Page 36 of The Demon's Fire
Her gaze caught a chair, the seat sagging from frequent use. Beside it was a table where a collection of poems by Rumi lay. The tattered cover had been opened many times.
She walked to the desk to pick up the phone. A less-than-chipper Anna filled Skyler in on the status of pending agreements, office business, and the investigation into TheBigReveal before she closed with, “Cal needs to tell you something. Hold on while I transfer you.”
“How’s it going, Skyler?” her assistant asked, clearing his throat.
“Good.” She paused. “Scath is different from what I expected.”
“I have bad news.”
****
Returningto Jarek’s desk after a full-day tour of the regions near the Southern Stronghold, Skyler logged onto her laptop. She opened theChicago Tribune,scanning it for the news Cal had relayed to her this morning.
Sarah Jenkins was dead, murdered in her home late last night, seemingly a random robbery gone wrong. When the police arrived early to interview people at the Alliance, her office had assisted them, appearing most cooperative. After all, the organization knew how to handle outsiders. It had developed ways over the years to protect itself from snooping eyes. The officers would have seen only what it wanted them to see.
Skyler found the article.
Sarah Jenkins, head of the Information Services Division at the Alliance Security Agency, was shot in her home last night. Unable to recover from the critical wounds, she died later at Chicago General.
According to sources in the Chicago PD, an intruder broke into Jenkins’s house. At the present time, the suspected motive is robbery. Though the home was ransacked, police have not determined yet whether any items are missing.
An official with the Alliance stated Jenkins was an excellent employee with a bright future. Joining the firm only five years ago, she advanced quickly to lead the technology division. Nothing, they said, about her tasks would indicate she was in any danger.
Services are being arranged by Carter Funeral Home.
Once she had read theTrib’sstory, Skyler closed her computer, sitting still with her hands in her lap.
****
Severalhours before dawn, Kole woke Skyler and led her from the Southern Stronghold through a portal to the vampire region of Bludhaven. Fire shot from his fingers, a torch to light their way along a path toward the grand stairway to the Strigodierna Shrine.
“A handy skill.” Skyler cast wide eyes at Kole.
“I have many.”
“I’m sure. Is there anything I need to be aware of in the ceremony? I don’t wish to be surprised.”
“Nope.”
“Will there be fighting?”
“Nope.”
“Sex?”
“No. But thanks.”
Her brow furrowed. “You know what I mean.”
“No sex, unless you find a strapping young male vampire you want to bed.” Kole tipped one side of his mouth into a grin. Feeling a bit snarly this morning, he wanted to ruffle Skyler’s perfect do.
“I have no intention of having sex with a male vampire.”
Her icy blue eyes nearly froze his nads. “If you aren’t attracted to males, we’ll look for a hot female vamp.”
“No. I don’t want any vampire.”
“I see. Bloodsuckers don’t do it for you. Only demons?” Kole pressed on, trying to knock her off her emotional balance beam. Skyler had frost in her veins. Unless angered. He liked her warm.
