Themsunhadjustpeekedoverthehorizonwheirredawake.Risingearlywasahabitingrainedinhersincechildhood.Oneshecouldn''''''''tshake,evenafterfourteenyearslivingamonghumans.
AsMoxihadooldher,somethichedintoherverygenes.Ungeable.
Whatwasthatwain?
Ah,right.Instinct.
Reya''''''''searliestmemaditch.
Backthen,shedidn''''''''tevenhaveaname.ReyawaswhatLutergaveher.
Whenhereyesfirstopeheworldwasablur.Herfrailbodywascoatedinawarm,stickyfluidthatgunfortablytoherskin.Thesurroundingswerequiet,serehswayingshadowsoftrees.Notfaraale,human-shapedsilhouetteymotionlessinthegrass.
Astrangebird''''''''scrysuddenlypiercedtheair,andherfragilelittlebodytrembled.Drivenbyinstinct,shecrawledtowardthatsilhouette.
Thefewstepstookay.Twigsandgravelscrapedherdelicateskin,leavingtrailsofclearfluidbehind.
Atst,shecurledupbesidethefemalecorpseahenightthere.
Thatwomanhadbeenher"mother".OrsoReyahadalwaysbelieved.Likeeverynewborureinthisworld,thefirstimageimprinteduponherbecameindelible.
ItwasthesamewithLu.Hehadbeeher"father".
Herslenderlegsslippedfrombehesheets,barefeetsinkingintotheplushrug.Shecastagncebackatthepristiebedding,asifstnight''''''''sstrugglehadneverhappened.
Afteraquickshower,shewipedthesteamfromthemirrorandstudiedthereflestaringbackather:alithefigurewithskinpaleandsmoothaspor,curvesdelicateyetirresistiblysensual.
Reyahadneverbeeoexpihingsthathappeoher.Inallheryears,shehaderedanotherbeinglikeherself.Eveerm—demon,demoness—wassomethingshehadpickedupfrombooksandmovies.
Sheknewshewasn''''''''tlikeirls.
Shemustbealittlemonster.
Thatwastheonlyexpnation.
Shedriedherhair,slippedintoarobe,andsteppedontothebalytogreettherisingsun.Aftersuexhaustingnight,shecravedthewarmth,odrinkineve
Stretgherarmsbehindher,shetiltedherfacetothesky,eyesclosed,surrenderingtothegentlekissofsunlightandmbreeze.
Sof.
Theoldapartmentstoodonastreethecityter,hemmedinbyotherbuildingsjustaswearyandwaitingfordemolition.Theirjagged,soot-stainedrooftopsofthesecrumblingstructureshuogetherinthecrampedskyline,dwarfedbythesapphire-blueskyscrapersglitteringiaheirgssmonolithsglitteringlikegemstones.
TheapartmentitselfwaslikearottingbamboosliptossedamongapileofDVDs.Outofpce,fragile,quietlywhisperingitsownhistory.
Andreally,whocaredabouthistoryanymore?
Thosewhocouldaffordabetterlifehadlongsincemovedawaywiththeirfamilies.Mostunitsinthisbuildingwerehollowshellsnow,inhabitedonlybystraycats,dogs,ortheoccasionalchildbraveenoughtosneakin.Homelessdrifterssometimessquattedfhtortwo,buthemstayed.
OnlyLu,thehomicidecaptain,remained.
Hehadnomoney,nofamily.Sowhatdiditmatterwherehelived?Thisoldapartmeohimbyhisparents,wasstillstanding.Aslongasthepowerstayedon,theroofdidn''''''''tleak,andnoonecametoevicthim,hewouldstayhere.Maybeuntilthedayhedied.
Itwasn''''''''tthatLuhadhoughtaboutsettlingdown.Itwasthatnowomaninherrightmindwouldwanthim.
Moxioftenteasedhim:"Ifyou''''''''dbeensmart,youshould''''''''vegorafficorpatrol.Anythingbuthomicide."
Sure,younggirlswouldgushoverhim,callinghim"BrotherLu"withthatmixofaweandgirlishfantasy.Butthatwasallitwas—fantasy.Noonewasfoolishenoughtothemselvestoamanlikehim.Womeoosmartforthatnow.
Whenhewasyounger,Luhadhalf-heartedlytrieddating.
Weird,hethought.Evensecurityguardsflirtingwithnannieshadbetterluckthanhim.
Hefoughtcrime,upheldjustice,hadadetfadrightastheycame.Sowhycouldn''''''''thendagirlfriend?Atleastifhediedinthelineofduty,theywouldburyhimiyrs''''''
''cemetery.Thegoverwouldcutaheftycheck—forthefamilyhedidn''''''''thave.
Eventually,hegotusedtoit.
Noattatsmeanthewasalwaysfree.Noparents,ives,nopressuretocarryonthefamilyline.hometoworryabout,sohecouldthrowhimselfintoeverycasewithouthesitation.
Luhadclimbedtheranksquicklyinhisearlyyears,butaftermakingcaptain,hiscareerftlined.Everyoneknewwhy:noes,nobag.Thiswasasfarashewouldevergo.
Beingahomicidedetectivewasdangerous,exhaustingwork.Butsomeoodoit.Hisoldcolleagueshadwives,kids,reasonstostayalive.Luonlyhadthecase.
Heoftengrumbledthathewasborntosuffer.Yetnomatterhowmuchhepined,hewasalwaysthefirsttein.
Apartfromtheendlesssuspedcorpses,theonlythingtyinghimdownwasthestralegirthome.
Reya—hisoruesurprise.
***
FourteenYearsAgo
LufirstmetReyawhileiigatingaserialmurdercaseoskirtsofthecity.
Backthen,hewasjustarookiecop,freshoutoftheacademy,burstingwithnaiveidealism,er,alwaysthefirsttovolunteerfrisliesttasks.
Thevictimale,nakedwomanwithaslender,elegantfigure.Heralmond-shapedeyeswerewideopen,staringbnklyatthesky.
Notornclothing.Nosighiswasn''''''''ttheprimarycrimese.
Lu''''''''sfirstthoughtuponseeingher?
Ifshewerealive,I''''''''daskherout.
Fivearookie''''''''sinappropriatethought,butshehadbeeiful.
Sunlightstreamedthroughthedenseopy,dapplingherskinwithshiftingpatternsoflight.Thestillnessofthecorpse,thevitalityofthesurroundingforest,theterrorfrozenonherface,thewarmthofthebreeze—itwasatradi.
Yethauntinglypoetic.
Theairsmelledfaintlyoflustah.
Shewastheforty-ninthvictim.
Overtenyears,forty-ninewomenhadbeendumpedinthisravine.Allraped.Allkilled.Allfoundaftersexuactivity,somemultipletimes.Yetnosemen,nobodilyfluids,racesoflubrit.
Theer''''''''s
verdict?
Deathbyextremesexualeuphoriatriggeringfatalventricurarrhythmia.
Insimplerterms,theyhaddiedatthepeakasm.
Normally,onlythosewithweakstitutions,likeheartdisease,genitalvascurdefects,oraneurysmswoulddiethisway.Butthesewomenhadbeehy.Nohistoryofexcess.Noalcohsintheirsystems.Nosignsofrestraint.Nosuffocation.
Whatkindofkillercoulddriveawomansofariasythatshecrossedthethresholdofdeathitself?
Thethoughtleftashadowintheheartsofeverymaleiigatoronthecase.
Thevictimsspannedage,background,evendifferentcities.Theirdeathsspannedadecade.Buttheysharedorait:
Theywereallstunninglybeautiful,withfwlesspaleskin,foundnaked,withoutasinglevisiblewound.
Themediadubbedthekiller:
TheBeautySyer.