Jacob froze. His hands clenched into trembling fists. Someone was in there, but why weren't they responding? What the hell was he doing? He never should have come. But despite his suddenly thrumming nerves, a thrilling, breathless curiosity took hold of him and he crept forward, into the bedroom.

An old man in long white garments lay face down on the bed. The back of his head was caved in. Blood trickled out, through his wispy white hair, down the side of his leathery neck and onto the white cover of the bed, staining it a reddish brown.

Jacob's eyes widened. He stood there, disbelieving, paralyzed with horror.

A sound came from his right, breaking his trance. A tough looking man opened a door in the bedroom wall, which must have led from the adjoining room. He was tall and muscular, dressed in a white undershirt and beat-off jeans. His hair had been buzzed down so that it was the same length as the short beard that covered his jaw, giving him a brutish look. His bright, intense eyes frowned at Jacob, flicked to the corpse of the old man on the bed, then widened in horror and rage.

The man didn't speak or gasp or react. One moment he had one hand on the door knob, that enraged look on his face, the next he had crossed the distance to Jacob, crouched low, arms out to tackle him to the ground. Jacob didn't have time to think, let alone move.

Production magic flashed across Jacob's sensation. Invisible force slammed into the man, throwing him across the room to smash into the wall and fall to the floor. The edge of the blast caught Jacob, sending him stumbling over to the bed.

Jacob threw out his hand to steady himself. He clasped something cold and clammy. The priest's ankle. He yelped and jumped away.

Camilla stood at the entrance to the bedroom, her hand out, breathing heavily.

Jacob blinked. "What-" It fell together. "Wait, did you follow me here?"

"Obviously, moron!" Camilla said. She marched forward, hands ready.

The man had crumpled into a limp heap, his head bowed. Jacob spared him a look, then glared at Camilla.

"What the hell? Why?"

"A 'thank you' might be nice," Camilla said. "I just saved your lousy ass, again."

"I guess we're even after the Menagerie, then."

Camilla tensed. "You did not save me then. Just because you moved me does not mean you-"

The man unfurled from his heap and exploded up at Camilla.

"Look out!" Jacob cried.

But Camilla had anticipated it, somehow. A conical forceward took the man square across the chest and sent him crashing back against the wall once more. He fell limp again.

Camilla brought her hands together. Production magic and light flashed out from them. Glowing lattices appeared, then solidified into a pair of heavy silver manacles attached by a short chain.

"Be useful!" Camilla barked, tossing them at Jacob. "Put these on his hands."

"Me?" Jacob said, clumsily catching the manacles.

"Do it!"

Jacob approached their 'unconscious' assailant hesitantly. He couldn't tell if the guy was out or not.

"I have your back, Jacob," Camilla said.

Jacob turned the man over and grabbed one big, hairy hand and snapped the manacle closed over it, then tied it to the other one behind his back. He'd seen enough movies to know how to do it.

Another set of manacles landed on the floor next to him.

"His ankles now," Camilla said.

"Really?"

"He's a Brotherhood Enforcer, Jacob. They're deadly."

Jacob grunted and attached the manacles to the Enforcer's ankles, then rolled him over and sat him up against the wall in what he thought was a comfortable position.

He stood and backed away from the Enforcer.

"Now what the hell did you do?" Camilla asked, gesturing at the room, somehow encapsulating the corpse and the unconscious Enforcer.

"Me?" Jacob pointed at himself. "I just walked in! Why were you following me?"

Camilla folded her arms and looked at him pointedly.

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Jacob sagged, a small part of him laughing that they were going through this charade while there was a corpse on the bed beside them. "Thank you for saving my ass, Camilla. Why were you following me?"

Camilla sniffed. "You looked like you were going to do something stupid when you left our dorm."

"I did?" Jacob frowned, trying to remember how he had looked.

"Yes, and it looks like I was right."

They both turned to the corpse. Jacob felt like he should be more shocked, more upset. A couple months ago he probably would have had a panic attack if he'd walked in on a corpse.

"I just walked in and he was like this, I swear," Jacob said.

"I know, moron. I was right behind you."

Jacob flushed. Had he done anything embarrassing on the way over here while she'd been following him? He hoped not.

"Wait a minute. How?" Jacob wracked his brain. "I checked the hallway before coming in here."

"Girl's secret," Camilla said. She peered over the corpse. "Yep, that's definitely the priest. And you're fine, Jacob. He's been like this for at least a half hour."

"How do you know?"

Camilla pointed at the blood. "The blood's already dried."

"So..." He trailed off. "It must have been the vampire. Jesus Christ."

"You're sure?" Camilla asked.

"Who else would kill him?"

Camilla nodded.

The gravity of the situation hit him. The priest was dead. The vampire hunter was dead. Him and Camilla had stumbled upon the body and had attacked the Enforcer. It would look like they'd done it. Shit. How the hell were they going to catch the vampire now?

It was over.

Suddenly he was very scared for the two of them. If the vampire could find and kill the priest, it would have no trouble dispatching both of them. He shared a look with Camilla, then engaged his magic and cast strength. He ran back through the priest's rooms, checked the bathroom to make sure there was no one in there, then shut the front door quietly and locked it.

"What are you doing?" Camilla asked.

"Don't want anyone noticing something is wrong."

They stood and looked down at the corpse for a silent moment, both unsure what to do. Jacob knew he should be panicking but adrenaline from when the Enforcer had lunged at him was still screaming through his veins.

"Why did you come here in the first place?" Camilla asked.

Jacob winced, then looked across at her. "I found out that Laura Tannehill had been attacked outside Schumann Hall, not in that hallway below the cafeteria. I figured the priest might want to know that."

"How?"

Jacob shook his head. "Never mind how. It doesn't matter now. He's dead."

Camilla shook her head. "That thing's going to run rampant on campus now. They'll have to bring someone else in. That could take days."

Dead.

But not out of reach.

Jacob stiffened. No. That was insane. Once had been risky enough. He couldn't do it again. But what if the priest knew something? What if he'd discovered something? It was the only way to know, now.

Jacob jumped into action. He went over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Nothing.

"What are you doing?" Camilla asked.

"Searching the room. Seeing if he left any notes or anything," He went through the man's cloak, the bathroom, the closet, even under the chair cushions. Nothing.

Jacob ground his teeth. There was no choice but to go and get Tanaka.

"Camilla?"

"Yes?"

"I think I know someone who can help. Are you okay if I leave you here for a bit?"

"Am I okay?" Camilla asked. "What are you talking about? We need to tell the faculty about this. Now! He's dead!"

Jacob shook his head. If they told the faculty then Tanaka and him would have to break into the morgue again. "Please, Camilla. I think this will help with the investigation."

Camilla folded her arms. "Tell me what's going on. You're acting weird."

If he told her about Tanaka, about their escapade to the morgue, would she still help? He wasn't sure. If she was thinking logically, she would, but he knew her well enough now to know she didn't always think logically when the transfer student was involved.

"Do you trust me?" Jacob asked flat out.

Camilla blinked, then sagged a little. She looked between the body and him, then spoke in a small voice. "Yes."

"Then please, watch them until I get back," Jacob said.

"Okay, Jacob. But you're telling me what's going on when you get back," Camilla said, not fiery or angrily at all. Her voice was just a little scared.

Jacob poured magic into his strength again and sprinted out of the rooms, through the building, back to the front desk. He skidded to a halt in front of Sophia, who looked up at him in surprise.

"I'll be back in a second. Uh, the priest wants some coffee," Jacob said, hoping the lie would cover them.

"Okay?!" Sophia shrugged.

Jacob bolted out the door and across the campus with his clumsy augmented strides. He really needed to learn the perception spell.

A pang of guilt shot through him at leaving Camilla there by herself. That look she had given him when he'd asked if she trusted him. A little hurt. A little scared. He clenched his fists. He needed to apologize to her when this was all done, for taking advantage of her like that. Oh, why had he ever gotten into this at all?

He reached Harrison Hall in record time and careened to a halt in front of the front desk, bracing himself against it.

The receptionist looked up at him in shock.

"I need to know which room the transfer student, Tanaka, is in. He lent me a book for class."

The lady nodded and flipped open a tab on her computer. "Room 135."

"Thanks," Jacob bolted down the hallway and knocked on Tanaka's door.

No answer.

Jacob knocked again. "C'mon Tanaka. I know you're in there," He whispered.

The door opened a crack.

"You?" Tanaka's voice came from within. He opened the door wider and frowned at Jacob.

"Yo, man," Jacob said. "I need your help."

Tanaka folded his arms. "What is it this time?"

Jacob explained what had just transpired. Tanaka's eyes got wider and wider.

"There was a Brotherhood Priest on campus?" Tanaka whispered in disbelief.

Jacob glanced down the empty hallway, then nodded.

"And he's dead?"

Jacob nodded. "It had to be the vampire. Look, I need you to help me with... just the same thing we did the other day," He didn't even want to say it out loud.

Tanaka's dark eyes flickered.

Jacob tensed, preparing an argument. Or maybe he would threaten to go to the faculty with what they did if Tanaka didn't help. Would he really do that?

"Okay," Tanaka said. "Let's go."

Jacob blinked at the transfer student's unexpected agreeability. "Oh, okay. Follow me."

He turned and started to run, but Tanaka grabbed his arm.

"Remember the morgue," Tanaka said. "Slow and steady and confident."

"Right," Jacob said, taking a deep breath.

He waited patiently for Tanaka to lock his dorm, and then they started back down the hall, sauntering as if they were off to a boring class.