously arranged. A large sink against the far wall had a nearby array of medical-grade gloves available. Adjacent to the examination area were imposing refrigerated storage units, resembling metallic monoliths, standing as guardians of the deceased. These units housed the bodies, preserving them. A dedicated area of several desks occupied a corner of the morgue on the opposite side of the room. It was eerily quiet besides the buzzing of the fluorescent lights.
"Ah. Beautiful. You're here."
I jumped, barely able to hold back a large squeak, and found myself clutching someone's arm next to me. There was a flash of light, followed by a shadowed portal that appeared in front of us and a person stepped out of it. As my eyes adjusted to the dazzling sight before me, they widened with sheer amazement.
The person who stepped out was an ethereal being, their presence radiating an otherworldly allure. Their long legs were adorned with flowing white silk pants that seemed to shimmer under even the horrid light of the morgue. Impossibly high-heeled shoes with rhinestone straps accentuated their graceful stature but it was their attire that truly captivated me - every inch covered in pristine white fabric as if crafted from pure moonlight itself. As I looked closer, I noticed delicate teal and yellow scales adorning their flat chest up to their neck, adding an unexpected touch of mesmerizing beauty. Their eyes were like a reptiles with the same teal and yellow as their scales. Long hair, the color of dark blue, hung over their right shoulder.
"Dr. Drajin, thank you for reaching out to me." Varon shook hands with an actual smile on his face. "It's been a while. Last year's Summer Solstice party wasn't it?"
"Oh, you." They waved one of their hands in front of their face. "Detectives, it's good to see you. Who is this new one? She's just cute as a squishy plushie!" Their voice was laced with ancient magic that made my hair stand on end in a pleasant feeling even though I didn't know if I liked being compared to a stuffed animal, although they didn't seem to say it in a mean way.
"Zoey, this is Dr. Drajin, our head medical examiner. Dr. Drajin this is Zoey Halinger, our new Medium. I'm hoping to see what she can do today." Varon gestured between us. "Don't let them bully you, Zoey, even if they insist they aren't."
"I take offense to that, Varon. Call me Quilith. We're all friends here." They slapped their hand against their chest dramatically. "Even if it is true. I do enjoy teasing cute little things and Zoey, you meet that requirement." They stepped around the men and stood in front of me and cupped my cheeks between their hands, moving my head to the right and left. "My. My. How interesting. Very interesting."
