Chapter 18 · Orders in the Bell

"Captain." Greeve's voice came through the radio clipped to her belt. "We found two more bodies in the west tower. Bell ringers. Throats cut."

Mara pressed the transmit button. "Mark the location. Don't touch anything."

"Already done. But Captain, there's something else."

"Say it."

"The blood's still warm."

Rowan was three steps behind her, close enough that she could hear his breathing change. "How long does it take blood to cool?"

"Depends." She didn't slow down. The stone corridor leading to the bell tower spiraled up, narrow enough that her shoulders nearly brushed both walls. "Twenty minutes. Maybe less in this cold."

"So whoever did it is still here."

"Or they left when we came in." She stopped at the landing, one hand going to the knife at her hip. "Stay behind me."

"You keep saying that."

"You keep not listening."

He moved up beside her anyway, close enough that their arms touched. "I died six times yesterday. I think I can handle stairs."

"Yesterday you had a reset button." She pushed the door open with her boot, knife already drawn. "Today you just bleed."

The bell chamber was empty. Or it looked empty.