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“She can,” I agreed, aiming a pointed look at Niko until he held his hands up in defense.
The sun had started setting, which meant the town hall should be empty. The closer we got to our destination, the more tense the atmosphere became. I’d seen and heard enough about Clarence to know that whatever we found there wouldn’t be pretty.
We didn’t run into anyone as we approached the stone stairs of town hall. The old brick building blocked out the setting sun, bathing it in shadows. We stuck to them, so no one could spot us lurking around. We had the rune to help maintain our cover, but it wouldn’t do us any good to let our confidence make hasty decisions for us.
My hand trembled as I turned the key in the lock, waiting for the blaring of an alarm or someone to run at us, but nothing happened. I pushed open the door and stepped inside the quiet halls. Every move we made was deafening, so we kept our footsteps slow and even as we searched for a stairwell. Niko stuck to me like glue, while Avi, Levi, and Kane branched off in the opposite direction.
A creaking above us had me freezing in place. “Did you hear that?”
“I did,” Niko confirmed, “but we’re going down, so let’s just hope they don’t notice us. One battle at a time.”
“Hey,” Levi hissed just loudly enough for us to hear. “Through here.” He pointed at the door behind him. We rushed over as quietly as we could and snuck past him into the darkness. A clicking sound was followed by the beam of a flashlight.
“Found this in our search. Good thing, too. Witches can’t see in the dark,” Avi joked.
“Neither can dragons unless they’re in form,” Levi added with a soft laugh. “Down we go.”
“I’m going first,” Kane said. Avi hung right behind him, illuminating the way. We kept our movements slow, but my heart was still racing in my chest.
Zehra tried to talk to me, but her words were so disjointed that I couldn’t make any of them out.
‘I’m coming for you,’I promised her, hoping that it was one I could keep.
We reached the landing of the next floor, but the stairs continued down. We all turned to Kane since he was leading this particular expedition.
“We need to do this right. Let’s check this out floor by floor. It’d be stupid to head lower without knowing whether something will follow,” he pointed out. He took the flashlight from Avi and started through the open doorway. It was just as dark in the hall beyond. The meager beam from the flashlight did nothing, and Niko eventually huffed and threw a ball of light in the air. Kane gave him a look but didn’t argue, simply clicking off the light and handing it back to Avi.
The hallway only had three doors. Kane and Niko each took one of the first two, standing back to back as they pushed them open.
“Storage,” Kane announced, but Niko stepped into the room and cursed.
“Dead bodies.” His answer broke my heart. This monster had no regard for human life, and I was terrified to see who laid in the dark, forgotten and disrespected. I’d grown to love Emberwood and its residents.
“Who are they?” Levi asked quietly
“Beyond the mayor, I don’t know,” Niko said, and that was my cue to be strong.
You’ve got this, Farren. Bring them justice.
Stepping in, my eyes landed on four familiar faces. “The sheriff, the secretary, the mayor, and she’s the old woman who runs the bookstore across from the diner. “
“All human,” Niko added on.
“Humans have untapped energy, making them an ideal power source because they don’t strike back like we would, and they have no mental defenses. Plus, these are strategic choices. He sees us from these walls, the bookstore watches the diner, the busiest place in town, and the sheriff can go anywhere he wants and get all the intel,” Avi summarized. “He’s smart.”
“I want him to die,” I said in a wavering voice as grief crashed into me. A metallic taste filled my mouth. I’d been so tense I bit my tongue without realizing it. The unexpected stinging pain only added to the fury and frustration I was already dealing with. Hell better help that asshole when I found him because I sure as fuck wouldn’t, and neither would any of my men. He’d answer for his heinous crimes.
“He will,” Kane agreed as he pulled me from the room. “Come on, let’s check this one.”
Hand in hand, we walked to the last door, and he stepped ahead to push it open. Rows of shelves and filing cabinets filled the space. Cardboard boxes were labeled by year and type, way more than a town this small should need.
We all walked in together, except for Avi who hung back by the door to keep watch. Every aisle we walked past contained the same—boxes, dust, and nothing important to note.
“Guys,” Avi called out just loudly enough to hear. “There’s a light in the back corner.”
Niko hissed something, then the witch light went out, plunging us into pure darkness. My heart slammed in my chest as my eyes adjusted. My meager magic danced along my skin, ready to protect me if only it could.
Kane’s hand was still in mine, and he slowly moved me forward. Eventually, I ran into a solid, warm body, and if not for the scent of spiced peaches and whiskey, Levi and Niko, I’d have screamed.
