Andrea straightened her uniform jacket and squared her shoulders. She took a deep breath, then stepped inside.
The police station was located inside a former industrial building, with brick walls, cast-iron pillars, and large windows that let in the pale winter sunlight.
She was about to address the officer at the entrance when a voice called her name, making her turn around: Detective Li was coming down the stairs toward her, a smile on his face.
"Welcome," he greeted her. "Come with me."
She followed him up the stairs into a large room filled with several desks. The people working there were both human and non-human.
The detective stopped in front of a door. "This is Sally."
The human woman greeted her with a wide smile. "Welcome."
She thanked her, then Li knocked.
When they entered, Andrea recognized a werewolf—an alpha—from his compact and powerful energy.
"He's our chief: Antonio Lombardi," Zeyang introduced him formally, although they had already met when he had freed her from the bond.
"Officer Valenti reporting for duty, Captain."
The man stood. "Welcome, Officer."
"Thank you, sir."
Once outside, Zeyang led her into a smaller room with three desks and a large table in the center. He introduced her to Liam, a human, and Matt, a shapeshifter with a vibrant feline energy. "This is your desk," he said, pointing it out, "and that's my office. Now go with Matt."
In the car, her colleague explained where they were headed. "We've been called about a dispute between neighbors. One man claims that the person living next door is stealing his rabbits."
"Rabbits?"
"Yes. The guy who called us breeds them."
"Does he have any proof of the thefts?"
"No. He set up a camera, but no one has ever entered his yard."
"So?"
"Now we're going to take a look. Your task is to see if there's anything unusual."
"Okay." Andrea watched as apartment buildings gave way to small houses with gardens—some well kept, others less so—as they drove farther into the outskirts.
Matt parked and rang the doorbell. A man came out and led them to the back, where several wooden hutches stood and the ground was covered with green grass dotted by a few holes.
He showed them the camera aimed at the part of the yard bordering the neighbor's property.
Andrea scanned the ground, then focused on the boundary line. A blurred luminous patch caught her attention. She moved closer and realized it was underground.
She approached Matt and told him. He nodded, pulled a small card—about the size of a business card—from his pocket, and handed it to her. "Place it where you see the magic."
Andrea obeyed. She saw a flash, and then words formed on the surface.
"Trap spell," she read.
Matt took the card back. "Let's go meet the neighbor."
As they walked toward the other house, he explained, "They're spell-revealing talismans. They're used to identify simple magic."
"Wow!"
"But without a Seeker who can see magic, they'd be useless. If you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have known where to use it."
"I didn't think we could be that useful."
"Yes. Your ability really helps investigations sometimes."
They had reached the door, and Matt knocked.
A man opened it, and for a brief moment Andrea glimpsed a snarl on his face that he immediately concealed. He was a shapeshifter too—a feline. But unlike Matt, who was a puma, the man before them was a lynx.
She looked at her colleague and saw him stiffen. She heard him identify himself and ask to come in and inspect the backyard.
The other man didn't answer immediately, as if weighing his options. Finally, he nodded and led them around the house to the back.
Andrea immediately spotted the trap spell and pointed it out to Matt.
"You're under arrest for theft and for the illegal use of a spell."
The man took a step back—then bolted.
Matt ran after him, and Andrea followed, but she quickly fell behind.
After turning a corner, she saw Matt handcuffing the man. Together they returned to the car, taking him with them.
---
"Congratulations!" Detective Li smiled at her, and she lowered her gaze.
"Matt told me everything. You did an excellent job."
"Thank you. Matt guided me—it's thanks to him."
"To both of you. You each did your part. Have confidence in your abilities, Andrea—and in us. We're a team. No one works alone."
The young woman nodded. "I'll do my best to improve."
"Good. Write up the report with Matt, then go home. See you tomorrow."
"Yes, sir." She followed her colleague to the desk.
When they finished, Andrea grabbed her jacket and backpack and headed out.
In the cold late-afternoon air, she felt better than she had in a long time. She was proud of what she had done; she felt that her life belonged to her again and that the future lay open before her.
With a smile, she headed toward the tram stop.