Title: Light the Way Through The Shadows Pt. 3
Author: ladyjax
Characters: Joss Carter / Zoe Morgan
Clan: Tallikut
The table was strewn with the remains of a charcuterie board assembled from Zoe’s purchases from the farmer’s market along with an open bottle of wine. Joss ran her fingers over the outer part of her wine glass before she took a sip. Zoe sat to her right, her eyes trained on her mate.
When Joss put her glass down, Zoe reached out slowly and ran her fingers along the other woman’s jawline. Rather than pull away, Joss leaned into the touch, her eyes closing as she sighed gently.
“Thanks,” she said. Joss’ eyes fluttered back open and she rubbed her cheek against Zoe’s fingers. “I needed that.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Zoe replied.
“You’ve been very patient about me, both with the mate thing and me trying to avoid what I need to ask you.”
“I’ve always found it to be much more useful to sometimes wait to see how everything unfolds.” Zoe sat back in her chair, the lingering tingle from touching Joss’ cheek was something she wanted to savor. “You said this was about other business. I take it you mean vampire business.”
“Yes,” Joss replied. “I could just be spitting into the wind.”
“I know that normally you wouldn’t give me details on your case,” Zoe said. “Lay it out for me.”
There was the scrape of the chair along the floor as Joss got up, took off her jacket and hung it on the back. “There were three additional murders.”
Zoe frowned. “Three more?”
“Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. All took place around subway stops. Except for one victim who was an intern at a publishing house in Midtown, everyone else wouldn’t rate extra notice because they just weren’t important enough.” Joss started to pace as she talked. “Only reason why we can even attempt to tie any of these to the latest case is that the conditions bear a resemblance to each other. Blitz attacks, late night or early morning between shift changes. “They’ve been spaced out over months. We didn’t see it until we widened our search to the boroughs.”
Zoe sat with the information, letting it turn over in her mind. “You think it’s one of us,” she said flatly.
“I don’t know. Is it possible?”
“Anything is possible, Joss. And in answer to your question, yes, it’s possible.”
This made Joss frown. “Explain.”
The other woman drummed her fingers lightly on the table top, her expression thoughtful. “One of the things about my job is that I make contact with different people. One of those people was my Sire, Eric Brooks. On the street he was called Blade.”
“Blade’s real? I’ve bought several of the comic collections for Taylor. I had no idea they were based on a real person.”
The memory of Eric’s grumpiness over his comic counterpart’s fame in fannish circles nearly overwhelmed Zoe. Damn fool crap, if you ask me. She teased him mercilessly and treasured the rare smile that would occasionally appear when the subject came up.
Joss took her chair again and covered Zoe’s hand on the table with her own. “Hey,” she said softly. “What’s up? Talk to me.”
Zoe grabbed a napkin and dabbed delicately at the tears that threatened to fall. She gave Joss a watery smile as she flipped the hand beneath Joss’ and laced their fingers together.”
“I’m fine.” She took a breath and continued. “We lost him a few years ago during a clan war. I felt it, the moment he died. But he died in the service of a greater cause.”
“Eric was a Hunter. Their job is to protect the clan as well as hunt down Rogues.”
Joss leaned in. “And Rogues are?”
“On the surface? They live outside the clan system, not swearing allegiance to any Clan Leader or the rules that we all live under. Some stay under the radar, others revel in causing as much misery for humans as possible. They’ll turn people without consent, seek power in a variety of arenas that do not benefit society only themselves.”
“And murder?”
Zoe nodded. “Yes. Definitely within the realm of possibility.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
Joss shrugged. “Here I thought that it was all sparkle and vampire hotness and it turns out that a perp is a perp even if they have fangs.”
Joss’s dry delivery made Zoe snicker.
“Alright, rogues are bad guys. Got it. At the moment, the task force is leaning into this being a serial killer, especially since the other murder turned up.”
“It still could be. They could even be mortal. You could also have a Rogue taking advantage of people being out and about since the weather’s nice and hot.” Zoe observed.
Joss lifted Zoe’s hand and kissed the back of it before placing it back on the table. “This is complicated,” she said.
“It is. I know I’d said that I’d never interfere with your job but I’m going to give the hunters in the area a heads up.” She held up her hand to forestall Joss’ objection. “You’re a part of my world now. We need to get this on the clan’s radar so the Hunters are on the lookout.”
That seemed to mollify Joss for a moment. “The only thing I can do is keep working the case and hope we get a lead. Is there any chance that I could talk to a Hunter about it?”
“I can ask.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” Joss bit her lip. “I don’t want this to always be like this between us. I’m supposed to be getting to know you!”
Zoe regarded the other woman. Joss’s hair had been pulled into a ponytail, leaving her neck enticingly bare. She licked her lips, her senses taking in Joss’ light perfume that overlaid her own natural scent. “Could I entice you to stay a little longer to make up for it?”
The slow, shy smile from her mate was the only answer Zoe needed.
***
Across town, a body unfolded itself from its makeshift shelter and walked out towards the edge of the building roof where they’d been squatting.
The Harlem River glowed from the lights of both Manhattan and The Bronx. After a stretch and a yawn, he stood at the edge and felt the hunger arise in his gut. Below, brownstones mixed with brand new buildings, and people walked the streets on their way to places that he didn’t particularly care about.
Fodder, his maker had said before spiriting out of his life. Mortals are of no real consequence, not to you. Not any more.
He’d had a family once, friends. Those had been squandered like so many other things in his life. Lingering regret about that state of affairs had been burned away by a promise of blood and a long life.
“Night’s young,” he whispered to the unsuspecting people on the street. “See you soon.”
Love this story. I look forward to more. Ladyjax is an excellent writer!
Am I wrong though, because I thought it was Part Three? But the first two parts are more than worth rereading.
—Naj ♥️♥️