If it was… alive, I could have problems.
I filed that information away to worry about later. Instead, I scanned every inch of the room, careful not to get too close to the black smudge. I leaned close to the bodies. “Has anyone moved them?”
“No.”
“Can I search under them?”
“Yes.” The demon made no move to help me and I scowled at him. He simply stared back at me.
I threw my shields back up. Knowing the dark smudge was there was bad enough. I didn’t need to see it.
I have my own magic. I can still use it in the black smudge.
I’d never appreciated my magic before— what little of it I had. But the thought of being magically dead— of never being able to drop my shields and feel the gentle breeze of it winding through me… it was terrifying.
One of the bodies had fallen on her friend. I crouched next to her, wondering if she’d attempted to protect her friend from whatever had killed them.
I glanced over my shoulder at Agaliarept. “Were there any signs of forced entry?”
“No. They let their murderers in.”
I sighed and peered beneath the body on top. Better to get it over with. I pushed gently at the husk, attempting to forget that it had once been a person.
“There! Come help me.”
Agaliarept stalked closer, clearly unhappy.
“Hold this,” I ordered, and his growl let me know how displeased he was with my tone. I ignored him since he did what I asked, and I reached for the object.
The dagger let out a low purr in my mind, as if pleased, and I ignored that too.
“It’s a knife.” I pulled it free and Agaliarept gently lowered the body back down. I got to my feet and examined the knife.
“Someone hasn’t been looking after their blade. I don’t know many bounty hunters who use knives with wooden hilts like this because, unless they’re stabilized, they tend to break down over time, especially when exposed to water. You can see it here— see how it’s warped? Sloppy of them to leave it behind.”
“What are those symbols?”
“Some kind of runes. I’ve never seen them before though. I think this knife was used as part of whatever ritual allowed the murderer to drain these women of their magic. Maybe I can find someone who can tell us who it belongs to.”
Agaliarept nodded, then glanced at the bodies. “Demons are vicious when cornered.”
“Yeah. I think they were taken by surprise. Incapacitated by magic. The woman at the bottom of the… pile… she fought back and the others tried to help her but they were too late. The autopsies will tell us more.” I glanced down at the curled black feathers surrounding the bodies, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
I’ll find out who did this to you. And I’ll make them pay.
I hoped wherever these demon women were, all three of them were together.
I turned away. “Show me the apartment downstairs, please.” We filed out, and I didn’t have it in me to be amused by the displeased look on Agaliarept’s face when we squeezed into the elevator again. We probably could have taken the stairs, but I was betting the stairwell was so narrow it would squeeze his wings.
The apartment on the floor below was home to a dark fae woman who introduced herself as Bethaney. She reminded me of Snow White, with her curly black hair, white skin and red lips, and she tilted her head as I explained what had happened above her.
“I wasn’t here last night,” she frowned. “I think I would’ve noticed if the magic was sucked out of my apartment, but you can take a look.”
“Thank you.”
Her entranceway led directly into her living room, and I glanced up.
“Further down,” Agaliarept said his first words and Bethaney waved us on. If the demon wasn’t happy with me behind him, he definitely wouldn’t be pleased as the unseelie fae followed us, but he kept his face carefully neutral as I glanced back at him.
