“But what and how?” Eleanor cast her own revelation spell in another patch of mud. She found no boot- or footprints, only reptile and amphibian tracks. “It’s not exactly like you or Mara ignored the issue when it arose the first time. Other than potentially tracking it to external food, you hit a dead end, and it’s been a couple of years now. It’s not like new evidence will spontaneously appear.”
“I can’t believe someone would go through all the trouble to use such a powerful magical poison and then simply give up.” He spun toward a nearby tree, his wand at the ready, only to find a few confused birds who promptly squawked and flew away.
“Far be it for me to suggest this, given everything that’s happened over the last seven or so years,” she said tentatively, “but is it possible that you’re too paranoid? It might have been a crime of opportunity that won’t be repeated.”
“There’s no such thing as too paranoid.” He shook his head. “Believing that is the only reason I’m still alive. It’s not like that poisoning was the first time someone tried to eliminate me. It’s merely the most recent attempt and the closest anyone’s gotten in a while.”
“Understood, but as I see it, you have a limited number of choices.”
“I know. But it’s something I think I’ll need to resolve sooner rather than later.”
Eleanor nodded toward the water. “I understand, but now, we should focus.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Should we examine the cave?”
Xander pointed his wand at his head. “Yes.”
“I overheard them talking,” Raine murmured to the rest of the Trouble Squad. They were clustered around one of the tables near the firepit, waiting for the day’s classic camp meal of baked beans and potatoes.
Adrien slid a furtive glance at Professor Kaylis’ cabin. All four professors were sequestered inside to discuss things. They’d moved indoors when they’d seen Raine lurking around them.
“What did you hear?” Adrien asked. “I mean exactly, not what you think.”
“They definitely found more evidence of someone in that cavern and even went farther than I did before turning back. In fact, they found evidence of multiple people.” She nodded, satisfied with the progress of the case.
Sara frowned. “So there really are poachers here?”
“Probably.” She shrugged.
Philip frowned. “That’s so uncool. Jerks.”
Asher wandered over to their table, a slight smile on his face. “Oh, I know that look, mainly because I have it a lot. You have trouble in mind, don’t you?”
Raine shook her head. “We’re only talking about the poachers.”
His face darkened. “I might not be a Wood Elf on Oriceran, but I’m still a Wood Elf, and it’s hard to be one and not want to bash in a poacher's face.” He dropped onto the bench beside Raine. “They had to screw our trip up, and they’re messing with the animals. There’s nothing worse than a poacher. They’re the definition of takers.”
“Unless they aren’t poachers,” she pointed out. “We haven’t found any dead animals, right? Wouldn’t we have?”
“The point of poaching in this situation is to take the animals with you. You won’t only take a tooth or horn or something from these animals.” He shrugged. “Besides, who else do you think they might be?”
“I don’t know.” Her gaze flicked to Adrien.
“It’s not the Raven Clan.” The Light Elf shook his head. “Not here and not like this. They wouldn’t be this subtle, especially with us isolated on an island in limited numbers.”
“I suppose you’re right. The simplest explanation is usually the best.” Raine blew out a breath. “We’ll probably find out soon enough. Until then, there’s not much we can do.”
Cameron eyed her, his disbelief etched into his face. “And you’re okay with that?”
“Okay with waiting until additional evidence is available for the case?” She smiled. “The evidence drives the case. That’s the FBI way.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Professor Hudson strolled through the forest, her wand held loosely in her hand. Raine, Philip, Sara, and Asher walked behind her. The professor had barely said ten words in as many minutes.
Raine’s gaze darted to every single new shadow or shifting bush as if a gang of thugs might ambush them at any moment. Even though it had been several days since their trip to the pond, she was surprised the professor now took them to survey an area near the center of the island. While they weren’t too close to the pool by her estimation, she’d assumed the professors intended to keep the students well clear of the area.
There was also the issue that they traveled through mirror cat territory, but she assumed the professor was confident in her ability to handle the predator without harming it.
She nodded confidently. The assumption made sense. Technically, they had disabled the cats without hurting them, so there was no reason to expect that the more experienced witch would have any difficulty.
A tense silence clung to the group, which highlighted the whistle of the wind and chirp and rustle of nearby animals. She was possibly the only one more worried about two-legged than four-legged predators.
Asher cleared his throat. “Geeze, I can’t take this anymore. It’s killing me.”
Professor Hudson glanced over her shoulder. “Take what?”
“Everyone is so quiet like we’re ninjas or snipers or something.” He shrugged. “It’s not like we’re trying to sneak around, so why not talk? It makes me tense to walk along and not say anything.
“Feel free to speak on whatever topic you choose. I apologize for my current lack of pedagogical effort.” A faint smile appeared on the woman’s face. “That’s mostly because we’ve already surveyed most of this area. I’ll be more than willing to expand on subjects of interest when we arrive in the new survey area. I’ve tried to focus and pay attention to any species in this area not previously recorded in case, though.”
Sara shrugged. “I was quiet because I was looking for poachers or poacher tracks.”
Raine chuckled nervously. “Me, too.”
“I don’t want to think about them.” Asher sighed. “Maybe they got scared and left. I hope so. I’d be happier if they left before they hurt any of the other rare animals around here.”
The professor turned to stroll between two large tree trunks and over a glowing toadstool. “That’s not an impossibility. If the footprints found at the pond were in fact from poachers, the fact that they tried to conceal them does indicate that they are concerned about being caught, which suggests a certain limitation on their range of ability and even their arrogance. They obviously don’t believe they are free to act with impunity. They also might not be sure about who is present on the island. That would be an optimal scenario, but we also can’t be sure it was poachers. That’s merely Professor Kaylis’ theory. There are other possibilities.”
“Whoever it is, they aren’t supposed to be here,” Raine said. “That means they’re probably a dangerous criminal.”
“While they might not be dangerous criminals, it is true that travel to this island is currently largely prohibited so that does raise concerns about who would ignore such restrictions. Caution remains warranted at the very least.” She stopped and raised her wand and her nostrils flared. “Everyone, be very quiet,” she whispered, “and prepare a shield spell.”
The students cast the spell as she crept forward. After a few steps, Raine noticed the cause of her concern—a large mirror cat sprawled on the ground. There were no shadows or other creatures in sight, but there were more than enough trees and bushes to hide behind.
Professor Hudson’s frown turned into a look of disgust. She lowered her wand and shook her head. “Oh, no.”
Raine frowned and peered at the sleeping cat. She took a few steps closer. The slight change in angle revealed darkened and scorched flesh on the side. The feline wasn’t breathing, and its eyes were open.
Asher jo
gged forward, his face tight and angry. He drew closer to the animal and his expression darkened with each step.
“It’s too late.” Professor Hudson shook her head. “She’s already dead.”
“I’m not an expert on magical forensics, but I’ve read through enough books and files from Agent Connor to recognize a few things.” Raine approached the body and pointed at the burn. “That wound isn’t from a grenade. I guarantee that. It’s certainly not from a gun. It could be from a flare, but there’s an obvious blast pattern.”
The Wood Elf glared at the corpse. “Come on. We’ve seen this kind of thing before even if we’ve not seen it on a wild cat. This is obviously from a fireball.”
The professor nodded grimly. She raised her wand and whispered an incantation. The wound glowed lightly. “Magical residue, and fairly recent. Probably from today judging by the glow.”
“That’s consistent with the state of the victim’s body,” Raine declared and shifted completely into FBI trainee mode. “I’m not one hundred percent sure of non-human decomposition, but this body looks very fresh. Like today fresh, which is in line with what you said, Professor.”
Asher slammed his fist into his palm. “So they’re not even trying to sell them? They’re simply killing them? Is that what this is—some guys sneaking onto this island to kill rare animals? It’s not like them selling them would have made it all better, but this—” He growled and spat in disgust.
“We need to regroup at the camp and figure out how to best handle this.” Professor Hudson frowned and pointed her wand skyward. A bright blue flare rocketed from the tip of her wand.
Raine tore her attention away from the flare to look at the slain creature. They’d tried so hard not to hurt any of the animals only for someone else to come and kill them. As far as she was concerned, the mirror cat was a murder victim, and she wanted to bring her killers to justice.
Professor Tarelli shook her head, a sad look in her eyes. “It’s definitely poachers. Basil was right. I suppose the animals are fortunate in that these criminals chose to come at a time when a reasonable number of people are exploring the island.”
The small group had returned to the camp immediately after their discovery. Now, the students sat spread between the tables while the professors stood near them.
Adrien frowned. “If it’s poachers, why did they kill the animal and leave the body? Where’s the money in that? Isn’t that the point? If they’re hunters, why wouldn’t they take a trophy? It doesn’t make any sense.”
Asher nodded. “They could simply be sick freaks.”
Professor Tarelli sighed. “No. I’m more convinced than ever that this is about breeding. A dead female mirror cat at this time of year is telling evidence. The males are the ones that tend to patrol the territory. The mothers stay near their dens to feed and protect the young.”
Raine frowned. “Wait. So there are kittens out there?”
The professor gestured toward the forest. “There are, but my guess is that the poachers killed the mother to take the kittens. It’s difficult to control fully grown mirror cats, but if you acquire them as kittens, it’s possible. It’s something breeders do, and I’ve heard of this kind of thing before on Oriceran.”
The Wood Elf bolted out of his seat. “So they killed the mom, and they’re running off with the kittens? We have to find them before they get away.”
“What a pointless waste.” Professor Kaylis sighed with heavy regret.
Professor Hudson frowned. “I’ll need to contact Fish and Wildlife. They have primary anti-poaching jurisdiction, even if the animals are unusual.”
Asher shook his head. “But you’ll have to go all the way to the mainland, then contact them, and even if they decide to do something, it’ll take them forever to get here. By then, the poachers could be anywhere.”
“That’s true.” Professor Powell nodded. “What do you suggest, then?”
“It’s simple. We track them and tie them up until we can turn them over to the authorities.” He glared at the woods. “These guys aren’t ghosts or anything. They’re merely other magicals, and I doubt they have as many people as we do. They won’t be able to resist us.”
“And how are we supposed to track them?” Professor Hudson asked. “There’s too much interference for general scrying and tracking spells, and those would require us to at least have some idea where to look.”
Raine gasped and snapped her fingers. “You’re all making the same mistake Asher and I did when we had our little hide and seek contest.”
Everyone turned to look at her, but it was the Wood Elf who asked, “What are you talking about? What mistake?”
She pointed at Cameron’s nose, and the boy raised his eyebrows in question.
“Magical interference doesn’t mess with the shifter sense of smell,” she said. “It’ll be easy to distinguish the poachers’ scent trails from the mirror cat’s. She was killed recently, which means the scent trails will still be strong.” She looked at Cameron in query. “Right?”
He nodded. “Unless they went out of their way to hide their scent, that’s all true.”
Professor Powell gave Raine an approving smile. “That sounds like a good plan. If we rely on Cameron’s experience in wolf form, there won’t be any confusion like there would be if we depended on olfactory-enhancement spells. This could work.”
The shifter nodded. “I’d be happy to help track them.”
Asher gave him an appreciative look.
Professor Hudson headed toward the pier. “Regardless of what you all do, I think it’s imperative that I contact Fish and Wildlife. I’ll go now and try to expedite things, but do whatever you feel is appropriate. You have my support.”
Professor Kaylis and Professor Powell both nodded their agreement.
No one spoke for a few moments as she walked toward the pier and a waiting rowboat.
“It’s times like this,” Professor Kaylis began, “that I can’t but help think of Burke. ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ I don’t think any of you want to sit around and do nothing. We all came to this island to survey the major unusual plants and animals here, not to stand by and let them be destroyed. I think we should follow Raine’s plan. All of us.”
Adrien nodded slowly, an approving look in his eyes.
Professor Powell made deliberate eye contact with each student. “If we go as a group, there will be less risk. None of us professors will tell you that you have to do this or even require you to do it, as there is some danger involved.” He looked at Professor Tarelli. “Can you stay here and make sure this site is secure? It might be that they plan to raid the camp to obtain transportation.”
The Nyran nodded, a weary look on her face.
“Thank you,” he said. “As I was saying, whoever wants to come along with Professor Kaylis and myself is welcome to do so. Those who don’t can stay. This isn’t technically our responsibility, but Asher is right. If Professor Tarelli is correct and the poachers have the kittens or are about to take them, they might soon leave the island. We have a narrow window to stop them if they haven’t already escaped. Anyone who wants to participate, please stand.”
Asher was already standing, so Raine was technically the second to find her feet. Cameron stood next, and the other students joined them not long after.
Professor Tarelli cleared her throat. “Perhaps a handful of students could stay in case the poachers do come here.”
Silas and Milo walked toward her, determined looks on their faces.
“Excellent,” the professor said. She turned to Raine. “Good thinking on the plan, Raine.”
The girl blinked, surprised that the Nyran had finally got her name right. “Thank you, Professor.”
Professor Powell pointed toward the rowboats. Professor Hudson was already at the pier.
“Let’s go find ourselves some poachers,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The combined an
ti-poaching army of the School of Necessary Magic and Orono Academy for Arcane Studies marched through the forest behind Cameron as he sniffed along the trail in wolf form. He had found a strong scent without trouble near the dead mirror cat, but as the group continued through the trees, their eventual destination became increasingly obvious.
“We’re almost at the pond,” Raine said, her stomach tight. As much as she wanted to catch the poachers, she didn’t look forward to a fight with them. She wanted to join the FBI to catch criminals, not engage in magical battles.
Asher scoffed. “They must be using the tunnels Raine saw.”
Professor Powell nodded and gestured for Cameron to stop. “It’s a possibility, but they might have simply walked past the pond, too. Professor Hudson and I didn’t explore the tunnels themselves, only the cave once we verified the existence of the footprints.” He exchanged a glance with Professor Kaylis. “Now that we know where we’re going, I’m worried about the island perimeter. We should have thought of that before, especially if the poachers potentially already have what they came for.”
The other wizard nodded and scratched his cheek. “I should take a group with me. We can use the boats to make sure they’re not already on their way. If anyone spots them, they can release a flare and wait for reinforcements.” He pointed to Kelly, Finn, Heidi, Dnai, and Josephine. “I’d like you to come with me. We’ll split into three teams. Remember, we’re merely looking for them. I don’t want anyone to confront them without my help. It’s one thing when we’re in a group but another when you’re students on your own.”
The Orono students all nodded, determination on their faces.
Raine wasn’t so sure of that. The Orono group might not have fought a chaos witch, but they had experienced their own share of adventures, and Professor Kaylis might have underestimated their ability. Then again, it wasn’t like her instructors underestimated the Trouble Squad when they worried about them getting hurt.
Untouchable Witch: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (School of Necessary Magic Raine Campbell Book 7) Page 14