Autumn's Bane - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,40

his head, refusing to answer any more questions. As the press hounded him, he followed a police guard through the crowd, out of sight. The mayor had a few closing remarks, but she was just reiterating what had been said before.

I turned off the television. “Well, that was uncomfortable. You know that wannabe ghost hunters and monster hunters are going to be heading toward the cemeteries in full force now.”

Angel leaned her head back and groaned. “You’re right. And that’s just going to cause more headaches for all of us.” She stretched, yawning. “All right, up and at ‘em. I’ll go make breakfast. Why don’t you take those bruises for another run under a hot shower? I can’t imagine how you feel this morning.”

I eased out of the other side of the bed as she stood, and slid off my robe. Angel and I were used to seeing each other naked and it didn’t faze us in the least.

“Look.” I turned, holding my arms out so she could see the array of bruises that covered my body.

“Damn, girl, you’re literally black and blue.” She shook her head. “Do you have anything Ferosyn might have given you? I know most human meds are off limits, even the topical ones.”

The Fae and shifters needed specialized medications. Most of us couldn’t take the drugs formulated for the human community. They either didn’t work, or they produced unwanted side effects, one of which could be death. Either way, they weren’t worth the risk.

“Yeah, I think I have some salve he gave me for muscle aches. I’ll use some after I shower. But man,” I said, looking in the mirror at the massive black-and-blue splotches across my body. “I look like the poster child for the clumsiest person on Earth.”

“Get into the water, woman. I’ll make waffles. We have enough time.”

“Don’t forget the—”

“Bacon,” she said, interrupting me. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you dangling without your crispy pig.” But she was laughing as she headed out my door. She liked bacon just as much as I did, though I could easily eat a pound of it and she kept it down to six or seven rashers.

By the time we finished breakfast, it was ten-thirty. After making sure Mr. Rumblebutt had plenty of food, we headed out for work, taking both our cars in case something came up.

As I drove into the heart of the city, the sun broke through the high, thin clouds, burning them off. The storm had left the air clear and charged, and looking around at people going about their business as usual made Typhon and the vrykos feel a million miles away. Of course, I knew they weren’t, but I let myself drift in the feeling of hope for as long as I could.

I eased into the parking garage, finding a spot near the door. Angel was right behind me and parked three cars down. I waited for her before heading across and down the street to the office.

The Wild Hunt was located in downtown Seattle. Known as the Emerald City, Seattle was a complex organism, with vast swaths of greenery interspersed among the old brick buildings and the new chrome and glass. Some skyscrapers looked like mile-high mirrors. Their windows were reflective. I found it a wonder that, on the few hot days we had in Seattle, the glass didn’t reflect a beam somewhere to start a fire.

The city was a mixture of old and new. Red brick walkups mingled with modern concrete. Residential zones hopscotched with businesses and mini-malls. The UW—the University of Washington—formed its own district, adding to the kaleidoscope that was the city. There was a buzz to Seattle, a busy-ness that was wired on coffee and high tech. But beneath the surface, Seattle had its dark, seedy sides. For one thing, the city was home to the Catacombs.

During the early days of the city, a fire had raged through, burning a great swath of it to the ground. As rebuilding advanced, the planners had decided that old Seattle was too low—well below sea level. Indeed, it was often flooded by high tides on Puget Sound. So new buildings were built on streets that covered the remains of old buildings below.

Underground Seattle still existed in the dark and gloom that came from being entombed. But what most of the residents back then hadn’t realized was that the vampires had gotten there first. The vamps had built catacombs below the ground. Once the surface of the streets had

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