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“The Bone Yard saw a lot of damage yesterday, but I am happy to announce that plans are already underway to repair the area.” Berdherst swipes a handkerchief over his brow. “Not only will we fix the streets, but we plan to make the Bone Yard better than it was before.”
“Is he seriously going forward with his plans to turn it into a tourist attraction?” Marc shakes his head in disbelief. “Heknowswhat’s coming.”
“We are paving the way for a new era, where the Bone Yard will be rebuilt with inclusivity in mind.” He smiles at the news reporters. “It will become a safe place for humans to interact with the Others, without the dangers it once contained.”
A reporter in the crowd shouts, “What about the earthquakes?”
Berdherst waves a hand in dismissal. “Mere aftershocks from the battle. The redevelopment of the Bone Yard will bring in a fresh stream of income to our city by drawing tourists—”
“Are you trying to imply that it was the Clearhelm Police who protected us yesterday?” the familiar reporter shouts.
“It was the JTFPI who defeated the monster, just like always!” the shout comes from the back of the group. “The Clearhelm Police were nowhere in sight!”
Restless agreement ripples through the crowd of reporters, and another chimes in with, “What good is the Clearhelm Police if the JTFPI are the ones keeping us safe?”
Berdherst raises his hands to calm the crowd. “We are not here today to discuss the inner workings of our departments—”
“You’re the one who brought them up!” a reporter shouts. “Why are the windows dark this morning at the JTFPI headquarters? Where is Captain Sharpe?”
The restlessness grows.
A microphone shoves toward Bailey. “Is now really the time to be talking about tourist attractions when our protectors have mysteriously gone missing after they defeated this newest monster?”
The mayor opens his mouth, but whatever he was about to say is cut off as the ground shakes beneath our feet, and alarm sounds from the people on the streets.
Berdherst grabs the sides of the podium. “Everyone, remain calm. This is only an aftershock—”
A loud crack splits the air, and a thick root rises out of the ground behind the podium.
Screams erupt, and horror widens Berdherst’s eyes as he turns to gaze up at it.
For a moment, man and monster stand frozen. Then the root shoots down, wrapping around Berdherst’s body and yanking him into the ground.
a trail to follow
- Marc -
Everyone stares in stunned silence,our eyes locked onto the TV screen, at the chaos unfolding in front of the Bone Yard.
The mayor of Clearhelm, the man whose family had fed the Bone Man for all these years, had just met a gruesome end at the hands—or rather, the root—of the very monster he nurtured.
It’s a brutal death that none of us could have predicted.
The news reporters scramble away from the bloody scene, their voices filled with shock and disbelief.
A bloodthirsty smile twitches at my lips. “What did we just witness?”
“The end of a centuries-old contract,” Flint breathes, his gaze fixed on the screen. “With the intended sacrifice no longer on the human plane, the contract reverted to the contract holder, Berdherst. And the Bone Man just took its due.”
Flint grins, then frowns, then grins once more. “That’s what the Librarian meant when she said it would be a moot point soon. She knew taking the kid off the human plane would result in this!”
Johannsson shakes his head. “He was an asshole, but that’s still a brutal way to go.”
“It’s what he deserved.” Enthusiasm unwavering, Flint turns to the rest of the room. “And now we have something that we can track directly to the Bone Man.”
Sharpe rises from the table. “What do you mean?”
“I’m familiar enough with Berdherst’s slimy soul to locate it, even after the Bone Man absorbs it.” Flint bounces on the balls of his feet. “It’s like a beacon that will lead us straight to the monster.”
