I didn’t think she saw me turn into a bat—that power I’d managed to keep hidden for a good century or two. But it was possible she’d noticed some other detail that hinted I was older than the Curia Cloisters estimated. She was a slayer, after all.
Regardless, that won’t matter. She probably thinks I’m five centuries now instead of a measly one. That still isn’t dangerous enough for the task force to escalate the situation.
It was fine to poke the Department of Supernatural Law Enforcement if they didn’t take the matter to the Regional Committee of Magic where Killian would hear of it.
“So, you followed us from downtown when we followed the werewolves,” Jade said, her work voice so steely it was no wonder I hadn’t recognized the slayer in comparison to her much warmer—if awkward—daytime way of speaking. “Why?”
“Tonight was the first time you’ve ventured downtown since we fought together,” I said. “But I am a professional. I won’t get in the way of your work.”
“You only get in the way of my work,” Jade flatly said. “You’ve attacked me in the middle of an investigation!”
“That was the old me,” I said. “Before we bonded over the dead snake. I’m turning over a new leaf. I’m more thoughtful.”
Jade made a scoffing noise that said she didn’t believe me—her distrust making the whole thing even funnier than it was before.
Oh yeah, she doesn’t have a clue that I’m Connor.
I didn’t think she’d catch on—it had taken me a whole month to stumble on the realization, after all. No, my biggest concern in all my nighttime activities was that I didn’t want Killian getting a hint of it.
Thankfully he lived out of town, and while I ruled over the vampires in the area, it was unlikely they’d complain about me to him—I’d kept my movements small enough that, at most, the scant vampires I’d disciplined would snivel about me to their half-mad elders. There was almost no chance the vampires would motivate themselves enough to tell Killian. The Curia Cloisters was the larger risk of informing him.
I took a step closer to Jade.
She, in response, pulled her gun from her shoulder holster and thumbed the weapon’s safety off.
“Come now, slayer,” I purred. “I haven’t even done anything. Yet.”
Tapping my vampire speed, I tried to pluck the gun from her grip.
She yanked her hands free and pointed the gun down at the road—always a stickler for gun safety—but moved into my space, using her free arm to elbow me in the throat and force me back.
I ducked around her elbow with a chuckle trying to sneak around to her back, but she pivoted and must have realized I was aiming to stand between her squadmates because she rammed me, knocking us both into the road and well past her clueless comrades.
“RUIN ON GOLDSTEIN STREET,” the blonde vampire shouted at top volume into her radio, blasting the announcement through Jade’s and the fae’s radios.
Okay, maybe not quite as clueless as I assumed.
“I feel so included that I have my own code name,” I announced, holding up both hands as I backed away from Jade.
“It’s not the compliment you think it is,” Jade said. “We named you for the same reason humans name serial killers.”
I held a hand to my chest. “Ouch. Slayer, you’re so spicey even though we fought together!”
“You’re gonna milk that forever, aren’t you?” the fae scratched his jaw. “You’re just as bad as a fae.”
“Maybe I’m in love with the slayer,” I said, impressing even myself with my ability to sound serious and not break into laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of the idea.
Jade—as both herself and her slayer identity—had opened my mind to the reluctant possibility that humans could serve as half decent entertainment. But growing attached to one?
That was pointless. Humans lived to die.
The fae’s mouth dropped open and his eyes bulged. The blonde vampire was less convinced—as a vampire she was aware of all the bad blood between slayers and vampires—and instead she narrowed her eyes into slits and clutched her radio in a way that suggested she’d be shouting into it again if I stuck around much longer.
Jade, as expected, didn’t react at all. Her heartbeat didn’t even speed up.
Instead, she racked her gun—but kept it pointed at the street. “Go back to your territory, Ruin.”
“Fine, fine. This area is dead boring anyway.” I spun in a circle, feeling remarkedly better.