Free Dark Wings Descending by Lesley Davis Page B

under her breath at having to accept the arm under her elbow to keep her upright, Rafe grumbled, “Lights out, Sparky,” and Ashley dropped the glamour. Rafe directed her attention to the man in the room. “So, Eli? What did you do to me?”
    Eli began reeling off a complicated description that defied understanding. Ashley cut into his long-winded recitation.
    “Without getting too technical, Eli. Not all of us share your far superior intellect.”
    Eli pondered for a moment. “I rerouted your brain synapses, effectively rewiring your brain with a dimmer switch. You can see the lights emitted, but now they are muted and are not going to cause your pain receptors to react.”
    Rafe stared at him. “Thank you. But if you can do all that, why not just stop me from seeing them altogether?”
    “It’s part of your physiology now. I can’t tamper with that, which is meant to be, but I can help with the alleviation of the pain.”
    Rafe rubbed at her forehead, trying to get a grasp on all that was happening to her. “When the guy in the alley marked me, did I somehow slip through to an alternative reality? Because this sure isn’t the Kansas I remember anymore.”
    “We’re in Chicago, Detective.” Eli tossed a look toward Ashley. “Just how badly was she brain-damaged in the demon fight?”
    Ashley shook her head at him. “There’s no such thing as alternative realities, Detective,” she said to Rafe.
    “And until you, there was no such thing as demons in my reality either, and look where that’s leading me.” She stepped into Ashley’s personal space. “Right back to your door.”
    “I’m curious, how did you manage to find me? I don’t usually leave a paper trail that can be found so fast.”
    “You gave me your cell phone number.”
    Ashley looked resigned. “So I did. I gave it to you so you could call me and we could set up a meeting. Guess you skipped that part.”
    “Who are you exactly? Because no PI I know would be camped out in a place like this unless they were undercover or out of luck. I’ve got enough fashion sense to know that your jacket probably cost more than the rent does on this place. So what gives?”
    “We’re here for the same reason you are, to find the killer of these women.”
    “Because you think it’s a demon?”
    “Because whoever or whatever he is, he’s not entirely human.”
    “And you’re here to do what exactly? Help me solve the killings in your own special way?” Rafe flicked a look up and down Ashley’s body. “Forgive me, but I fail to see how much assistance you can be by supposedly changing your appearance.”
    “Supposedly?” Eli asked, watching their verbal sparring with great interest.
    “She doesn’t see who I become. Rafe has only ever seen me,” Ashley said.
    “Unfortunate.”
    “And the very reason why we’re here like this now,” Ashley told him.
    Frustrated at how they were talking over her head when she was standing right there with them, Rafe butted in. “Actually, I’m here because last night you mentioned something about visiting the crime scenes. I have to ascertain just how much you may have contaminated both the scene and the evidence with your unauthorized presence.” She brushed back her jacket and tapped the handcuffs attached to her belt. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t haul you in right now for disturbing a crime scene.”
    “Because the person you’d be seen dragging into the station wouldn’t be me but possibly Detective Powell. I can glamour her exceptionally accurately. How long do you think you’d still be at your shiny new desk at the DDU after that stunt?”
    “How can you do what you do?” she bit out, furious at what Ashley proposed and powerless to counter her threat.
    “The same way you can see the glamour when I wear it. Because I’m different. Just like you are now.”
    “But I didn’t see any fancy lights before I got taken down by Armitage. My life was fucking normal up until