Quinn hung up the phone, the look on his face grim. At least he’d stopped pacing, but now Becka couldn’t help but pace around the divan in circles.
“So?” Becka asked. “What did they say?”
“No one else has seen the symbols on Tesse before. Which implies only you can see them.”
“Why wouldn’t they be new?”
“It appears as though the images are part of a larger whole which was torn apart in the attack. The team at Central is going to try and piece it together using AI pattern-recognition.”
Becka picked up a pearled comb off a vanity table and ran her fingernail down the tines, eliciting a muted chime. “Okay then, so that’s a wait and see.”
“Yes, but we need to ask around and see if anyone else can see the markings. It’s a sensitive subject, but we need to know why and how they are hidden.”
She nodded. “We’ll have to find a non-offensive way to ask this group if Tesse had any tattoos. Do you have any theories why only I can see them?”
“Negative. Although I would like to find another ungifted or human to have a look, and that’s unlikely in this crowd. But then, the recordings have been played for humans and shifters at central. They would have seen them then too.”
“What did your boss have to say about threats to House Rowan?”
“There’s some rumors about an internal spat but there has been no formal report submitted.”
“Except for Astrid and Calder with you, earlier.”
Quinn tilted his head and shrugged. “I will get around to filing that later when I do my end of day report.”
Becka’s anxiety kicked in and she half-smiled reflexively. Was the call she’d overheard one with his boss? A coworker? “You talk to Chief Elowen every night?”
“Depends if she’s available. Otherwise, it’s whoever’s available on the team.”
How could she know for sure without giving away she’d been eavesdropping? Perhaps, knowing he had nightly calls into the office, she could listen in on future calls? Becka frowned, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place, not to mention preemptively guilty over violating his personal space. Her stomach soured at the thought. Considering his otherwise sympathetic and protective behavior, she’d likely be proven wrong.
Likely.
“Must be nice having coworkers you can rely upon,” Becka replied. His detective team was a form of family, after all. Becka looked forward to starting her internship and connecting with her own team of like-minded professionals, who would hopefully warm to her over time. Building not only a career, but a familial kinship working toward greater cross-species understanding and tolerance. Not to mention being back with Aunt Lydia, being able to share all that had transpired during her trip back to fae territory.
But she’d never have more calls from Tesse, or be able to share them and relive them a second time with Lydia again.
She’d never felt so lonely.
“For Enforcers, it’s critical. But I worry most about the humans on the team, as they tend to not have the same level of finesse in dealing with interspecies conflicts.”
“Do they have to? I mean, humans won the war. I’m sure they don’t see a reason to give concessions.”
He shrugged. “It complicates things.”
“Are the Enforcers always cross-species teams?” she asked.
“Yes, it’s dictated by the Pax-Hominid treaty. We have fae, human, and shifter on every Enforcer team to ensure fair and equitable treatment within our cross-species investigations and disputes.” He held up a hand, motioning for her to stop. “As much as I enjoy chatting, we need to get going.”
“Wait, what? Where to?”
“To the viewing of Tesse’s creations. It is the event Duchess Maura invited you to and there will be an opportunity to engage in conversation. Perhaps we will find answers to the questions we are both seeking.”
“We?”
Quinn stepped close, taking her by the shoulders and giving her a single, gentle shake. “You are my partner in this, right?”
Becka’s cheeks warmed at his touch. How could she continue to feel both anxious of and attracted to this man? “I’m on board to help find Tesse’s killer, but I still want to leave as soon as possible.”
His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t bring up their argument over her leaving. “I will keep you safe in the meantime.”
In this moment, she believed his claim. Becka wished she could shake off her doubts, but her good sense wouldn’t let go.
“Elowen is ordering the testing,” he continued. “Hopefully that can be managed swiftly.”
Becka shuddered. “I despise the testers, but yeah, I’d rather know one way or the other about the curse. Once that’s managed, I’m out of here.”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “Well then, there’s no time to waste. Let’s see what we can find out before the day is over.”
Chapter 16
Becka had never dreamed she’d walk down The Hall of Memories again. Despite her frustrations with the fae, Becka held no accompanying disdain for their marvelous antiquities. Every feat, accomplishment, and hardship had been memorialized here. House Rowan even had items dating back to the foundation of their bloodline, such was the caliber of their collection.
As a child she’d been taught the tale of the ancient fae, Bergljot, who, amongst her other powers, could bend or extinguish light by her will alone. It was thought she could spin webs of enchanting visions so powerful, mortals could stumble into them and never be heard from again.
Rowan’s ancestors had revered her, instead of fearing her as others did, and left her gifts and tributes to gain her favor. As the great immortal spent more time around her favorite humans, she became enamored with Waldemar, a strapping warrior known for his cunning and wit, and who was rumored to have never lost a contest of might.
They had a passionate affair, and then she disappeared, and Waldemar, knowing the ephemeral nature of the fae, had wondered
