Basil (The Brinnswick Chronicles #3) - Michele Notaro Page 0,13

would someone want its venomous fangs? Unless… holy shit, he wanted to poison someone, didn’t he?

“What the fuck are you doing?” I finally said.

Grim froze, slowly tilted his head up to me so I could see his eyes under that damn hood, and said, “What’s it look like?”

“It looks like you killed the fucking hobgoblin—good on you, asshole—and now you’re fucking desecrating its body.”

Grim’s jaw clenched. “Why the fuck do you care what I do with its body? It’s dead, it’s not gonna hurt anyone anymore. Your work here is done, witch. Go home.”

“I’m not going to let you chop up a body in the middle of the fucking street!”

“Then I’ll take it with me.”

“No, you won’t.”

His entire body tensed as he stood. “Why?”

“Because it’s a dangerous creature that needs to be cremated after the BCA takes a look at it.”

He rolled his eyes and said, “I have a use for it, yet you’d rather see it go to waste?”

I wrinkled my nose. “It was a living creature, not an inanimate object. What the fuck could you possibly need it for?”

More anger flashed behind his eyes. “Clearly, a witch wouldn’t fuckin’ understand.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Do you wanna leave now or do I have to take you in for questioning?”

“Questionin’ for what?”

I gestured to the hobgoblin. “You’re chopping up a body, Grim, what the fuck else do you think I mean?”

He clenched his jaw, shook his head with a humorless laugh, then nodded once. “I hope you get cut by his other fang, shadow boy.” Mother of All, I hated when he called me that. He’d started about a month ago, and as soon as he’d realized I hated it, he’d been using it more often. Ass.

“Fuck you.”

He started walking by and chuckled. “You wish.”

I gaped at his retreating back, but couldn’t think of a response before he disappeared. Such a fucking asshole.

When I glanced at the hobgoblin’s body, I cringed at all its missing body parts. What the hell was he going to do with them? What if he hurt someone with them because I didn’t force him to empty his pockets of fingers and fangs? I shuddered as I pulled out my phone and dialed Alec’s cell.

“What’s wrong this time, Basil?”

I rolled my eyes. “The hobgoblin’s down. I’m gonna throw a shield over its body that Jor can knock down if you send him.”

“And why can’t you just bring the body back here?”

“Because I need to follow a lead.”

He sighed. “Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.”

He huffed. “Fine. Be careful, call if you need backup.”

“Will do.” I hung up and pushed a shield out to cover the body, then said to Jorah through our link, Can you take care of a hobgoblin body for me? I need to follow someone.

Sure, but… do you need help?

Nope, I’m good. Following people is my specialty.

You realize that sounds stalkerish, right?

I snorted out loud as I walked down the street to find Grim. Whatever, you know what I mean. My shadow magic comes in handy, makes it easier.

I know. Be careful.

I will.

I cut off the conversation since I sent Jorah a mental image of the body’s location as I finally caught sight of a brown-haired head making his way down the street.

Pulling my magic over myself, I sighed as I sank into the shadows. This was probably a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.

But I didn’t care because I had to know more about the asshole who was making my life hell. I had to know more about why I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Chapter Five

Basil

This guy was making me crazy, and I had a feeling he was bad news. What kind of person desecrates a dead body like that? It was sick.

Clearly, I was a very rational person, seeing as I’d decided to follow him. I rolled my eyes at myself. I was being a fucking idiot, and I knew it, but whatever. Sometimes you just had to do crazy shit. It worked well for me, anyway.

Please be careful. Jorah’s voice was concerned in my head, and I rolled my eyes at him.

You know I will be.

Why are you following that guy, Bas? Thayer sounded annoyed.

He was tearing the fangs out of the hobgoblin body when I ran into him. I need to make sure he isn’t dangerous.

Thayer sighed in my head, but dropped it with a, Don’t do anything stupid.

Who me? I asked innocently.

Jorah chuckled and Thayer ignored me—both made me grin. Since taking on the