Page 13 of Broken Moon

“He’s dead,” I said, my voiceflat.

“I’m sorry, Kait.”

“Yours?”

“He died when I was eight yearsold.”

Something we had in common. Iwondered how he’d died, but I wasn’t going to ask. She was sad enough as itwas.

“How did you kill that demon?”She changed the subject before I could. “You wear a knife on your hip, and yousure looked like you knew exactly what you were doing.” She planted her heavygaze on me and didn’t remove it.

“I grew up handling blades,” Itold her. “And I’ve been investigating the paranormal for years. I fell into itwhen I saw a story on the news about a family who swore they were beingattacked every night by an evil spirit.” God, that seemed like a lifetime ago.“They lived on my block, so naturally, I had to pay them a visit. I wasn’t theonly one—but I was the only one who could…seewhat was in their home. Isaw the demon, and I sent him back to hell. I’ve sent a few of them back tohell—but I’ve never fought a boss demon in his own body and actually killedhim.”

She shuddered. “I know why hecame, but the spirit demons—do they come to possess people?”

“They come for manyreasons—possession being one.” My stomach grew tight at the thought of thatdemon and what it might mean that I’d been able to kill him. I knew it wasn’tcommon for shifters to fight demons, but for me, it felt natural.

“I think spirits hidethemselves from people, only some people—sensitive people—won’t let them hide.You, for instance.”

I said nothing.

She continued after a moment ofsilence. “What other spirits have you seen besides demons?”

I hesitated. “Ghosts and demonspirits aren’t the only things out there, Lucy.”

She gulped. “There are thingslike vampires and other monsters? Not from the spirit world, but here, livingamong us?”

Monsters. “Yeah. Theworld is full of…monsters.”

She said nothing, but I couldfeel her curious stare. She was aware that I was a little upset, but unsurewhy. I took a deep breath, then blew it out slowly. I felt like a monstersometimes—not because I was a wolf who fought supernatural creatures, butbecause I was a wolf who’d never shifted. I was pretty sure my poor wolf wasbroken beyond repair, and who knew how she’d come out—if Jared Walker couldreally do what he said and unhobble her.

“So do you—”

“Let’s not talk for a while,” Iinterrupted, not caring if I sounded grumpy or rude. I needed some peace andquiet.

For the rest of the drive,neither of us said another word. She actually leaned her head back against theseat and went to sleep, and I drove on in blissful silence.

Chapter Six

My mother had taken in anotherstray. She was wandering up the winding driveway to my mom’s house, and Istopped to pick her up.

“Heading to Susan Silver’s place?”I asked, though I knew she was.

“Yes.” She climbed into theback seat. “Thanks for the ride. It’s getting cold. I like the cold, but I’mnot really dressed for it.”

I stopped the car in front ofthe house and we all climbed out, the girl chattering away about nothing. Shereminded me of Lucy, though Lucy was currently uncharacteristically subdued.

The girl was human, eighteen ornineteen years old, wearing a calf-length off-white strappy dress despite the chillin the air. Her long, stringy dark hair was loose and tangled, and she wore apair of worn black ankle boots. Her legs sported tattoos from the knees down,disappearing into the tops of the boots, and as I had ink myself, I looked atthem with an admiring eye after we exited the car.

She noticed, preening a bit asshe returned the admiration by running her gaze over the ones she could justsee creeping up the sides of my neck and the moon tattooed on my right hand.“Nice,” she said.

“Back atcha.” I grinned, thenheld out my hand. “Kaitlyn.”

“Oh, I know. Your mother talksabout you all the time. And there are all those pictures on the walls…” Shesnickered, then, “I’m Hannah.”

I sighed. I hated clutter, anda bunch of framed photographs on the walls and tables and windowsills wasdefinitely too much clutter. I gestured at Lucy. “This is my friend Lucille.”

Lucy moved a little closer tome and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Hannah.”