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“You’d better not be blaming us,” Darien warned.

“Not at all. I don’t agree with what my colleague put you through, and I have no intention of doing the same. But, if you have any information to share, I could use all the help I can get.”

Ivy said, “Tell us about these attacks.”

“Every victim so far has been human, half, venefica, werewolf, vampire—you name it. The offenders are…of the hellseher population,” he finished, speaking hesitantly. Cautiously. “We’ve managed to apprehend only two of the offenders and have brought them in for questioning, but that won’t be happening until tomorrow morning. We have them in holding cells until then.”

Darien said, “What kind of attacks are we talking about here?”

Finn leaned in close. “The victims…,” he began with a whisper. His throat bobbed. He began again. “The victims…they were all bitten to death.”

“Bittento death?” Ivy and Kylar hissed.

Their conversation stalled as people walked by their table.

As soon as they were gone, Ivy whispered, “And you said these people arehellsehers?”

Finn nodded, his face a grave mask. “Earlier this evening, we responded to an emergency call—the first of the night. We managed to get there just in time to see the attack happen. The offender… He had black eyes with dark lines in the surrounding skin.” He indicated to his own under-eye with a pinky finger.

“Like Venom users?” Kylar asked, glancing Darien’s way.

Finn nodded.

“Is that why the cops raided the Umbra Forum?” Darien asked. “Because they think Venom is the cause?”

“That was Glen’s call.” Of course it was. “I tried to tell him that we should wait until we get the results from the autopsies, but he insisted on getting a head-start on taking down the drug operations. He accused us of letting it go on for too long.”He paused for a moment, his nostrils flaring with irritation. Once he’d composed himself, he continued. “They shut the whole thing down, fighting rings too, and arrested every dealer, vendor, and buyer they could get their hands on.”

“Shit,”Darien hissed. He scrubbed a hand down his face. He would need to find other avenues for the talismans, then.

Andsalt. In a city this large, with endless covert operations at his disposal, you’d think it would be a cinch. But securing a new dealer would take up more of his time.

He’d see if he could get in contact with the Butcher, somehow. Tomorrow. The task wouldn’t be easy; now that Casen had gone Below, into a liminal space that was guaranteed to be a dead zone…

But he’d rather go through the Butcher than piss his own time away looking for a new dealer. With everything that was going on, he didn’t have time for that.

“Why’s Glen making the calls?” he demanded. “I thought you were Head Detective.”

“Not anymore.”

“Did you step down?”

“I was demoted.”

“What for?”

Ivy added, “Are they allowed to do that?”

“If there’s a good enough reason,” Finn replied. “Long story short, they didn’t like the questions I was asking.” Why did that not surprise him? After everything he’d seen on the news, with the imperator covering up all the shit happening in Yveswich, it made sense that he’d attempt to conceal any other eerie happenings that were linked to the Veil, too. Less eyes on him—less shit for the public to freak out about. “They want someone who takes orders and keeps their mouth shut, and I guess I’m having a hard time being that for them.”

“So they took away your position,” Ivy concluded, shaking her head in disappointment.

“For now. And gave it to Glen.”

“What else do you know about these attacks?” Darien asked. “What makes them think it’s the Venom, anyway? Just the eyes? That hardly seems like concrete evidence.”

“Personally, I don’t think it’s the Venom.” He tossed a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening, watching. “I think there’s a link between these attacks and what’s going on in Yveswich,” he whispered.

Darien said, “Explain.”