Page 26 of Of Bone and Ash

Morana flies low overhead, staying nearby like always. The air seems to grow colder, my magic reacting to whatever is in the area. I still don't feel a sense of danger; yet something is lingering in the air that doesn't belong to me. Morana lets out a cry that echoes through the air, making me frown and slow my step. She's hesitant, no longer flying above me. Instead, she’s circling the tree trunk ten feet ahead of me. It's large; the trunk several feet in diameter.

The silvery-brown bark looks dark and weathered. The trunk almost twisted in appearance as I held my hand out, wanting my magic to return to me. It spirals once more around the tree before willingly returning, always more obedient when I’ve freed myself from the constricting binds of control I force upon it. My nostrils flare, and I close my eyes, the slightest scent of sulfur permeating the air, and I hear a low rumble in my chest.

Demons.

An odd light slowly grows in front of me as I open my eyes again, teeth bared, anger pulsing through my veins with each slow thump of my heart. I know from the eerie black light that my eyes have begun to glow, a sign that my Reaper form is well and truly in control. The need for death thickens, yet there is something wrong.

Morana lets out another ear-piercing cry before flying toward me and landing on my shoulder. Walking forward, I reach into the void that grows around me, my hand clapping around the steel hilt of my favorite weapon as I draw the large sword from the ether. Slowly, the sulfur scent twists, and the thick stench of copper slowly takes over. I circle the tree and pause, taking in the scene before me.

Blood puddles at the base of the big silver birch, growing in size due to the small river of blood that flows down the bark. The dark red liquid floods the cracks of the tree, turning the wood red as it washes over its surface. I slowly let go of my sword, letting it fall back into the ether, my eyes locked on the body of a young girl staked to the tree.

She's young, most likely a student from the university since there is no other town within walking distance of here. Her brown eyes are open, and weird markings are carved into the flesh on her forehead—markings I’ve never seen before. Blood bubbles from her mouth, as if oxygen may still be present, yet I already know this girl's soul has been forcibly torn from her body. Nothing is left to save. She’s gone.

I reach out, letting my fingers brush over her still-warm cheeks as I shake my head. Whoever did this had been here recently. Odds are they felt me coming and finished the girl off before I could interrupt. Fury radiates through me as I shove my magic further into the woods, looking for the one who did this.

I find nothing besides forest creatures and insects. Whoever did this must have teleported out of my reach.

“Dammit!” I snarl before slowly closing the girl's eyes, briefly wondering if I should take her off the tree, then decide against it. I haven't been here long enough to know what the killings were like before now. Someone needs to look at this murder scene to see if, in the murderer's haste, they left something new behind.

“I have to go, Morana. I need to get my brother,” I whisper, stepping back from the young girl. “Keep watch over her until she’s in good hands,” I instruct my friend, my magic settling enough to call it back to me. I slowly tug the void from the trees, beckoning it back inside, my chest aching as the power fills my body. Morana flies over to a neighboring tree, her beady eyes watching me as her feathers ruffle, sending small puffs of shadows from them as she stands guard over the girl.

“Come back to me when they find her,” I whisper, my raspy voice softening as I feel my Reaper form lessen. Then I turn and rush back to the school.

TWELVE

Ryland

“What the actual fuck?!” I snarl as I stomp between the twisted trees of the forest, hands alight with blue magic at my sides as I stride toward my team. I had waited as always, circling protectively above my men as they shifted to ensure they were safe, before I found a spot big enough for my Dragon to shift and join them. “Who is it, and how did we not know she was missing?” I growl at Andrei as I step up to his side, my magic the only light in the pitch-black forest.

The wind howls through the trees, making the branches above creak; the ominous sound setting my teeth on edge. The thick scent of copper hits me in the face, making me growl as I look at the girl in front of me. She's still warm, her body limp, as blood drips from her small fingertips into the puddle of blood on the ground.

Demonic symbols are carved into her forehead instead of the tree or ground like the previous victims, and I curse, hating this fucker more and more with each kill. My Dragon rumbles, his anger floating in the air, making the less dominant of my men step back, giving me more space. Andrei mutters something into the phone he had pressed to his ear, probably relaying what we’ve found to Boris, then hangs up and turns to me.

“Joanna Moroz. Nineteen. Second year at Silverwood. She was last seen this morning; there was no missing person report filed, Ry,” Andrei mutters in a monotone voice, his sad hazel eyes studying the dead girl, hands fisted, jaw clenched. I can feel his Dragon shifting under his skin as he stares at her, and I know he’s just as upset at the deaths of these girls as I am. Only… Andrei’s reasons are much more personal. His older sister was the first girl killed four years ago. The first victim that we have linked to this serial killer. Since then, Andrei trained hard, earning top marks in all his classes to become part of the Balaur Patrol.

His need for revenge fuels his hatred, and his Dragon's desire to protect the lives of the innocent girls at this school makes him one of my best soldiers. Stretching my fingers in front of me, I nod at my most trusted friend and let my magic get to work. There are fewer protection spells around the girl than the others. My guys probably would have been able to get her down without injury, but I always like to be safe and check it out myself.

“They were sloppy,” I point out, eyeing the girl's torn-up chest; the stab wounds numerous and sporadic, like they were rushed.

“Apparently, it was a student who found her. I’m guessing she interrupted the bastard before he could do everything correctly. Look at her neck,” Andrei points out, and I lean closer, sparking a flame at the top of my pointer finger as my magic continues to destroy the demonic symbols. In the yellow glow of my fire, I see hand-shaped marks on the girl's small neck. Not bruises, but they might have been if she lived long enough for her body to try to heal itself. My eyes shift to where several strands of hair are stuck in the collar of her shirt—a collar that is torn.

“She tried to fight back,” I grind out, my teeth clicking together at the sight, scowling when a strong gust of wind whips my long black hair around my face. I ran out of my barracks in a rush when Boris told us about the murder and left without a hair tie. I have the magic to keep a hair tie with me during a shift, but I don't have the ability to produce one out of thin air, so I'm stuck with long, tangled hair that I know will end up being a bitch to comb out later tonight.

“Yeah,” Andrei growls, shaking his head as he steps forward. He watches my magic circle the girl once more before it rushes back into my hands. The smallest snap of a twig makes my Dragon snarl, and the hair on the back of my neck rises as I let the blue glow of my magic fade while keeping the small flame in hand.

We are being watched.

Andrei is only seconds behind me, his head cocking to the side as his eyes flash gold and claws lengthen at his fingertips. A growl erupts in my throat as I propel my flames toward the ground, making my men stumble back in surprise as my fire ignites, spiraling along the ground to form a perfect circle around our group. Adding my magic to the flames, I watch as the familiar golden glow shifts until the bright flicker of oily blue flames illuminates the dark forest around us.

Striding forward, I nod in approval as my men go on guard, blades in one hand and fire in the other, their keen eyes observing the forest. It's Dimitri, the young Romanian prince, who nods at the tree to my left, his golden eyes flickering with Alpha dominance as I approach him. He may be a prick to work with at times, but his instincts are good. He may one day give me a run for my money as he grows older and stronger.

“It's just a damn bird,” he scoffs, lowering his blade as he shakes his head. “I fucking hate these woods at night.”

My men chorus in agreement as I study the small black crow, my eyes narrowing on its form. It's much too small for an ordinary bird, its feathers soft in appearance, and its eyes too intelligent for a normal animal.

“Dimitri! Lewis! Get the girl down and on horseback. Anton,” I snap, getting the attention of the only blue-eyed Dragon shifter here. “Fly overhead until they are out of the forest, then head to the chapel. Stay clear of all student paths to avoid gossip,” I instruct as I step closer to the blue ring of fire separating me from the crow watching us. I glare at the little creature, my lip pulling back in a snarl as the wind intensifies. A storm is coming, and with the chill in the air, I wouldn't be surprised if we woke to snow cover in the morning.

“Shifter?” Andrei asks, stepping to my side. His eyes are still a bright sheen of gold, and I shake my head.

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