Read The Light Who Shines for Free Online

Maud pours a beverage out of her curvy glass pitcher, she
informs me, “It has raspberries today with a touch of lemon.”
    “Mmm,” I murmur when I taste it. “It’s delicious.” Maud never
offers much to eat, thank goodness. Cooking is not in her wheelhouse, but she
sure knows her southern beverages.
    Maud sets the table and opens up the bag of Paco’s Loco Tacos.
I could just refer to them as tacos, but the name is too fun, so I always say
the whole thing in my head. Maud finally settles down at the table across from
me and asks, “So, how has your day been?”
    Telling her about the shootout will only scare her. I blow
out a deep sigh. “I got a new case today, and when I entered a bar to question
someone, I was called an Aberrant. Then on my drive back this way, I passed a
crowd of people downtown with signs protesting “Aberrations” and ”bloodsuckers.”
What do they expect us to do? Are they trying to rile the masses to burn us as Witches
like they did before the Red Ages? Have humans always been this prejudiced
against the Gifted?”
    Wow, I had no idea I had all that bottled up in me. Maybe I
need something stronger than tea!
    Maud looks sad. “Maybe you need some liquor in that tea?”
    I burst out laughing while in the middle of a sip of tea,
and it turns into a graceless coughing episode. Maud slaps my back until my
throat clears. “I was just thinking that! But no, I’m fine.” Maybe one day I’ll
tell her that slapping someone’s back while they cough actually makes it worse.
Really, I’ll probably never tell her that.
    Maud looks at me with a face dressed in sadness. “When I was
a young girl, it was pretty much as it is now, only maybe not quite so bad. I
think the Dilectus Deo are stirring the pot for a lot of folks. Some Norms just
have a lot of gall. They use firefly lanterns when they need to see in the dark,
and herbal potions and charms have long proven superior to medication, but they
somehow think they are better than the Gifted. They don’t hesitate to accept a
Vampire into the army, but goodness knows one will never be promoted up the
ranks. It is fear, Blue. Even after the Gifted helped protect us during the
worst of the Red Ages and the Daylight Vampires eventually saved our butts, many
of us Norms are just plain old afraid of any being who is stronger than we are.”
    I take another careful sip of tea and ponder this while watching
the beads of condensation roll down my glass. Maud is a Norm, but William had
been Gifted. They had been a mixed breed couple, so she certainly understands prejudice.
The eternal wave of hate just never stops.
    Finally I say what’s really bothering me, choosing my words
carefully. “Maud, you would not believe this poor boy’s body we found. He was Gifted.
I can’t give you details, but someone did terrible things to him. I’m hoping I
don’t find out this was a hate crime.”
    “Ugh,” Maud grunts, throwing her hands up in the air. “You
are just like William, spending your days mired in the horrors of man.” She
shakes her finger at me. “Just keep in mind that you see only the worst. There
are many good, loving people moving about their lives peacefully that you never
run into.”
    “I know. Those are the people I’m protecting when I find these
murderous idiots. I do it with them in mind.”
    “Yes,” Maud says as she glances at her patio door, “and
speaking of idiots, I need to tell you about my neighbor Harry Pickets.”
    “Harry? Isn’t he the widower who lives right across your
backyard?”
    “He sure is,” Maud confirms as she stands up and glances out
her sliding glass doors again before pacing around her little kitchen. The
color on her cheeks heightens, making it obvious this is the reason for her
healthy glow.
    Maud alternates between opening her mouth to talk and
pinching it closed, all while her eyes shine vibrantly. Finally, the words
start spilling out. “Yesterday, out of nowhere, I hear a knock on the door.