12. Chapter 12 A Tale of Shapeshifters

Chapter 12: A Tale of Shapeshifters

EVELYN

We gather in Ana's living room. Ana sits at the head of the table, and her fingers are tapping rhythmically. Beside me are the deputies I trust most from the department: Mark, Linda, and Teresa. They know the stakes and have proven their loyalty.

"We need to go over everything we have," I say, breaking the silence. "Alexei remembers having a drink with a woman, but he can't describe her face. He's certain he's never met her before. That's all he can recall."

Ana frowns, her eyes narrowing. "That's not much to go on. But Karla mentioned dark magic, right?"

I nod. "Yes. She said something's blocking his memory. Something strong."

Ana leans back, crossing her arms. "Dark magic used to be legal in Harmony Grove when we were kids. Only shapeshifters could use it. They practiced dangerous spells. I remember they could block and erase memories permanently. I saw my childhood friends do it to someone."

"Shapeshifters?" Mark asks, raising an eyebrow. "I thought they were extinct."

"They are," Ana replies. "After the Great War, none survived. Their power source was destroyed first, and without it, they couldn't survive. But if one did survive…"

Linda speaks up. "You're suggesting that a shapeshifter might be behind this? That's why no one remembers seeing the person?"

"Exactly," I say. "They could have changed their appearance multiple times."

Teresa nods. "It's a possibility. But how do we find a shapeshifter if we don't know what they look like?"

"We start looking into the history," Ana suggests. "Anyone who might have had a chance of surviving. Any old records we can find."

I agree. "We'll need to keep this meeting a secret. No one else can know. We reconvene later tonight."

The room falls silent as everyone processes the plan. It's risky, but it's our best shot.

"Alright," I say, standing up. "Let's get to work."

Mark, Linda, and Teresa leave to begin their tasks. Ana and I stay behind, pouring over old documents and records. The hours slip by as we dig deeper into the town's history.

"I found something," Ana says, holding up an old book. "This mentions a shapeshifter named Zara. She was rumored to have escaped the Great War."

"Do you think she could be the one?" I ask, leaning over to read.

"It's possible. But we need more proof," Ana replies.

We continue searching, but as the night drags on, exhaustion sets in. Finally, I dismiss everyone, insisting they get some rest.

"We'll meet tomorrow night," I remind them. "Same time, same place. And remember, keep this quiet."

They nod in agreement, filing out of the house. Ana walks me to the door.

"Do you think we're on the right track?" I ask her, my voice low.

Ana hesitates. "I don't know. But it's something. We can't give up now."

I smile, appreciating her determination. "Thank you, Ana. For everything."

She nods, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get through this, Evelyn. I know it."

As I drive home, my mind races with thoughts of the shapeshifter and the dark magic blocking Alexei's memory. It's a daunting task, but I refuse to let him suffer for something he didn't do. We have to find the truth, no matter how deep we must dig.

The next day at the department, I bury myself in old case files, searching for any mention of shapeshifters or dark magic. The deputies do the same, and by evening, we've compiled a list of names and leads.

We gather again at Ana's place, everyone looking more tired but just as determined.

"Any luck?" I ask, spreading the papers out on the table.

"Some," Mark says. "I found records of a few shapeshifters who might have survived. But nothing concrete."

Linda adds, "I spoke to an old-timer who remembered stories about Zara. She was seen years after the war, but right now it's just rumors."

"It's a start," Ana says. "We need to follow up on every lead."

We spend the night piecing together the fragments of information, slowly forming a clearer picture. The more we uncover, the more convinced I am that a shapeshifter is behind this.

"We need to confront Zara," I say finally. "If she's still alive, she'll have answers."

"Agreed," Ana says. "But we need to be careful. She's dangerous. All shapeshifters are always dangerous."

We formulate a plan, deciding to approach her cautiously. As the night wears on, I feel a glimmer of hope. We're getting closer.

When the meeting concludes, I remind everyone to stay quiet and vigilant. "We meet again tomorrow. Same time."

As I drive home, I think about the danger ahead. Confronting a shapeshifter won't be easy, but I'm ready. For Alexei, I'd face any threat. We'll uncover the truth, and we'll bring justice to Harmony Grove.

"Stay sharp," I tell them. "We don't know what she's capable of."

We set out, the weight of our mission pressing on us. It's a risk, but we're ready. For Alexei. For Harmony Grove.

When we arrive at Zara's last known location, surprisingly, it's a small home. We move quietly, surrounding the area. It doesn't fit the profile in my head.

"Ready?" I whisper to Ana.

She nods, her eyes steely. "Let's do this."

We move in, our steps silent, our hearts pounding. Inside, the atmosphere is charged, and every shadow is a potential threat.

We find Zara. She's older, but her eyes are sharp and cunning. She sees us and smiles, a knowing look in her eyes.

Zara's laughter echoes around the room, a dry, hollow sound. She looks at us with eyes that have seen too much, eyes that hold secrets we desperately need.

"Well, well," she says. "What brings you here?"

"We need answers," I say, stepping forward. "About Alexei. About the murders."

Her smile widens. "Do you now?"

Ana steps up beside me, her stance aggressive. "We know you're behind this. We need the truth."

Zara's laughter rings out again, colder this time. "Truth? You can't handle the truth."

"Try us," I say, my voice steady.

She looks at us, assessing us before her gaze turns somber. "You think I'm behind this? Look at me." She gestures to the wheelchair she's confined to. "I can no longer access my powers. I'm just an old woman waiting for death."

Ana sneers. "Convenient story. How do we know you're not lying?"

Zara's eyes flash with anger. "Foolish girl," she spits. "If I wanted my powers back, I'd need to find a powerful dead witch whose powers haven't returned to the source and transfer them. But even then," she looks down at her legs, "dark magic can't return what's lost forever."

Ana is still suspicious. "I don't believe you. You're the only one who could have done this."

Zara's laughter is sharp and mocking. "You truly are a fool, Ana. It's a pity because I expected better from you, being your mother's daughter. Do you not see? I'm trapped in this chair. I've been here for years. Dark magic can't fix my legs, let alone get me up to commit murders."

I step in before the tension boils over. "Thank you, Zara. We appreciate your time."

I grab Ana by the arm and drag her away. Once outside, I release her, taking a deep breath to calm myself.

"She's lying," Ana says, her voice trembling with anger. "She has to be."

"No," I say, shaking my head. "She's telling the truth. She's not behind this."

Ana looks at me, confused. "Then who?"

I look back at Zara's house, my mind racing. "She hinted that she's not the only one who survived the Great War. We need to find the others."

Ana sighs, rubbing her temples. "This is a mess."

"It is," I agree. "But we have to keep going. For Alexei."

Ana nods reluctantly. "Fine. What's our next move?"

"We need to find a powerful dead witch," I say. "Someone whose powers haven't returned to the source. And we need to figure out who else survived the Great War."

We head back to the car, our minds buzzing with the new information. As we drive, I can't help but feel a glimmer of hope. We're getting closer, piece by piece.

Back at the department, we regroup with Mark, Linda, and Teresa. They listen as we relay what Zara told us.

"So, we're looking for another survivor," Mark says, scribbling notes. "And a dead witch."

"Exactly," I say. "We need to go through the old records again. Look for any mention of witches who died but whose powers were unaccounted for."

The team nods and gets to work. The hours tick by as we sift through mountains of documents, piecing together the puzzle.

Linda finds something first. "I found a mention of a witch named Elara. She was powerful, but her powers were never confirmed to have returned to the source."

"Good," I say. "Keep looking. There might be more."

By the time we're done, we have a list of names. It's not long, but it's a start.

"We need to follow up on these," I say, tapping the list. "Find out where they were buried, if there were any unusual circumstances."

The team agreed, and we split up the tasks. As we leave, Ana pulls me aside.

"Do you really think this will work?" she asks, her voice soft.

"It's worth a shot," I say. For the first time in a while, it feels like we are actually making progress.

She nods, determination in her eyes. "Alright. Let's do this."

When we meet back at the department, armed with new information. We've tracked down several of the witches on our list, and a pattern is emerging.

"They were all buried in the same cemetery," Mark says, pointing to a map. "Right here."

"That's where we start," I say. "We need to go there, see if we can find any clues."

We gather our gear and head out. The cemetery is old and overgrown, and the graves are worn over time.

"Spread out," I say. "Look for anything unusual."

We comb the cemetery, checking each grave. It's tedious work, but finally, Linda calls out.

"Over here! I found something!"

We gather around as she points to a grave. The name on the headstone is Elara.

"There's something strange about the soil," she says, kneeling down. "It's been disturbed recently."

"Let's dig," I say, grabbing a shovel.

We work quickly, uncovering the grave. Inside, we find an empty coffin.

"She's gone," Ana whispers, her voice filled with awe.

"Or someone took her," I say grimly. "We need to find out who, and why."

We gather what evidence we can and head back to the department. It's late, and everyone is exhausted, but we're closer than ever to the truth.