Once Bitten (Shadow Guild: The Rebel #1)(40)

I did the same, buttoning it so that it covered my jacket and hoodie. It was a lumpy combo, but it worked. I put the badge over my head next, and then Mac and I strode toward the morgue with confident strides that suggested we knew what we were doing.

We really didn’t.

At least, I didn’t.

I could wing it, though.

As we got close enough to see the guards’ faces well, I gave a friendly nod. They did a double take at me and my new supermodel face, then frowned at Mac, who was slightly greener under the bright lights. Both men were of average height and build, with nondescript faces.

“Haven’t seen you around,” said the one on the left.

“New.” I smiled, striding past him toward the door. “Have a good night.”

“Good night.” He nodded at me, smiling.

Victory!

“Hold on a moment,” the one on the right said, his voice ringing with authority.

I nearly groaned. This was not what I needed right now. One out of two wasn’t bad, except when it was two suspicious policemen. But it wasn’t unexpected.

I gave a smile and turned to find him right behind me. The smiling guard had approached as well, and he stood in front of Mac, frowning at her.

Crap.

I eyed the alcove to my left. There were about two meters of space hidden behind a wall that faced the street. A bench sat there, out of the frequent rain and infrequent sun. There was an identical alcove on Mac’s side of the entryway.

They were our best bets for doing this quietly.

I moved toward my alcove, and the policeman frowned at me. I hoped he’d follow so that I could try to knock him out with my limited self-defense skills, but he reached for his radio instead.

Damn it.

I lunged for him, grabbing his arm and yanking him toward me.

“What are you—”

I cut off his words with a quick, hard punch to the face. He stumbled backward, then surged toward me, shaking his head like a bull.

Crap. I so wasn't prepared for this.

I kicked out, nailing him in the stomach. He huffed out a breath and doubled over, then lunged upward and swung a punch for my head. I dodged, taking a glancing blow to the cheek that made my head ring.

To my left, Mac was landing a series of successful punches to her policeman. She either had a natural skill or spent Friday nights in a fight ring. Either way, I was impressed.

My skills, however, were sadly lacking. The guard lunged for me again, grabbing my arm in a tight grip. I kicked, my foot colliding with his thigh. He grunted but didn’t let go.

Panic fluttered as I struck out, nailing him in the cheek again. He still didn't release me, and I began to feel like prey.

A flash of gray appeared from the corner of my eye, and a blur shot for the policeman’s head. It collided with him, and a tiny blast of percussive magic slammed into him and echoed through the air, making my head pound.

The blur had been a raccoon—Cordelia?—and it dropped to the ground and ran away as the policeman began to fall.

Holy crap.

I grabbed the policeman at the last minute, stopping his unconscious body from slamming to the ground in a way that could give him a head injury. I wanted to get into the morgue, not kill the poor guy.

Assuming he was alive.

Oh please, be alive.

I leaned over him, feeling for his pulse.

There! Faint and reedy, but there.

My hand touched him, and a vision flashed in my mind. The policeman, driving his car later today. He crashed into another car.

Oh, crap.

I dug into his pocket, finding his keys and tossing them into the bushes where he’d never look. There. Problem solved. He couldn’t drive his car, so he couldn’t crash. I’d consider it a job well done.

I turned to see Mac leaning over her unconscious policeman, removing his handcuffs from his belt.

She looked up at me. “Cuff him. Tie his shoelaces together.”

I did as she said, occasionally shooting worried glances at the policeman. “Will he be okay?”

“What happened to him? You knock him out?”

“No, that raccoon from Guild City showed up and bowled him over.”

Mac looked up, her eyes wide. “A what from Guild City?”

“That raccoon I pointed out before. I swear it was Cordelia.”

She pursed her lips. “Cordelia.”

“Yeah. That was what I called her when I’d see her in the alley behind my old flat.”

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?” I groaned, tilting my head back. “That means you think I’m crazy, doesn’t it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. More likely, you’re getting a familiar.”

“Like, a witch’s familiar?”

“Yeah, but you’re not a witch. Not from your description of your powers.” She looked around at the empty street, as if she’d just remembered where we were. “Actually, we should discuss this later.”

“No kidding.” I stood and dragged the policeman behind the bench. If someone looked closely, they’d find him, but it would have to do for now.

Mac did the same with her guy, and we met at the front door. I raised my badge and gave her a look. “We’ve got this.”

“Totally.”

“And thanks for your help.”

She grinned. “I’m always up for an adventure.”