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The interior was a rustic haven, and the first thing that caught my eye was the vaulted ceiling. Its thick beams soared over us like wooden sentries. It gave the room an open and airy feel. Sunlight streamed in through the large windows, casting a golden glow on the wide-plank wooden floors.
A stone fireplace dominated one corner of the room, its hearth adorned with a stack of split logs, with a crackling fire rumbling at its heart.
The walls were lined with shelves, each holding a collection of old books, ones that looked like they belonged in a museum. It was clear that the inhabitant came here for some kind of research away from prying eyes. A plush, worn-in couch was positioned at the center of the room, its soft cushions inviting the inhabitant to relax before the fire.
A dining table stood near the kitchen. Though compact, it was well-equipped with modern appliances that contrasted beautifully with the cabin’s rustic aesthetic.
Daryn motioned to the open door near the back. One had to be a bedroom and the other a bathroom.
We slipped past the furniture as the smell of copper got stronger. As soon as we neared the door, we could see the body on the floor.
Daryn went ahead of me and entered the simple bedroom with a queen-sized bed and one dresser. The man was on the floor at the foot of the bed, and he knelt beside him. “It’s a hybrid.”
The man’s blond hair was matted with sweat and dirt, and hismilky red eyes were vacant. He couldn’t have been more than twenty; his youth extinguished far too soon.
My gaze dropped to his chest, and a gasp escaped my lips. Deep, fleshy grooves marred his skin, as if something had clawed its way inside, trying to dig his heart out. “What did that?”
Daryn sighed. “A demon. The hybrids and demons seem to be at war. This doesn’t make sense.”
“We need to find out who owns this cabin, or at least who was using it.”
Daryn tapped his tattoo. “We need a cleanup crew at the cabin location. We have one dead hybrid.”
“On it, boss,” Cipher said before cutting the link.
Daryn stood and led me back to the main room. “Check the books. Those aren’t from any library. We need to find out why the occupant wanted such a remote location.”
I pulled a leather-bound book from the mantel and flipped through several pages. “This book is similar to the one Lia showed me. Wait... it’s identical.”
Daryn put down the book he had been looking at. “That’s not possible. The books Lia had are originals. They weren’t reproduced.”
My hand hovered over the pages of the book. And I let my magic pulse slightly. “It’s a reproduction, but it was created magically. Someone else was looking for the same thing we are.”
Daryn rubbed his chin. “They had access to the council’s archives and the prison. This is someone who has council-level access.”
I flipped another page of the book. “Or did. We have no idea when these books were copied. The prison schematics haven’t changed since Magnus was defeated.”
Daryn placed his hand on the book. “I sense the magic used, but this wasn’t Cage.”
I cocked my head to look at him. “How can you be sure?”
Daryn motioned to the book. “That is a very subtle but powerful magic. One that Cage does not possess. He can’t touch an object and recreate it like this. This isn’t a glamor. These books are perfect replicas.”
I stared down at the book. “How do you do it?”
Daryn stared at the pages. “In this case, you would need a blank book. Then you use transference magic to copy the information to the replica.”
My head snapped up. “This leads us back to Magnus. Are we sure he didn’t have another apprentice? Maybe one that isn’t as powerful as him. These hybrids are a lot less sturdy than the last ones.”
“I could go with that theory if the demons weren’t killing them. The king would want his prodigy here. We are missing something.”
Daryn’s eyes fixated on something in the corner. He made his way to a shelf with a vase full of silk flowers. He gently removed a small device attached to thin wires. “Let’s see if this captured anything that can help us.”
“Is that a video camera?”
Daryn nodded. “It’s hard-wired into the wall. I doubt it’s connected to the Internet. Anyone with the knowledge this guy has would know Cipher could access it. We need to find the computer storing this feed. It’s on-site somewhere.”
We began to scour the cabin, checking every nook and cranny. My fingers moved along the worn shelves filled with books, searching for any unusual hidden compartments or clues. Daryn diligently checked beneath the cushions of the plush couch before moving to the china cabinet.
