Tetiana is tense? I hadn’t noticed—maybe this was why my teammates didn’t involve me in a lot of conversations. I didn’t notice important emotional subtexts.
I caught sight of the werewolf pair.
They were still heading south—and occasionally looked back at us—but their pace was slowing down.
Well. At least I know some body language cues.
“It’s nothing,” Tetiana said. “Things are tense among the vampire community. Several very old and respected Elders recently arrived in Magiford.”
Really? I would have turned around and asked for more information but as Tetiana was a vampire, if I asked anything about the Elders I’d probably spook her.
I still hadn’t said a word to anyone about Considine Maledictus, but maybe I should if other powerful vampires were gathering in the area.
“Are they stirring up trouble?” Grove asked. “Or is it just annoying to have more fuss-budgets skulking around the city?”
“No one knows what has brought them to Magiford,” Tetiana said. “But it seems like the Eminence is handling them,” she said, referring to the vampire in charge of all the vampires in the Midwest, Killian Drake.
I hope my family doesn’t get wind of this.
Silence fell, and we continued to trek after the werewolves, who were leading us out of the downtown area—which was best for them—and more into the financial district of the city, where a bunch of human offices and banks were located along with one very famous supernatural business, Tutu’s Crypta & Custodia.
Now is the perfect chance to try a casual conversation. Tetiana and Grove are both friendly; they’re very receptive.
I tried to screw up my courage as I kept my eyes on the werewolves, who were slowing down to a pace that meant we’d catch up with them in a block or two.
But what do I talk about? They’re not going to want to hear about all my failed baking attempts. Should I go with work? That’s a safe topic we’re all familiar with. But what about work can we actually talk about?
“Have either of you finished your investigation report about Orrin and the monsters?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes, Ma’am!” Grove said, plenty loud, but his voice was a little stiff—kind of like the way he talked to our squad leader, Sarge. “I gave a recorded testimony, too!”
“As have I,” Tetiana said, her voice respectful.
Both responses were pleasant enough, but they still made my shoulders hunch.
They don’t see me as a friend. I don’t think they even see me as a comrade. They treat me like an official.
They weren’t unfriendly, but there was some kind of layer between us. Sunshine called it respect, and maybe it was, but it was an awfully lonely place to be when everyone was considerate but wouldn’t socially engage with me.
Sunshine claims it’s because they’re impressed by my abilities and training as a vampire slayer. Does that mean they don’t see me as a civilian?
I’d always considered my life normal. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t normal to grow up with emergency practices at 4 AM where we had to practice climbing in and out of the house with a rope, but as a kid I’d assumed everyone did that.
We were almost on the werewolves, so I shoved my social anxieties aside—I’d consider them when I wasn’t on the clock—and cleared my throat. “Hello, again,” I greeted the werewolves, who had stopped on the lawn—which was dry and crunchy as the weather was changing—of a human bank. “We just wanted to check on you and make sure you felt comfortable.”
Tetiana squinted in the light of the flickering streetlight positioned over us. “Why wouldn’t they feel comfortable?”
“Downtown—the smells, the humans—all those lights,” I reminded her.
Tetiana stared at me, still puzzled.
“That’s a lot of stimulation for a werewolf’s sensitive senses,” I said.
“Ooh,” Tetiana snapped her fingers and nodded. “I forgot about that!”
“We work with a werewolf,” Grove said. “How can you forget about that?”
“Brody is too good tempered,” Tetiana said. “He doesn’t complain half as much as most whiny werewolves. No offense,” Tetiana waved to the werewolves, who were cocking their heads at us. “I mean, if I smelled human BO any stronger than I do already, I’d probably complain a lot, too.”
I turned away from my coworkers and held my hands out in front of me—again showing that I was unarmed. “The humans didn’t follow us, so you should be left alone in this part of town. Downtown will be busy for quite a few more hours. Do you need us to call anyone for you?”