by Jen Pretty
Kai disappeared with Nick first then sifted back in and
grabbed Peran and me.
In the blink of an eye we were on the city street in front
of a run-down house with its windows smashed. Nick
wasn’t on the street, but voices were yelling inside the
decrepit house.
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“What the hell?” I shouted as I ran through the half-
open door into the house. The door screamed on rusty
hinges as I slammed through it.
The yelling was coming from the second floor, so I
started up the rickety stairs.
One board cracked under my foot, but I leapt up fast
enough I didn't fall through the new opening. As I reached
the top of the stairs, the arguing cut off.
I skidded to a halt and tiptoed towards the door the noise
had been coming from. Wall paper was peeling from the
walls in long thin strips, hanging like branches of a weeping
willow.
A hand fell on my shoulder and I whipped around,
pulling in a quick breath so I could scream, but caught
Kai’s face instead of whatever monster I was expecting. I
let out the ragged breath and moved closer to the door. My
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heart still raced in my chest. Nick had to be in there with
Falcor. I was sure I would find the worst when my hand
moved to push the door open.
I slipped around the corner, but the room was empty.
All the tension left my body for a minute before I realized
what that meant.
“Falcor has Nick,” I swung around to look at Kai. He
had a worried look on his face and pointed to a table where
two cell phones sat. One of which I recognized as Nick’s.
“Shit,” I said.
“I second that,” Peran said.
“How do we find them now?”
Kai shook his head.
“We have to find Nick,” I said. Panic started to pull at
me. My lungs contracted making it hard to breathe. Where
was Crow?
“Crow!” I yelled, and a moment later the bird flew in
through the open window.
“Can you find Nick?” I asked as he landed on the top
of an empty bookcase that lined the wall. He looked down
at me, his beady black eyes unblinking. Then he launched
himself off the bookcase headed straight for me.
I stumbled back, knowing exactly what was coming.
Crow gave one massive flap of his wings and then tucked
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them in tight to his sides, his beak leading the way like an
Olympic diver.
I flung my arms backward trying to catch my fall, but
before I even hit the ground, Crow disappeared into my
stomach. My lungs expelled air with a whoosh as crow
filled me.
Then I was looking at the city from above, soaring
effortlessly through the sky. The sun beat down on my
back warming me as I flew. My eyes scanned the city streets
and tracked cars as they sped past. I saw locations I
recognized: the diner, the graveyard. Then I veered
towards the river.
Other birds called and flew past. This view of the city
was remarkable. I coasted on the air current. The heat from
the sun reflected off the pavement below ruffled my
feathers and lifted me higher. I tucked in my wings and
dropped lower to get a better view as we passed the bridge
that crossed the river.
On the far shore I could see people standing around.
Police lights flashed as someone pulled something from
the water. My heart sank.
I prayed it wasn’t Nick as my wings flapped hard to
fight against the wind and take me to the far shore. As I
approached, it became clear the body wasn’t Nick’s; it was
a woman with long black hair. Her face was familiar, but I
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couldn't place her. Her throat was a slashed mess and her
skin was white as snow. They laid her on a board and
zipped her into a black body bag before the officers carried
her towards a waiting ambulance. I scanned the crowd and
found Nick standing next to Falcor. They both watched as
the men loaded the woman's remains.
I cawed as I flew overhead and Nick looked up. I
swung back around, but there were too many people, I
didn’t want to land.
Nick said something to Falcor, and they walked away
from the scene. I soared back around to follow them, but
they had vanished.
“Selena.” Someone called my name, but the voice
sounded distant. I glanced around, but didn’t see anyone
looking in my direction.
I soared back out across the river. Sparkles of the sun
on the water caught my attention, then they disappeared as
the water waved and rolled in the wind.
“Selena, come back,” someone said.
Weird. There were no boats or anything on the water.
“Come back to me.” That was definitely Nick but I
couldn't remember where I was going. I flapped my wings
until I reached the shore, then I set down on a piece of
driftwood. I inspected the shoreline, waiting for something
to move. Something delicious. There. A crayfish. I hopped
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off the perch and fell upon my prey, cracking his hard shell
and relishing the tender bits of meat inside.
“Selena, come back to your body.”
I looked around, but saw no one. Something niggled at
the back of my mind. I was forgetting something. I jumped
and flapped my wings, rising high in the sky to soar on the
warm air currents. The people below looked like crayfish,
scurrying about. I flew over the city, but something was
pulling at me. When I circled back, I saw a small figure
waving at me. I cawed in the human’s direction, then dove
towards them.
“Selena!” the human said. It made no sense to me, but
humans were strange with their steel machines and
colourful wraps.
As I got closer, something about the human seemed
familiar, like the voice I had heard earlier. Who was this
human?
I lit upon the edge of a balcony. The tall building was
too high for bugs or grubs, but the human was interesting.
I hopped closer, and he held out his hand. I inspected it
for a moment.
No food.
I made a final hop and landed on his palm. He grinned
at me and clamped a hand over my back. I squawked and
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tried to struggle free, but he was already moving back into
the building.
Other humans were inside. One of them laying on the
floor. I knew that one. She was important to me.
I burst free of the human who held me, finally. Then
dove straight at the body lying on the floor.
In a flash I opened my eyes to look up at the ceiling.
Coughing and choking, I rolled onto my side and reached
into my mouth. I pulled the long black feather out. Then
gagged several times and dry heaved, but prevented a full
vomit.
“Are you OK?” Nick asked. I knew them now. Nick,
Peran, Kai and Falcor all hudd
led around me.
“Shit that was weird,” I said, wiping the tears from my
eyes. “I think I was Crow. Not just seeing through his
eyes.”
Crow cawed, and I scowled at the damn bird. “Don’t
you do that ever again!” I said.
He cawed again and bobbed his head. I gave him the
finger and Nick laughed.
I glanced back at Nick and then remembered we didn't
like Falcor. “What is he doing here?” I asked.
Nick glanced back at Falcor who wore a deep frown
on his face.
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“He isn't responsible for these murders. He had an
alibi,” Nick said.
“Who?” I asked.
“He was playing poker with a buddy of mine all night
last night. Someone killed that woman last night. He was
at the school, with witnesses for the previous murder. So,
it must be someone else.”
I wanted to remind him that Colvin had seen Falcor
doing bad things, but I didn’t want to paint a target on the
little boy if Falcor was an evil warlock. I would just have to
keep my guard up.
Damn it.
I pushed off the floor and rose on shaky legs, still
feeling as though I had wings. The muscles of my back
twitched, trying to move the phantom appendages. It was
an uncomfortable feeling. That’s when I remembered the
woman in the body bag. “I know that victim,” I said. “I
saw her in my apartment building. Remember?” I turned
to the guys.
Nick nodded. “I remember seeing her the first day
back in the city.” His frown deepened.
“You can’t still think David is behind this?”
Nick raised a shoulder in a shrug.
“Who’s David?” Falcor asked.
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“Her creepy superintendent. Or ex-superintendent.
Do you even still live there?” Kai asked.
“Yes, I still live there! I just need a few minutes of
peace to clean up the mess.” I sighed. “Do we know
anything else about the victims?”
Falcor cleared his throat. “While you people were busy
suspecting me of murder, I was doing an actual
investigation.”
“In other words, you sifted into the police station and
read their reports,” Nick added.
“I discovered,” Falcor went on, ignoring Nick. “That
all the women had been out before their disappearance.
Every single one. Either at a club or the library and in one
case, a bridal shower and coming home late. Someone
killed the first few in random locations around the city, but
the victims' homes started to narrow down to around your
building starting around the time you came to The
Sanctuary.”
“Since then, someone murdered six women from your
block or building. Your friend lived outside the radius, but
since she was killed in your building she counts.”
Falcor’s casual words about Georgia’s death stung. I
shook my head and pushed the pain away. I needed to
focus.
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“So, it's unlikely a murderer followed that victim home
from a bridal shower, but someone could have followed
the others from any public place.” I thought about the
clubs we frequented. Georgia and I always took an Uber
home. “How did they get home?”
Everyone looked at Falcor who shook his head. “I
didn't get to read them all before the clerk came back.”
“We need to go back,” I said.
“It’s dangerous to sift into a police station,” Peran said.
“We have a better way to see the reports.” The glare he
shot Falcor was obvious. Those two would never be
friends.
Falcor scowled and strode out of the room before
Peran continued.
“Detective Andrews, the lead detective on the case.”
Peran walked through the door and we all followed him
carefully through the old house and down to the street
where we found Falcor leaning against the front of the
building.
“I want to help,” Falcor said, his voice low.
Nick stared at him for a long moment and everyone
else waited like it was Nick's decision.
“Come on, Nick. I am not a freaking teacher. Let me
do this,” Falcor said. It as a plea and the tone was not one
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I would have thought Falcor would use. It was vulnerable
and honest.
Nick looked at me, but I kept my face blank. Falcor
was an asshole, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be helpful
in this. He was a warlock and could move us through the
city, taking pressure off Kai.
“Fine,” Nick said, eventually. “But one more screw up
and you’re done.”
Falcor’s lip ticked up into a grin and he reached out for
Nick and I. The moment his hand landed on my shoulder
the world went sideways.
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CHAPTER NINETEEN
I opened my eyes when the world stopped spinning
and we were in the alley beside the police station.
“It takes a while to get used to his magic,” Nick
frowned at Falcor.
“That’s not my fault,” Falcor replied.
“I’m used to Kai's, how come his is different?” I asked
Nick.
Kai and Peran showed up then. Kai grinned at my
obvious distress.
“Falcor has no finesse,” Kai said.
Falcor huffed and moved out of the alley. The rest of
us followed him up the stairs and into the front entrance
of the police station. It was midday, and the station was
busy. Uniformed officers led civilians to desks or into back
rooms while other people hung around or sat in rows of
chairs along the walls. The receptionist was clicking
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buttons and answering phones with a headset on. Her lips
moved as fast as her fingers as she transferred phone calls
and put people on hold.
Our group was a bit disheveled looking, but she hardly
raised a brow until Crow hopped up on her desk. I had
almost forgotten about the feathered bastard.
The receptionist looked up and screamed almost falling
out of her seat.
Falcor chuckled.
“Sorry,” I said, wishing I could grab up the bird and
tuck him in my pocket or something. I knew that would
just lead to him pecking me again, so I hoped my apology
was enough.
“We need to see Detective Tom Andrews,” Kai said,
ignoring the woman's alarm at my bird.
Slowly she reached out and pushed a button on the
computer and spoke into the headset. “Tom, there are
some people here to see you.”
She was silent for a second and then said: “I think you
should come out here now.” She pushed a button on the
keyboard, then pulled her headset off slowly and laid it on
the counter before pushing her chair away from the desk.
Crow helpfully bobbed his head and cawed loudly at
her, making her get up and run away.
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“Some people are afraid of birds, you jerk,” I muttered
to Crow. He was still in my bad books for the stunt he
pulled making me eat raw crayfish.
He jumped off the table and flapped around the room.
A few people had their cell phones out and were videoing
the bird in the police station. Crow would have his five
minutes of internet fame.
Detective Tom Andrews came hurrying off the
elevator and stopped dead at the spectacle before him. He
watched the bird doing laps around the room with slow
flaps of his wings, carefully avoiding the humans and light
fixtures.
“Shit,” he whispered. His eyes slid down to mine and
he seemed to snap out of the spell my bird had cast. “Come
this way,” he said.
We all moved forward and crammed into the elevator.
I held the door until Crow slid in and plopped onto the
floor at my feet.
Tom pushed the button for the third floor and I was
happy not to be going to the basement coroner's office.
Tom said nothing until we were all inside a tiny office with
the door closed.
“So, what brings you here?” he asked. He didn't sound
mad, it was more ‘business as usual’.
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“We were wondering how the victims got home,” I
said when no one else offered to be the leader of our group.
“We looked into that. Two of the women were
walking, three had taken an uber, and the rest had their
own cars.”
“Crap,” I said.
“Sorry, I wish this case were easier to solve too. But we
must be getting closer,” Tom said.
“Why do you say that?” Nick asked.
Tom scratched his beard and collapsed in his desk
chair. “The murders are accelerating and the location is
definitely getting more specific. It's all around your
building, Selena.”
I already knew that. Then I had an idea. “The murders
that weren’t around my building, how did those people get
home?”
Tom flipped through folders and papers for several
minutes. “The first three were well away from your
apartment building, those three all took an Uber home. We
interviewed the driver, but he didn't remember the women
and had fares all night long. Hardly enough time to kill a
woman and dump her in the river.”
We all thought for a moment. “It might be enough
time to kill her and stuff her in his trunk though?”