The Heirs (The Heart's Edge Series, Book #1)

Chapter 20

The narrow path cleared in front of me and Julius lifted his head to look at whatever was disturbing his investigation. His furrowed brows relaxed quickly and he stood up.

"I sent-", He started.

"Yes, I guessed." I rolled my eyes. "Do not do that again."

"It's too dangerous." He sighed.

"I doubt the murderer is sitting right around here." I dismissed him.

"They could be hiding. This one is-" he motioned to the shrouded corpse. "-particularly gruesome."

I looked between him and the woman before kneeling down and lifting the cloth.

Pale skin- ghastly, parted blue lips and closed eyes. I sat in silence for a second- she could hardly be older than myself.

I tried praying for her as I moved the shroud but Ravenswood's father said quietly, "You should inspect this in the laboratory."

Julius replied, "Let her. If there is someone who could take it, it's her ."

I glanced at them, confused, "She has been poisoned, right?"

"Most of the symptoms match the rest of the victims. " Ravenswood nodded. "At least, for the primary cause of death."

"Then what is the matter?" I looked back at the woman. Slowly, I pulled down the white cloth. It was pristine- not even a speck of blood. No sign of a mortal wound. She looked like the other victims. That is, until you pull down the shroud from her chest.

No blood- because she had been drained.

No blood- because her heart had been removed.

I stared at the red void in the middle of her chest. The loud silence of the dungeons overwhelmed me. Somewhere deep inside, I heard the flapping of leathery wings. My eyes refused to move away from the grotesque scene in front of them. My body was frozen in shock at the brutality when a new set of footsteps sounded in the silent archway.

Professor Sclovisky barged right in and upon reaching us said, "Julius, Rose- in the laboratory. We can not afford to waste a single second."

"Yes, uncle." Ravenswood said.

I stepped back when the soldiers arrived to carry the body and hastily followed them alongside Professor and Ravenswood. The entire castle was being turned upside down in the search of the murderer but there was no sign of anyone coming in. There wasn't even any sign of the instruments that are needed to drain dead bodies of blood.

"What have you deduced, Julius?" Professor said as soon as the body was placed on the metal table.

My hands moved methodologically as I sterilised the scalpels while Julius answered, "She has all the signs of being poisoned. That must mean she was poisoned before her heart was removed. It's very clear from the symptoms that she too was a victim of the same killer."

Professor nodded as I handed him forceps and he inspected the flesh around her chest. "Do you have anything to add, Rose? We can see the method of the killing has remained consistent but now our friend has added a new bit of flair to this."

I observed him carefully pluck out a little piece of her skin, right around her missing heart and carefully place it in a Petri dish. Instead of answering, I posed my own question, "What have you gathered from investigating Lord Jakoste?"

It seemed too obvious for him to kill someone inside the palace as he must already know he was suspect in the murder of his ex-wife but perhaps he was too far gone in his bloodlust. Maybe he just needed to kill.

Professor looked at me, "There is no obvious proof against him, however, given the dire circumstances and how this could have been a member of the royal family-", he gestured to the deceased woman, "-every suspect has been placed under house arrest."

Ravenswood added, "It is not so easy to throw nobles in jail."

I wanted to glare at him. I wanted to say "People have died." But I knew what he meant. I had seen far too many powerful people get away with far too much in my father's court. If we wanted anyone behind bars, we would need a heap of evidence. And we needed it quick.

Professor muttered, "A murder inside the palace. In my entire life, I never-"

Ravenswood interrupted, "Have you met mother?"

"No. No, Regina is too busy with the new security arrangements." He shook his head. "Maybe I should-"

My eyes focused on something right in front of me and I blurted out, "Do you think she was murdered right this morning?"

Both men paused to look at me. Julius replied, "That is highly unlikely-"

"Exactly." I cut him off before crossing the room and retrieving jar from the bottom shelf. "We found her body today, but I think we may have found her heart much earlier." Quickly, placing the jar by the body, I explained, "It was never the coachman's heart. It was hers. She has been dead for almost three weeks. It's winter- the decomposition has been slowed down. Bodies have been preserved in snowy mountains for years without decomposition setting in."

Professor's eyes lit up as he leaned forward, "Brilliant, Rose."

Ravenswood paced around the room, picking at the skin of his ink covered fingers, "That means our coachman could very well be alive. It means he could be the killer we have been looking for all along!"

"But why would he kill anyone?" I questioned.

"Superstition." Ravenswood said. "The locals are very superstitious. The draining of the blood, the heart being removed- this could all point to some kind of ritualistic killing. Or perhaps-"

I cut him off while shaking my head, "No. This is too dangerous for a ritualistic killing. He could have picked more vulnerable people. A noble woman? Placing a body inside the palace? No, this is not the work of a fanatic."

"She is right." Professor chimed in. "This us targeted. My worst fear may be true after all."

"Which is what?" Ravenswood frowned.

"That this may be the work of a political opposition. Perhaps, another kingdom." He rubbed his temple.

"But what would they gain from this?" I shook my head. Sure, one of the victims was a noble woman but it's not as if she was a member of the court.

"Intimidation." Ravenswood said grimly. "When the killing of Lady Sandra so close to the palace did not get father's attention, they just had to do something that would rattle everyone."

"You don't seem rattled." I commented.

"That's because they have not succeeded." He almost smiled. "This is only another body. Hardly anything to sweat over."

I rolled my eyes at his cool arrogance, "As you please. Just don't say that in front of the victim's family."

"That will only happen-", professor interrupted, "-if we succeed in identifying her."

"I have an idea about who she may be." I traced my finger on the cool edge of the table, careful not to touch the body.

Professor looked at me with intrigue as I said, "This could be the Dorothy Wheeler we have been trying to find."