Page 18

Dani

Heading to the Keepers of the Mist neighborhood, I can’t stop thinking about the guys.

My men. My demons.

I’m feeling slightly disappointed that I won’t see them tonight, but I’m not sure if that is because of our bond or just me…

Mate. I am their mate and they are mine. I had no clue that’s what I was getting myself into when I did that spell. However, a small part of me wanted something like this to come out of that spell. I didn’t think it would actually work, but I was praying that it would to any god that would hear me.

I’m still not sure what being their mate entails, but so far, I fucking love it. My feelings are developing rapidly, and it’s overwhelming me. I’ve never told a man ‘I love you’ before, but I can see myself saying those words to all three of them.

Pulling into the compound, where every house looks identical with weathered brick walls, Jules and Destiny gather their equipment from the van.

As I park, Jules’ eyes light up, and she runs over to me. Her long hair flowing behind her like a wild banner.

She swings open my car door before I can even step out and hugs me.

“Sheesh, it’s only been a few days, girl!” I laugh as she squeezes me tightly.

“Yeah, I know, but we’ve barely texted! I have news to share with you!” she exclaims, finally letting me go as I climb out of my car.

I look at her with raised eyebrows, waiting for her to speak. “Destiny gave me Spencer’s position! I’m Crime Scene Cleanup Supervisor now!” Jules is practically jumping up and down with the news.

I squeal and hug her again, “That’s awesome, Jules! I’m super proud of you! Does this mean my bestie is now my boss?!”

“Sure fucking does, girl. Now, get suited up! The lower half of the body was just taken away. Someone was mauled out back in the woods. The other half of her body was dragged into her house. Sick bastard.”

“Wicked,” I say while nodding my head up and down.

My smile fades as my mind wanders to the shadowmire.

“God… can this cult get any creepier?” Jules nods towards the house across the street to a woman standing in the window staring at us. She quickly closes her blinds once we make eye contact with her.

“Well, that’s creepy. Hey, after work, are we still going out with Carter? We can celebrate your promotion!”

Jules smiles at me as she hands me my bag of equipment and a hazmat suit, “Hell yeah! Let’s go to the club tonight; I feel like dancing!”

There was only one “club” in town… though calling it that is a stretch. It was just a hole-in-the-wall bar basically hidden in the woods that had dim lighting, expensive drinks, shitty food, and a dance floor with strobe lights.

“Sounds perfect!”

I follow Jules towards the back, behind the house.

“Such creepy vibes here. I hate this place,” Jules whispers to me.

“Well, here we are. The body was found half inside and half outside. Brutal murder. They did a total hack job too. Almost like an animal did it. Sheriff Rhoton wants extensive paperwork done on our findings when we are done, so I’ll have to spend the next few days doing that paperwork with Destiny.

The killer is still on the loose, but Sheriff Rhoton wants to keep this hushed for now.

Whoever did it is a sick son of a bitch. ”

Blood stains the cement slab outside the house.

I cautiously trace the trail of blood as it snakes its way to the sliding glass door, which has a few bloodied handprints on it.

Smudges of dark rust-red smear across the frame and stain the old carpet.

Blood is splattered on the side of the house, making it look like someone axed a body in half and dragged half of it inside and the other half… into the woods.

“Alright, Dani, I’ll need you to work outside. Homicide is still examining the upper half of the body that is inside, so we can’t go in yet. Clean up all the blood here and collect anything you can. Make sure to call me if you find anything.”

“Yes, boss!” I wink at Jules and then get to work.

I glance over my shoulder at the half-body that is being photographed inside.

Dark hair lays like a halo around her head.

The photographer moves, and I can now see her face.

Her mouth is open like she is still screaming, pleading for help.

I have a gut feeling that whatever killed this woman and tore her apart was not human.

As the hours slip by, I find myself wrapping up my work in the quiet solitude of the woods. The smell of the damp earth from the light drizzle and the soft rustle of leaves fill the silence around me.

Just as I gather my belongings, a flicker of movement catches my eye—a shadow darting behind a tree just a few paces into the underbrush.

I scan the area, my heart quickening; it’s just me out here. The distant chirping of crickets seems to hush as if holding their breath in anticipation.

“Hello?” I call out, my voice breaking the stillness. “You can’t be here right now. This is a crime scene.” I take a few cautious steps forward, the crunch of twigs beneath my feet punctuates the growing tension in the air.

A woman emerges from the shadows, startling me to the core. I barely suppress a scream as my heart races and instinctively leap back. “Jesus Christ, you scared me! You need to—”

“It’s not safe for you here. You must leave,” the old woman warns, her voice firm and unyielding, cutting through the crisp air.

“Do you know who did this?” I ask.

“These are answers I cannot give, ” she breathes, drawing closer, her eyes locked onto mine with an intensity.

Ummm, okay…

“Who are you?” I’ve never seen his woman before and I know practically everyone in this town.

“I’m Suzanna. You must leave. She wants your soul... everyone’s soul… Don’t give it to her.” I swear I saw a flash of light in her grey eyes.

“Who wants my soul? What are you talking about?” This old bat is clearly not taking her pills.

As she extends her hand, aiming to touch my chest with a gentle touch, I instinctively step back so she can’t touch me.

Sheesh… weirdo.

“Can you feel it? It speaks.”

“What speaks?” My brows furrow.

She takes a step closer and holds a finger up to her mouth for silence. She whispers, “It says, ‘though still I hang, my rhythm’s apart, for within my shine, I beat like a heart.’” Her voice trembles with an urgency that leaves me unsettled.

“I have no clue what you are talking about. Listen, this is a crime scene. You have to leave.”

“You can free them. You can free all of them. I can help you,” she implores, her eyes wide and glimmering with a fervor that borders madness.

I take another cautious step back from the unsettling old woman, shaking my head, my heart racing. “Leave. Now.” My voice is now more stern .

I try to turn away, to escape the unsettling encounter, but her words cling to me like a haunting melody, forcing me to pause.

“Ignite the fire that makes your heart race. The demon of passion is capable, you’ll see.”

“What do you know of him?!” I demand, as I whirl around to confront her again. But she has vanished into thin air.

A soft fog weaves its way through the ancient trees of the forest, swirling in ethereal patterns before fading away like a forgotten memory. It leaves behind only the gentle patter of rain that clings to the foliage, lending an eerie stillness to the woodland.

“Hey girl,” she makes a face, “everything okay?” Jules’ voice startles me and I jump.

“Um, yeah. I just thought I saw… never mind. It was nothing. I collected a few samples for you,” I say as we walk back to the house. I hand Jules the bags that contain fragments of skin and a fingernail.

“Badass! Nice work, Dani! Hopefully there is some DNA that wasn’t the victims. Look at you, making me look good on my first day as supervisor,” she bumps my hip with hers.

“Let’s go back to your place and get ready! Destiny doesn’t need me until tomorrow. Carter is going to pick us up at 8.”

“Sounds good, babe!” I say back as I clean up all my gear.