Free Stone Chameleon (Ironhill Jinn #1) by Jocelyn Adams

of the facility to the warehouse. It got between me and the door when I got the security alert that you’d arrived.”
    I gazed around, but found no obvious cameras. Was someone within monitoring the facility, or did that fall to someone off site? Knowing it was none of my business, I didn’t press the matter. “You’ve seen it, then?”
    He held the door wide as I walked past him into the reception area, then followed me in and flicked the lights on. “It keeps to the shadows. It’s the size of a person, and it can speak English, because it was muttering to itself just now. If it didn’t move so fast, I’d think it was a homeless person looking for a place to squat.” The lines creasing the corners of his eyes suggested I wasn’t the only one who’d had a long day.
    Based on his description, only one creature came to mind. The universe wouldn’t be so cruel today, would it? “Please tell me you haven’t found any black blood.”
    A crease grew deeper across his brow. “How did you know that?”
    Mercy mother of hellfire. Why couldn’t it have been a tiger shifter or a rabid centaur? “You have a vampire,” I said with a sigh. Which meant I had to contact Isaac. “If it’s bleeding black, then it’s starving and dangerous.”
    They often presented with black spots dotting their temples and chests, too. With the bounty of juicy bodies available for the taking, why would it not feed? Starving undead didn’t have the faculties to follow the rules when instinct demanded they drink or shrivel up.
    “Bugger. We have dealings with the hive lord, so your success tonight is even more critical. I’d rather not upset him.”
    “We have that in common.” I considered explaining my delicate situation with Isaac, but thought better of it.
    “Why do you suppose one of the undead would choose here to hang out? It hasn’t bothered any of the workers so far.” Again, that vibe of deception carried through the tiles at my feet. The lines of his mouth remained relaxed, giving no clear signs of his intentions.
    “I can’t think of a reason off the top.” I took in the plain white walls and gray slate tiles on the floor. “What is it you manufacture here?”
    “Computer circuit boards for cars and trucks.”
    “Is that top secret equipment, or are these standard items manufactured by many companies like yours?”
    He scratched calloused fingers through his hair. “Are you saying this is some sort of corporate espionage attempt?”
    “No, just thinking out loud.” Perhaps the hive lord had sent the vampire to spy on the efficiency of his investment. I kept that speculation to myself, lest the creature hear me. If I confirmed the presence of a vampire, Isaac could deal with it on his own. The less I knew about his business dealings, the easier it would be for me to stay out of trouble with him.
    My hand tightened around the cell phone in my pocket. Something about the situation raised my hackles, but I couldn’t pinpoint what. Something more than realizing I’d have to talk to Isaac so soon. Had I smelled something unusual? Heard a sound that hadn’t registered in the forefront? Been pricked by a touch of power that wasn’t my own?
    Maybe it had just been a while since I’d done a job solo. Without Harper to back me up in her guns-a-blazing style, a sense of vulnerability plagued me. No matter. I’d worked for years on my own before joining Blake’s team of exterminators, and I never left a job undone.
    “Can you show me where you last saw it?” I met Connor’s questioning gaze with what I hoped to be a confident one of my own.
    He hesitated a moment, but finally nodded toward the hallway to my left. “This way.”
    I waited for him to lead, and then followed him, passing several closed doors with silver name plates stuck to their centers.
    His shoulders slumped, and he turned before a large metal door at the end with a round push-bar across it. “Are you sure you don’t want to call in the rest of