Scar's POV
Rhyn and I had been alerted of a discrepancy in the border check.
Apparently someone had come across a body.
We went out to investigate.
Several of our pack members were standing around, carefully cleaning off the corpse.
It had been there for only a day, but it was already starting to stink, and rot.
When I saw her, I froze.
"You recognize her?" the woman who'd discovered her asked. Her name was Raina, she was one of the few female werewolves that belonged to my pack specifically.
"She was one of us." Rhyn supplied.
I nodded slowly, stepping closer. The people stepped out of my way as I closed in.
I pushed her blond hair out of her face. It was bloody and swollen in places, but I knew it had to be her. Those ice blue eyes couldn't belong to anyone else "It's Kendra." I said softly.
She hadn't been my favorite person, but I couldn't hate her. Not really.
I closed her eyelids gently and stepped back to get a better look at her position.
She'd been nailed to the tree by her wrists, but I was pretty sure she'd been dead before then anyway. She was naked, though you couldn't really tell considering she was covered in grime and dried blood from the various gashes that covered her body. What parts of skin that weren't covered by the filth were marred by bruises.
"She was tortured." I bit out, a bitter taste in my mouth.
"It's a message?" Rhyn suggested.
I glanced back at him "Most definitely."
He nodded "We better take her back to Madge, then."
I nodded "And contact Talon."
I started in on the nails at her wrists as gently as possible. Just because she was dead didn't mean her body didn't deserve a certain respect.
I knew the Vampyres were behind this. They would have to be.
This meant that the war had begun.
Vasilisa's POV
Mom, Julie, and I had been practising all afternoon.
It was exhilarating, learning all of these new things.
Julie and Mom were looking quite tired after only a few spells.
"Dear God, woman, what is your stamina made of?" Julie exclaimed.
I grinned "Pure will power and stubbornness."
Mom laughed "You're just like my grandmother, Vas. She could do this forever and ever as well. A natural, she said she was."
I glanced at the tea on the table and focused to move their saucers to them. I didn't even have to use the oral incantations anymore.
They grasped the saucers out of mid-air and thanked me.
I hopped around happily "Yippee!"
Mother laughed "Oh, don't get so excited, you'll surely hurt yourself."
I sat down beside them on the rug "So, what will we learn next?"
Mother pursed her lips, thinking it over "I think I'll just let you two at the book."
Julie and I both appalled at the same time "Book?!"
She nodded "Yep, there's a book with a lot of spells in it. I could never really figure them all out on my own, but I'm sure between the three of us we could procure a few."
I asked "Are there curses in there?"
Mom nodded with a wicked gleam in her eye "Oh yes, once I gave Milly Hathaway measles. She'd been hanging around your father far too much for my liking and had the audacity to tell me that she'd steal him from me. Well, I showed her."
Julie and I laughed.
I asked, shaking my head in dismay "How did we not find out about this before?"
Mom shrugged "I wanted you girls to be as normal as possible. I was planning on it when you both reached around your mid-years, but then your father died and I decided to hold off. I suppose I never got around to it."
Julie frowned and then perked up, trying to lighten the mood "So, you were really waiting for us to find out who are husbands were, eh? You just wanted to make sure we wouldn't be bossed around."
Mother laughed "You two, be bossed around? I will never see the day."
I stood and walked over to the table to grab my own teacup when I saw a parade of the Lycanthropes walking down the street, carrying something long and slender. It was covered in a tarp though.
I frowned at it.
Scar was following the procession with Rhyn. They were in deep discussion with a nimble looking young wolf that was trotting beside them.
"Mom, Julie..." I started.
They were already coming to the window.
We watched them go by. After they disappeared down the street, I soon saw the wolf race back the way it came. That had to be one of the dispatchers.
"I'm going to see what's going on." I said.
Mom and Julie opted to stay home.
I saw a crowd at Madge's.
This would work out well. I was supposed to be collecting my concoctions from her anyway.
I'd tried sleeping without them the other night per her suggestions and woke my whole household up with my faint yelling.
I entered stealthily and saw the wolves that had carried the long, slender thing here.
I had a sinking suspicion that it was a body.
I followed them all and peeked in the doorway of the room.
It was a body. A woman's body, beaten and broken and bloody.
At least it wasn't torn apart, but still, it stirred up bad memories. I was staring at it in wide-eyed shock.
An iron-like grip circled my bicep, yanking me out into the hall "What the hell are you doing?" Scar growled.
I winced at his grip, frowning "Looking for Madge. What's going on in there?"
He didn't lighten up as he tugged me down the hall after him "That's none of your business. You shouldn't be looking at that...that..."
I mumbled "Body."
He stopped and pursed his lips, looking down at me somberly. I asked softly "Who is it?"
He took a deep breath "Do you remember the woman that you saw me with when we visited Talon's section?"
I nodded "That's her? But...she's all...all...dead." I mumbled, feeling slightly queasy.
He closed his eyes "Patrol found her nailed to a tree on our border. She'd been beaten bloody. It's those Vampyres. We're going to war."
I frowned "How do you know it's them?"
He asked harshly "Who else would it be?"
I pursed my lips "Why would they do that? Why her...Why that?"
He looked down at me, his features softening "Vas..."
Madge came out into the hall before he could finish.
She saw me and Scar and sighed "Girl...did you see..."
I nodded slowly.
She pursed her lips "I'll put an extra dose of the sleeping agent in there tonight. Scar, I'll be there in a minute."
Scar was scowling "What is she talking about?"
I shook my head, embarrassed to tell him I had to take medicines for nightmares like a child.
"I better follow her. See you later." I mumbled and scurried off after the old woman.
Scar's POV
I watched as the pale girl I hadn't seen since our lunch of fish two days ago scurried down the hall.
She was running away like a rabbit being chased by a fox...or a wolf if I wanted to be accurate.
I wanted to chase after her and talk things through - there were so many topics to cover after that conversation - things, Â but I couldn't. I had a dead body to decipher.
When Madge returned to the room where Kendra's body rested, she shot me a glance before getting to work.
She cleaned off all dirt and inspected wounds...and other parts "Signs of sexual activity..." She muttered. I stiffened.
She examined the wrists "She was bound by her hands...and feet, I'd say. There's strain in her shoulders and I don't think that was from hanging on a tree. She was hung for a while by her arms."
I pursed my lips as I listened to her "Ah. And here's the killing blow." She had opened up the mouth and stretched the tongue out, causing water to surface in the back of her throat "She was drowned, in a creek I'd say. It's clear water."
She frowned and pulled back, then turned to me "There's no bite marks, Scar."
I scowled "What do you mean there's no bite marks? Vampyres don't waste blood."
She shook her head "Then perhaps it wasn't them..."
I cut in "There's no way they didn't do this. Who else would have done it?"
She looked me in the eyes and said "The various cuts are similar to ones someone might make for...sacrificial purposes."
I frowned "So, who are you saying killed her?"
She replied in grave voice "A witch."