Basil (The Brinnswick Chronicles #3) - Michele Notaro Page 0,12
“You think that after only closing half your normal amount of cases over the past two months that I’m going to put you on a case as important as that one? There’s a serial killer on the loose. I can’t have you running around half-cocked like an asshole with a fucking hunter on your tail. You’re a witch, you could be a target. And this is a high-profile case after the media got word of a serial killer. They’ve been on me for weeks.” In defense of his assholeishness, that was true. There’d been eight witches killed in a little over two months, and now that the public knew about it, they were demanding results. Which was why he needed me on that case.
“That’s why you need me on it.”
He sat down, sighed, and shook his head. “Not a chance, Basil. Not when you have this… this hunter problem going on.”
I sat across from him and kicked the desk. “I would be good there.”
“I’m not saying you wouldn’t. But you’ve had a hunter on nearly all of your cases for the past two months. I can’t take the chance that he’s tailing you. He could disrupt the case. I’m not doing it.”
I grumbled even though I knew he was right.
“Look, a hobgoblin has been spotted near Arronston Market. Can you go check it out, please? Try not to get bit or let anyone else get bit. They’re dangerous enough with their venom that you might have to shoot it on sight.”
“Now you’re giving me grunt work?”
“This isn’t grunt work. You think I’d send in just anyone for a hobgoblin? Their venom kills within minutes. I trust you can take it down without letting it close enough to hurt you.”
I sighed. “Fine.” I stood up and headed for the door, then turned around to say over my shoulder, “I’m sorry my cases keep getting so screwed up. I’ve only ever wanted to do a good job here and make you and Ailin proud of me.” I slipped out the door before he could respond.
I knew he wasn’t trying to be a dick on purpose, I knew he was stressed, but he didn’t have to keep making me feel like the asshole here. I was doing the best I could. It wasn’t my fault that fucking hunter kept getting in my way. And excuse me for not wanting that asshole or anyone else to get hurt in the process. Yeah, everything ended up messier, but I was bringing in more of the perpetrators than Grim was taking from me—mostly because I stole them from him when I could—so that had to count for something, didn’t it?
With a sigh to myself, I asked Blaze to transform into his dragon form and fly me over to Arronston Market to take care of this stupid hobgoblin. Luckily, my Bonded did as I asked, so I climbed on his back. He was just about the only one not pissed at me for something I had no control over.
It only took a few minutes to get there, and I wasn’t surprised that the entire street in front of the market was void of people. It was a good thing they went inside the surrounding buildings to avoid being bit. I wasn’t too sure how easily I could save someone from a hobgoblin bite. In fact, I probably couldn’t save them. One of my younger brothers or my brother-slash-dad would be better for that kind of thing, to be honest.
As I slid off Blaze’s back, I scanned the area for any sign of the pest. It was clear it had been on the street because there was goo all over the place, but I didn’t hear or see it.
Blaze transformed back into his bearded dragon form and climbed up my body to settle on my shoulder. I absently scratched his little head as I walked. Then I heard it, grunting. Since everything else on the street was silent, I followed the noise down a small alley between two buildings. I expected to find the hobgoblin eating a human, but I stopped short at the sight before me.
The hobgoblin was there alright, but he was very clearly dead. Unfortunately, that meant the fucking hunter that seemed to be every-fucking-where was hovering over it.
Bile came up my throat as I watched Grim cutting one of the hobgoblin’s fangs out of its mouth. He had chopped off the thing’s fingers—its claws—already, and now was working on its fangs.