Demon's Trust (The Chronicles of Arcayos #1) - Raven Dark Page 0,48
order to protect and serve.
“Still got your shield, I see?” Max says from his and Julie’s desk.
“Shut it, Max,” Julie grumbles.
I ignore him, making a big production out of playing with Mustard. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s the bestest dog in the world?”
“That vigilante has it in for her,” Max says, lounging back in his chair. “Colburn should be more worried about keeping her safe.”
“Shut up, Max,” Ryan says from his own desk beside Louie. The two of them are working on the only computer in the room.
“What? I’m only saying it because I care.”
I sigh. “Mustard, go bite Max.” He wags his tail and licks my hand. “Come on. Go bite him on the nose. Just once, for me?”
The dog walks over to where the coffee is set up on a table and lies down.
“Traitor.” I follow him and get myself a coffee. Mmm, burned mocha, dark roast. I load it up with plenty of cream and three sugars. It makes the stuff passable.
“Aren’t you the least bit scared this wacko’ll take your head?” Max says in an overly reasonable voice.
“Nope.”
“Yeah, right.” He rifles through the files in his desk and opens one. “All Colburn needs is you getting shaky on a case because of this guy.”
“Shut up, Max,” half the squad room says at once.
I give Mustard one more pat and walk over to my desk.
“Cass.” Ryan comes over to me, Louie on his heels. Ryan leans on my desk, his face alight with excitement. “Is it true this guy uses a sword?”
Louie takes a last bite of a sandwich and wipes his hands on a napkin. “The twins said you saw him use one last year.”
I tamp down a stab of irritation, burying my face in my coffee. “It’s true.”
“Told you,” Tyrone and Steve say in unison.
Louie gives a low whistle. “No wonder the captain’s pissed. He’s been biting everyone’s head off all day.”
“Wow. Sorry, Jacksons,” Ryan says. “I thought you were playing a joke on us.”
“Would we do that?” Steve gives an innocent smile that fools no one.
“Yes,” I say.
“Cass,” Steve says, “You wound us.”
“Wish I could have seen him,” Ryan makes a swiping motion with an imaginary sword.
Louie and Ryan mime swinging swords at each other in an epic battle.
The thought of discussing Arcayos like this sickens me, but I play it cool.
“Glad to see you two are so excited.” I sit on the side of my desk, pushing my gloves more firmly onto my hands. “A guy’s out there cutting off the heads of criminals, and you guys are jumping for joy. And thanks for your concern, by the way.”
Both of them shift their feet awkwardly, looking at each other and then back to me.
“Um.” Ryan’s long, slender face turns beet red.
Louie throws his arms behind his rotund frame and clears his throat roughly. “Aw, come on, Cass. You know we want him taken down as much as you.”
“Yeah,” Ryan adds. “We’d be devastated if anything happened to you, but you have to admit, it’s interesting.”
Sipping my coffee, I allow a teasing smile. Tyrone and Steve grin. Behind me, Julie chortles.
“I get it,” I say. “I’m just messing with you.”
Louie crumples up his sandwich wrapper and tosses it at me.
“I mean a sword,” Ryan says. “He’s for real, right?”
“Yes. He’s real.”
Fuck. They think he’s just another morbidly fascinating murder case. They have no idea what he is or what he’s capable of. If Louie and Ryan, the resident geek squad, knew what he really was… well, they’d arrest him and throw him in the brig, assuming there is a way to keep him there, but they’d probably ask to see his sword first.
“That witness Steve talked to said he wears some sort of hooded cloak,” Louie says now.
“He does,” I say, giving them nothing else.
“Oh, come on, Cass,” Ryan begs. “Give us something. Can he really disappear into thin air? That’s what’s going around the city now.”
Since I can’t respond without lying or getting them more excited, I shrug. “Tell the captain I’ve gone home, okay, Jules?”
“Sure. Wait, let me walk you out.”
I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. I love her, but I don’t need her trying to get me to open up right now.
We head out of the stationhouse, and Julie waits until we’re at the Junk Pile, out of earshot of other officers, to speak.
“All right, truth, girl. You all right?”
“I’m going to start charging a dollar every time someone asks me that,” I say, unlocking the car door.