The Beast And The Blessed

Fifty-Four: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

We moved carefully up to the front door. The latch was still broken, presumably from when Tobias had destroyed it during our visit over a week ago. But the way the heavy barrier of wood hung from only one loose hinge had the bottom corner on the floor and the top leaning toward us like it could fall at the slightest gust of wind.

Tobias moved in first, pulling the door right out of the frame and setting it to the side with ease. If it weren't for the interior looking like a tornado hit it and distracting me, I would have worried about him being the first to face whatever was on the other side of the door.

Everything was out of place. The large television that used to be mounted on the wall was on the floor, the screen shattered. The couch was charred, clearly having been set on fire, and sat hap hazardously with one side lifted on the upside-down entertainment center, the back cushions missing.

Every drawer was open and thrown across the room as if a poltergeist had come through with a fury. The contents were scattered around, littering the ground and mixed with the shards of glass from the demolished windows.

My chest dropped as the realization that I had been wrong sank in. All this time, I had been chasing the wrong person, and now another council member was either in danger or dead.

As much as I hated her and wished for her to be replaced on the council or for her to die, seeing the horror of the crime scene made my mouth water as my stomach rolled with nausea. Never before had I felt sick because of death. It was a part of life.

But I did wonder if by targetting her if I had put her killer's focus on her. Was she already a target, or did I just turn on the spotlight that made the killer decide to use her as a distraction or a scapegoat?

The problem was also that my failure could have killed Cyrus, someone I cared about. It was guilt making me feel this was. If I hadn't been chasing Rona all this time...

I pushed away the thought. There was no room for emotion when I was on a mission.

Whatever was going to happen here required my undivided attention, and I forced all emotions into a locked box in the back of my mind.

My eyes moved to the blood splatter across the wall. Someone had done some serious damage with that blow. I took tentative steps around the couch, seeing the larger pool of blood behind it, followed by drops that went right out the back door.

Whoever bled that much wouldn't have been walking on their own, and since there were no footprints, I assumed they had either been carried out, or someone used magic to get them through the door without dragging them.

I knew I needed to follow the trail to see if there were any survivors or if there was a struggle still going on, but a nagging feeling was pulling me away and urging me toward the bedroom. The debris crunched beneath my shoes as I rushed down the hallway, grabbing the door frame.

The room looked the same as when Tobias and I had been here. Better even, as the bed was made. But the dresser was bare beyond one long white hair hanging off one of the knobs of the top drawer as if it had been knocked off the surface without a second thought.

pocket before looking up at the wood surface of

electrical field was gone, and so were

breath as I nodded in understanding and disappointment before straightening my spine and spinning back around. Tobias was in the doorway, looking every bit the terrifying

land on me for more than a second before he stepped to the side and

in or out. I want the rest

back at least one missing council member besides Rona. The Lycans were moving carefully about the room, and Aurora stood at the back door, staring

to get to the very

out, and a few men stepped forward, taking a deep breath to memorize the scent before racing out the back door. I moved with them, Aurora staying at my side as we took off at a

Lycans swept the area but quickly settled on one path and moved

instead of

visited The Sanctum of Light to recharge because we wouldn't stand a chance against Cora or

death washed over my senses, and the beasts around me bristled in anticipation. The aura from the opening before us made the hair on the back of

staying in position, but

the

in

Damien, had been staying with us a while ago during the war. Killian had hated Damien at first but warmed up to him over time... at least until Charlie left again to go

their kind is the only reason they're on good terms with the Lycans. Killian had been furious when Charlie announced

were they

taking up a protective circle in the tree line around us as the body came into

to swallow hard to push down the acid that rushed up my throat. The smell alone was enough

distance. Blood dripped from the stones and onto the wet Earth below.

if I could hide the markings on my skin

moving to Rona's head. The older woman had nothing to say for once,

Even though I wanted Rona to die when I thought she was a threat, no one

this ritual

direction did they go?" I asked, and one of the guards pointed

picked up a large trampled leaf and sniffed it before wrinkling his nose and tossing it

I spun around. I half expected to see Rona returning to life and wanting revenge on her killer and everyone else who wronged her. But it was