To our astonishment, the autopsy files arrived almost an hour early. It took the three of us (Artemis, once again gloating to her sister about not having thumbs, wasn't able to help) no time at all to find what we were looking for.

"I found it," Athena said, laying one of the files down on the desk. "This body was identified as one Thomas Kingson, missing since March of 1956. He was declared deceased at the request of his family in July of 1957." She flipped over the photos, revealing a picture of the deep, jagged scar we'd grown so familiar with in such a short time.

Ben leaned in on her right side and I on her left. "That's the man in the article photo, all right."

"And the missing Thames Slasher suspect," I said. "He does look a lot like the ghost we spoke to in the basement."

"There's just one problem," Ben said. "These murders don't match his old M.O., which was slitting the throats of red-haired women."

"But the scar," Athena protested. "It looks exactly like the one on the images we captured of the ghost that's doing the killing."

We were all silent for a few minutes.

"'Free,'" I said finally, quoting what had been written on the mirror and thinking out loud. "What if the ghost is tracking me somehow?"

"To what end?" Ben asked.

"And how does that fit in with Brenna destroying your home town, Mistress?" Athena added.

<> Artemis yawned behind us. <>

"Yes," I said slowly. "That's true."

"What is?" Ben asked, looking confused.

"Artemis suggested that the ghost is hunting with emotion, using strong negative emotions to track places Mistress has been," Athena translated for her sister. "But why kill those people?"

"What if Kingson's ghost was being controlled by someone?" Athena asked, speaking the thought that had been percolating in my brain. There was a soft knock at the door, and without waiting to be asked, she went to answer it. I heard her talking softly to someone, and after a moment she murmured, <>

<> "Brenna?" I asked out loud. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find out that she practiced Necromancy. But why would she come at me in such a roundabout way? Why kill Smithson and his thugs? I sort of understand killing Gerrick...if it is Brenna, anyway. She's unstable, and he was a git. If he mouthed off to her, I could easily see her blasting him and then ordering the ghost to finish him off. But none of what she's done has hurt me personally."

"Yet," Ben said grimly. "Unless she's trying to frame you for the crimes. But if she is, she's doing a really lousy job of it."

“And why harass the Fishers?” I asked. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

Ben grunted his agreement and frowned down at the papers strewn across his desk.

I heard Athena murmur thanks to whoever was handing out the newspapers and close the door. There was a rustling of paper, then she sucked in a sharp breath. I felt her surprise and turned to look at her.

She was looking at the front page headlines, and her eyes rose to meet mine. "I think I know what 'Free' meant." She turned the paper around and held it up for us to see.

The main headline read, in big bold type, 'Thames Slasher Returns?' Then, in smaller type below that, it said, 'Two red-haired women found dead on Tower Bridge.'

"It was being controlled," Ben said quietly. "But it isn't anymore."

"Brenna had to have done something to make it stronger for it to be able to do what it's done," I said. "Now that the ghost is free, it'll still have that strength."

"And it wants to go back to its old habits," Athena said.

I nodded unhappily. "We have to find it and stop it." Ben looked like he was about to protest, so I went on quickly, "The ghost being free is my doing. My responsibility. Brenna may have given it the strength to kill again, but she wouldn't have been able to do so if I hadn't set it free in the first place."

“Alys, that’s not - “ Ben began, then hesitated.

<> Artemis spoke up. <>

Athena grimaced. "She's probably right."

"She is?" Ben asked, confused.

"Artemis," Athena clarified, then repeated what her sister had said.

Ben considered the statement for a moment, then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, she's probably right. Okay, so we catch the ghost. Can we use it to find Brenna somehow?"

"If Brenna enhanced it and was controlling it," I said, "She'll have left a residue of her power on it. We should be able to use that to find her."

"How do we find a ghost like that?" Athena asked. "It could be anywhere in the city."

I looked at Ben, who shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm used to tracking people, not ghosts. You're the Wizard-in-training," he said, teasing gently. "Shouldn't you know these things?"

"As you said, I'm still in training. I'll ask Hollis." I replied with just a hint of cheek in return, then smothered a yawn. "I think the coffee we had with breakfast is wearing off. I'm overdue to check in with him. May I borrow your phone?"

"All you can really do is track an energy signature, if you have one," Hollis's voice said in my ear several minutes later. "You may be forced to wait for it to kill again before you can establish a behavioral pattern. It's unpleasant, but it's a fact of dealing with many supernatural entities. Unless that forensic team manages to pull an energy signature, you have no way at all to track it."

I grimaced. "All right. Thanks, Hollis. I'll be home soon."

"Stay as long as you need to," he replied firmly. "You're on the job."

"Thanks, boss." I hung up and looked at Ben. "He says it can't be done unless the forensic team gets an energy signature, or until we can establish a behavioral pattern based on its killings. Up to this point, I believe its behavioral patterns have been forced on it, so we're stuck."

Ben sighed and nodded. "I agree. Damn it. I hate this part."

"What part?" Athena asked.

"Having to wait for a suspect to make their move," Ben replied wearily. He rubbed his eyes, then took a good look at me. "It's been a good twenty-four hours since I got any sleep. It has to have been at least that long for you."

I frowned a little. "Honestly? I'm a bit fuzzy on that. Two days ago, I think, but we slept six or seven hours during the day after being up all night and most of the day before that."

Athena stretched and yawned. "I think we should get some sleep."

"Good call," Ben agreed with a nod. "I'll ask an officer to run you home. Get some rest and meet me back here tonight, around seven or eight. I expect something will happen overnight tonight."

My eyes were starting to feel a bit gritty and I was, as Athena had teased earlier, having trouble focusing on what I was reading. They were right. So I nodded. "Thanks, Ben." I rose slowly, stretching and grimacing at how heavy my muscles felt. "Let me just grab my things."

He came around the desk and stopped me. To my surprise, he cupped my cheek with one hand and tipped my face up to his for a tender kiss, making me tingle all the way down to my toes. Then he wrapped me up in his arms and held me close. I ended up with my cheek pressed against his shoulder, and was able to hear his heart beating. It was unbelievably calming and reassuring, so I closed my eyes and relaxed against him, returning his embrace and closing my eyes for a minute.

Finally, he kissed the top of my head and released me. "We'll get through this. We'll catch the ghost and deal with whoever's behind it, even if it is this mysterious Brenna woman." He smiled warmly. "I'll go call a car for you."

He paused to take Athena's hand and kiss her knuckles, bent to ruffle Artemis's fur, and was out the door and walking away down the hall before I could say anything. I watched him go, trying to sort out my thoughts and feelings. I hadn't had a lot of relationships, but in my limited experience (translation: two prior boyfriends, both of whom had been intimidated by me for some reason) Ben was inordinately skilled at making me feel good. I got the impression that the feeling was mutual.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I sighed. Relationships were far more confusing and complicated than magic. And why now, of all times? I didn't have time to spend on a boyfriend right now.

Artemis purred. <>

I coughed and sputtered. "What? No, he's just…" I trailed off. I mean, come on, I'd only known him for what? Two weeks? We'd only gone out on two dates.

Athena giggled. "He's a good one, Mistress. Even if you're not ready, don't let him go."

I smiled wryly. "All right, pets. You win. We'll keep him, for now."

Artemis rose and yawned. <>

Her words were so heavily laden with subtext that I nearly missed my utility belt as Athena held it out to me and had to fumble with it for a moment. "Artemis!" I blurted it out in shock, staring at her as if I'd never seen her before.

She looked up at me, the very soul of feline innocence. <>

Athena was trying very hard not to laugh as I buckled my belt on and picked up both my coat and the remains of my dignity.

Soon enough, we were home, showered, and trying to unwind enough to actually fall asleep. I heard Artemis yawn from over by the fireplace. At least it sounded like she was going to get some sleep...but then, that cat could sleep anywhere and anytime she wanted to.

I rolled onto my side, and felt Athena shift and roll until we were lying back to back. She was as tired and restless as I was, apparently. But then, she would be. Odds were good she could sense my disquiet and was more strongly affected by it than Artemis. Since her Elevation, she was far more human than animal, and as time went on her responses to various stimuli were becoming accordingly more human than animal. Also, it was likely that she had her own uncertainties and worries about this situation we'd found ourselves in. I concentrated, and yes, there they were.

"Athena," I said quietly, "You don't need to hide your emotions from me. I'm actually kind of relieved to know you're as unsettled by this as I am."

She shifted a little against my back, and I felt her embarrassment clearly. "Sorry, Mistress. I didn't want to overwhelm you with my fears when you're dealing with your own."

I reached back, found her hand and squeezed it gently. "Don't be silly," I said gently. "That's not how the bond between us is supposed to work, pet. If we're not completely open with one another, it'll only hurt us both in the long run."

She purred softly, her body vibrating gently against my back. It was a surprisingly soothing sensation...or perhaps I was just reacting to the warmth and relief I felt in her emotions. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I know that. But sometimes it's hard."

I smiled. "I know. It's hard for me too, sometimes. But it'll get easier with time. That's what the books say, anyway."

"And we both know the books are never wrong," Athena replied with a giggle. Then she yawned and stretched a little before settling again. "All right, we both need to get some sleep."

I nodded my agreement, yawning too. "Indeed. Good night, pet."

"Good night, Mistress."

<> Artemis muttered. <>

"How about 'sleep well'?" I offered.

I could feel Artemis turning that one over in her mind. <>

I smiled and snuggled into the soft mattress, wrapped myself up in the blanket and the love of my familiars, and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, I was surprised to see that daylight was still peeking in around the window blinds. Considering how tired I had been, I had fully expected to sleep through until after sunset. I lifted my head and looked at the alarm clock that sat on my bedside table.

5:37 AM.

I frowned a little and sat up. "5:30 in the morning?" I asked incredulously.

Beside me, Athena made a sleepy sound and rolled over to face me, yawning softly. "Mmm? Good morning, Mistress. You were so tired last night, we decided to let you sleep." She sat up and stretched. "Elsie is probably up already. I'll go see if she has anything on for breakfast yet."

"Did Ben call, or cast a Sending?" I asked.

<> Artemis said from where she was sprawled across the foot of the bed. <>

"It came in a little after 10:30 last night," Athena added helpfully. "But you were dead to the world." She slipped on a robe and belted it. "Mr. Ellister sent one in response to let Ben know you were still sleeping."

I rubbed my eyes and swung my legs over the side of the bed. "I can't remember the last time I slept that long."

"You had a busy few days, Mistress, with very little time to rest," Athena said, pausing at the door. "And you cast some powerful spells at the Fishers' home the other night. You hadn't really slept deeply since then. I'll be right back...the morning papers might be in too."

She opened the door and slipped out. Artemis watched me with evident amusement. <>

"What?"

She purred and put her head back down. <>

I reached out and lightly slapped her flank, half-teasing and half-affectionate. "If you think that's going to embarrass me, you're going to have to try harder."

Artemis made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. <>

By the time Athena returned with a tray bearing two bowls of oatmeal (with apple slices and honey, Elsie knows us well) and a bowl of meat for Artemis, I had made it all the way to my closet and was wrapping myself in a robe. "Smells good," I said.

Athena nodded, putting Artemis's bowl by the fireplace. "She was all ready for me when I got there. Even had the morning newspaper waiting." Athena tossed me a folded bundle of paper. "You're not going to like it."

I unfolded it and read the headline. 'Thames Slasher Strikes Again' was the big, bold headline. Beneath it, the subheading read 'Two red-haired women found dead in South End alley near Thames River docks.'

"Bugger," I sat down at my desk and dropped the newspaper in front of me. When Athena handed me a bowl of oatmeal a moment later, I shoved the paper to one side and set the bowl in front of me instead.

"There's also a note from Detective Donovan," Athena said, handing me a folded piece of paper.

I unfolded that, silently hoping for better news. No such luck.

"Alys," it read, "By now I'm sure the papers have gotten ahold of the news, and it's probably front page material. If you haven't seen the newspaper yet, there were two more murders last night. Two redheads just off the Thames River in the South End. Send me as soon as you're awake. We need to find a way to stop this thing. Forensics wasn’t able to get an energy signature from either of the last two sites." It was signed simply, “Ben.”

I set it down and poked my oatmeal with the spoon. "Damn," I said softly. "If I hadn't been so tired..."

"Stop right there," Hollis's voice said from my still-open doorway. "That's foolish talk and you know it."

I turned to look at him. He was already dressed for the day, but casually. Casually for him, anyway - dark slacks, and a dark purple shirt. He did love purple. "How is it foolish? If I'd been awake and with Ben like we'd originally planned for last night - "

"You would have been sitting around in his office," Hollis cut me off firmly, "Or wandering up and down the Thames River in the dark, both literally and metaphorically." He sighed, then came in and sat on the end of my bed facing me. "He's making up for lost time."

"The ghost?" I nodded. "It is. How can we stop it if we don't know where it's going to strike next?"

Hollis looked uncomfortable. "I have an idea along those lines, actually. But it relies on a couple of assumptions, and I don't think you're going to like it."

"Like it or not," I replied, "I'm open to suggestion. At this point, trying something is better than waiting to find another headline about murdered women tomorrow."

He nodded. "Believe me, I understand."

Athena folded her legs gracefully as she sat down beside Artemis on the floor to eat her oatmeal. She gave me a very pointed look, so I picked up my bowl and began eating without really tasting it.

"Let's assume that the ghost was previously being controlled by Brenna and was either released or has escaped," Hollis began.

"It's a relatively safe assumption," Athena said as I nodded, my mouth full of oatmeal. "Considering the sudden change in the thing's behavior and that the previous attacks were all related to Mistress in some way."

Hollis smiled at her. "Indeed." His eyes returned to me. "Here's my hypothesis: what if Brenna was using the ghost because of its recent encounter with you? You cast quite a few spells during the week were working on clearing out the old asylum's morgue, and it could have picked up on your magical signature during that time. She probably intended to use it to track down people and places you care about, to hurt you more than the destruction of your hometown did. Except for two things: first, the only other place you've used large amounts of Anima lately is now heavily protected against spiritual entities. And second…"

I nodded slowly, swallowing my oatmeal and following his line of reasoning. "Second, the ghost is a negative entity," I replied. "So it would have had a very hard time tracking down anything I had a positive attachment to. Which is how it ended up finding those thugs and the shopkeeper who abused Athena and Artemis before they were mine."

Hollis nodded. "Exactly. And when she discovered it wasn't going to lead her anywhere that she'd be able to cause you pain, she released it."

"And it went back to the pattern of killing it had in life, having been empowered by her," Athena finished the thought.

“But,” I said, “that still doesn’t explain why it went after the Fishers.”

Hollis sighed and spread his hands. “It’s not a perfect theory. I agree that the attack on the Fishers’ wards breaks the pattern. My only guess is that because of your attachment to the family, Brenna might have thought there was something of value there. But it’s a wild guess.”

We were all silent for a moment. Finally, I said, "All right, so what's your idea that I'm not going to like?"

"Set a trap for the ghost by using Brenna," Hollis replied. "Make her so mad about something that she retakes control of it and sends it after a predetermined target."

"What target?" I asked. "It's not like I can go and gush about a restaurant. She's crazy, but not stupid."

"Ben," Hollis said simply. "I recommend a day out and a few public displays of affection. If Brenna's keeping tabs on you, knowing you have something she doesn't will drive her to act."

"The panther she took from the shop on the docks," Athena said into the uncomfortable silence that followed. "Remember, Mistress? On the train, she said she was going to have to get another familiar because you had two."

"So," I said slowly, "you suggest I use Ben as a lure? Taunt her into bringing the ghost to us so we can capture it, goading her into attacking us?" I heard the coldness in my own voice, and felt it in my belly. He was right. I hated the idea. Not only would it put someone I was quickly becoming very fond of in danger, it would be using that person in a very mercenary way. That was not something I wanted to do.

Hollis shrugged. "I said you weren't going to like the idea," he said gently. "Just do me the favor of running it by Ben instead of discarding it out of hand. You might find him to be a willing participant."

"I don't know if that would make me feel better, or worse," I said quietly.

"I understand," Hollis replied quietly, then rose. "But think about it. If he's willing to do it, it could very well be the quickest way to draw out both the ghost and Brenna - but most importantly the ghost. A bit of embarrassment for you and him could save lives."

He left quietly, closing the door behind him and leaving me with the girls and our thoughts. We finished our breakfast before any of us spoke again.

"He's right, Mistress," Athena said quietly as she gathered our bowls back onto the tray. "If Detective Donovan is willing to help, who is it hurting? You might even enjoy it a bit."

I sighed. "I know. It's just..." I trailed off, not sure how to put my feelings into words.

As usual, my darling Artemis spoke the plain truth. <>

I snorted. "Blunt, but accurate enough."

Athena smiled. "Ask first, Mistress. Isn't that what you taught us?"

"And here come my own words, returned to me by my familiar," I said mockingly. "Point taken. All right, I'll ask."