Black Waters (Book 1 in the Songstress Trilogy) by Maija Barnett

Author:Maija Barnett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adventure, paranormal romance, mermaid, siren
Publisher: Maija Barnett

12. The Memory Thief

Luther Pentos, Chief of the Clifton Police, peered warily out his office window. The sun was beginning to set. Long rose fingers stretched across the sky, losing themselves in patches of gray. Night was coming quickly now. He could already see a few steel stars poking their way through.

Luther knew he should head home. Clifton was a relatively peaceful town, at least until recently. Still, even with one missing person and two clear murders, it was nothing like the twisted streets of Detroit. Just the name of that city gave him a chill, and a terrible darkness eclipsed his mind, wiping out the near godly sunset until all he could see was the smoky skin of a corpse.

Stop it, he thought, inhaling deeply, then holding his breath as long as he could. This simple action steadied him enough to push the past away, and focus wholly on where he was now.

He found it peaceful in his office, with its muted walls, and gleaming, leather chairs. He liked to keep the lights down low, which gave the room a cave like appearance. It was comforting, just like home. It was unusual for him to even crack his blinds, but tonight the outdoors called to him, stirring up an ancient memory, a terrible need.

Luther kept his office warm— too warm, in fact, for the rest of the force. Not wanting to impose on the others, he’d had it rigged to a separate thermostat. And he’d installed a top-end air purifier to keep out the scent of decay. It followed him, and he couldn’t help that. He’d had the air purifier installed at home too. It’d been an expense, but he’d had no choice. And it wasn’t for Delilah, who wouldn’t notice the smell. She didn’t notice anything anymore. But the boy, well, he was another matter altogether. One that Luther couldn’t seem to fix.

Just go home, thought Luther aimlessly. Go home to your wife. She’s waiting for you. He wanted to go, he really did, but he wasn’t quite sure he should enter the house. Not like this, not tonight. Not when the calling was so fresh.

Luther could already feel the Hunter’s pull, that searing hunger, gnawing at his chest. He felt it because it was his too. His bane to share, his terrible curse. No matter how hard he tried to be human, he couldn’t erase it, couldn’t take it away. It was always there, writhing in the shadows, coursing through every thought.

Stop it! thought Luther, rebuking himself. You’re a man now. Control yourself.

But he was losing his grip, and there was nothing he could do. Delilah assumed it was the job. Two definite murders and one student missing, and it had all happened in the last week. The whole town was on alert. People were scared. Any normal cop would be feeling the pressure.

And, of course, now he had FBI under his skin with their relentless questions about why he hadn’t roped off the beach. Why he hadn’t enforced that silly curfew, when doing so would just have been for show.

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