Page 15

We exchanged solemn glances as we approached the cottage. Dread curdled in my stomach. Deep down, I knew whoever was in there was likely already dead. The screams had stopped, and the area was completely silent.

We paused at the entrance. The door was already open, half broken off its hinges. A hard lump formed in my throat.

I gestured to Reid that he circle around the back of the cottage. He nodded once and took off silently in the other direction.

Steeling myself with a deep breath, I inched toward the entrance. The broken door creaked when I bumped it, making my heart lurch. My eyes sharpened as I took in the destroyed contents of the cabin. Shattered jars and vases, torn fabric, broken furniture… It was a miracle the structure was still standing. Claw marks marred the walls and floors. Horror churned in my gut as I spotted streaks of crimson blood staining the wood.

I froze when I found the body. It was an older woman, her hair long and gray. She lay on her stomach, her back torn open. A partially broken vial was clutched in her hand.

I stiffened when I recognized the foul smell of cloves. It was buried beneath the scent of blood and Wolven magic. But it was definitely there. My eyes roved over the cabin once more with a new perspective.

Potion vials. A cracked cauldron in the corner. Shattered animal skulls.

Shit. This was the home of a witch.

Within me, Tavik uttered a low snarl.

I couldn’t necessarily blame the Rogue for killing this witch. After all, Reid and I had just fought one ourselves.

But the Rogue clearly wasn’t here, which meant it would likely kill again. I knelt next to the woman’s corpse, sniffing the air and trying to piece together any clues I could find.

Behind me, the door creaked again. I stood and whirled, fists raised.

I stilled when Reid stepped in, his gold eyes surveying the carnage. “Damn,” he muttered when his gaze landed on the dead witch. Then, he, too, went rigid as he no doubt smelled what I had. His eyes flared wide. “Witch?”

I nodded grimly, crouching close to the floor once more. I dipped my fingers in the witch’s blood and sniffed it. The smell of cloves sharpened, but it was mingled with something else. Something I couldn’t quite place.

“Between the other one you killed and now this one, the witch clans will have our heads,” Reid muttered.

I shook my head, still inspecting the witch’s blood. “This one is different. She lived in a cabin in the woods. Most clans live together in an encampment of some kind.”

“You think she was killed by the same Rogue we’ve been looking for?” Reid asked.

We both sniffed the air. My brows knitted together as I tried to discern the pungent fragrances of potions and herbs. After a moment, I smelled something familiar. Something leathery with a hint of garlic.

“I think so,” I said slowly. “There’s a whiff of something I caught at those ruins from earlier.”

“But this means it is a Wolven Mage,” Reid said with a frown. “You heard that howl. It has to be.”

I stroked my chin and nodded. He was right. The sound was unmistakable, and it resonated with my soul in a way that only a Wolven Mage could.

But this didn’t smell like the other Rogues I’d encountered before. And Reid had mentioned there was a human involved—someone not like our kind.

“Do you think the Rogue targeted her?” Reid asked. “Or was this fresh meat he stumbled upon?”

I had no answer for that. The mill had seemed like a random location for the beast. But perhaps there was some connection we were missing.

I moved the witch’s hand, leaning close to sniff the contents of the vial she clutched. It was filled with a dark red substance. A sharp, metallic smell stung my nose, and I stiffened, my stomach roiling.

“This is Wolven Mage blood,” I hissed, gesturing to the vial.

Reid looked at me sharply. “How the hell did she get that? And why does she have it?”

My brows lowered. I needed more information. Carefully, I lifted the witch’s body and rolled her onto her back.

“Shit,” Reid hissed, rubbing the back of his neck.

The woman’s chest had been ripped open, exposing her organs. I ignored the gruesome sight, my eyes drawn to something gold that was clutched in her other hand. I pried open her fingers to reveal a gold trinket attached to a chain. With great care, I removed the chain from her long, wrinkled fingers and dangled it before me.