Embraced By Darkness (Riley Jenson Guardian 5)

"It's not like you've had a whole lot of experience with souls yet."

And if I had my way, that lack would continue. But this was one instance where I was never likely to get my way. "When I feel souls, I feel the chill of death or whatever the hell the afterlife is before they appear. With this other thing, all I feel is evil. It needs to kill, it hungers to kill, and then it hangs about afterward to gloat in the destruction it causes."

"So it could well be a soul - just one so warped in what it has become that's all you're sensing."

"Maybe." I sipped my coffee, then said, "But how the hell does a soul kill?"

"I don't know. I'll ask our magi division and see if they know."

I nodded. A few months ago I hadn't even known the Directorate had a division that dealt with magic, spirits, and whatnot. It often made me wonder what other divisions we had that I knew nothing about.

"I don't suppose anyone else has talked to the sister yet?"

"No. She's still under sedation." He hesitated. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I was just curious as to whether our second victim had recently been unfaithful."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "You think unfaithfulness is the key to both murders?"

"It's certainly a possibility," I told him about my visits to Nonpareil and Dia. "If unfaithfulness is the key, then we have our link. And our murderer. But he's going to be damnably hard to track down."

"Especially if he's a spirit rather than flesh."

Very true. I walked over to my desk and sat down. "I'm going to do a global search for any past murders resembling our current two. Dia suggested these aren't his first kills, so maybe we'll get lucky. Has Cole given any indication of what killed the second husband?"

"It's looking like a heart attack, same as the first guy."

"Which doesn't make sense, you know. Neither man was heart attack material."

"Given the exertion they underwent, and the shock to their bodies, it's not surprising their hearts gave out." He tossed his plastic coffee cup into the trash. "Kade and Iktar should be finished training next week."

I couldn't help a smile. Having Kade at close quarters would make this dreary old conference room that much more exciting. Although Jack's ethics of not mixing work and pleasure could prove problematic. Especially since Kade was too delicious for my own good. "You still planning to use Iktar in the day division?"

"We'll probably float him, depending on situational requirements. They'll both be officially on deck in two weeks."

"So you've given them a whole week off? You're all heart, boss."

"Given our workload," he said grimly, "they're damn lucky to get that. Tell Rhoan I want to see him as soon as he gets back."

He walked out. I signed into the system, then set about tracking down police reports. As I expected, it was a long, arduous process, and I was still there four hours later when Rhoan finally traipsed in.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed a hand across my eyes. "Boss wants to see you."

"Jack can wait. I need something to drink." He raised a plastic coffee cup in question. I nodded. And noted that he was covered in dirt and cobwebs, and looking more than a little raw around the edges.

"You catch your vampire?"

"Yeah. Bastard put up a hell of a fight though."

"I thought he was only a youngster?"

"Even a young vampire can be bloody strong." He poured the coffees then handed me one. "This one had help. Bitch scratched me."

He twisted his neck and showed me his battle scars - three deep but healing lines gouged into his skin. "Nasty. What happened to the bitch?"

"Her ass is now in jail. Assaulting a guardian and all that."

"Ah. A human."