Detective Witch (Devil's Witch Book 2)
Chapter 22-Recovering

It’s been two weeks since the car wreck Stella and I were in. Since then, I have been getting a lot of apology letters from the coven bashing the recent behavior of some of their members. The coven helped ward our home too and Will supervised in case any of their efforts weren’t genuine. Despite my slightly higher sense of paranoia from the car wreck and the occasional public encounter, things have been going well.

I don’t like driving, but I think the coven finally learned their lesson. They all had to go to a big meeting up north to be reprimanded about the reputation they have in our state and get their names cleared. The radicalized ones they found were weeded out.

The police were able to find and identify the driver as a coven member, Amelia Hooser. She was sent to the highest court of supernatural law and I’ve been given ten thousand dollars in damages already. I used the money to help Stella get a new car. Her insurance covered the rest.

I know it’s wrong of me to feel this way, but Clarissa Gild has gone missing too and I’m hoping she’s dead. Witches usually don’t disappear for so long, but with everything she tried to pull over the high council of supernatural affairs and myself she had it coming.

So does Amelia Hooser and it may be the devil making me want her dead too. It’s out of my control at this point. The high council will vote for her fate.

I’m not going to let what’s happened this month ruin my life. I still go to work and I do miss having Stella around the house. She’s been away on vacation with Colin in Atlanta for the past two weeks. I really didn’t get to talk to her much since the horrific day. She left the next day for vacation and I kind of wanted to go with her, but I knew she needed time alone with Colin to recover from the event.

My magic could have healed me, but it would have taken a much longer time with my body being in shock. I fractured one of my ribs and had to go to the hospital. It was from the glass that cut into me and I don’t really remember much what happened after I pulled it out. Will said it was too risky using magic to heal it. Plus, I didn’t want anyone in the coven to see my curse mark on my stomach. The mark had disappeared for a while and then weirdly reappeared when I woke up from the crash.

I don’t remember the police showing up at the crash, but Will told me one of the coven members arrived on the scene first and pulled me from the car. Will told me it took him all night to heal my wounds and I woke up the next morning to find him downstairs making breakfast. He bought me a big vase of flowers too and get well balloons. I keep the flowers on my desk at work.

It was annoying having to take care of the demons while I was on bedrest until my rib healed, but Will tried to help and I managed to exorcize the creatures without too much trouble. Nick gave me off work for the week and I pretty much stayed in bed with Will waiting on me until last Sunday.

After the car incident, Nick and I haven’t talked much. Really, ever since Will freed him of being my familiar he’s been much quieter. He didn’t contact me after the crash except to give me off for the week which shouldn’t have upset me, but it did. I just thought he would have cared to ask how I was or something. I guess I just thought with him being my boss I thought he would have asked more about how I was doing. I didn’t hear anything else from him until I got back to work last week.

He has his own life and Will was there for me every day until I had the strength to go back to work. I shouldn’t be bothered by it all. He’s my boss and has more important things to worry about than me. I think when the bond was removed he must have gotten hurt or something. I really don’t know though. So I’ve been avoiding him in case he really is mad at me about something. The last thing I want is to lose my job right now.

Not only is this a convenient place for me to take care of the demons, but it’s the only place I feel safer at than my own home. It’s odd, but I just feel more protected at work. It’s probably because there are so many people here and the idea of a witch managing to get in and attack me is highly unlikely with so many vampires around me.

The thing is, after my car accident, many of the officers have been openly sharing their disgust for the coven and I know I shouldn’t be comforted knowing their feelings are turning sour, but I am. The fact of the matter is I’m still sour too. I don’t know if that will ever change now after the crash. It shook me up more than I’d like to admit. Stella too, that’s why she left so quickly with Colin to take a break from it all.

I hold the report Yansmen and I gathered to my chest. We had to find more information on a group of werewolves who we think have been behind the growing missing list of humans in town.

I knock on the door to my boss’s office. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Come in.” Nick answers and I open the door. He’s seated behind his desk flipping through a packet of papers. He looks up at me and sets the packet down standing up straight.

“David and I have the report ready for you.” I tell him while quickly setting the papers down on his desk in hopes of leaving at that.

Once he takes the papers, I start to walk back to the door. However, he moves in front of me using his unnatural vampire speed blocking my path.

Dark shadows rest below his eyes and his face looks paler than normal. I avert my gaze smelling his distinct minty smoke smell and being reminded of the silly dream I had. The dream I had long enough ago that I should have forgotten it by now.

“Sorry...” I mumble feeling stupid. I forgot to pick up my next assignment from him! He hands me the printed out email of things Yansmen and I are to look into next. I read over our new tasks.

“No need to apologize, Ms. Parway.” He tells me while picking something up off the top of a closed cardboard box by our feet.

“Wow, it’s so official.” I say quietly in wonder while looking over the small plastic card he hands me.

Wixton Police Department. Detective, Valerie Parway. I read the ID card in my head. Yansmen got his yesterday and I was wondering when I would get mine too.

I dare a peek up at him again and immediately regret it. It’s like he can see right through my calm exterior and know it’s all for show. That deep down I’m still terrified to leave my house, to lose my job and struggling to cope with the accident and all.

“I thought you should know mayor McCaster called me today. The high council of supernatural affairs has given Amelia Hooser a life sentence. She will be living in a special prison for coven members of upper class such as herself.” He says impassively.

I glare down at my new ID card thinking her sentence is too light when she nearly killed Stella and I. She pretty much is getting away with it. Guess it’s the devil making me want her to pay more and really know the trauma she put us through. I already did send the other witch to hell I suppose without waiting for anyone’s permission to do so.

I should probably tell Nick so they know that Amelia didn’t act alone. Who knows how many more witches there are out there waiting to avenge their crazy friends. I shouldn’t keep quiet about it, but if the coven finds out I exorcized the one witch they will punish me and nothing Will tells them will change that. Technically, I broke supernatural law. Sooner or later I’m sure they will find out that the other witch is missing.

With a shaky breath, I cross my arms remembering the fleeting feeling of satisfaction I had sending that witch to hell.

“I’m afraid I did something terrible.” I mumble in a shaky voice. Nick leans against his desk and gestures for me to sit down on the chair beside him.

Reluctantly, I sit down and he rests a supportive hand on my shoulder. I rest my forehead in my hands feeling deeply troubled.

“Whatever you did, I’m sure you were in the right. You need a break from their cruelty. When you are ready to tell me I’ll be here to listen.” Nick tells me lightly and I look up at him while wiping away a tear.

His gaze is full of understanding and patience. The comfort I’m so desperately in need of. I just want to be safe and keep those around me protected. He sees my hesitation and sits down in his chair.

“Okay...” I mumble, thinking of sharing it with him another time when I’m ready. Nervously, I start to stand up to leave, but he reaches across his desk.

My breath catches when he grips my hands so lightly seeing his softened downcast stare directly on me.

Stop freaking out, he’s just your boss. He’s only comforting you so you’ll get over it faster and get more work done. So quit acting like a helpless victim and go back to work! My mind reminds me as his police radio goes off.

When he pulls his hands away to answer it I quietly make my exit back to the workroom eager to escape his sight.

I find Yansmen at his desk gobbling down a plate of delicious looking holiday themed iced sugar cookies with red swirls. He always steals my food and since he isn’t watching the plate I try to pick one up for myself since he ate my entire peanut butter and jelly sandwich today without even asking.

Sometimes I really don’t mind, but today I was really hungry and looking forward to eating it. Besides, Stella is away on vacation and since she’s not here the fridge at home isn’t as full.

I pluck a cookie up from the plate and he nearly jumps out of his chair just to forcibly take it from me. In the process, he ends up crumbling the cookie all up. The crumbled treat falls onto the ground between us.

“Seriously? I’m hungry and you can’t even let me eat one?” I mutter and for some reason, he decides on storing the whole plate of them in his desk drawer between us.

“Don’t eat those.” He tells me looking serious for once and I laugh reaching for the drawer anyway.

“They’re sugar-free and taste stale. With raisins, they have raisins too!” He says in panic while swatting my hand away from the drawer.

“Okay, fine. You can have them all to yourself. You owe me over ten lunches though. The one time I beg you for food...” I mumble grumpily while opening my desk drawer and finding my new bag of mints completely empty.

“Tonight some us are going to a bar downtown. You should come.” Yansmen tells me with a half smile.

Will told me he was going to another bar in town tonight too. He’s trying to get some richer members of our community to donate to a new homeless shelter for supernaturals exclusively. I think a couple of werewolf packs will be there and mainly just the coven members part of his campaign. I already told him I was going to work late tonight and passed on attending the event with him.

I think this is more of a work event anyway so would it really be wrong if I went to it by myself without him? If I went with Will, I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax at all and just feel stressed out and pressured into silence looking over my shoulder the entire time. I’m not sure if going to this will be any different.

“Thank you, but I’m not sure if tonight is a good night for me.” I reply tiredly. He shrugs his shoulders then starts typing away on his laptop getting back to work.

Then I slide out my tote from under my desk and flip over my new ID card with my back to him. Timidly, I turn it over and carefully pull free the small folded up note taped onto the back. Unfolding the small square piece of paper I actually find it to be a bank statement addressed to my boss.

I cover my mouth in surprise finding out Nick paid for all my hospital bills. I feel like crying in relief because I thought I was going to be in debt and after making our car payment Stella and I were considering turning off the electric in the house for a bit to save money. This was so generous of him to do for me...

_______________________________________

Yansmen

Heinrich chugs down his beer like a machine and slams it down on the bar counter. He turns around on his stool watching the dancing bodies ahead of us. Including William McCaster and his fairly good looking assistant. They must have come from his town hall office and drank before even getting here.

“Look.” I point at the two of them watching the small brunette playfully bump her hip against his as she makes her way towards the bartender. I think they just settled some kind of deal with the tall guy with the mullet, must be a werewolf. They all dress similar with their professional business attire on.

“Goddess not want see.” Heinrich says drunkenly in broken english while swigging down another pint like it’s nothing.

“Yes. Ex...actly.” I agree, focusing on my words. The red and yellow club lights beam down around the room in endless rotation making me feel dizzy. A DJ is set up in the back of the bar and I can’t even see them because there are too many people. I much rather watch the dancers anyway.

Chief storms over to us ruining the mood. He hits my arm indicating for me to move it out of his way as he sits down in the empty bar stool between Heinrich and I.

Facing away from the bar he stretches both his arms out on the granite counter top looking uptight as usual. He spreads his legs out too and I’m forced to fold my arms to give him room as he has a habit of taking up as much space as possible.

I don’t mind, but I can’t say I enjoy sitting here feeling like his little princess and Heinrich my ugly stepsister as Noctus takes up as much space as possible between us making me feel inferior. On purpose of course. Well, I may be an underling to him, but at least I’m superior to pretty much everyone in front of me.

We came here to be entertained, not to do the entertaining anyway. So I guess I don’t really care what I look like to the humans and other supernaturals here. I already know my place, my future.

I take another sip of my beer and my mind races seeing I’ve lost track of the warlock and brunette assistant in the crowd. Am I going to get punished for it? I just joined the force and I’ve worked so hard to get here. Noctus really is terrifying when he’s mad. I heard about what happened to Colin Wallace and his girlfriend.

“Relax.” Noctus commands me sharply and I force my focus on the football game playing on one of the many flatscreens to calm down.

The game gets cut off by a commercial and I feel like shouting. So I do and a bunch of other people around me follow suit. The warlock steps into our view once more. Noctus watches his every move with new interest as the new mayor makes his way around the room.

None of the humans come up to us, sensing our ‘police’ aura even though we aren’t in uniform. Probably because Heinrich still looks around like he’s ready to kill the soul who dares glance his way. Just like he does when he’s at the station and boss screams cop, it’s just the way he watches people. Calculative with a hefty measure of superiority and control. And me, well I’m...I don’t even know, but I’m sitting too close to the two of them to be approached.

The warlock catches me staring at them and looks at me funny. I sip my beer to hide my frown losing sight of them in the crowd.

The room is really smelly now like dirty feet. I hold my beer under my nose to cover up the scent. If I wasn’t so drunk I’d probably realize sooner why two hours has went and gone and Noctus hasn’t moved from his seat.

The new mayor steps into our view again and Noctus sits back staring down William McCaster with content.

Boss stands up then and we follow him toward the back in the direction the mayor walks with his assistant. We sit down on an empty curved dark blue leather couch where it’s less crowded giving us a perfect view of the warlock and brunette witch now sitting at the end of the bar.

I chuckle seeing boss’s annoyed expression as Heinrich starts singing drunkenly in his native language. The music speeds up and I pound my shot glass on the table in front of us to the beat. The bodies blurring into one hazy sea of movement in front of me.

Soon after, I get bored and watch the whiskey glass boss holds. He twirls it around as a drop of his blood drips around the rim. For hours, he’s been watching it and waiting for his blood to move. I can’t help, but watch it too knowing that’s the main reason I have the privilege of sitting here. He’s depending on me to spot it moving when she’s near.

Unnaturally, it finally starts to creep skyward on the rim of his glass.

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