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Cyrus stared at her, his eyes growing wide. He began to pace, running his hands through his hair.
Aster gasped. “Damned dandelions, there could be two more murders.”
“Not if we find the vampyr first,” Evelyn said.
Cyrus stopped, staring into the fire. His eyes reflected the flames. He put his hands on his hips and faced Evelyn. Consideration flashed across his face, as if he struggled to say whatever he wanted to next.
“Saige,” he finally said. “What if . . . what if this is bigger than us?”
“He’s right. This isn’t any regular murder case anymore,” Aster said.
Evelyn wavered. They were right. This wasn’t just any murder case, but she supposed it never had been. She’d known from the start the odd nature of it. None of the clues aligned with a regular vampyr attack. The intimate bites, the missing body parts, the rumors of a lover.
None of it made sense.
The sight of Fiona today reminded her of her parents’ death. She understood loss, the weight of it. She had to protect those in Callum, regardless how complicated this case was.
“If there’s a possibility of two more murders,” she said, “the most important thing is to make sure we find the vampyr and put an end to all of this.”
Cyrus shut his eyes, his shoulders dropped, and his jaw ticked. The fire crackled, the rain fell. “What of the other covens in Callum? Would they have any additional texts that could shed light?”
Aster shrugged, red curls bouncing. “It’s worth asking. I can reach out to my coven if you’d like.”
Evelyn turned to stone. If other covens learned a dark-haired witch was in Callum and made the connection . . . She’d been so wrapped up in solving the murders, she’d forgotten her secrets, what was at stake if others learned of her lost flame or that she was in Callum. Those in Sorin believed she’d married Kade and fought at the Void. They had no idea she’d run. Neither did the vampyr. More importantly, no one knew she’d lost her flame, the reason she’d left in the first place.
Evelyn’s protective instinct warred within her—Callum or home?
She hated these decisions, but the threat at home was war, an entire army of vampyrs against witches and werewolves. So far, all signs in Callum pointed to a single vampyr. She could fight one vampyr without the help of the witches. She had to. Because asking for the witches’ help would reveal her loss of power, would start a war. Evelyn shivered with nerves, an icy sensation prickling her skin. She had to choose, and fucking flames, she was going to be sick.
Cyrus smoothed his beard. “I think that’s a good idea. We can come with you, too, if it helps.”
Paralyzed, Evelyn blurted out, “No. No other covens. No other witches.”
Cyrus’s eyes widened. “I think we should try to and gain any insight we can.”
Evelyn threw her hands into the air and gestured to her littered kitchen table. “We’ve already spent our evening reading texts, yet we haven’t even investigated where Fiona’s body was found. We should start there next.”
Aster’s russet eyes darted between Evelyn and the huntsman.
“Saige,” Cyrus said, his amber eyes searching her face. The look made her uncomfortable, like he could read all her motives to sway the investigation as if they’d been tattooed on her skin. “We should consider—”
“I did not take on this job to consider. I took it on to solve these murders.”
Cyrus scoffed. “Right. It’s just a job for you. How could I forget?”
He strode from the fireplace and grabbed his cloak, reaching for the door.
“Cyrus—”
He paused, giving her the space to argue, but Evelyn didn’t. She couldn’t without revealing too much, without letting him in more than she already had. Evelyn had stayed in Callum to solve these murders, but she’d started to forget she was leaving after. She had a homeland to protect, too. Her partnership with Cyrus, their growing attraction for one another, the promise of something, had distracted her. Perhaps putting distance between them was best, despite the sadness souring her stomach.
She seized the opportunity by giving him nothing.
Cyrus shook his head, a flash of disappointment marring his features. “Fine. We’ll do it your way, Princess.” But this time when he used her nickname, his tone was biting and not playful. “I’ll tell Commissioner Doyle what we discovered tonight while you visit the lake. We try to stay one step ahead of the vampyr from here on out.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Kade
