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Massacre of 1970 and the Supe-Human Wars.”
    “Thank you.” I rolled my eyes and glanced at my watch. “My next class is in two hours. I want you to wait outside. Following me into class is just going to piss off my professors, and it’s embarrassing and awkward.”
    “Not in the contract.” Ray shrugged his shoulders. “Contract says, ‘stay with you, keep you safe, and guard.’”
    “I know.” I shook my head and took out the cell phone Zulu had given me earlier to use for emergencies. I’d left three messages with him this morning about changing the contract’s terms.
    “So you’ll be the first Mixie to graduate, huh?” Ray asked, checking out a board tacked to the wall with flyers that advertised book sales and homecoming parties. “I’m impressed. No wonder Zulu likes you.”
    “It’s not like that between Zulu and me.” I waved my hand from side to side as a dial tone hummed in my ear.
    “Well you’d be a perfect match.” Ray strolled over to another board with flyers offering tutoring. “You both have Fairy in you. The offspring would probably survive and be strong.”
    I spun in his direction. “How do you know I’m half Fairy?”
    “I can smell it.” Ray gave me a wide smile, exposing silver teeth. Four of the bottom teeth each had a diamond in the center. “Zulu and you reek of royalty. You both had a Fairy parent in the High Court. A princess or prince.”
    He leaned his head to the side, his eyes examining my face as if he could figure out my parents’ identity. I stayed silent, taking a few minutes to process the information.
    Mom was a royal Fairy? Zulu is half?
    I shook my head in amazement, wondering what other species Zulu was mixed with. The phone beeped.
    “Hello,” a female computerized voice announced. “You have two messages. Would you like to hear them?”
    “Yes,” I said.
    “Wednesday, September 7 th , 10:00 a.m.,” the voice declared.
    The message started with coughing, and then a man with a scratchy voice said, “This is Detective Rivera. I have the info on the murders.”
    I tapped my fingers on my thigh in anticipation of any information the detective could give me. Zulu must have given the habbie my cell number to reach me. I made a mental note to thank Zulu as the detective began to talk.
    “Understand that the identities won’t be announced until Friday. If this information gets out before then, I’ll be looking for you and Zulu,” the detective said.
    Looking for me? I snorted. He could get in line right behind the killer.
    At least the habbie was dirty enough to offer up valuable evidence for money. I hoped Zulu didn’t have to pay too much.
    “We scanned the victim’s brand,” Rivera said. “Her name was Carmen Sanchez, a Were-dog and dancer at Goldie’s strip club. Her stage name was Iron Dove. Seems she had an S&M specialty. The file said she has a kid, but doesn’t give any other info, just her last address, apartment 7G at Dominion Housing Projects. That guy cut her up pretty good. Her body was all over the alley.”
    He coughed some more.
    Her body was all over the alley? I closed my eyes and put my hand to my stomach, hoping I wouldn’t get sick.
    “He painted her green and black and then stuffed her with high-priced Cuban cigars. Must have been fifty of them,” Rivera said in a casual tone as if he was talking about the weather.
    I put my free hand to my mouth. What the hell had I stumbled upon last night? I dug in my satchel and searched for a paper and pen as the detective continued.
    “There was a message in green paint on the alley wall.” He cleared his throat. “It said, ‘The Hammer forges our blood through iron. We overcome the darkness. He takes away our fear in the hunt.’”
    “What the fuck?” I said as a beep sounded in my head, announcing the end of the message.
    Ray rushed over to me. “Everything okay, princess?”
    I waved him away.
    “Wednesday, September 7 th , 10:07 a.m.”
    “My message ended too