An autumn wind rolled through the canyon, causing the beige reeds to sway among the stained rocks. What little water was left in the streambed trickled around the body, carrying wisps of red away from what remained of Louis Summer’s skull.

Jack Noctis stood nearby, watching the trail of blood as it grew thinner and thinner, then disappeared.

Darius came to stand beside him.

“Well?” Jacky said.

“It’s meant to look like a suicide. His car is still up on the road. The doors are unlocked, and the keys are in the ignition. I searched the area, but I couldn’t find any trace of another person.”

“He may have killed himself, but he couldn’t have sealed or destroyed his own soul. Someone else must have been here.”

“I know, but I’ll be surprised if the police are able to prove it.”

“Did you search the car?”

“Every inch of it.”

“The scroll?”

“There’s nothing, Jacky.”

Noctis looked back at the body. “We should have brought Emerra.”

Stolen story; please report.

“I’ve already contacted the Torr. They’re sending someone over—and they’ll be trained.”

“They won’t be Emerra Cole.”

“Between you, me, and the witch, we can see anything she can.”

“Olivia said that Emerra could see the nilrunes as she was writing them.”

For a moment, the only sound was the water and the wind.

“Can you see them?” Noctis asked.

“For god’s sake, Jacky! Emerra doesn’t need to see this.”

“You think it would bother her?”

“I know it would bother her. And I know she would lie about it. If she didn’t see anything when you took her to Wayde’s house, what makes you think she’ll see anything this time?”

Noctis didn’t answer.

Vasil took a breath. “This whole mess is complicated enough. It’ll be hard to act until someone reports the body to the police.”

“I’ll report the body.”

“I’ve told you, you can’t do that.”

“Then the witch?”

“I’ll talk to the Torr to see if I can arrange something.”

“I know what that means. We don’t have time for something to be arranged. We need to act now.”

“The scroll is probably gone.”

“There’s a chance it isn’t.”

“I can’t stop you, Jacky. You know that. Please, don’t disarrange anything, and if you find something, report it to me.”

“If I find the scroll, I’m taking it.”

“If you do that, you’ll be obstructing justice.”

“I’ll be hindering the murderer’s legal punishment. Justice says that no one deserves to lose their soul.”

Darius rubbed his forehead. It was always like this, working with Jack Noctis. The only surprising thing was that, after a hundred years, he still hadn’t gotten used to it.

The vampire said, “Please promise me that you won’t remove anything but the scroll.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then don’t remove anything unless you have good reason to believe it’s directly responsible for the missing souls!”

Big Jacky thought for a moment, then nodded.

“And I want your word, here and now, that you won’t bring Emerra to see this.” When Noctis didn’t immediately answer, Darius added, “For her sake.”

“I give you my word.”