Slayer (Slayer #1)

“But the zompire nest!”

“I don’t believe for a second she was going to take care of this alleged zompire nest. But I know for certain Dublin is better off with one less vampire. Let’s finish up.”

Still wigged out by Artemis’s violence, but also bothered that it should have been me staking the vamp, I take a soft, well-worn blanket off the end of Cosmina’s bed and drape it over her body. Leo stands over her, staring down.

Artemis puts her cross away. She glances under the bed. “The phone really is gone, though. So our killer demon is either a thief or there was something worth having on there. Let’s go.”

“What about the body?” There’s a framed picture lying on the floor. The glass is cracked between two girls. One is a much younger, chubby-cheeked Cosmina. Her hair is dark and pulled back from her unmangled ears. The other looks like a sister. I run my finger along the crack between them.

“What about it?” Artemis steps over the frame. “Come on. We still have a demon to find.”

“Shouldn’t we look into this Sean guy?”

“Loose demon is a bigger threat than loose human. And I don’t agree with you that Doug couldn’t have done this. Honora said he was a killer.”

“For once, could you please listen to me and trust that—”

Artemis has already left the apartment.

I look to Leo for his opinion, but he’s still staring at Cosmina’s covered body. I can hear Artemis stomping down the stairs beneath us. But I can’t quite force myself to move away from Cosmina. Once we leave, she’s alone. Forever. I doubt her parents or her sister know where she is.

Rhys has taken whole courses on how to dispose of demon bodies. But what about the human bodies demons leave in their wake? Bradford will get as traditional a Watcher send-off as we can manage. Gone are the days of funeral pyres on seaside cliffs, but he’ll be cremated. The worst fate a Watcher could have is to come back as a vampire. We’re never buried. Always burned.

Except my dad. There was no question that his death was permanent.

“That’s not going to happen to you.” Leo’s voice is as hard and cold as the cement floor beneath Cosmina’s body. “I promise. Whatever else happens, you’re not going to end up like her.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” I take one last look at the ducky pajamas. If Cosmina’s phone were still here, I could call the police anonymously. That way I’d know she’d at least be found quickly. But I can’t even give that to her.

I pick up the photo and set it reverently on the nightstand next to a white business card. I stare at it in surprise.

Cosmina came through for us, even if we failed her.

• • •

We catch up to Artemis at the car. “Hold up,” I say. “We aren’t going home yet.”

“Where are we going, then?” she asks.

“To visit a demon drug dealer, demon dogfight organizer, and probable source of information. You want to find out more about Doug, and I want to make sure Sean didn’t kill Cosmina.” I hold out Sean’s card, listing a business address for a place called Naked Grains. “It’s our only lead.”

“No, our only lead was the actual demon that you let escape.”

“That was Honora’s fault!”

Artemis drops the card onto the ground. Her eyes blaze with fury. “Honora was trying to do the right thing—the thing you should have done! I can’t believe you’re still blaming her.”

“Why can’t you trust me? She—”

Artemis holds up her hand. “I know about the poetry, Nina. She told me herself. She wanted to apologize to you, but you wouldn’t let her. So because of one bad joke, you’ve held a grudge and decided Honora can’t be trusted, and now a demon is loose and a Slayer is dead. So don’t ask me to trust your judgment.” Artemis gets into the car and slams her door.

“Are you kidding me?” I kick the tire. The whole car shakes. I slink back, abashed. But I can’t believe Artemis knew about the poetry and never brought it up. Never asked me for my side. She heard all about how poor Honora suffered and left it at that.

Artemis is pretending like Sean isn’t our best lead just because she’s mad at me. It’s absurd and immature. Aren’t Watchers the ones who are supposed to be careful and check out every lead and piece of information while Slayers get to be single-minded about a hunt?

Leo picks up the business card Artemis dropped on the sidewalk. “I want to get back to the castle. I need to talk to my mom.”

“We have to follow up on Sean, though.” I’m miserable that he too doesn’t think I’m making the right choice. “He’s connected to Doug, and now Cosmina. And if Doug is somehow the killer—which I don’t think is possible—then it’s my fault. I have to know.”