clenched his fists. “Those marks on the tree, do they
look like claw marks from a rather large animal?”
I’d been so focused on the head speared to the tree I hadn’t noticed
there were two large gashes out of the bark. I examined them, and they were
definitely a familiar shape and size. I didn’t need to be an evidence magic
user to know those claw marks would probably line up perfectly to Braxton’s
dragon. There was no reason for the Compasses to have killed Markus. Note I did
not say they weren’t capable, they were more than capable, but they would need
a reason. Someone was staging this scene to implicate them.
At the moment of that realization, arms grabbed around me, tightening
across my chest and yanking me backwards. I was dragged ten feet away before
the boys realized I was gone. They spun as one, coming at me, but in unison
stopped when they saw who held me. I hadn’t scented him at all, he’d cloaked
himself so he could take me unawares. But the large ring on his middle finger
was familiar enough that already my skin was starting to crawl. Kristoff.
The sorcerer had one hand wrapped around my throat. “We left this scene
here to draw you Compasses into public. The four of you need to come quietly.”
He almost sounded gleeful. “I will keep a hold of Jessa until you allow the
council guards to cuff you.”
Where the hell was my father? My eyes darted around the crowd but none of
my family were here.
When Jonathon found out about this he was going to be pissed. He would
not appreciate the council using me as leverage to arrest the boys. I noticed
Jerad off to the side, but the way he spun his head and walked away spoke
volumes. Spineless dickwad. I was so well rid of him.
I didn’t struggle against Kristoff, I could feel the strength of the
spell under his hands. He would only have to let it loose and I would most
probably lose my head.
“You can’t kill her.” Maximus sounded confident but he wasn’t stepping
closer. “If you kill an innocent, then you’re a murderer and will lose your
leadership and freedom. Right after I torture you for life,” he added, no
change in tone but the fires of hell in his eyes.
Kristoff laughed. “The five of you are implicated in the murder of Markus.
Jessa would simply be killed resisting arrest.” He waved his hand at the scene.
“I’ve been examining it for hours. All the evidence points to your group.”
Shit, there must be even more than we’d noticed, and Kristoff was a
master at deception and manipulation. It would not be hard for him to convince
everyone of his word. Our standoff was starting to draw a crowd.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for you to make a mistake.” The magic
leader’s lips curled into a sneer. “You think you’re untouchable, all powerful,
you show no respect, not even to the council members. But you made an error in
not cleaning up your kill site.”
“Come on, Kristoff, doesn’t this seem a little convenient,” someone
shouted from the back of the crowd. It sounded a lot like Torag, the demi-fey
council leader. “No one would be this stupid, and we know the Compasses have
the power to hide anything they want.”
Kristoff growled. “That’s up to the investigators and the trial. For now
the men need to be held in our cells at the prison.” He straightened. “As an
added incentive, I’ll wipe Jessa as a suspect if you promise to go quietly and
behave in Vanguard.”
I wanted to shake my head at them, but I couldn’t move. I had to keep
fighting my wolf, she wanted to rip Kristoff’s face off. But attacking a
council member would be a very bad move. Even if he’d started it.
All four pairs of Compass eyes were locked on me, and one by one they
placed their arms behind their backs. From the crowd, ten wizards emerged, as
if they’d been lying in wait for this movement from the quads. I recognized the
red bands they wore around their right biceps. These were our magic users
skilled in offensive
look like claw marks from a rather large animal?”
I’d been so focused on the head speared to the tree I hadn’t noticed
there were two large gashes out of the bark. I examined them, and they were
definitely a familiar shape and size. I didn’t need to be an evidence magic
user to know those claw marks would probably line up perfectly to Braxton’s
dragon. There was no reason for the Compasses to have killed Markus. Note I did
not say they weren’t capable, they were more than capable, but they would need
a reason. Someone was staging this scene to implicate them.
At the moment of that realization, arms grabbed around me, tightening
across my chest and yanking me backwards. I was dragged ten feet away before
the boys realized I was gone. They spun as one, coming at me, but in unison
stopped when they saw who held me. I hadn’t scented him at all, he’d cloaked
himself so he could take me unawares. But the large ring on his middle finger
was familiar enough that already my skin was starting to crawl. Kristoff.
The sorcerer had one hand wrapped around my throat. “We left this scene
here to draw you Compasses into public. The four of you need to come quietly.”
He almost sounded gleeful. “I will keep a hold of Jessa until you allow the
council guards to cuff you.”
Where the hell was my father? My eyes darted around the crowd but none of
my family were here.
When Jonathon found out about this he was going to be pissed. He would
not appreciate the council using me as leverage to arrest the boys. I noticed
Jerad off to the side, but the way he spun his head and walked away spoke
volumes. Spineless dickwad. I was so well rid of him.
I didn’t struggle against Kristoff, I could feel the strength of the
spell under his hands. He would only have to let it loose and I would most
probably lose my head.
“You can’t kill her.” Maximus sounded confident but he wasn’t stepping
closer. “If you kill an innocent, then you’re a murderer and will lose your
leadership and freedom. Right after I torture you for life,” he added, no
change in tone but the fires of hell in his eyes.
Kristoff laughed. “The five of you are implicated in the murder of Markus.
Jessa would simply be killed resisting arrest.” He waved his hand at the scene.
“I’ve been examining it for hours. All the evidence points to your group.”
Shit, there must be even more than we’d noticed, and Kristoff was a
master at deception and manipulation. It would not be hard for him to convince
everyone of his word. Our standoff was starting to draw a crowd.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for you to make a mistake.” The magic
leader’s lips curled into a sneer. “You think you’re untouchable, all powerful,
you show no respect, not even to the council members. But you made an error in
not cleaning up your kill site.”
“Come on, Kristoff, doesn’t this seem a little convenient,” someone
shouted from the back of the crowd. It sounded a lot like Torag, the demi-fey
council leader. “No one would be this stupid, and we know the Compasses have
the power to hide anything they want.”
Kristoff growled. “That’s up to the investigators and the trial. For now
the men need to be held in our cells at the prison.” He straightened. “As an
added incentive, I’ll wipe Jessa as a suspect if you promise to go quietly and
behave in Vanguard.”
I wanted to shake my head at them, but I couldn’t move. I had to keep
fighting my wolf, she wanted to rip Kristoff’s face off. But attacking a
council member would be a very bad move. Even if he’d started it.
All four pairs of Compass eyes were locked on me, and one by one they
placed their arms behind their backs. From the crowd, ten wizards emerged, as
if they’d been lying in wait for this movement from the quads. I recognized the
red bands they wore around their right biceps. These were our magic users
skilled in offensive
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