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A vaiant would take on characteristics of those races and becoiants naturally were - at least until the blood cycled out of the vah a huot the ability to use that person’s pohether it was Air, Fire, Ice, Stone, or one of the offshoots of those areas, like electricity, acid, water, or metal And of course some vaic flowing through their veins already, just like Bria and I did

Whether he had eleic himself or stole it froerous man

"You know, Dekes has offered me far more than what the Sea Breeze is worth," Callie said, interruptingup one of the new restaurants in the resort complex"

"So what’s the problem?" I asked

She looked at Bria "There was a fire about a week ago at an ice-cream shop not too far froive us free chocolate-dipped cones sometimes ent into his shop He was such a sweet old man I reh he didn’t know them or me very well"

"Well, he was killed in the fire Burned alive inside his own store Stu Alexander, who never hurt anyone in his entire life I still can’t quite believe it" Callie wrapped her arms around herself, but she couldn’t co to determine whether it was an accident"

"But you don’t think it was an accident," I said

Callie stared at the floor "I went into the shop the day before the fire to pick up an ice-cream cake for one of the waitresses’ birthdays Stu told me that Dekes and so That Dekes said it was his last chance to sell out or else Stu loved his store just as much as I do the Sea Breeze It was his whole life He said he’d told Dekes that he was never going to sell, no ed about how he got his gun out froot Dekes and his men to leave But the next day, Stu was dead"

She shivered again "Of course, I told the police what Stu toldwithout proof Stu was the last holdout besides me"

This wasn’t the first tio, I’d helped out Warren Fox, an old friend of Fletcher’s A coal tycoon named Tobias Dawson had secretly discovered dia he could to get his hands on theranddaughter, Violet I’d stopped Dawson, though - one ofnumber of pro bono deeds as the Spider

"Why didn’t you tell me about all of this?" Bria asked "I could have helped you before it got this far"

Callie shrugged "Whenever I’ve called lately, you’ve always sounded busy, distracted, worried It seeh problems of your own in Ashland, and I didn’t want to bother you with aze cut toThat -lost big sister, Genevieve Snow, looking for the Spider, looking for me, maybe Callie would have told her about Dekes Then ured out a way to help her friend before now - anduilt glier at ht out and told Bria who I really hen she’d coer that I’d let Mab capture her Anger that the Fire elemental had tortured her, despiteI didn’t think Bria rong to blame me I’d failed to protect her when itthat would always haunt s would ever really be right between ent paths that she had put s that she’d done to us, would ever really be forgotten - or forgiven

But that was a worry for another day Right now, the question hat to do about Randall Dekes Was taking down Dekes the siven everything that Callie had said and what I’d witnessed here in the restaurant tonight

But I’d coet away from my troubles as the Spider, not throw myself knives-first into someone else’s problem, especially someone that I didn’t have any real connection to Callie was Bria’s friend, not mine But that was the catch - Bria loved Callie like a sister, and I loved Bria I’d do anything forprotect her friend the best way that I kne

I hadn’t known Stu Alexander, but I could keep Callie fro over her best friend’s grave like she had her parents’ earlier today I could do at least that much for my sister I didn’t know if it wouldshe’d suffered because of- and hope that it counted for so with Bria in the end

"What if I told you that I could help you with Dekes?" I asked Callie "That I could get hi as coet to finish her thought The screen door creaked open, and quick footsteps sounded, hurrying across the wooden floor

"Callie!" a worried voice called out "Are you okay?"

This time, I was the one who froze - shocked into absolute stillness just like everyone else had been earlier I couldn’t have been round had opened up at ht in front of ht, quick tread of his footsteps again I’d never thought I’d hear that low, sexy, slightly raspy voice again I’d never thought I’d see hi that had happened, not after the bitter way that things had ended between us

Not after he’d walked away frolance

For aif I was just i tricks oncloser "Why aren’t there any customers? Where’s the rest of the staff? And who are these women?"

I breathed in, and his familiar scent filled my nose - that sharp, clean scent that alwaysor s

I drew in a breath and sloiveled around on my stool

Detective Donovan Caine stood behind me

Chapter 5

The last time I’d seen Donovan Caine had been when he’d du our brief but intense affair That had been several o, but he still looked the same as I remembered - the same as I’d pictured hi where he was and what he was doing Whoht be with

His black hair was cropped close, looking as dark aschin and se Donovan topped out at just over six feet, and the blue suit he wore showed just how lean anda tie, and his white button-down shirt was open at the throat His hair was also standing straight up, like he’d been running his hands through it

Still, despite his rumpled appearance, he lookedcalmer, happier, and more at peace than I’d ever seen hi sure that she was all right, before turning his attention to Bria, then me He started to look back at Callie but did a double take instead, his golden gaze locking with ray one