Dane's a Decrypter down on his luck -- after accidentally dispatching the wrong creature, he's sent to a small town where the cryptids he hunts are sparse. Crypt Coffee becomes his business front, but instead of a thrilling new mission on the side, he's stuck sending ghosts back to where they came from. Dane can annoy customers, at least, and tries to scare off Professor Sean Sanderson when he starts poking around too much.<br><br>But Sean isn’t about to stay away. Not when he hears about the murder of a former student, and definitely not if young, exciting Dane has information about it. But the more he allows himself to get dragged into this supernatural world of monsters and ghosts, the more the danger escalates. And if Sean and Dane aren’t careful, tracking down a murderer who can use magic might just get them killed.

Bad Seed

Dane openly sneered at him when he reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the coffee shop. He seemed surprised to see Sean. Good. When he went up to the counter to order, Dane moved over to assist the barista and locked eyes with him. Dark, calculating eyes. Sean remained calm.


“Back for more, professor?” he asked, words loaded. Sean swallowed.


“Just, ah, a Dhai Latte, please.” Sean pronounced it to rhyme with chai, which was all it was.


“Please,” said Dane, almost mocking him. “I like the way you order.”


“To go,” said Sean, firmly, and Dane smirked.


“Not going to stick around for another kiss?”


“People can hear you,” hissed Sean, but that only seemed to improve Dane’s mood.


“I figure if you’re back here you must’ve liked it.”


“Yes, well, I didn’t, as it happens.”


Chapter 6