Free Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2 by Sharon Kay

neighborhood tonight.
    He sped north to investigate some industrial areas. Chicago had its own island, which for years had been home to factories. It now contained some restaurants, breweries, and new condos, but it still had its share of grit. He kept to the rooftops, where it was easier to maintain his pace.
    Goose Island came into view, a scattering of lights bordered by the dark water of the river. No souls walked the streets at this hour. He dropped down to the concrete of Halsted Street and darted over the iron bridge. The Chicago River smelled particularly pungent tonight.
    He paused when his feet touched the dirt of the island, all of his enhanced senses on alert. The air thickened with foreboding. Kai inhaled deeply and stilled. He shook his head. What the fuck?   He breathed in again, confirming his suspicion. The incongruous mixture of stagnant water and burned chocolate was too distinct to be anything else. Somewhere nearby, a Neshi demon lurked.
    Detecting nothing but rats and other city vermin, he ran to the nearest warehouse and vaulted to the top. The Neshi scent was weaker here, and from this vantage point nothing looked out of place. He returned to the river where the scent was stronger.
    Fucking Neshis. He’d never heard of one on Earth. In addition to their extra limbs and unusual skin color, they had huge gaping mouths with two rows of razor sharp teeth. Between that and their large black eyes and pointed ears, they would strike rabid terror among humans.
    In a methodical pattern, he covered the small island but found no supernatural creatures. Either whoever brought the Neshi here took it back home to Torth, or it had disappeared in the river. Good swimmers, Neshis could hold their breath for up to an hour. Kai swore and pulled out his cell phone to call Rhys. If this thing prowled anywhere in the city, they needed to find it. Now.
    He crossed the bridge to search the other bank, scrutinizing the ground at the water’s edge when he heard Rhys’ Escalade pull up. Jogging back south, he saw Rhys and Brenin step out, pause, and scowl.   He heard their line of foul curses even though he was half a mile up river. Gunnar jogged up behind him, having been on patrol on the north side of the city.
    Rhys’ dark eyes flashed a whiskey glow. “A Neshi?   What the fuck is going on?”
    “We gotta find this thing. Let’s spread out,” Gunnar ordered. “Kai, you search the north branch of the river. Brenin, you take the south branch. I’ll follow the stem that flows east into the Loop, and Rhys, run a patrol out to Austin just in case this thing’s on land. We can regroup later.”
    Night stretched into dawn that broke serenely over Lake Michigan, and they’d found no sign of the Neshi. In the light of day, the chance of seeing it grew slim. Neshis were dumb, but not dumb enough to stroll down State Street with the working-and-shopping crowd. Also complicating matters, daylight restricted the demons’ movements. Conscious of the teeming numbers of humans in the city, they didn’t travel the rooftops or vault to the upper floors of buildings.
    The search continued into the late morning, when they halted the search and headed back to the house in Evanston. The Neshi either traveled a great distance under water and left the city proper, or it had left Earth. The trail was cold.

    When darkness fell, they covered the city again. Kai chose to patrol the north side and made his usual stop at Brooke’s condo. He hadn’t seen her since their awkward parting in the training room. Nicole had only told him that Brooke left early for work.
    Kai crouched on her roof and sniffed the air. Traces of her lilac scent lingered, but not the fragrant burst that indicated her presence. He looked at his phone and scowled at the late hour. Where is she?   Does she have a date?   Any male who touches her is gonna lose his fucking hands.
    He groaned at his thoughts. The Lash demons had a huge problem and he was getting his