Kage’s POV

  The warmth of Zara’s body pressed against mine was the first thing I registered as I woke. My arm was draped around her waist, her back snug against my chest, the steady rise and fall of her breathing lulling me into a rare moment of peace. I wasn’t used to this—to waking up with someone beside me, to the quiet, comfortable stillness of morning before the weight of the day pressed down.

  I tightened my grip slightly, savoring the feel of her in my arms, but the moment was short-lived. The bed shifted, and a soft murmur left Zara’s lips as she stirred, stretching against me before rolling onto her back. Her green eyes fluttered open, meeting mine with that sleepy, half-aware gaze that made my chest tighten in ways I wasn’t prepared for.

  “Morning,” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

  I brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. “Morning.”

  A slow, lazy smile tugged at her lips before she sighed, pushing herself up. “Malrick’s probably already awake.”

  I groaned, rubbing my face. “Kid doesn’t know how to sleep in.”

  Zara smirked as she slid out of bed, stretching before grabbing a robe. “Come on, detective. Time to face the day.”

  I watched her go, my gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary before finally forcing myself to get up.

  By the time I stepped out of the bedroom, Zara was already in the common room, and Malrick sat stiffly at the table, sipping at a cup of tea, his crimson-lit veins dim but ever-present. He was alert, rigid, as if expecting something to go wrong at any moment.

  The moment the front door burst open, he nearly jumped out of his seat.

  A skeletal cat barreled through the entrance, bones clicking as it leaped onto Zara with a joyful, breathless energy that defied logic. Malrick let out a startled yelp, his chair scraping against the wooden floor as he scrambled back, wide-eyed.

  Zara laughed, ruffling the patches of dark fur clinging to Bones’ frame. “Malrick, meet Bones.”

  Malrick stared, mouth slightly agape. “That’s… that’s a skeleton.”

  “I raised him,” Zara explained, scratching under Bones’ jaw as his tail—or what was left of it—wagged enthusiastically. “Completely harmless. Unless you’re a rat.”

  Bones turned his empty eye sockets to Malrick and tilted his head, sniffing the air despite his obvious lack of a nose. Malrick still looked wary, but he hesitantly lowered himself back into his chair. “Right. Sure. A skeleton cat.”

  I smirked, pouring myself a cup of coffee. “You’ll get used to it.”

  Zara was taking Malrick to the university today to help integrate him into a structured environment, while I had business at the precinct. As much as I wanted to keep an eye on the kid, I knew I had my own responsibilities to handle.

  Zara stood by the door, adjusting her satchel as Malrick shifted uncertainly beside her. She looked at me, a silent exchange passing between us—trust. She could handle him. He was in good hands.

  “Try not to get into any trouble,” I told her, smirking.

  She rolled her eyes. “Says the one heading to the precinct.”

  Before she could step out, I caught her wrist, pulling her back just enough to press a quick, lingering kiss to her lips. She blinked up at me, momentarily surprised, before a smirk curved her mouth.

  “Really, Kage?” she murmured.

  I shrugged, my grip loosening just enough to let her go. “For luck.”

  She huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head before slipping out the door with Malrick at her side.

  I watched as they left, Malrick casting one last glance over his shoulder before disappearing down the street beside her.

  The precinct never changed. Even as I stepped through its doors, the stale scent of ink, sweat, and burnt coffee clung to the air, wrapping around me. The noise was familiar—detectives murmuring over cases, the occasional raised voice from the holding cells, the rhythmic tapping of fingers on desks.

  I found Hall at his usual spot, his desk buried under a pile of paperwork that he looked seconds away from setting on fire. His eyes flicked up as I approached, his brow lifting slightly. “You look well-rested.”

  I ignored the jab and sat down across from him. “Malrick is making progress.”

  That got his attention. Hall set down his pen and leaned back in his chair. “Already?”

  “He’s cautious, but he’s trying. He’s learning not to take life force by accident. That’s more than I expected this soon.”

  Hall let out a long breath, rubbing a hand over his face. “And you really think he can be trained?”

  I nodded. “I know what it’s like to be him, Hall. And I know what happens when people like us are left to fend for themselves. He needs this. He needs someone to believe in him.”

  Hall studied me for a long moment before sighing and reaching into a drawer. He pulled out a file and slid it across the desk. “Fine. But you’re responsible for him, Kage. If this goes south—”

  “It won’t.”

  Hall gave me a sharp look but didn’t argue. “Alright. But keep me updated. And if anything changes…”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  Hall nodded, rubbing his temples as he picked up another report. “You always do.”

  I flipped open the file he’d given me, scanning the contents quickly. Missing magicals. Not just one or two—several, all from different districts, disappearing without a trace. No bodies. No reports of relocation. Just gone.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “These aren’t isolated cases, are they?” I muttered, flipping through the pages.

  Hall’s jaw tightened. “No. And that’s what worries me.”

  I scanned the notes left by other detectives. Their conclusions were predictable—“likely fled,” “no evidence of foul play,” “magicals are choosing to leave.” I clenched my jaw. “They’re sweeping this under the rug.”

  “Some of them are,” Hall admitted, his voice low. “The Sovereign Order is pushing for containment policies. Too many people in this building are listening. They think the disappearances are convenient.”

  I let out a slow breath, forcing the anger curling in my gut to settle. “You have a lead for me?”

  Hall nodded and pulled out a smaller note from the folder. “A witness saw someone being taken two nights ago near the slums. Said they were grabbed off the street and dragged into a car. No one’s reported seeing them since.”

  That was something.

  I pushed up from my chair, tucking the file under my arm. “I’ll check it out.”

  Hall gave me a hard look. “Watch your back, Kage. If this is bigger than we think, you’re going to be stepping on the wrong toes.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  The slums were eerily quiet for this time of day. Shadows clung to the corners of buildings, stretching long under the weak morning sun. I kept my coat drawn tight, my steps silent as I navigated the winding alleyways, searching for anything that might lead me to the missing magical.

  The witness had been vague—just a shadowy figure, a quick struggle, and then nothing. But as I reached the spot they’d described, something else caught my attention.

  A young boy watched me from a small window across the street, his eyes wide with something between curiosity and fear. His small hands gripped the wooden frame, knuckles white as he hesitated, like he was debating whether to disappear or stay put. There was something in his expression—a wariness, an understanding—that made me pause.

  I took a careful step toward the boy, keeping my voice calm. “Hey, kid. You saw something, didn’t you?”

  The boy hesitated, glancing back into the darkness of his home like he was waiting for someone to stop him. But then he looked back at me, his lips pressing into a thin line. Slowly, he nodded.

  I crouched slightly, keeping my stance open, non-threatening. “I need to know what you saw. A person—someone like me, maybe? Someone with magic?”

  The boy swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the windowsill. “They took him.”

  “Who? Who took him?”

  He shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know who they were. Just—just men. They grabbed him when he walked past. He fought, but they hit him and dragged him away.”

  I kept my voice steady, though something cold coiled in my gut. “Did you see anything else? Something that stood out?”

  The boy hesitated, his small hands trembling. Then, finally, he whispered, “They wore silver bands. On their arms.”

  The Sovereign Order.

  I clenched my jaw, forcing my expression to stay neutral even as my mind raced. That was all I needed to know.

  I nodded at the boy, my voice quieter now. “You did good. Stay inside, alright? If you see anything else, don’t follow, don’t talk to them. Just keep your head down.”

  He nodded quickly, then disappeared back inside, the window shutting with a quiet click.

  I exhaled, standing. My hands curled into fists at my sides. The Sovereign Order wasn’t just spreading their message—they were taking people now.

  I needed to move. Fast.

  The streets were tight-lipped tonight, every alleyway and dimly lit corner holding secrets just out of reach. I had spent hours moving through the neighborhoods rumored to be under the Sovereign Order’s influence, but getting anyone to talk to me was proving impossible. People either averted their eyes the moment they saw me or slammed their doors before I could so much as ask a question.

  I was both a cop and a magical—an outsider no matter which way they looked at it. The Sovereign Order thrived on that fear, poisoning people’s minds against anyone who didn’t fit their narrow idea of purity. I wasn’t going to find an invitation to their ranks through polite inquiry.

  Frustration gnawed at me as I ducked into a small tavern near the docks. The place was mostly empty, save for a handful of tired-looking workers nursing drinks at their tables. I kept to the shadows, ordering a drink more for the cover than the need for it. It was then, in the quiet murmur of voices at the far end of the room, that I finally caught something useful.

  Two men hunched over their mugs, their voices low but urgent.

  “…warehouse near the docks, midnight,” one said, his tone edged with anticipation. “They say the higher-ups are coming. Something big’s happening soon.”

  The other man nodded, shifting in his seat. “Reckon they’ll finally take real action? Not just talk?”

  “Better. They’ve got a plan now. No more waiting. No more compromises.”

  I took a slow sip of my drink, hiding the tension coiling in my gut. This wasn’t just a recruitment gathering—they were organizing something.

  I didn’t wait to hear more. If I was going to figure out what the Order was planning, I needed to be at that meeting.

  The warehouse was a hulking, skeletal thing—long abandoned, its windows shattered, its doors barely hanging onto rusted hinges. But tonight, it was alive with activity. Lanterns burned low inside, casting flickering light through the broken windows, and figures moved through the open doors in steady streams. Men in coats, some armed, all with the telltale silver bands wrapped around their arms.

  I kept to the shadows, my magic curling around me as I faded into the darkness. This wasn’t a fight I could win by brute force. If they saw me, I’d be dead before I could get a word in. No, I needed to listen. I needed to understand just how deep their plans ran before I made my move.

  Sliding through the cracks between light and dark, I moved unseen along the outer walls, slipping in through a side entrance where the shadows were thickest. The interior was worse than I expected—makeshift banners hung from the rafters, bearing the Sovereign Order’s insignia. Dozens of men gathered in a loose circle, listening intently as a speaker stood atop a wooden crate, his voice carrying through the space with terrifying conviction.

  “…No more hiding. No more allowing these magicals to run unchecked in our city! They threaten our way of life, our safety, and our children’s futures. And we have done nothing but watch!”

  A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.

  “Tonight, that changes. Tonight, we take our city back!”

  My stomach tightened. This wasn’t just a meeting—it was a call to action.

  The speaker continued, his voice dripping with venom. “The university has become a breeding ground for magical corruption. We know it. We’ve seen it. And yet, the council refuses to act. But we?” He spread his arms. “We will.”

  A cheer went up.

  My pulse pounded in my ears. They were planning something. Something against the university.

  I needed to know more. The university—Zara, Malrick, all of them—could be in danger, and I couldn’t afford to let that happen. I shifted closer, keeping to the shadows as the speaker continued.

  “We will not sit by while our city is overrun! The university is the heart of their corruption. The place where they teach magicals to think they’re above us! The council may be too afraid to act, but we aren’t. We will strike where it hurts them the most!”

  A roar of approval spread through the crowd, fists raised in agreement. My hands curled into tight fists at my sides. If they were planning an attack, I had to stop it.

  The speaker motioned to someone in the crowd, and a man stepped forward, holding a strange metallic device in his hands. It was small, cylindrical, and had an eerie red crystal embedded at its center.

  “With this,” the leader said, voice thick with satisfaction, “we can detect magical filth no matter how well they hide. No more shadows to slink into. No more tricks.”

  My stomach twisted. Whatever that device was, it had the potential to expose me. The man with the device activated it, and a sharp, rhythmic beeping filled the space. He began walking slowly around the room, scanning the area. The beeping remained steady—until he neared the corner where I was hidden. The sound quickened, sharp and insistent.

  Shit.

  I had seconds to act. Holding my breath, I pulled the shadows tighter around myself, sinking deeper into their embrace. Then, with a swift movement, I let them swallow me whole, slipping into the dimension where darkness ruled.

  The world twisted, turning cold and weightless. Sound dulled, and I moved unseen through the swirling abyss of the shadow plane, emerging blocks away in a darkened alley near the precinct. My heart pounded in my chest as I steadied myself, lungs burning from the sudden shift.

  I had my proof now. The Sovereign Order wasn’t just planning an attack—they had tools to hunt magicals. And the university was their next target.

  I had to warn Zara. Immediately.