The Coveted (The Unearthly #2)

  “A demon must have permission before they kill?” I asked.

  “Yes. Underworld killings are always ritualistic and—” Andre paused for effect, “they are always done on behalf of the devil.”

  Chapter 17

  I clambered up to the main entrance of the Politia’s headquarters the next afternoon, ducking my head as afternoon sunlight burned my skin. The island wasn’t sunny that often, but when it was, it didn’t take much to fry me.

  Inside the castle, people bustled around, moving perhaps a tad slower as the afternoon dragged on. A few officers cast curious glances my way, either because they knew I’d been suspended or because they’d seen my name and picture in the newspaper.

  I walked up to Anna, the receptionist. “I’m here for my scheduled appointment.”

  “Name?”

  “Gabrielle Fiori.” As if she didn’t know it—I was infamous here.

  Anna typed away at her computer. “Ah, yes. Your appointment is on the third floor, room number three thirteen.”

  “Who am I meeting with?”

  She scanned her screen. “Inspector Byron Jennings.” A.k.a., Caleb’s father and possibly the man who tried to kill me in Andre’s club a couple months ago.

  Perfect.

  ***

  I could smell his distaste for me as soon as I entered his room. The feeling was mutual.

  Like Caleb, Byron had wavy golden hair. But unlike his son, Byron’s face had set into a permanent frown. His low brow and the hardened lines along his forehead and the edges of his lips didn’t help much.

  He didn’t speak as I took a seat, but he did finger the page in front of him. “I’ve read over the report you placed last night,” he said by way of introduction.

  His voice carried only a hint of the Australian accent his son had. It made me wonder how long Byron Jennings had lived and worked here while Caleb grew up in Australia. Father and son seemed to have a solid relationship, but now I wondered how much time they’d actually spent together over the years.

  Inspector Jennings fell silent, letting the quiet press down on me. I felt compelled to say something, anything to break the silence and to explain myself. And then I remembered that he wasn’t a hardened inspector for nothing.

  When I made it clear that I wouldn’t respond, he sighed. “Demons. That was the best you could come up with?”

  I reminded myself that he hadn’t seen the map—I doubted the report in front of him even mentioned the ley line that ran through the crime scenes, considering how brief my conversation with the receptionist had been last night.

  “Inspector Jennings, the murders were committed along ley lines.”

  His eyebrow rose at this. “That doesn’t prove a thing. A vampire still could’ve committed these crimes.”

  “Andre said the bodies lacked the smell of fear.”

  “Did he? Funny that he only mentioned it now that the truce is threatened.” Inspector Jennings’ attitude was really starting to piss me off.

  “I’m serious.”

  Jennings slammed his palm and forearm flat against his desk. “So am I. Bring me some real proof. Until then, our time here is done.”

  ***

  I left Inspector Jennings office with no intention of giving up. People’s lives hung in the balance, and I wasn’t going to let a little thing like classicism get in the way.

  Chief Constable Morgan’s office was on the same floor as Byron Jennings’, but in the opposite direction of the stairwell. I’d almost made it down the hall and around the corner when I heard an office door open behind me.

  “Hey!” Inspector Jennings barked. “Exit’s in the other direction.”

  I pretended to not hear him until his footfalls slapped against the floor. Then I started sprinting.

  “Hey!” he called again behind me.

  I rounded the corner of the hallway and came to the chief constable’s office. I didn’t bother knocking; I barged right in.

  The chief constable was in the middle of a meeting with what looked like a very important, very beautiful woman. Behind me I could hear Inspector Jennings getting closer, so I wasted no time on formalities. I pulled out the map I’d used last night and slapped it down on the table.

  “Ley lines. All the crime scenes fall along ley lines.” Chief Constable Morgan looked shocked, though whether it was from my entrance or my information I couldn’t tell. The women eyed me curiously. “The killer is a demon, and he’s using ley lines to travel to different Otherworld entrances along the island.”

  Jennings came in behind me, snatched my arms, and began cuffing me. “Sorry sir,” he said, giving my wrists a yank, “I’ll escort her off the premises.”

  Chief Constable Morgan’s eyebrows drew together. His guest shot Jennings a horrified look.

  “Listen,” I said. “I don’t care if you don’t believe me. Just alert the community to stay away from the ley lines.”

  ***

  Three hours later the alert went out as I finished homework at my desk. The school’s magical sound system, which apparently didn’t require speakers, boomed through my room.

  “Good evening Peel students. Due to the recent murders, all students are prohibited from going near ley lines. Any who are caught violating this rule will be suspended immediately. For your safety, this rule will be enforced until after the close of Samhain. Any students who are unclear what ley lines are or where on the island they are located, we’ve posted a link on our homepage. Happy holidays.”

  Outside my room I could hear the groans from my hall-mates just as I released a sigh of relief. At least my school was safe.

  Then I glanced to the other side of my dorm room. The desk was empty, the bed unmade. I hadn’t seen Leanne this morning before class, and now that it was evening and she still hadn’t appeared, I was starting to worry. What if she had gone to the ley line? She was the one, after all, who had alerted me to their importance. With Samhain only two days away, the odds of attack along ley lines seemed greater than ever.

  My breathing quickened at all the horrific images my mind conjured up. Could she be out there? Should I go check?

  I went to my phone to call her when I heard footsteps echo up the stairwell. A few seconds later a key slid into our lock, the door turned, and Leanne entered, the shadows along her face giving her a hollow, tired look.

  I didn’t even give her a chance to put down her things. I threw my arms around her and squeezed her tight. “I am so glad you’re okay,” I said, unwilling to let go of her for a few seconds.

  “Hey, hey,” she said, patting my back. “What’s up with you?”

  I pulled away, breathing in the smell of smoke that clung to my roommate. “Just scared that something had happened to you out there.”

  Leanne dropped her bags next to her bed. “Nope. Just stayed out late with other seers helping the Witches Club set up the bonfire for Samhain. The location was changed now that Peel Academy won’t let us hold the Witches Festival on the ley line. What a bunch of tight wads.”

  I decided not to mention the fact that those tight wads only put that rule in place because I brought it to the Politia’s attention.

  “Where’s Oliver?” she asked. We’d both accepted the fact that he was our adopted third roommate.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “I think making out and making up with Rodrigo the werewolf.” Poor werewolf. Dating a fairy couldn’t be easy.

  She let out a long breath. “Good, I was dreading spending another few hours with him,” Leanne said, plopping down into her desk chair.

  I stared at my roommate. Leanne could be sarcastic and cynical, but she was rarely flat out mean.

  The smoky scent that clung to her wafted over the room, and my pulse spiked at the smell of it.

  I
glanced over at my roommate, who was now thoroughly engrossed in her computer.

  Something about her unsettled me, but I couldn’t say just what.

  ***

  The evening and the following day passed without incident. No murders occurred, no nightmares—nothing. The absence of trouble should’ve reassured me. It didn’t. It felt too much like the quiet before the storm.

  As soon as night fell, my phone buzzed.

  “Someone’s hunk of burning love is calling!” Oliver sang from where he lay on his mattress “doing homework.” He hadn’t flipped the page of his textbook in over an hour. His phone, however, had been going off almost constantly now that he and Rodrigo were mending their relationship.

  “I picked my phone up, smiling at the two emoticon hearts. “Psychic much?” I asked Oliver.

  “What can I say, I have a sixth sense when it comes to relationships.”

  From the other side of the room Leanne huffed. “You two disgust me,” she said, slamming her textbook shut and packing up her things. “I’m going to the library where I can get some actual work done.”

  My eyes widened and I glanced at Oliver.

  She’s cray-cray, he mouthed to me.

  Whatever. I shrugged off Leanne’s bad attitude and answered the phone. “Hey,” I said, hearing the smile in my voice.

  “Evening beautiful.” My heart skipped at the endearment. “Put on something nice, I’m cashing in on our first date.”

  ***

  A short while later I met Andre outside my dorm, where he leaned against a limo, his hands in his pockets. His hair was brushed away from his face, but a strand had freed itself and hung over his forehead. Behind him a passing group of students stopped and stared.

  He eyed my outfit, a wicked smile curving his lips. “Nice dress.”

  I self-consciously tugged it down. After checking my closet and finding it bare of any dresses, I enlisted the help of Oliver and Paul, his conjuror roommate, to produce a dress for me. My wallet was now ten dollars lighter, thanks to Paul’s thriving new business of conjuring items for a small fee, and my legs were more exposed than they should’ve been, thanks to Oliver’s overly-skimpy design.

  I walked up to Andre and touched the open collar of his form-fitting suit. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.”

  He slid his arms around me and pulled me in. “I missed you,” he whispered right before his lips captured mine. I leaned into the kiss, relishing the taste of him.

  I pulled away from him to look at our ride. “A limo? You really outdid yourself this time.”

  He looked offended. “I’ve clearly lost my touch if you think a limo is me outdoing myself.”

  He opened the door for me and I slid inside. “I hope you like Shakespeare,” he said, “since we’re going to the theater.”

  I could feel my face light up. “A play? You’re taking me to a play?”

  Andre entered the limo right after me. A small smile played along his lips. “Hamlet. And I’m glad you’re excited about it.”

  “Are you kidding me? We’re seeing a Shakespearean play on the British Isles? I think I might’ve just died and gone to heaven.” Andre’s smile blossomed a little more.

  Inside the luxurious car, a bottle of champagne chilled. “Are we celebrating something?” I asked, raising my eyebrows at the bottle.

  “That,” he said, “is to congratulate you on solving your first case.”

  His words warmed me to my core, but in spite of them, I furrowed my brows. “I hardly solved it,” I said. “That was all you. And the Politia only just decided to believe me.”

  Andre rapped on the screen that separated us from our driver, and the limo pulled away from my dormitory. After he did so, he grabbed the chilled bottle of champagne and uncorked it.

  “Not many your age have even faced the challenge of solving a case,” he said, grabbing two champagne flutes from a compartment built into the limo. “Even fewer have been required to do so while receiving blame for the crimes committed and pressure to solve the case before a protective truce dissolves.”

  Well, when he put it like that . . .

  He poured out the champagne into two glasses and handed one to me. I took the one he offered me, my fingers brushing his. “I thought you didn’t serve alcohol to minors.”

  “You miss nothing,” he said.

  “I seriously doubt that.”

  Andre ignored my comment. “In public—in the normal world—you’re a minor. In the supernatural world, you can legally drink.”

  I thought that over and shrugged. “Works for me.” I leaned forward and clinked glasses with him.

  “To us,” he said, his eyes intense.

  I got the impression he was toasting to more than just solving a case, but I decided not to dissect that thought too much.

  “To us.” I took a sip, the fizzy alcohol tickling the back of my throat.

  His gaze still lingered on me. “Samhain is tomorrow,” he said. As soon as the words left his mouth, the mood in the car shifted from happy to somber.

  Reluctantly I tore my eyes away from the bubbles that foamed at the top of my drink. “The day I’m supposed to meet the devil.”

  “That’s not going to happen Gabrielle.”

  I watched the beautiful man who sat across from me. “You keep saying that, but I still don’t believe you.”

  “He’s not going to come after you until after sun sets—that’s when Samhain begins. And I’m planning on being by your side for the whole of the evening.”

  I nodded reluctantly. “Sounds good,” I said, still somewhat unconvinced. “I’ll be at the Witches Festival tomorrow by the time you wake up.”

  “Gabrielle, no.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

  “Do not put yourself in danger by being on the ley line during Samhain.”

  I was momentarily surprised that Andre knew enough about my school’s traditions to know that the Witches Festival usually took place on the ley line. “They moved it this year, due to the murders. It won’t be on the ley line.”

  Andre’s mouth thinned, a clear indication that he didn’t think that was good enough.

  “I don’t want to be sitting alone in my dorm room waiting for you,” I said. “I’d rather be around lots and lots of other people.”

  “Anything can happen to you tomorrow night, and you will put other people at risk by being around them.”

  I hadn’t thought of it like that. For a moment, I considered staying in my dorm tomorrow until Andre picked me up. And then I thought about my previous interactions with the devil. In all the years I’d seen him, only once had he taken me, and it was while I was alone. If past actions were anything to go by, I’d be safer around others. Not to mention that I didn’t want to miss one of my school’s biggest events. You only live once.

  “I’m not compromising on this,” I said.

  Andre’s jaw worked. “You are putting your life in danger, and I am not going to just sit idly by and watch you do that.”

  I took a long swallow of champagne, letting it burn its way down my throat. “You don’t get a choice Andre. That’s what I’m doing.”

  “You are the most wearisome woman I’ve ever been with.”

  “Oh really? Well you’re not too easygoing yourself.”

  We stared at each other, neither one of us backing down. Finally, Andre sighed. “I am only agreeing to your demands because I can’t stop you from going. I will pick you up from the dance shortly after the sun sets. And on this I’m not budging.”

  “Fine.”

  ***

  The next several hours were a blur of shimmering garments and Shakespearean treachery. The play was just as good as I’d hoped it would be, but once it finished, I wa
s happy to get Andre back to myself.

  We exited the theater, the cool night air hitting us. Andre shrugged off his coat and placed it around my shoulders.

  “Andre . . .” I was about to object to the pampering—I wasn’t so fragile that a little cold air would do me in—but Andre cut me off.

  “Stop fighting it Gabrielle. There are some things about myself that I refuse to change, one of which is offering a lady my coat.”

  I slipped the tailored jacket on. “Thank you, oh great knight in shining armor. If only I had a handkerchief to repay your kindness.”

  Andre ignored me. Big surprise.

  Our shoes clicked along the sidewalk as we made our way back to the limo. “There is dissent in the coven,” Andre said. The topic seemed to come out of nowhere, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I heard.

  I nodded. “You mentioned that a few days ago.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Right now the coven is trying to figure out what to do about the situation. By my own laws I should be punished severely for my actions. However, I am also the leader of the coven and the only person that all vampires are willing to take orders from.”

  I didn’t know how to interpret what I was hearing. “What are you planning on doing?”

  “I will work with the coven and comply with whatever punishment they deem necessary.”

  Punishment. That word seemed so awful, especially considering who’d be doling it out. Vampires weren’t exactly known for their humanity.

  “Will you be okay?” I asked, peering up at Andre.

  He looked down at me, his eyes troubled. “I will, though I may have to travel in the coming weeks. It is you I worry about. My actions haven’t endeared you to the coven, and I fear that in the next months some disgruntled vampire may try to pick up where Theodore left off.”