City of Light (Outcast 1)

Her expression wasn’t giving anything away, and I couldn’t feel anything along the emotive lines. “Why are you investigating what happened to Penny and her parents? Why isn’t the corps doing so?” My gaze flickered to the ranger. “Or is this where you come into the story?”

“I’m not corps.” It was bluntly said, but there was an edge to his voice that hinted at anger. I briefly wondered if there was ever a time when he actually felt something other than anger.

“But you were.” My gaze went to the three slashes stretching down from his right temple. “Otherwise you would not bear their markings.”

“I was,” he agreed. “But I now work with Nuri.”

“As a mercenary?” It was, I believed, what they wanted everyone to think, but something about this whole situation—and them—didn’t sit right.

She nodded. “We are all mercenaries, of one sort or another.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Meaning you sell your seeker skills to those who can afford you?”

“Interesting that you noticed my ability in that area,” she drawled. “There are few enough these days who have even heard of seekers, let alone are able to tell if they’re being read.”

“There are few about these days who can see ghosts,” I replied evenly. “But you and I can.”

“Suggesting you are also something of a reader.”

“Something,” I agreed, in much the same manner as she had earlier.

She smiled and tilted her head a little. “I like you.”

I raised my eyebrows again. “Which doesn’t mean you won’t set your dogs on me if it suits your purpose.”

She laughed, a startling, huge sound in the confined space of the cell. “It doesn’t indeed. Although they’re mostly cats rather than dogs.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “But to answer your question, yes, I do sell my skills, and there are plenty willing to pay. Central might hold itself up as a great and worthy city, but for many it has lost its shine.”

Meaning what, exactly? I had no idea, but I guessed that was no surprise given the only contact I had with Central was either raids for supplies or quests to ease more basic needs.

“So why aren’t the corps investigating the attack?” My gaze flicked to Jonas ag

ain. “And why were you two in the old park if Penny was attacked in Central?”

“Because Penny wasn’t in Central when I rescued her,” Jonas replied.

“And Central’s councillors are investigating the attack,” Nuri added. “But they can’t use the corps. They can’t afford to.”

I frowned. “Why not?”

“Because this attack is not the first, and they do not want the general population becoming aware that incursions by the wraiths are increasing in frequency.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“Fourteen over the past two years.”

Fourteen. By Rhea . . . “All from Central?”

“Ten from Central, four from Chaos. Ours were blamed on vampires, but the remainder were not.”

“Then what is the council doing to stop them? And how are they even getting into the city?”

“No one knows.” Nuri’s voice held a grim edge. “No rifts have appeared within Central, and the lights should have killed any wraith that breached the walls.”

Then how in the hell could the wraiths be snatching these children? They couldn’t. Someone—or something—else had to be at the heart of all this.

“So you two got involved when Penny’s family was attacked?” I paused, remembering Nuri’s comment. “Or are you the nonofficial investigators?”

If they were, I could not get mixed up in the situation. Not even if there were other children involved. I might be able to fool Nuri and Jonas, but the government had access to records and equipment these two would never have.