Succubus Lost (Files from the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, #2) by Tiffany Allee Read Free Book Online Page A

cradle as I swung the door open. The receptionist warning the Covenant witch of my impending arrival, no doubt.
    The reception area was empty, but the door to the single office in the suite was half-ajar. I walked to it and knocked lightly. The hinges creaked slightly as I pushed it open.
    A dark-haired young woman—younger than I would have guessed a fully certified Covenant witch could be—
    stood behind the desk. She was short, probably just above five feet tall, which made her slightly taller than Astrid.
    She was pretty in the same way Astrid was—a cute pixie face with a short cut that only looked really good on very pretty women—but she possessed an air of sophistication that Astrid lacked. Where Astrid was down to earth, girl next door, Natalie was the understated movie star or politician’s daughter. Her height made her more than half a foot shorter than me, but thanks to the man sitting across from her desk, I wasn’t the giant in the room.
    “Detective,” Natalie said, voice smooth despite the palpable tension in the room. “I understand it was important for you to speak with me immediately, but I’m afraid I’m in the middle of something—”
    “Nonsense,” the thin man said. “Please see to the detective, Natalie. I can entertain myself for a few minutes.” He was a slight man, but well dressed and manicured.
    Over six feet tall, he was thin as a rail, something his height only accentuated. Balding, he had smoothed his dark brown hair back from his face and held it with gel.
    The lights glinted off his cold blue eyes.
    “I’m Detective Marisol Whitman,” I said, and I reached out to shake the witch’s hand. The man’s spine stiffened, making his posture almost too perfect. Great.
    He’d probably just picked up on the fact that I was a succubus. Men tended to have one of two reactions to my nature. They were either very interested—like the big guy in the lobby—or very irritated. Control freaks especially didn’t appreciate my innate ability to distract them. No wonder I bothered Costa.
    Natalie nodded to me. “This is Councilor Koslov.”
    “Nice to meet you,” I said smoothly. Wonderful. A Covenant Councilor. Just what I needed to complete my day. I reached out to shake the Councilor’s hand. “I’m so sorry to interrupt your meeting.”
    “Nice to make your acquaintance, Detective,” Koslov said, his voice the perfect professional pitch. He took my hand in his, shaking it, and I found myself studying him. For such an unremarkable-looking man, he had a bit of an aura about him. He was attractive in the way powerful men were, and he commanded attention. To my chagrin, I realized I was staring, and I glanced away. Damn politician. No wonder he was on the council. He had that bit of charisma that all the best statesmen possessed.
    “We can speak in my reception area.” Natalie gestured to the room I’d walked through to get to her office. “I’ll be right back, Viktor.”
    The man nodded, a solemn expression on his face. I wondered if he practiced it.
    Just as Magisters oversaw their pockets of the world and ruled the vampires, the Covenant was run by Councilors. Unlike the Magisters who were appointed, Councilors were elected and ruled all witches in their area of the world. Six councils in all ruled them.
    I might as well have interrupted her meeting with the secretary of state or the vice president.
    Natalie cleared her throat and I jumped. Heat flushed my cheeks when I realized that I’d been staring at the Magister. I turned quickly and followed Natalie into her small waiting room.
    “Okay, what is this about?” Natalie asked, shutting her office door behind her.
    “We have some remains,” I replied. “A body was burned beyond all identification. We’ve determined no accelerant was used. We need to find out what else could have burned a body so badly, and whether or not you can get anything off the body to help us identify the victim.”
    “How badly was the body