Chapter 221: Properties of Dark Materials
Siobhan
Month 8, Day 28, Saturday 12:00 p.m.
Liza reached up and drew out one of her decorative hair-sticks, partially loosening her mass of curls. She held it like a battle wand, her grip steady and practiced. Her left hand, bearing three chunky golden rings, came up in an outward facing fist, hinting at some kind of shield spell.
The sight jolted Siobhan into action. She drew out her own battle wand, the weight of it suddenly comforting in her hand. ‘Oh gods,’ Siobhan realized with a start, ‘someone might have actually killed him.’ The idea made her blood run cold.
Without a word, Liza began to sweep through the house, her movements precise and controlled. Professional.
Siobhan followed behind, trying to keep her attention focused wherever Liza wasn’t looking to provide a better range of cover. ‘That’s how the Red Guard or the military squads do it, right?’ She felt like a child mimicking what she had seen at the latest popular play. ‘I’m not trained for this!’
They moved from room to room, checking closets, under furniture, and behind curtains. ‘The front door was unlocked when we arrived,’ Siobhan remembered. However, there were no obvious signs of forced entry or struggle. The house seemed undisturbed, almost eerily so, given the circumstances.
As they progressed through the bathroom and bedroom, Liza paused to examine seemingly innocuous objects like a half-empty glass on the bedside table and the positions of Renaldo’s pillows.
Siobhan half-expected someone to jump out at them from every shadow. But the small apartment was empty. They made their way back to the living room where Renaldo’s body lay.