Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel Becca Blake (fiction novels to read .txt) 📖

“She is very talented, isn’t she? Her magic is quite strong. She reminds me a lot of Carolyn.” His gaze drifted away from Orion and landed on my seat. He lifted his head slightly, just enough to make eye contact with me.

A chill traveled through me as he held my gaze. I checked my arm to be sure and found that it still shimmered with the invisibility spell I’d cast. It had to be a coincidence. He couldn’t possibly make eye contact with me while I was invisible.

There was no way he could see me.

Marcus turned back toward Orion. “Keep an eye on her, will you? Tragedy can make controlling emotions difficult even for the best of us, and the poor girl just lost a partner and a father. I’d hate for her to stray.”

“I take care of all my hunters. Riley will be just fine.”

“I’m relieved to hear it. Take care, Commander.”

Chapter Ten

Overhearing Orion’s conversation with Marcus had worn away what little patience I still had for the funeral reception, so when I returned to the table with my invisibility down, I insisted on leaving. Despite my protests, Orion walked me home.

“I have a few things to take care of at the office. Are you sure you’ll be alright here alone?” Orion asked.

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “Besides, Jacob is staying here, remember?”

“Right. Well, I’ll stop by with dinner for the three of us later, then.”

I opened my mouth to tell him I would be fine, and that I didn’t need him to check in on me, but I decided against it. My father had been important to Orion, too, and I couldn’t forget that he was grieving the loss of his friend. He shouldn’t be alone through that, either.

“Okay. I’ll see you later, then.”

Once he left, I walked inside and kicked off my heels by the front door. Before, I’d always enjoyed the quiet of the empty house while my father was away on assignments. Now, even knowing Jacob was in the other room, the silence was devastating.

I walked past the living room, grateful that Jacob didn’t bother to ask how I was doing, and started up the stairs. Talking to my new partner about my feelings was the last thing I needed.

On my way to my room, I paused in front of my father’s closed door. My hand lingered over the doorknob for a moment before I pushed it open. I stood at the threshold, afraid to enter and trespass on my father’s private space. Somehow, it seemed sacred and untouchable, as if even entering the room would insult his memory.

I flicked on the light. His belongings were exactly as he’d left them: clothes scattered across the room, books piled on the nightstand, and half-finished glasses of water on every surface.

I picked up one of his books from the nightstand and sat on the bed, tucking my feet underneath me. The old western novel had always been one of his favorites, one he reread every chance he got. He’d asked me so many times to read it, and I’d always refused.

There was no time like the present, I supposed.

As I opened the well-worn cover, something fluttered out of the hardcover jacket. I slid onto the floor and retrieved the tiny piece of paper from where it had fallen under the bed.

In scrawling script, it read:

Who do you think killed her?

I frowned as I reread the message several times. I didn’t recognize the handwriting, so it wasn’t written by Orion or my dad. Whoever wrote it, my dad found the note important enough to keep in his favorite book.

Why?

The only her that came to mind was my mother, though she’d been gone since I was eight. Then again, the paper was worn at the edges, so it was possible it was that old.

But Mom was killed by a group of demons while she was out on a solo mission. Everyone knew that.

Unless someone had reason to believe that was a lie. And if my mother hadn’t really been killed in the line of duty as we’d been told, it was possible my father hadn’t been, either.

It was a stretch.

Still, there was something intriguing about the note, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop staring at it and imagining the possibilities.

I flipped the paper over. On the back, it was signed only by “Maki.” The name seemed strangely familiar. I was sure I’d heard it before.

The answer struck me like a punch to the gut.

Omaha.

The women at the old warehouse had mentioned someone named Maki. Could he be the note’s author? Casey was dead, but the other woman, Alexis, was still out there somewhere. Maybe she knew something.

There was only one way to find out.

A voice downstairs tore me away from my speculation.

“Riley? It’s me. I’ve got dinner.”

I hadn’t expected Orion to arrive so soon, though a glance at my phone told me it was already almost six o’clock. Had I really been sitting on the floor of my father’s room staring at that note for hours?

“Coming!” I stuffed it in my pocket and hurried down the steps.

By the time I got downstairs, Orion had three takeout containers from the diner spread out on the table.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got you a burger,” he said to Jacob.

“I’m not picky. Thanks, Commander.”

I sat across from Jacob. The pasta Orion brought me looked delicious, but I let it sit untouched in front of me as the strange note dominated my thoughts.

“Everything alright, Ry?” Orion asked.

“Hm?” My head snapped up as he pulled me out of my thoughts. “Oh, sorry.”

“What’s on your mind?”

I set the note on the table and pushed it over to Orion. “Have you seen this before?”

“Where did you get this?”

“I found it in Dad’s room. I think it might be talking about Mom.”

“Riley, we already know who—or rather, what—killed Carolyn,” Orion said gently.

“Why else would Dad keep something like this, though? Who else could it mean? Someone seems to think Mom wasn’t killed by