Ascended

The doctor’s office was cold.

It shouldn’t have been the first thing that I thought of as we walked into the building, but that’s what stood out to me the most.

Wreda’s body was in the back, with a single wound the size of two of my fingers above where her heart was. It looked like whoever the killer was, they favored using a specific weapon and were brutally efficient.

The scene inside the office looked like there had been at least a few fights and given that the doctor was still wearing a nightgown, I could only guess that the killer had either attacked them in bed or that they’d got them out of bed early this morning.

“Who has been here?” Master James looked at Gili.

The gray-haired guard shrugged. “I sent Eveth to go get ya as soon as we heard.” She nodded at the town leader. “Helru was supposed to see the doctor this morning, but says she found her like this.”

I could tell that the scene was getting to Val. I touched her arm, “Let’s step out for a moment.”

The redhead nodded and walked back out the door.

I touched Master James’ shoulder and leaned in, “Master Val and I are going to look around the house.”

The Bokor looked at me quizzically, but simply nodded as he turned back to his conversation with the captain of the guard.

“Are you doing okay?” I pulled Val around to the side of the building.

She nodded, but not in a way that could convince me that was the case.

“I was going to ask Master James if he thought it’d be a good idea for me to try to track down the Zombies in the woods.” I nodded to the north. “Any that we take out will be ones we don’t have to fight later if they are trying to take the town.”

Val looked back at the building, “I-I-I think I should stay.” She turned back to me. “He can’t do an investigation like this on his own and of the two of us, I’d be more useful here, but…” She took a deep breath, “No one should be going out there alone even if it is you.”

I shrugged, trying not to let my nerves show. “I’ll be fine on my own. I doubt the Zombies would even really try to hurt me, which means that I’m probably the best positioned to go out there alone.” I tried to read her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes.” She must have seen that I wasn’t buying it. “I will be and I’m not going to fall apart on him. There's too much at stake here and I know how to bottle things up so that I can focus on the mission. “

“So you’re not okay.”

“Can we save this for when we’re on the road again and need something to talk about?” She started to leave, “I’m going back in there, do you want me to say something about you going hunting?”

I shook my head. “I can do it.” I swallowed. It felt so strange to think about talking to someone like an equal when just a few days before, they had been a teacher and I had been a student. But if I was being honest, of all of the Masters at the Island, Master James was probably the one I would have the easiest time talking with like that.

Before I went back, I realized that there was some frost on the windowsill. It was the middle of the year, but even if it wasn’t. Frost was rare at the Island, let alone a little further south.

The closer I looked at it the more it looked like a handprint, but it was quickly melting in the morning warmth.

“Val. look at this.” I pointed at the shrinking patch of frost.

“Ice?” She knelt down in front of the window.

“It's almost like a handprint. But to do that…” I lifted up on the window and it slid open, with Master James, Helru, and Gili on the other side.

“I think we know how the killer got away.” Master James’ eyes followed mine down to the almost gone handprint.

It explained why the room was so cold. Whoever had killed the doctor had been using Ice magic during the struggle and if they used Ice magic, then they were either a Bokor or a Touched. And since I couldn’t imagine the Bokor assassinating people, especially without Master James knowing, which could only mean one thing.

The look on Master James' face told me that somehow he had figured this out as he shook his head.