Cursed Moon (Prospero's War) by Jaye Wells Read Free Book Online

arms. “I already filed a report with the officers who responded to the call last night.”
    “Yes, we have that.” I held the report file up for her to see. “But they were working it as a regular robbery. We’re MEA, so our concern is making sure the potions that were stolen don’t end up on the streets.”
    She frowned. “What can I tell you to help?”
    “First, we’ll need a list of all the potions that were taken,” Morales said. “Including their formulae, if possible.”
    She laughed. “I can give you the list, but I’m not about to reveal the recipes for my formulae.”
    “Without the recipe we won’t be able to know if any potions we find are the same as the ones taken.”
    She pursed her lips. “Just read the energy signature.”
    “Not possible,” Morales said. “We don’t have an Adept who can do that on the team.”
    Aphrodite’s eyes snapped toward me. “Why not have Kate do it?” My stomach dropped. “Back in the day she was famous for being able to read the signature off any potion.”
    Morales’s gaze snapped toward me, but he covered his reaction to this news smoothly. “Detective Prospero’s talents not withstanding, the testimony of an Adept gathered through Arcane means won’t hold up in court. We’ll need the ingredients for our forensics wizard to be able to prove the potions are yours.”
    She sighed. “Fine. All of my potions contain fiery cinnamon and virgin copulins. Surely your agents are capable of doing simple chemical tests to detect those ingredients.”
    Morales glanced at me for confirmation. “I’m pretty sure our team wiz can identify cinnamon and copulins, but there’s no test to confirm they were extracted from a virgin.”
    “If your wizard is any sort of professional, he’ll know how,” she said.
    Morales raised a hand. “Dare I ask what a copulin is?”
    Aphrodite raised a brow in challenge, but I nodded to her to go ahead. “Copulins are pheromones.” She looked at Morales with a black widow smile. “Did you know a woman’s pussy contains magical properties, Special Agent?”
    I squirmed on the inside. I don’t care if you’re a seasoned cop or a rode-hard-and-put-up-wet prostitute, there’s something electrifying about hearing
that
word spoken aloud. Sheknew it, too, which was why the Hierophant’s gaze stayed on Morales’s face when she enunciated it.
    But Morales, God love him, did not even blink. “I’m well acquainted with the magical powers of pussy, ma’am.”
    I bit my lip to cover my amusement. Aphrodite laid her hands on the armrests and leaned back, eyeing my partner like a Serengeti lioness watches a juicy gazelle.
    “Have you had any personnel problems lately?” I asked. “We’ll need to see those files, too.”
    Aphrodite looked up sharply at me. I simply raised my brows.
    Something in her face changed. As if the power center of her being shifted from left to right. Her shoulders squared and her jaw muscles engaged, as if the body instinctively felt the need to take up as much space as possible to command more authority. That sly smile dissolved into a neutral expression that gave nothing away. And when the half-painted mouth opened to speak, the voice that emerged was no longer the seductive purr of a madam, but the baritone of a pimp. “My files are not public record, Detective.”
    This wasn’t the first time I’d seen the Hierophant morph between genders, but I’d never get used to the unsettling shift. “They could be with a simple phone call, Mr. Johnson.”
    When I didn’t back down, that mouth tightened into a thin line, and that’s when I knew I’d made it onto his shit list. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time.
    “Surely you keep some sort of information on your followers,” Morales said, playing the mediator.
    “I’m not the MEA, Agent Morales. I don’t keep dossiers on my congregation. They’re not criminals. I’ve already said all this to officers who responded last night. So if