Another guy joins us, this one dressed in firefighter gear. Great, now I definitely want a calendar of some kind because, seriously, he’s also kind of hot, but not in a magical, overwhelming way like Eli. To be honest, after that dose of incubus magic I just got blasted with, I might be inclined to think anyone is hot. My dreams tonight are going to be… Interesting.
“What’s up, Eli?” The firefighter asks, his tone calm and authoritative. There’s something vaguely familiar about him, though I can’t quite place it. It’s weird because I swear I’ve never met him before.
“These two are poking around where they don’t belong.” Eli replies, his gaze still laser focused on Lukas with suspicion.
“And you can’t, you know, convince them to leave?” The firefighter asks, raising an eyebrow. There’s a pointed edge to his tone, as if this is a frequent occurrence for Eli. I guess he knows about the magic stuff too if he knows that Eli uses his incubus charms to send unsuspecting humans away, I’m sure it works well. He’s very… Distracting. Eli shakes his head.
“Nah, Dami. They’re not human. They know what I am.” He says, frustrated. Dami. That nickname sets off an alarm in my brain. Why does that sound so familiar? I zone out of the conversation, trying to figure it out. The name bounces around in my mind, stubbornly refusing to connect to anything concrete. Lukas must notice because, suddenly, he grabs my hand, gently trying to lead me away.
*No, wait. I’m sure I know him. Just give me a second.* I insist silently. Lukas slows, but doesn’t stop moving entirely.
“Wait! I figured it out!” I half yell, startling everyone. Roxy, clearly not bothered, licks my hand in approval.
“Figured what out?” Eli demands, stepping forward slightly, his narrowed eyes now flicking between Lukas and me.
“How I know him.” I say, pointing directly at the firefighter. Damien blinks in confusion.
“Huh? I don’t recognise you at all.” He says firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. Eli narrows his eyes further, looking ready to pounce. He steps defensively in front of Damien.
“What are you talking about?” He snaps, clearly annoyed. His perfect charm cracking a little. Interesting. I ignore Eli and point at Damien again, my brain finally connecting the dots.
“You’re Damien, right? Rina’s brother. That’s why you’re familiar!” I exclaim excitedly. I feel like I just solved a puzzle. Thank goodness. If I didn’t work it out I would have been up all night trying to figure it out… That plus my potentially horny dreams would not equal a good nights rest.
Damien looks surprised.
“Uh… yeah, that’s me. But how do you know Rina?” His expression is still guarded, though less hostile.
“And you,” I turn to Eli.
“You must be the Eli that Laura mentioned getting drunk with that one time. She said you were a cop.” I say firmly. Eli blinks, the tension on his face shifting into confusion.
“Wait… You know Laura?” His tone suggests he’s getting a headache.
“Yeah, she’s my cousin.” I say, crossing my arms confidently. I expect that to smooth things over, but instead, Eli looks even more defensive. His eyes narrow, and he steps closer, his movements bordering on aggressive.
“You’re related to Laura?” He says, his voice low and challenging. There’s something in his tone that suggests he knows exactly how chaotic our family can be. Shit. I hold up my hands, quickly adding.
“I’m the good cousin. You can ask her yourself.” I insist. Ugh, why does my family have to be so difficult? Lukas squeezes my hand reassuringly and I realise he’s still holding it and reading my mind. Whatever, I have bigger things to worry about right now. Eli opens his mouth, I think he’s about to argue, but Damien places a hand on his shoulder and clears his throat.
“Just call Laura before jumping to conclusions.” Damien says calmly, his voice steady enough to cut through the tension. Eli glances back at Damien, his posture relaxing instantly.
“Of course, Dami.” He agrees easily, his tone softening. Damien shoots him a small, amused smile before turning back to me.
“Let’s make that call now, just to be sure.” He says, Eli nods and pulls out his phone.
“On it.”
Eli takes a few steps away to make the call, although he keeps his sharp, watchful eyes on us. Or maybe more accurately on Damien. The moment stretches awkwardly until I turn to Damien, searching for something to break the silence.
“So, you and your sister don’t look all that alike. Your eyes kind of match, though.” I remark thoughtfully. Damien shrugs, his expression neutral.
“We get that a lot.” He replies simply. We lapse into another moment of awkward silence before I clear my throat. I hate silence.
“So, you’re a human like Rina. Do you work many of these magical crime scenes?” I ask. Damien frowns slightly, tilting his head as if considering.
“I never used to, but recently I seem to be at them constantly. Although I suppose it’s possible that previously I didn’t know the scenes I was at were magical.” He admits, a hint of confusion in his tone. Before I can respond, Eli returns, draping an arm casually over Damien’s shoulder. His grin is practically blinding.
“Of course you work these scenes. I requested you. We’re basically partners.” He announces cheerfully. Damien rolls his eyes but doesn’t shrug off the arm. He just stands there, his stoic expression suggesting this kind of behavior is routine for Eli.
“We aren’t partners. I already have a partner. You’ve met her several times.” Damien says firmly, though he doesn’t actually sound irritated. Eli’s grin falters slightly as he pouts dramatically.
“But she’s human.” He objects, almost petulantly. Damien raises an eyebrow.
“So am I,” he points out matter of factly. Eli groans.
“Yeah, but you know about magic and stuff. She doesn’t.” He retorts, his tone carrying an edge of irritation. I get the distinct impression that Eli really doesn’t like Damien’s partner. Damien doesn’t bother responding to Eli’s complaint. He just stands there, calm and composed, waiting. Eli eventually sighs in defeat, his shoulders slumping slightly as he relents.
“Yeah, these two check out with Laura. She says we can trust Clare.” Eli says, his tone shifting to something more serious. Lukas exhales a quiet sigh of relief.
“Great. In that case, we have some questions. It’s important.” He insists, his tone urgent. Eli frowns, glancing between us with suspicion, but Damien nods easily.
“Sure. Go ahead.” Damien says.
“You said this crime scene is magical, in what way?” Lukas asks, his voice calm but firm. Damien folds his arms and looks toward the burned out building.
“The way it burned. The fire consumed the building but didn’t touch anything around it. It must have burned incredibly hot because there’s nothing left of the people who were trapped inside. No remains. Nothing.” He says, his voice heavy with sadness. Lukas leans forward slightly.
“Is there any chance that you can’t find the bodies because they aren’t there?” He asks bluntly.
Damien looks confused, his brows furrowing.
“What do you mean?” He asks cautiously. Eli narrows his eyes, catching Lukas’s implication.
“You think someone stole the bodies?” He asks, his voice skeptical but with an edge of unease. Lukas shrugs, and I see Damien glance toward the ground, his jaw tight. He looks nauseated. I totally get it.
“We’re looking into… Some suspicious magic. It might involve using dead bodies.” I admit hesitantly, my voice low. Lukas squeezes my hand tightly, a clear signal of his concern about how much I’ve revealed.
*Laura trusts them.* I tell him mentally. He relaxes his grip at the reassurance, but the tension in his expression doesn’t entirely fade. Damien considers for a moment, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“I suppose that would make sense. We’d have to ask the witnesses if they saw anything suspicious.” He says slowly. Lukas perks up immediately, his focus sharpening.
“Witnesses?” He asks, his tone eager. Damien nods, but there’s a flicker of alarm in his expression at Lukas’s sudden enthusiasm.
“A couple of people made it out. They’re in the hospital right now.” He explains. Lukas immediately turns to me, his determination clear.
“We need to get to the hospital.” He says firmly.