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

“Can I help you?” she asked. She tilted her head up as they climbed the steps to the porch, unafraid. Her eyes took in Sean first and apparently thought him not much of a threat, but when she glanced at Daneher eyes narrowed. He grinned.


“I’m the local Decrypter. Just moved in, thought I’d introduce myself. Dane Sanders.”


He held out his hand, but predictably she didn’t take it.


“We’re legal. In a Guild, and we don’t need an inspection,” she said.


“We know,” said Sean. “We’re not here for that. You’re a Cauldwell, right?”


“Hazel,” she said, then eyed Dane again before pulling the door open. “Come in, sit down. Mother will expect you to be quick.”


She led them into the first room, cluttered with old chairs and an assortment of nature in various stages of live-to-dead. There were plants over everything, feathers, rocks, bones, crystals…Dane watched Sean’s expression as he took in the room.


“What did I tell you? Witches keep shit around.”


Chapter 28