Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows (Coyle and Fang Adventure Series Book 1) Robert III (first color ebook reader txt) 📖

leather covering her pink, shapeless face, took another look around, and pulled out a small device with a blue glowing switch. She inserted it into the projector and waited.

***

“You ready?” Sullywether asked, and looked at a pocket watch with multiple faces. “We have less than three hours before the image degrades and becomes useless.”

“We’re ready, sir,” Treece said. “I will stand by here, and the five of you need to find as many clues as you can. Apparently in less than three hours.” His eyes rested on Coyle.

Coyle smiled. The burden of finding everything herself made her knees shake. She took a long, cleansing breath and flexed her hands. Treece was the most powerful, influential man in her sphere, and he was watching like a hawk.

That didn’t work for relaxing, now did it?

“Let ’er rip!” Sullywether shouted. Loud cracks and snaps filled the air before a hazy shimmer of light flashed. Coyle covered her eyes as tendrils of bright, gold light wrapped around each other. Bursts of heat rushed past, her hair flying with each powerful pulse. She brushed her hair back and sniffed, then squinted and looked down at Sullywether.

“I know, I know: toast,” Sullywether said. “Believe me, it’s better than smelling four and half million units of boomwatts. Bleh.”

The air vibrated in steady, rhythmic waves until a large mansion appeared in front of them. Opalescent colors shifted on different parts of the structure until the palette settled into browns and tans.

“Markers?” Sullywether pointed to each projectionist. One by one, they gave Sullywether a thumbs-up. The one in the far corner gave a slack wave of his hand.

“It’s a go, Treece,” he said. “Once the time has passed, the image will fade. No harm to your team, just loss of evidence.”

“I know you will do your very best,” Treece said to them, but he gazed at Coyle. “The reenacted image you are walking into is situated roughly thirty minutes after the crime occurred.”

Coyle’s heart raced as they stepped through the projection. He was depending on her skills. She rolled her eyes. On one hand, this was an excellent chance to dig herself out of the proverbial grave. On the other hand, she was pressed into a performance of substantial consequence.

An abrupt change in the air grabbed her attention. The rapid drop in temperature slapped her skin, and she dug her hands into her pockets. White curls of breath rose from their mouths as they approached the front door.

“Why can’t these incidents occur in the warm sun?” Poes said next to her.

“I’d take creosote bush, baked dirt and bright sun any day of the week,” Vonteg agreed.

***

They stepped through the front door and into the parlor. As soon as the door closed behind them, Veiul pressed the switch on the molecular transference device, making it hum.

“They’re on the timer,” she said, pressing the transceiver switch in her ear. “Twenty minutes until they’re killed.”

“Excellent,” said a deep, mechanical voice.

Chapter 7

A deep breath brought the familiar scent of fresh bread, smoked meat and steamed vegetables. Candles rested in wall sconces and on tables throughout the rooms. But the silence was eerie.

Unnatural.

They walked closer to the dining hall, and Coyle caught a single note of lilac perfume amidst the pungent cigar fumes. Duone and Vonteg saw the mess before anyone else.

“Good God Almighty,” Duone said as the rest stepped carefully into the large room. The scene was shocking to behold. Blood spattered the sunshine-yellow wallpaper. Dark-red spots peppered the crystal chandelier. The wounds were fresh, yet the volume of spilled blood littered the air with a heavy, sweet, bile odor. The second time in as many days and Coyle would never get used to it. Removing her handkerchief, Coyle covered her nose and studied the eight bodies that lay in various poses. Two gentlemen, six women. Throats slashed. Eyes frozen in terror. Coyle turned away.

“It’s a lot to take in,” Poes said.

“I suppose I’m more used to bodies lying in a similar state due to the consequences of criminal activity,” she said. “But these people were just having supper.”

Poes nodded.

“I’ve seen massacres out in the flatlands of Nebraska,” Duone said. “Between Paloma and Army, mostly. Both sides usually warriors. But Coyle’s right. This is beyond savage.”

“Fae dignitaries,” Vonteg said. “They were meeting with our side, trying to work something out. A mutual benefit of sorts.”

Coyle focused on a nearby display of simple-looking objects: a small statue, a mirror, jars of clear, luminescent liquid. Poes followed her gaze.

“Those are the fae relics,” he said. “They brought them over as a token of trust between the two species.”

“What’s missing is the book.” Quolo had joined them. “Cuanteff Eme Burlsekwa, loosely translated as Curse of Shadows.”

Coyle’s mind shot back to Fang’s plea.

“Do we know anything else about this book?” Coyle asked.

“Not without fae,” Quolo answered. “And the fae have sealed their gates until we get this incident sorted out.”

“Miss Coyle,” Bolt said. “Isn’t your specialty digging around dead bodies? Maybe you should be over here.”

He was right, of course, but she didn’t like the tone of his voice.

Stop jibber-jabbing and get to work.

She cleared her throat and stepped closer to the slaughter, her eyes covering the details of the room. Everything was bathed in red. She couldn’t even see the color of the rug. A lump grew in her throat.

Poes glanced at her. “There can’t be too many female constables in the city, let alone the state of California. You must have an interesting story.”

“It’s not that interesting,” she said as she knelt near a man. Her cheeks warmed. Poes was trying to get friendly. Just what I need in an already uncomfortable situation.

“I’ve learned to ask the right questions when searching for answers,” Poes smiled. “And I can always find something interesting if I poke enough.” He was an attorney. Making people uncomfortable was his pride. And she was uncomfortable.

“Right now, I need to find something interesting in these bodies, thank you.” She turned the dead man’s head and peered at his neck.

“Gentlemen, let’s give