“Of course not.” I looked around at the group listening to our conversation. “Sorry, I'm getting sidetracked. We need to call the police. Even if you think Zac’s dead, we should see if our healer can help him. Maybe…”
Henry’s expression fell. “I'm sure he’s gone, but of course it doesn’t hurt to check.”
“I’ve got a detective on the line. He’s connecting with dispatch.” Darcy held his phone to his ear, and we all quieted down as he spoke. “Yes… someone named Zac DeLounge. No idea… in our stables… tomorrow? That bad? Of course, thank you.”
“This is awful. I’m going to go see Zac.” I stood. My blood pressure must’ve dropped, because the room spun around me and I had to sit again.My cat, Marshmallow—we'd taken to naming our pets after foods—sauntered into the room and hopped onto my lap, purring. The little ball of fluff soothed my nerves. "I just need a second."
Darcy hung up. “The police probably won’t get here until tomorrow. Apparently, this is oneof the worst storms they’ve had in years. The whole town is snowed in, and they’re attempting to respond to emergencies when possible. If he’s still alive, they’ll send in a helicopter. Let’s go check the stables.”
“You can't use your fae powers to clear the roads, can you?” Henry asked as he crouched down to scratch Marshmallow's fluffy brown and white head.
It was something wemightbe able to do if we had several powerful fae present. But the consequences could be disastrous.
“We can't. That would bend the laws of nature too far,” Darcy answered. “Are you sure someone shot him?”
“Pretty sure.” Oscar, who hardly ever disagreed with Darcy, nodded. “He had what looked like a gunshot wound and said the word ‘murder’ as he fell.”
"Sorry, sweet girl. I've got to go." I deposited Marshmallow onto the cushion next to me, then I carefully stood again, taking deep slow breaths. “Sylvia. Can you please bring me another coat? I'm afraid my coat is torn up."
Sylvia’s graying bun wobbled as she nodded and looked me over with worried eyes. Sometimes she was more like a loving aunt to me than a housekeeper. She knew morethan I did about where all the spare clothes and things were. “And boots?”
I looked over my riding boots. A deep gash ripped one of them from top to bottom. Just looking at it made my ankle ache. “Oh, my. I’m lucky we have a talented healer here. Yes, boots too, please.”
“We’re just glad you’re all right.” She gave me a gentle smile and scurried out the door.
Darcy, Lizzy, Henry, Annie, and I made our way to the French-paned glass doors closest to the stables. Though a breezeway shielded the path, at least a foot of snow buried the stepping stones. I couldn’t even see the stables, which were only a few yards away.
“It’s worse than it was when we were out here a few minutes ago.” Henry pulled his jacket close to his body. “Annie must’ve done an incredible job. I can’t believe you’re up andwalking about.”
A pinch of guilt for my irresponsible behavior pressed on me. “Yeah, I maybe need to not assume she can always fix everything, though. My ankle still hurts, and I’m a bit dizzy.”
“It never hurts to be cautious. Can I help you?” Henry caught my gaze as I stomped into the snow. Like a gallant knight, he offered me his arm, and I realized how glad I was to have him with us. We followed the breezeway pillars to the stable doors, which Oscar had left unlocked in his haste. I turned the handle, and a gust of icy air blew the door open. We hurried inside, and Darcy and Henry worked together to close the door against the wind.
Just as expected, Zac lay motionless on the stable floor. His blank, gray, open eyes told me all I needed to know. Annie knelt beside him and lightly touched his chest. Then she shook her head. No healer could help him.
I clasped my hand over my mouth and uttered a silent prayer in my mind. Zac dying in our stables didn’t seem completely possible until that moment. He was too young to have his life stolen from him. I gulped back tears and knelt next to my fallen classmate. "Oh, Zac, who did this to you?"
“Here.” Lizzy held out a large sheet. “I asked Oscar for something we could drape over him, in case…”
I nodded and took one corner to lay the sheet over Zac’s body, then stood and surveyed the stable for any clues.
"Thank you for thinking of that." Henry nodded to Lizzy. "Even though we weren't friends, I feel terrible for him and his family."
“This is really happening.” Nausea washed over me. “I have so many questions.”
“We all do.” Darcy rested his hand on my shoulder. “Georgiana, this is very unpleasant, and I know how passionate you get. But I really don’t want you to get wrapped up in a murder investigation. We can't do much right now anyway.”
I dropped my shoulder out of his grip and stepped to the side. “Well, somebody did this. If Iincidentallypick up some information, it should be okay.”
"There's no way of knowing what's safe." Darcy shook his head. “We don’t know if there’s still a dangerous person around here. Henry, can you tell us anything at all about what happened?”
“Not really…” Henry's eyes widened, and he scratched his head. “I know nothing more than Oscar and Bradford. It’s a complete shock, and I’m even more bewildered that it was someone I know from school.”
“Strange coincidence,” Darcy muttered. He didn’t seem to be accusing Henry so much as maybe piecing the afternoon’s events together.Again, faint specks of fae magic drifted from his fingertips.
“Maybe it would be better if we discussed this in the house?” I suggested hoping to ease everyone’s nerves.
Darcy looked Henry over. “Yes, I think you’re right. We should go back to the house.”
