Page 32 of An Ancient Power's Revenge

A comfortable silence settled between us as he climbed behind the wheel of his car. As we drove back to the Sheriff’sDepartment, I knew this wouldn't be easy. An undercover investigation with limited time.

***

Frustration gnawed at me as I stared at the mess of photos scattered across my desk. Each image from the high school crime scene was a grim reminder of the baffling mystery we were facing. Just then, my phone rang, the sound shattering the tense silence.

"Sheriff Evelyn," I answered, forcing a semblance of cheer into my voice.

"Sheriff," the familiar voice of Dr. Ramirez, the medical examiner, crackled through the receiver. "I think you might want to come down here. We have something you need to see."

My stomach clenched. "Another development?"

"You could say that," he replied cryptically. "It's… different."

The word hung heavy in the air, and I knew it wasn't good. "On my way," I said, hanging up and grabbing my jacket.

Alexei, who had been pacing restlessly around the office, stopped short at the sound of my phone call. "Anything?"

"The medical examiner wants me to take a look at something," I said, my voice tight.

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of concern in his eyes. "Something new?"

"He wouldn't say," I admitted. "But he said it's different."

That wasn't reassuring. We hurried out of the building, the weight of the unknown pressing down on us. The drive to the morgue was filled with an uncomfortable silence.

The sterile white room of the morgue felt colder than usual as Dr. Ramirez pulled back the sheet. The lifeless face staring back at me was unnerving. But it wasn't the sight of death that sent a jolt through me. It was something else.

"These weren't the same kind of wounds we saw on the other victims," Dr. Ramirez said, pointing to the women’s arm. Two small, almost pinprick-sized punctures marred her pale skin. "These are… different."

I leaned closer, my heart hammering in my chest. The wounds weren't gaping, bloodless holes like the previous victims. These were smaller, more precise. But there was an undeniable similarity – the drained blood.

"And there's one more thing," Dr. Ramirez continued, his voice grave. He gestured towards a silver pendant nestled against the woman’s chest. It was a crescent moon, intricately carved and glowing with a faint inner light.

Besides the pendant, a small crescent moon tattoo on her arm. It clicked. This wasn't just any victim. This was a Luminara witch. She was one of my people.Karla will hate this so much.This is one of her worst fears.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Do you think it's connected?" Alexei asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I don't know, an Alpha wolf, a human and now a witch..." I admitted, the pieces of the puzzle refusing to fit. But a gut feeling, a cold certainty, told me this was more than just a random coincidence. We were dealing with something bigger, something far more sinister.

"We need to talk to Karla," I said, pulling out my phone and scrolling through my contacts.

Alexei's eyes widened in surprise. "Karla? Are you sure?"

"We need all the information we can get," I countered. "And the Luminara might hold the key to what's going on."

Karla answered on the first ring, her voice laced with suspicion. "Hey, Evelyn? Is something wrong?"

"Karla," I began, choosing my words carefully. "We have a situation. It involves…" I hesitated, unsure if revealing the girl's identity was the right move.

"Involves what?" Karla pressed, her voice sharp.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged ahead. "It involves one of your coven members. A young woman named…"

"Sarah Moore," Karla finished, a tremor of fear creeping into her voice. "What about her?"

"I'm afraid she's… deceased," I said gently.

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