Page 20 of An Ancient Power's Revenge

Karla met my gaze, her eyes holding a determined glint. "Because, Alexei, you were not making progress in your investigation. I am not doubting Evelyn’s skills as sheriff, but we all know it’s beyond that. The death, the altered footage—it's beyond our usual challenges. There's dark magic at play here and if we don’t come together to find a solution as soon as possible, we will be vulnerable to attack."

"The air has been thicker with bad energy; a lot is hanging in the balance," she added, and I had to agree with her. I could feel it, too.

The Fae elder, his expression unyielding, continued. "The Council should have been informed of this immediately. This doesn't look good for us."

I felt a mixture of frustration and understanding. Karla's decision, though unorthodox, stemmed from a concern for the well-being of Harmony Grove. The Council's reprimand, however, served as a stark reminder that our actions held consequences that reverberated beyond our town.

"I apologize to the council for not following the proper channels. I would have informed you had I been given time" I admitted, my gaze towards Karla.

The Fae elder's stern countenance softened, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. "This is a delicate situation, Mayor Alexei. We must navigate it with caution. We have a killer among us, and we need to find them. something tells me they won't be that easy to find."

The Council deliberated, exchanging murmurs among themselves. The weight of their decisions, the ancient knowledge they possessed, pressed upon me.

Finally, the Fae elder spoke, his words echoing with urgency. "Alexei, we expect you to collaborate with the Luminara leader and any other supernatural entities willing to assist. We need to get rid of whatever dark energy is swirling around before it gets rid of us. We have been around for so long that we know the doom dark energy can bring."

I nodded, acknowledging the Council's directive. As the assembly dispersed, I exchanged a glance with Karla. The challenges ahead were formidable, and our shared responsibility to Harmony Grove weighed heavily upon us.

As I left the assembly hall, the Council's words lingered in my mind. The killer’s actions, if left unchecked, could spiral into a catastrophe threatening Harmony Grove and the balance of the entire supernatural world. The urgency of our investigation had reached a critical point, and the unity of the supernatural community became paramount in facing a threat that transcended the ordinary challenges we had encountered before.

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out to see Evelyn's name on the screen. I sighed as I swiped my hand over the accept button. She probably wanted an update.

"We just saw each other an hour ago. Tell me you missed me and there is no emergency,” I said, only half-joking, as I picked up, and I waited for her response as I made my way to my car.

Chapter 12 - The Missing Alpha

Evelyn

Ineeded answers, and I needed them fast. After some thinking, I decided it was time to dig deeper. At Karla's place, I got a hunch that something was missing, but hidden in plain sight.

I had this hunch that we needed a closer look at Alpha Mark's body, so I called Alexei. It was too risky to do it with other people, and I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to the murder again; I didn't want to plant ideas, especially now that I knew we were being watched closely by someone or something.

I called Alexei again, but it went to voicemail, so I decided to leave him one. Maybe he was busy and would get back to me, but I would keep looking for their similarities for now.

"Hey, Alexei, it's me. I've got an idea. Let's dig up Alpha Mark's body and run another autopsy. The first exam was too rushedsince we were trying not to let the news leak. We might find something else."

I was still working when the loud shrill of my phone interrupted my thoughts. It was Alexei, and I picked it up before walking into my office for a secure conversation.

"Sorry, I was busy with the Council of Elders. I listened to your voicemail as soon as I finished. Are you sure?" he said lowly as soon I picked up, and I sighed. This investigation was taking its toll on all of us.

"Yes, I am. It wouldn’t hurt to take another look would it. It's been just a few days, and we can still find something useful," I replied, hoping he would see my point of view.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Alexei's voice came through, determined. "You think it'll give us more clues?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah, I do. Meet me later, and we’ll drive there together.”

"Sure thing, Evelyn. I'll be there."

***

The sun set as we reached the burial site. We exchanged a glance, and without a word, we began digging.

As the dirt piled up beside us, Alexei finally broke the silence. "You really think this will help, Evelyn?"

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, pushing the shovel into the ground. "I don't know, but it's worth a shot. The first analysis was rushed, and we might have missed something."

We worked in silence for a while, the only sound was the rhythmic thud of shovels hitting the ground. As we reached the coffin, a sense of unease settled over me. The lid was open, revealing an empty coffin.

We both stood in shock as we stared at the coffin. Few people knew that Alpha Mark was buried here. This could mean many things. Most notably, things just got a lot scarier.

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