killed by the shadow, we will have a name immediately, and if not, we can still identify their murderer.”
“Fair enough. What if they won’t listen to you?”
“I will make them listen.” She might put them at risk, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary to stop the rampage of the killer.
The peacekeepers laughed at her. They hooted and pointed at the crazy Citadel Master right up until the moment when Lee pulled the captain’s soul out and held it in her hands. The body dropped to the ground, and Lee put enough energy in it to make sure that the women around her could make out the features.
“Your drop probably bruised you but back you go.” Lee eased the captain back into her body.
Lee straightened again and addressed the room. “Now, again, my name is Soul Master Leadra of Resicor, and I am seeking murder victims from the last four weeks. I need a list of the locations of the bodies and someone to write down the names I am going to get from the souls.”
The captain shook her head and got to her feet. “I apologize for the laughter, Soul Master, but you can understand how it sounded. We don’t have talents here, though we acknowledge that they exist. You just need the bodies?”
“I am looking for one killer who has travelled from star to star, jumping from body to body. He must kill a body to free himself, but he can enter any that he chooses.”
The captain rubbed her arm. “That is very interesting, but how do you know that such a creature exists?”
Lee swallowed and said calmly. “Because I was there when he killed my parents, my sister and then, he freed himself by throwing my brother’s body off a bridge. He jumped into a local law enforcement officer and sneered at my grief. I was not able to stop him then, but I can do it now.”
The room was silent and only breathing could be heard.
“So, the victims?” She stood with her hands relaxed at her sides. No threat to anyone physically.
The captain jerked her head. “We keep the victims in storage until we solve the crime. You will be taken to all unsolved victims.”
“I only have two days here, so the sooner the better. Thank you.”
A woman with sergeant markings smiled nervously. “This way, please.”
Lee moved and N’ran followed her.
“He can’t come. A man isn’t allowed to be involved in an investigation.” The sergeant scowled.
“He is my partner; he also takes care of my creature. If you want to take care of Krix, you are welcome to try.”
Krix obligingly spread his stubby wings and screamed.
The sergeant watched as N’ran soothed the fluffy beast back into a calm doze.
“Right. Well, he can’t touch the bodies.”
“I don’t want to touch them either; I just want to pull the souls out and ask them some questions. Some folks may have moved on, but murder victims tend to linger.”
The sergeant didn’t answer; she led them down into the depths of the building.
Lee kept her senses open; she had checked every woman and the few men in the peacekeeper bullpen, but she hadn’t seen anything. All the souls were bright and unobscured.
“We don’t actually believe in souls, Soul Master.”
Lee smiled. “Some call it souls, others consciousness, others living energy, others the inner being. Whatever you call it, I can speak to it.”
The sergeant opened the storage room doors and let Lee and N’ran follow her inside.
The moment that they passed the heavy outer doors, Lee felt the aura that she had been searching for. “It can’t be that easy.”
N’ran spoke quietly, “What?”
“He’s in here. I can feel him.” Lee looked at the sergeant. “What happens to the bodies after they die?”
“Most citizens wear a flash unit that cools the body immediately and records time of death. We investigate and then store the victim.”
Lee looked at the walls marked with case numbers. “This one.”
The sergeant scowled. “That one isn’t a victim. He is a suicide at the scene of a
“Fair enough. What if they won’t listen to you?”
“I will make them listen.” She might put them at risk, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary to stop the rampage of the killer.
The peacekeepers laughed at her. They hooted and pointed at the crazy Citadel Master right up until the moment when Lee pulled the captain’s soul out and held it in her hands. The body dropped to the ground, and Lee put enough energy in it to make sure that the women around her could make out the features.
“Your drop probably bruised you but back you go.” Lee eased the captain back into her body.
Lee straightened again and addressed the room. “Now, again, my name is Soul Master Leadra of Resicor, and I am seeking murder victims from the last four weeks. I need a list of the locations of the bodies and someone to write down the names I am going to get from the souls.”
The captain shook her head and got to her feet. “I apologize for the laughter, Soul Master, but you can understand how it sounded. We don’t have talents here, though we acknowledge that they exist. You just need the bodies?”
“I am looking for one killer who has travelled from star to star, jumping from body to body. He must kill a body to free himself, but he can enter any that he chooses.”
The captain rubbed her arm. “That is very interesting, but how do you know that such a creature exists?”
Lee swallowed and said calmly. “Because I was there when he killed my parents, my sister and then, he freed himself by throwing my brother’s body off a bridge. He jumped into a local law enforcement officer and sneered at my grief. I was not able to stop him then, but I can do it now.”
The room was silent and only breathing could be heard.
“So, the victims?” She stood with her hands relaxed at her sides. No threat to anyone physically.
The captain jerked her head. “We keep the victims in storage until we solve the crime. You will be taken to all unsolved victims.”
“I only have two days here, so the sooner the better. Thank you.”
A woman with sergeant markings smiled nervously. “This way, please.”
Lee moved and N’ran followed her.
“He can’t come. A man isn’t allowed to be involved in an investigation.” The sergeant scowled.
“He is my partner; he also takes care of my creature. If you want to take care of Krix, you are welcome to try.”
Krix obligingly spread his stubby wings and screamed.
The sergeant watched as N’ran soothed the fluffy beast back into a calm doze.
“Right. Well, he can’t touch the bodies.”
“I don’t want to touch them either; I just want to pull the souls out and ask them some questions. Some folks may have moved on, but murder victims tend to linger.”
The sergeant didn’t answer; she led them down into the depths of the building.
Lee kept her senses open; she had checked every woman and the few men in the peacekeeper bullpen, but she hadn’t seen anything. All the souls were bright and unobscured.
“We don’t actually believe in souls, Soul Master.”
Lee smiled. “Some call it souls, others consciousness, others living energy, others the inner being. Whatever you call it, I can speak to it.”
The sergeant opened the storage room doors and let Lee and N’ran follow her inside.
The moment that they passed the heavy outer doors, Lee felt the aura that she had been searching for. “It can’t be that easy.”
N’ran spoke quietly, “What?”
“He’s in here. I can feel him.” Lee looked at the sergeant. “What happens to the bodies after they die?”
“Most citizens wear a flash unit that cools the body immediately and records time of death. We investigate and then store the victim.”
Lee looked at the walls marked with case numbers. “This one.”
The sergeant scowled. “That one isn’t a victim. He is a suicide at the scene of a
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