"A telephone conversation. He's enhancing the audio now, and running a search on a couple of names mentioned. He'll let us know if he comes across anything."
More lights went on at the back of the house, and the feeling of wrongness suddenly sharpened. I rubbed my arms and fought the urge to tell Tao to just get out of here.
"Looks like he might be settling in for the night," Tao commented. "I really can't see—"
The rest of his sentence was cut off by the sudden sound of screaming. Horrible, high-pitched, about-to-die screaming.
And it was coming from the house Handberry had entered.
Chapter Seven
"FUCK," TAO SAID. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
"I don't know." I quickly stripped out of Kiera's coat so it wouldn't be destroyed when I re-formed, then wrenched the car door open. Tao grabbed my arm before I could scramble out.
"Are you crazy? There's no way I'm letting you go in there. Especially alone."
"Tao," I said, voice sharp with impatience, "I can go in as an Aedh. No one will see or hear me, and neither the cops nor the Directorate will know I've been there. You breaking in is a completely different story. Ring Uncle Rhoan for me," I added, and gave him the number.
Tao made a low growling sound that spoke of frustration, but released my arm. "Go. But promise you'll let me know if you need help."
"I will."
I scrambled out and ran for the front door, calling to my Aedh form as I did so. By the time I hit the front steps I was little more than a stream of fast-moving smoke, and I slipped easily under the gap between the door and the porch.
The screaming had stopped, but the silence was even more terrifying. I flowed through the house cautiously, looking for Handberry and whoever else was in here with him.
Because, given those screams, someone—or something—had to be.