Page 18 of An Ancient Power's Revenge

I met their gaze, unwavering. "We take every claim seriously. However, our investigation has revealed no evidence of a murder. We are actively looking into the source of these false allegations, and rest assured, the truth will prevail."

The barrage of questions continued, but I addressed each with poise and confidence. "Harmony Grove is a town that thrives on harmony and unity. We will not let baseless rumors tear us apart. I ask the community to trust in our law enforcement and remain calm during this time. The intention of these blogs is to create fear amongst us and we will not let them succeed."

As the press conference neared its end, I concluded with a final statement. "In times like these, it's crucial for us to stand together. We will not let fear and misinformation divide us. Harmony Grove will remain a haven safe for all its residents. Thank you."

With that, I left the podium, the reporters still buzzing with questions. The room slowly emptied, and as I walked out, I knew the battle had just begun. Whoever had that blog up knew what they were doing and calling them a dirty liar meant we just invited war. I have no idea if we will be able to weather their storm when they come for us.

***

I walked down the stairs that led to Karla's house slowly. We had our weekly training today, but my head was everywhere. I excused myself from the work to be here, but I just needed tospeak to someone who understood me. All of this was driving me crazy, and I just wanted to get a grip on it.

Whoever killed Alpha Mark was brilliant, but I am wiser; I wasn't the best student out of Quantico for nothing. I am a trained investigator, and in this deadly race against time, I will win.

Karla was seated in her usual position and some markings were already in place. I guessed they weren't for me because she would have waited otherwise. She continued playing with the crystal while I removed my shoes and placed my bag on the chair.

I slumped down on the floor, too exhausted to even concentrate on learning new things. I just wanted to clear my head, and my office wasn't doing that for me. If anything, it was doing a great job of choking me and reminding me that I wasn't doing my best.

Karla's eyes narrowed as she observed my worn-out state. "Evelyn, what's your plan? We need to find the killer and that missing talisman. This banshee doesn't mean well and we are all sitting on a time bomb."

I let out a deep sigh, my mind swirling with exhaustion. "I don't know yet, Karla. I'll come up with something, I promise. I have been up and running all day trying to find something that links the alpha and the new person that was killed but it feels like I’m running in an unending circle."

She sat down beside me, her expression showing concern. "I know you can do this love you are one of the smartest people I know. You just need to open your mind, let your spirit guide you."

I closed my eyes, trying to summon some energy from the depths of my weary body. "I know, Karla. But it feels like my spirit isn’t even listening to me anymore."

But as I sat there, my mind buzzing with fatigue, an idea struck me like lightning. My eyes snapped open, and I shot up from the floor. "I've got it!" I exclaimed.

Karla looked at me, her eyebrows raised in anticipation. "Well, spit it out, Evelyn. What's your plan?"

I wasted no time. "I need to go back to my office. There might be something there that can lead us to the killer and the talisman. There’s something we must have missed and now I’m going to find it."

Without waiting for Karla's response, I rushed out of the coven and went to my office. The night air was crisp, and my senses were on high alert. I couldn't afford any mistakes.

All the feelings of despair that filled me earlier were gone, and all that was left now was sheer determination to find the killer.

Chapter 11 - The Council Meeting

Alexei

Iwas drowning in the sea of paperwork when my sister Ana barged into my office with her usual no-nonsense attitude.

"Alexei, you look like you've been hit by a truck. How are you holding up?" Ana's concern was evident in her voice as she crossed her arms, surveying the chaos that was my desk.

I let out a tired chuckle. "You know how it is, Ana. Being the Mayor comes with its own set of storms. And right now, we're in the middle of a hurricane."

Ana raised an eyebrow. "Talking about the murders and the missing talisman?"

I nodded, leaning back in my chair. "Yeah, Evelyn is doing her best to handle it. She held a press conference today. Smart move, I'd say."

Ana smirked. "Evelyn always knows how to handle the crowd. It's one of her talents. The press can be a bunch of vultures, but she's got them on a leash."

I couldn't help but smile at Ana's candidness. "You've got a point there. She's got the town's trust, and we need that right now."

Ana took a seat across from me, her eyes fixed on mine. "How are you holding up with the treaty falling apart? And the talisman situation isn't helping either."

I sighed, my gaze drifting towards the window. "It's a mess, Ana. The treaty was our chance at peace, and now it's unraveling. We need that talisman back to salvage whatever we can. We need the werewolves to trust us and we can’t do it without the talisman."

She leaned forward, her expression serious. "We're racing against time, Alexei. The town is on edge, and if we don't find that talisman soon, things could get ugly."

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