Keri Arthur - Circle of Desire

"In one of the booths," his partner supplied. "We discovered it after everyone had been questioned and released. Looks like he died the same way as that old man in the barn."

In the middle of a crowded restaurant? This woman was obviously bold when she took them — sexually and spiritually — or had some sort of magic happening that prevented other patrons from seeing what she was doing.

"Did you run that other check for me?"

Mark nodded. "And your straw-clutching guess was right. In each case, there were reports of disappearances over a three night span before the kids were taken."

"All men?"

"Yep. And the body of one was recently discovered. The report says cause of death unknown."

"But I'm guessing he was found in a somewhat compromising position?"

"Naked and aroused." Mark shook his head. "The boys in the labs still can't get over that one. They say that considering an erect penis is little more than stimulated flesh, it shouldn't remain erect because the blood naturally seeks out the lowest point of a body, not the… umm… highest."

"It's probably something to do with the way he died."

Ethan glanced at the door separating the two cabins.

Though he'd heard no sound, the hint of summer touching the air told him Kat was awake.

"No one knows how any of these men died," Benton exploded. "And that's the damn problem. That and the fact I just can't see the link between the kids and these men."

The door opened, but it was Gwen who stepped through.

"That's because you're convinced the answers lie in the ordinary," she said, voice sharp. "And this case has nothing to do with the ordinary."

Kat followed her grandmother through the door. She no longer wore the wig and her eyes were once again green.

But they were haunted with exhaustion and pain, and her face was pale. She should've been asleep, probably would have been had it not been for Benton's booming voice.

She no longer wore his jacket, and her low-cut shirt revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her breasts. Her black skirt swirled around her thighs as she headed for the second sofa, showcasing long, wonderful legs. He wasn't the only one who silently admired them as she sat.

Her gaze rose to his and, for an instant, there might well have been no one else in the room. Though she was tired and still in pain, the need in her eyes was every bit as strong as the one that pounded through his veins. The momentary smile that touched her lips did strange things to his breathing. Tomorrow, she'd whispered. He suddenly wasn't sure he could wait that long.

"What do you mean?" Benton's voice cracked the brief silence. "If you two are withholding information — " Gwen's snort was contemptuous. "The only thing we're withholding is knowledge you're not likely to believe."

"Right now, I'm desperate enough to listen to even the most outlandish theory."

"Then I've got one that'll blow your jock off." Gwen perched on the arm of the sofa beside Kat. "The thing that is taking these kids is called a Mara. It's an ancient spirit that can enter houses by taking the form of a cat or vapour. It seduces men and eats their souls while they're in the midst of passion."

Benton stared at her for a second. "This thing is human."

His voice was harsh. "Your granddaughter saw it."

"The fact it can take human form doesn't make it human," Gwen said dryly. "As yet, we have no idea why it is taking these kids, but it is stealing their souls. And doing so while they are in great pain."

"The second kid was torn apart," Mark said. "The first drained of blood. How's that related to this soul stealer?"

There was very little doubt in Mark's voice, Ethan noted.

But then, Mark had seen the disintegration of the zombie firsthand. That would be enough to make anyone believe that something beyond the norm was going on in this case.

"The first kid was drained by a vampire who was working with the soul sucker. Kat killed it in the warehouse. You probably would have found a man-

shaped black stain on the concrete."

That explained the bits of humanity found amongst the soot. Ethan looked at Kat. "Is that why you were attacking him with stakes?"

She nodded. "White ash."

Her voice was little more than a croak, and he raised an eyebrow, glancing at Gwen for explanation.

"Most stakes will damage a vampire," she said. "But to ensure a kill, it's best to use white ash."

"And the mutant in the restroom this evening?" Though Benton asked the question, his expression suggested he really didn't want to know. "How is that connected?"

"Ethan has already told you it was working for the soul sucker. And it was a werewolf," Gwen said, meeting Ethan's gaze for a moment. "Not a mutant. Not a freak of nature."

He had a sudden, unsettling feeling the old woman was beginning to figure him out.

The captain scrubbed a hand across his mottled cheeks.

He looked sick, Ethan thought. Heartsick.

"You're seriously expecting me to swallow this," the captain said, voice flat.

"You have the werewolf, and I guarantee his bite will match those on the second kid's remains. You have the residue of the zombie who tried to force Kat and Ethan off the road. You have the charcoaled remnants of humanity from the warehouse." Gwen crossed her arms and studied Benton coldly. "What further evidence do you need that something beyond normal is going on with this case?"

"More than that," he bit back. He glared at Gwen a moment longer, then resumed his pacing. "We know this

… woman… is taking these kids. We don't know the reason." He glared at Gwen again, as if daring her to contradict him. "Why, then, is it killing the men?"

"Like all things, it needs to eat to exist," Gwen said.

Mark swore softly and she gave him an amused look.

"Amen to that, Detective."

"So the question we have to answer is, why the kids?"

Ethan said.

"Maybe it has kids of its own, and needs the terror of human children to feed them," Kat whispered.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "I drugged the werewolf's drink. He said they'd been in the area for ten months. He also said they couldn't leave until the kids were old enough."

"If that's true, why is it taking the children to warehouses to kill them? Why not kill them wherever it's keeping its own kids?"

Kat shrugged. It was Gwen who answered. "Maybe it needs these children for something more than feeding, Maybe it has to do with whatever ritual it's performing."

"If this thing is supposed to be a spirit, how the hell can it have kids?' Mark asked.

"Until we know more about it, we won't know the answer to that." Gwen pushed to her feet. "I feel the need to scry.

Kat?"

Kat rose and followed her grandmother into the other cabin. Benton and Mark looked at Ethan.

"She can sometimes see future events," he explained.

"Through a crystal ball."

Benton snorted. "You really believe that rubbish?"

Until he'd met these two, he hadn't really believed in anything supernatural, despite the fact he'd been born and raised in a community of werewolves. But the last couple of days had certainly opened his eyes to just what was out there. "I thought you were willing to use anyone who helps solve this case?"

"Doesn't mean I have to believe it."

"Believe in them. They're the real deal."

Mark's blue eyes glimmered with amusement. "You've changed your tune over the last few days. Wonder what the reason for that is?"

"I've seen things — " "I just bet you have."

Benton's gaze wavered between the both of them. "Am I missing something here?"

"Nothing important," Ethan muttered, shooting an annoyed look his partner's way. "Did you come up with any ID matches for the driver that attacked us?"

Mark shook his head. "Not yet. And it's a long shot, at best."