My hands trembled; my heart beat so fast I thought my chest might explode. I had to call the others but my legs wouldn’t budge from the spot. Where was the soul? Had the reaper arrived to get her and I never saw him?
“Is she dead?” Julie’s eyes grew wide.
I nodded slowly.
“But—” Her lips quivered.
My gaze remained glued to the bundle on the ground. For a moment I thought I saw something shimmer beneath the thin material of her white nightgown. With shaking fingers I bared her right shoulder to reveal a raw, red spot, about the size of an almond. My finger moved across it gently, probing the indentation.
“What is that?” Julie asked, inching closer.
“I think someone removed a bit of skin,” I whispered.
“I’m going to be sick.” Julie suppressed a genuine gag.
“Come on.” I tried to grab her arm, for a moment forgetting Julie was just a ghost, then pulled back when I realized my mistake.
“Amber?” Aidan’s deep voice echoed through the night. I started off down the street to meet him halfway and jumped into his arms. A sob escaped my throat. “Are you okay?” he whispered.
I shook my head and let his presence envelop me, only now noticing the few men of the Night Guard standing behind him.
“What happened?” Aidan asked, his hands rubbing my arms gently.
“There’s a body. I saw someone move it.” My voice came low and hoarse. I cleared my throat to get rid of the quiver in it. The magnitude of my words sank onto me. I hadn’t just discovered the body but also saw the murderer. Granted, it was only his cape, but at least I could tell it was someone tall and sturdy.
“Where?” Logan asked.
I pointed around the corner to where I had left the bundle behind. Aidan’s fingers wrapped around my hand and pulled me with him as he followed the Night Guard.
***
Aidan was standing behind me, his fingers caressing my hips as I leaned into him. His muscular body, dressed in loose-fit jeans and a shirt, shielded me from the cold night wind that had started to blow. Kieran stood to my right. His black hair swayed slightly. His blue eyes shimmered like the dark ocean.
“I request a Council meeting, right here, right now,” a man said. Aidan’s heartbeat accelerated against my back but he remained quiet.
“Agreed,” Logan said, then silence ensued as several guards disappeared to get whoever was supposed to be the Council. At least ten to fifteen minutes passed before more people arrived, among them a woman. I craned my neck to get a look at her face. Elyssa—for a moment I was fooled to believe it was her, until I noticed that her hair was shorter and her face slightly haggard, as though she didn’t eat enough. She seemed older than Elyssa, too. Maybe it was her mother or an elder sister.
“Who’s that?” I whispered to Aidan.
“That’s Corinna. She’s a member of the Council.” His voice trailed off. I didn’t need him to elaborate to know she wasn’t on our side. Her furious expression said more than a thousand words.
One of the men spoke to her. She nodded, her gaze still focused on me. Was she blaming me for the girl’s death? It sure looked like it. The guards began to chatter animatedly, then made room for the Council to gather: Iain, Logan, Corinna, Riley, an older guy called Morres and what looked like a younger version of him, Rowan.
Somewhere at the periphery of my mind, I knew what they were saying was of great importance, and yet all I could think of was the witch at our feet: so small, so frail, so…dead. It was a bit like, wherever I went, death followed. I couldn’t help the sudden dread and suspicion washing over me. And who could blame me? Hadn’t Aidan claimed Morganefaire was the safest place on earth? And what about all my new friends, who seemed to encounter this or that tiny inconvenience, like my brother dying and his soul having to be reunited with his body? Or voodoo priestess, Sofia, a close friend of mine, almost being sacrificed at the hands of a demi-god Seth slash her ex-boyfriend Gael. The coincidences were slowly beginning to pile up that I sort of stopped believing in accidents. I might not be a connoisseur of the paranormal world, and certainly not of Morganefaire, but my gut feeling told me this was no coincidence. And when my gut feeling jumped in, it had a better success rate than Google Maps.
“When was the last time you had a series of murders in Morganefaire?” I croaked, my hand pressed against my racing heart. The guards fell instantly silent. Countless heads snapped in my direction, curiosity and mistrust mirrored in their eyes. I almost took a step back to hide behind the next night torch, even though that wasn’t my style. For one second, I wished I could take my question back, but then I remembered I was innocent. I had nothing to hide. So I took a deep breath and met one furious face after another.
“We’re not supposed to address the Council until they address us first,” Aidan whispered in my ear.
I turned to regard him and caught a glimpse of his gloomy expression before he decided to hide it from me. “Huh? I’m not allowed to ask a question? Ever heard of democracy and freedom of speech?”
The corners of his lips twitched and a glint appeared in his eyes.
“Someone’s just asked a question, and a fairly good one at that,” Kieran called out.
“The last time a vampire visited,” Corinna said to me. “As I’m sure you’re well aware of.”
“This is a Council matter. Amber’s our guest and not aware of Flavius’s doings,” Logan said. The woman’s voice pressed into a tight line. Surrounded by the men of the Night Guard, whose gaze never left me, Logan kneeled down to inspect the body as we watched in silence. My gaze remained glued to the girl’s shoulder, expecting to see the mark the moment he pulled her nightgown down to reveal her neck. But it was gone. Eventually Logan got up and declared, “She’s been dead for a while.”
I shook my head. “That’s not possible. I just saw her with the murderer.”
“You probably saw him transporting her back to her sleeping quarters,” Iain said.
The idea never even crossed my mind, but it certainly made sense. Or why else wouldn’t the girl’s ghost be around, waiting for the reaper to transport her to the Otherworld? She must have died elsewhere.
“What exactly did you see?” Iain asked. Aidan squeezed my hand, signaling I had to tread carefully. As things stood, we still had no idea who was involved in this mess. Moistening my lips, I carefully considered my words.
“I saw a figure carrying a bundle and hurried over because I sensed something was terribly wrong. The man noticed me and dropped the body before taking off. I only caught a glimpse of his cape.” I decided to leave out the part about the skin. Even though the rest of my explanation was the truth, it didn’t seem to please Iain, as though he knew I kept something to myself.
“No one wears a cape in Morganefaire,” he said. “So, the killer dropped the body when they saw you?” I nodded, noticing he refrained from giving the murderer a gender. “Where’s Blake? He’s a member of the Council as well, or is he not?” Iain continued. The men began to murmur. Aidan’s stance stiffened. He signaled Kieran over and whispered something in his ear.
“I’m taking Amber home,” Kieran proclaimed, his tone leaving no room for discussion. Iain nodded.
“Get some rest.” Logan patted my back and smiled sympathetically, like I was one of them now. I smiled back, thankful for his compassion.
Kieran grabbed my hand and shot me an imploring look. I had no intention to argue, so I followed him in silence until we turned a corner when he could no longer keep his mouth shut, “Did you see the guards’ faces?” I nodded, knowing where this was leading. “Half of them wanted to chop off your head right there and then,” Kieran whispered. “If it weren’t for Logan being in charge and one of Aidan’s friends, they might’ve tried just that.”
“They think I’m responsible.” My heart sank in my chest.
Kieran shook his head. “No, they think Blake’s responsible and that you could be involved. After all, Blake wanted you here
. With no blood and no clue as to what could’ve happened, a stranger will always be the first suspect. After spending a long time among us, Blake has become a stranger but their blood still flows through his veins. Unfortunately, it doesn’t flow through yours.”
I took a sharp breath as I let his words sink in. Kieran was right. The guards would soon start spreading rumors. My life was on the line. I had to be quick and solve the mystery before the residents of Morganefaire turned against me and Aidan lost their support.
“There’s something I didn’t tell the Council,” I began slowly. Kieran’s brows furrowed interested. “When I found the witch, I saw something on her shoulder: a tiny wound or mark, as though the skin was removed with a knife or a razorblade. It was beyond macabre.”
“I’ll tell Aidan about it,” Kieran whispered.
“There’s something else,” I continued as I tried to keep up with his hurried pace. “Someone was supposed to guard the north side of the wall. According to Julie, the guard’s been missing since yesterday.”
“Why?”
I shook my head, signaling I had no idea. “He might’ve decided to run away like a scaredy cat. Or he was killed. Or sucked up by that wind entity.”
Kieran shot me an intrigued look. “If he’s alive, then maybe he saw something. Something that made him leave his post and not want to come back and tell us about it.”
“You’re probably right. Since we found her body in the north district and she’s been dead for a while, maybe he witnessed her murder?” My mind was jumping to conclusions, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Let’s find out his name,” Kieran said. “Who knows, we might be one step closer to discovering the murderer’s identity.”
His words mirrored my thoughts. “Aidan will have lots of questions once he gets home.”
Chapter 19
It was past midnight when Kieran accompanied me to the door, instructed me to lock up, and then disappeared again, claiming he had some other business to attend to. In the dead silence of the house I noticed Julie was gone. Last time I saw her she was leaning over the dead witch, Samantha, inspecting the fading mark on her skin. Maybe she was too upset to talk and needed some solitude. As much as I respected her privacy, we had no time to waste.
“Julie,” I called out upon entering the guest quarters. She didn’t answer. I hurried from room to room, even though I knew all too well this wasn’t her hiding spot. In the end, I gave up and slumped on the sofa in the living room, wondering whether to wait until she’d be back or visit the places she liked to frequent.
Waiting patiently had never been my thing. The house was so quiet and empty I refused to stay in and risk being bored to death. I shrugged into my red coat when a soft click echoed from the living room. For some inexplicable reason, I didn’t think it was Julie. Beside Kieran and Aidan, there was only one more person who lived here: Maya.
The eye color change thing still haunted me. Making sure I wouldn’t trip over my own two feet, I tiptoed down the hall. The curtain to the staff quarters was drawn aside. I followed the soft thud of footsteps to the back entrance and found the door unlocked. The superstitious inhabitants of Morganefaire didn’t leave anything unlocked, so maybe someone forgot to lock up, or Maya ventured out into the night. But why was she still up after midnight and why would she leave the safety of her home? Unless she had something to hide. Maybe a secret lover, I mused. Or maybe she had a much darker secret.
My mistrust instantly piqued, I opened the door and stepped into the backyard in time to catch the reflection of a black shadow disappearing around the rosebushes. My mother said curiosity always got me in trouble. Maybe it did, but in this instance I felt I had no choice than to follow, so I raced after the shadow, not knowing my decision would have a disastrous outcome that would change our lives forever.
Chapter 20
A furious autumn wind began to hurl itself against Morganefaire, howling and whistling, causing the shutters of the houses to slam against the clapboards with a vigor I had rarely seen. My hair whipped against my skin as I moved through the black night at a fast speed, my mind racing ahead of me as I tried to connect the last days’ events.
I thought back to Samantha and the way her body had been dragged through the darkness, swaying in the strong breeze like a dying leaf or a bed sheet on a clothing line. That was one of the more important mysteries I needed to solve. Less crucial was the question why the shadow I was following, presumably Maya, a superstitious witch who barricaded the house at night, now hurried through the empty streets at the speed of someone who had something to hide. My immortal body had no problems keeping up, but I still followed at a fifty feet distance, just to make sure she wouldn’t spy me.
Was there a connection? There didn’t seem to be one, and yet…I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was missing something. Of course, I could just stop Maya and ask her where she was heading. I was strong enough to force her to tell me the truth, if need be, but I held back. I wanted to see what was going on without raising anyone’s suspicion.
This part of town seemed somehow familiar, so I wasn’t surprised when Maya crossed the street and disappeared into one of the houses. I stopped in front of the building. My white reflection stared back from the window. The sign ‘Bells, Books & Candles’ wasn’t readable in the darkness, but I didn’t need to see it to know I was standing in front of Elyssa’s dime store.
What was Maya doing at Elyssa’s in the middle of the night? I was about to find out.
Chapter 21
The light of the street lamp cast a soft glow on the lower façade of the shop. I pushed the door hard but it didn’t budge under my touch. Maya must’ve locked it behind her. Smart girl, but it was nothing a little teleporting couldn’t fix. Closing my eyes, I imagined myself standing inside the shop, near Julie’s reading spot, because I figured it was the best hiding place allowing me to supervise the entire floor. The air shifted around me, making my stomach turn. Something hard hit me and I stumbled back. Fighting the onset of nausea, I pried my eyes open only to realize I was still standing in front of Elyssa’s shop. Teleporting hadn’t worked. Some kind of spell must’ve kept me from going in, probably the same kind of magic that held me back the first time I tried to enter Bells, Books & Candles.
I needed an invitation, and quick, before someone spied me out here and called the police or medieval guards or whatever made sure the city remained orderly.
“What’s up?” Julie said, startling me. She was floating in mid-air to my right, dressed in a stunning taupe dress with a sweetheart neckline. The form-fitting, satin bodice was adorned with iridescent beads and sparkling sequins; the ball gown style skirt was made of chiffon and stopped right below her knees, leaving her delicate calves exposed. Black, sequined ankle boots and what looked like a floral headdress completed the outfit. My jaw dropped. I swear I had seen the same outfit at a spring fashion show on television. How could a ghost possibly get her hands on a designer gown?
“Mouthwateringly gorgeous, isn’t it?” she asked, spinning in a circle.
Mouthwateringly? Seriously, was that even a word? “Please don’t tell me you went back to raid the theater,” I muttered. She liked to do that a lot: sneak into the building, pick the clothes of her choice and then do that ghost thing of imagining herself in them and they’d just magically appear on her. It creeped me out big time.
“Like you’d find high fashion in the middle of nowhere.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I had to go to Paris. Did you know a ghost can travel anywhere? Yeah, me neither.”
I shook my head, not because I didn’t know that tiny fact, but because I didn’t understand her. “You just watched a girl die and retail therapy’s your answer?”
“Don’t you get all high and mighty on me,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I had to get the hell out of here, and you know why? Because I knew that girl.” Her words surprised me. How could I have been so stupid and not see it? Julie knew everyone. I opened my mouth
to speak when she cut me off. “I’m not sure how this ghost stuff works. Racing through the clouds, I realized I had to stop somewhere before I ended up in Antarctica. And that’s how I stumbled to Paris. I was mad, flipping upset. Forgetting about my problems with a little distraction is my way of dealing with the pain.” She raised her chin defiantly, the glint in her eyes reflecting the agony inside her. “Not only the pain of seeing a girl I knew dead, but also the pain of being trapped in limbo between life and death.”
“I’m so sorry, Julie,” I whispered, meaning every word. “I understand that you needed to blow off a little steam.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged, as though it wasn’t a big deal. But it was, whether she wanted to acknowledge it, or not. “Why are you here?”
“How did you find me?” I asked, ignoring her question.
“It was pretty easy,” she said, grinning. “I only had to imagine you, and there you where. I think it’s similar to the disappearing thing you keep doing.”
“You can teleport. Great,” I muttered. So, no chance of ever hiding from her. I pointed at the shop. “You have to get me inside.”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“Don’t know,” I said, honestly. “But Maya just went in and I need to find out what she’s doing.”
“Okay.” Julie shot me a self-assured smile and glided through the closed door. A moment later, she called in a clear and melodious voice, “I, Juliette Baron, invite you to enter this place of wisdom and mysteries. As you make your way inside, may your path be lined with wonder...” I groaned, tuning out. Gosh, she loved melodrama and attention, and would’ve been a Broadway star in no time.