Elara as she stepped in

as a deeper chill, the kind that settled

ery scent of blood, barely mask

e, the heavy furniture, the dark stains that mar

of brutal, fren

a prickling sensation on her ski

ing, then to a smoke detector that looked

om-made device from her

er suspicion, a pinhole

n' t trust her, n

device, a focused EMP emi

mera w

from the inside, then

al items, laying them

ng mask, carved from dark, polished wood,

, the fabric cool

longer Elara the janitor

ne," she said, her voice altered by the mask, "I am here t

ster, far worse tha

s suicide, but this l

ell their stories in the silence they le

ess sc

nd reaching for the shee

on the exposed wrist, a small, uniquely s

caught in

heet further, un

orld

uldn'

it

li

Ju

called himself, bac

, who had sworn he was poor as dirt, who h

' s son, heir

ierce, a betrayal ten yea

hispered, the words raw

ime, you we

a sharp, un

him, the Jake sh

, t

s, to push down the shock, the ra

, a very, very

to fin

begin the incantations, the movem

essence, the spark of life n

re was

piritual resonance she always

ng, it was inert, like tryin

ever happe

door. "Ms. Vance? Elara

aide, his voice s

name, not the p

id he

m on the floor, she detected

rea