#erinwrites

 ‘It was Jamie.’ She replied ‘That’s his sofa. This was where he went. I- I never knew, I thought they just had a den out here.’ 

Thetis moved over to the sofa, pulling a set of gloves over her hands as she examined the sofa and the shattered remains of the bottle next to it. Nelly moved over to the table in the middle of the room, looking at the haphazardly piled schoolwork and joke plans, and the blood-spattered medical kit just next to it. The kit was torn open, icepacks, disinfectant, sterile thread and needles, everything trailing from the tiny table to the sofa and the messy pile of bedding next to the fireplace. 

 ‘This is hawthorn over here.’ Thetis said from the floor ‘Someone knew what they were doing.’

 ‘Should we call the others?’ Nelly asked as she peered into the kitchen.

 ‘No point. Annet had a dead zone set up for a good 100 metre radius around the place and we want to be out of here quickly. We can bring back a crime scene photographer later. What do you think about what happened here?’

Nelly walked back over to the sofa and forced all her compassion down into a recess. She could feel about it later, but right now she had a job to do. She looked at the stained needle and thread sticking out of the cushions, all the deep rusty bloodstains and there was only one conclusion to her.

 ‘Ashleigh wasn’t lying.’ Nelly said, tearing her eyes away from the sight ‘This has to be enough evidence for Todd and the others. It has to be.’

Thetis nodded as she stood up, moving to comfort Nelly as she stepped carefully over the broken glass.

 ‘I believe you.’ She said levelly ‘but what we really need to do is talk to the two fey involved.  Coal has spoken to a hive of Sprites and they should be bringing the boy down from the Rhymers Folly Range as we speak, but they wouldn’t say anything about the girl. They called her “Woodachre”, does that have any meaning to you?’

Nelly shook her head, thinking about the conversation she’d have to have with Wilhelm if Storm was found or Jamie caught. She might call Wilhelm’s Dad... see if she could arrange a visit, Wilhelm needed his Dad at the moment... and then there was the whole business of trying to shut down all the anti-fey sentiment, everything Jamie did was only making it worse and the Bane Squad had their hands full enough as it was. 

 ‘Stefanson don’t tune out on me now.’ Thetis said, gently waving her gloved hand in front of Nelly’s eyes. ‘We’ll do a quick search inside then we go outside, sound good to you?’

Nelly nodded numbly and together they continued the search through the house.

Nelly found the two rucksacks crammed with clothing and food in the cupboard like space that was Jamie’s room, while Thetis carefully placed Storm’s ruined dress into a plastic bag she took from the kitchen. Nelly pulled out her phone to take as many good photos of the rooms as she could, paying careful attention to the bloodstains and the metallic looking swabs half-burnt in the fireplace. The rest of the search didn’t yield as much (although Nelly did find a few missing items from the VanCharli household that Markus had been complaining about) and Thetis kept remarking on what a nice little cottage it was. They looked in all of the old secret compartments Annet had built, not finding any snippet of prophecy or tip that could help them in the long run. All there was was a copy of a prophecy Annet made that they already had on record, covered in notes and interpretations that Nelly recognised as Jamie’s. 

The search outside didn’t yield much either, although they did find a few wolfprints and a tattered scrap of grey shirt that was caught on some bramble next to the well. The fabric reeked of raw meat and wet dog. Nelly shuddered. It smelt just like the sleeve that had been left two years ago where they had found Hunter’s body, or what was left of it.

 ‘Great.’ Nelly groaned ‘I’m gonna have to send out a warning that that lunatic is wandering around again too. Come on, let’s keep moving.’

They followed the wolf prints a little deeper into the trees, to where they ended at a toppled oak tree, covered in iced over honeysuckle. The forest was still here and all the hair on the back of Nelly’s neck stood on end. There was a strange sad energy here, like the trees themselves hummed with electricity. Nelly’s teeth ached.

 ‘Something’s here...’ Thetis murmured, staring at the log. ‘Something we are not to interfere with.’

 ‘What do you mean?’ Nelly asked.

 ‘When we formed the Bane Squad we all made an agreement with the heads of the Seelie and Unseelie Court.’ Thetis said, still staring at the log. ‘We were not to disturb the catacombs beneath Mt Agog or the Rhymers Folly Range, or anything similar. They showed us what these places felt like... I’ll never forget the feeling, and this is it. Let's go back to town, now!’

Nelly took a step closer to the oak log, reaching out to it. She could see a smear of red on one of the knots that wasn’t covered in snow.

 ‘What’s that?’

 ‘Don’t touch it!’ Thetis snapped, pulling Nelly’s hand back. ‘We need to go back now!’

Nelly snatched her hand back, scowling a little at Thetis. 

 ‘Sorry, but this is my job. There’s something about this log that is odd, and may add to the case!’

Thetis shook her head angrily.

 ‘Look, I know it’s your job, but if I let you do this it could cost me more than mine! Let's go back to town, and I’ll make the coffee eh?’

Nelly sighed, taking one more long longing look at the log. There was an answer in there, she felt it in her gut. But the Bane Squad held higher authority than she did. Perhaps she would sneak back later.

 ‘Fine. But you need to explain to me why so I can put it in my report.’

 ‘Deal.’

They walked in silence, save for the crisp crunching of the snow. 

Nelly looked around. It seemed oddly quiet in the forest and she asked Thetis if this was normal.

 ‘Oh, yes.’ Thetis said quietly ‘This forest goes very quiet when there’s a monster sent over. I’m sorry we couldn’t save Martin by the way, but once a dog sets after its prey there’s nothing we can do to stop it.  How is his partner?’

 ‘She’s not coping well.’ Nelly replied ‘Todd tried to give her some bereavement time, but she wants to channel her grief into catching the fey boy. She wouldn’t listen to me about it being a bad idea.’

 ‘I can have a chat with her if you want.’ Thetis said, breath emerging in a small cloud in front of her face.

It was beginning to snow a little again, the white flakes murmuring gently through the bare branches of the trees. Nelly had always loved this time of year, particularly the afternoons after school or work where she could curl up next to the fire with a blanket and a good book, but this year felt different. It felt bleak, hopeless, like the summer would never return again.

There was a loud burst of static and both law enforcers nearly jumped clean out of their skins at the dreadful sound.

 ‘...SHIT!... This is Coal, he was JUST THERE and now he’s GONE!’ Came an incredibly irritated voice from the walkie-talkie on Thetis’s waist. They must have left the dead zone.

 ‘Hearing you loud and clear.’ Thetis responded quickly, holding up the static spitting device. ‘Where are you?’

 ‘The lowest foothill, but it’s too late Thetis, he’s one of the types that can walk between spaces. The bastard could be anywhere! The sprites weren’t lying either, he’s a firecaster and a pretty good one, but he does look very sick.’

 ‘We’ll post teams at each likely location.’  Baba’s voice echoed from the walkie-talkie ‘Please return to base location immediately so we can prepare for this evening's patrol.’