Page 19 of The Demon's Spell

“You were first at the scene,” Sheriff Baker accused.

Warbright shook from head to toe and tried to hide his sniffles. He could hardly stomach a corpse, let alone explain himself. More than that, this man had lost a teaching partner—a friend.

“Sheriff, can’t you see this man is innocent?” I demanded. “He can’t handle the sight of blood. Do you really think he’s capable of hurting someone like this?”

Sheriff Baker narrowed his eyes on me. “What exactly are you doing here? Seems awfully strange you would just stumble across a crime scene like this.”

“I heard the screams, just like twenty other students leaving class,” I stated.

Professor Leto stepped forward. I didn’t know what he was still doing here.

“Sheriff, might I suggest you gather your evidence before interrogating the witnesses?” Leto said. “This body is at a very critical stage post-mortem. We may have a chance to preserve it for use in our classes.”

So that’s what that hungry look had been about. Did he see us all as nothing more than walking corpses? No wonder he belonged in the Abyss.

“Are you serious right now?” I snapped. Demon or not, I wouldn’t let this slide.

Leto smirked. “The priestesses asked me to teach Mortana magic. I only have the best interest of my students at heart.”

Verla frowned. The way she glared at Professor Leto indicated she had a less than pleasant relationship with him. I wasn’t sure she’d wanted him to teach here, but if the priestesses demanded it, she didn’t have a choice.

“With all due respect, Professor Leto, this man just died,” Verla said, trying to keep her cool. “Let’s take a moment to process this. If this is truly what it looks like, the school is unsafe. It’s imperative we respond to this in an effective manner that ensures the safety of our students and faculty. Sheriff, what are your thoughts?”

Sheriff Baker conjured a rubber glove and snapped it on his hand. He carefully bent and lifted the gauze off Professor Perez’s chest. A sickly expression crossed his features, before he composed himself.

He stood up straight and cleared his throat. “It definitely looks like foul play involving magic. We will be conducting a thorough investigation.”

Professor Warren turned to me. “Lucas, do you have any idea who could’ve done this?”

My gaze darted to Professor Leto for a moment, but he didn’t notice. “Why would I?”

“You heard his last thought, didn’t you?” Professor Warren asked. He was trying to be helpful.

I nodded. “Yeah, but he didn’t say who killed him.”

“What exactly did he say?” Sheriff Baker demanded.

I hesitated. I didn’t like to share people’s last thoughts. If they were meant for the coven to hear, then they’d be available to everyone, but they weren’t. I was the one tasked with holding on to them.

But this was a murder. If I could contribute to catching the killer, then perhaps I could save a life.

“He said, ‘It wasn’t him,’” I told the sheriff. He looked annoyed that that’s all there was, so I added, “I don’t know what it means. It could be about his death, or something else entirely.”

Sheriff Baker looked less than pleased. He turned to Verla. “Headmistress, can you think of anyone who would have a reason to target one of your staff members?”

She shook her head. “People loved Professor Perez. He’s been teaching intercast magic for years, and we’ve never received a complaint—”

She cut off, and something in her features changed.

“Perhaps his position made him a target,” she said thoughtfully. “The Casts are dividing, yet his role is to teach how the Casts are stronger together. Perhaps someone didn’t take kindly to those values.”

Baker smirked, like he thought Perez got what he deserved. He didn’t voice his opinions, though. Instead, he said, “It’s an angle we’ll consider.”

He asked a bunch of other questions, but I didn’t know the answers to them. Eventually, he let me go.

I rushed to the nearest bathroom as quickly as I could. Oliver followed and meowed softly once we were alone. He seemed concerned, but I didn’t know what to tell him. I leaned over the sink and began scrubbing my hands vigorously. By now, the blood had dried onto my skin. My stomach hollowed as the bloody water swirled down the drain. I could still feel the pressure of Professor Perez’s hand in mine, and the way it went limp when his spirit departed his body.

The door opened, and I jumped when Professor Warren entered the bathroom. I straightened at the sink, but continued washing, even though the water had run clear already.