Night Kissed (Chosen Vampire Slayer #1) - Mila Young Page 0,75

him further, and he eventually stepped out from the tree line. The tape still clung in a yellow line to the perimeter, but it was wet and sagging from two nights of half frozen rain. The clearing itself sparkled with crystal droplets that soaked through my shins as I waded toward the center.

The bodies weren’t there anymore, having been carted away for examination by the coroner. In some places, I could still pick out where torsos and limbs had left imprints in bloodstained grass. The ethereal stain of violence marred every inch of this quiet clearing—the silent mark of a ruthless predator.

There was no sign of the officers who had swarmed the vicinity on the night of the killings. Except for the yellow tape and the mess of bent grass and boot prints in the soggy ground, the area might as well have been abandoned. Mildly shocking, given what had transpired here, but understandable. I knew as well as anyone that this was not a case for mortal cops to solve.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t shaping up to be all that easy for me, either. The energy swirling in the air was like nothing I had ever encountered before, and nothing I found on the empty site of its transgressions gave me any further clues to its identity. Stumped, I stopped in my tracks and appealed to Logan for help.

The scary part was that based on Logan’s surprise about this gruesome scene earlier, I doubted Orion and his men knew anything about what was killing humans. That part terrified me because if I could see a monster, I could deal with it.

An invisible enemy was lethal.

“Didn’t you say you had something for this?” I asked Logan.

He regarded me evenly. I had the distinct impression that he found my confusion amusing. “I can help,” he agreed. “But it’s going to be a matter of personal trust.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “As in, I have to trust you? I thought I was already doing that.” I shrugged, holding out my hands. “That’s why I’m here.”

Logan dropped his gaze for an instant. He stood motionless, lost in thought. Then, at the same time I took a step toward him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me in. One lean, strong arm wrapped around my waist.

“If you say so.” His lips were on mine before I could truly say anything.

Is this real life? My thoughts scattered in a million directions, head spinning. The love quadrangle thing had been an amusing idea, too preposterous for reality. Nonetheless, here we were, embracing like star-crossed lovers or something. In the middle of a violent crime scene, no less!

But that was where I drew the line. If he tried to get a home run right here, right now, I’d shut it down and lock the building. As it was, he might not escape a verbal lashing. Hot as he was, I hadn’t shown up to have a makeout session.

The minute I opened my eyes, however, I forgot everything I was just about to say. It was like the world had been desaturated while I wasn’t looking, veiled over with shades that were more light and shadow than color. I turned to Logan, and he was glowing. I flinched at his appearance… it freaked me out.

“What happened?” I pushed hard on his chest. “What did you do?”

He eased up just enough to get me to stop struggling. “You’re fine. You can talk to them now. Look.”

“What?” I forced myself to focus. He pointed toward the spot where the majority of the bodies had lain, and I gasped. A small crowd of bright, ghostly figures stood in the grass, watching us. Their faces were uncanny, features blurred and indistinct. I felt my body snap into fight or flight mode—and so did Logan, because he finally let go.

“Relax,” he said flatly. “They’re just spirits. If you want information, go get it.” Having said his piece, he withdrew and put his hands in his pockets. I stared between him and the ghosts, dumbfounded.

“This is what happens when you kiss people?”

Logan shrugged. “Sometimes. And it doesn’t last forever, so hurry up.” He nodded toward the silent observers. “They’re waiting for you.”

I frowned. “Okay, but we’re going to talk about this later.”

“The clock is ticking,” he said.

The spirits shifted restlessly as I approached them. The eye sockets on their blank faces were empty and heavily shadowed. I could barely make out noses and mouths. A couple had flowing, ethereal hair. I paused. Would they answer