𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐒 {spirit animals}

11. Misjudgements of the Prince

Shen stayed in the room for a bit longer than the others.

Emmett was dead?

Who on this island would kill a Greencloak?

As the other slowly left the room, his mind began to race. He didn't want to leave Leila and Serik to figure it out, as a gut feeling told him that for some reason, those two together would never be able to catch the murderer.

His first thought was Rae. The summoner of Ikaito never really seemed to like it here, and she definitely didn't look above killing. But it couldn't have been her, as he had seen her writing a letter home a mere hour or so ago, which was when Leila had concluded the murder took place.

Only an idiot would suspect Talona, Kolin, or Caspian for murdering anyone. Shen had seen those three prance around the castle, playing jokes on unsuspecting Greencloaks with that jackalope as if all of Erdas wasn't in dire danger. He'd much rather believe Emmett and slipped and fell rather than think one in that trio killed him.

Ylva? No, that was impossible. For starters, she didn't look like a killer to begin with. Shen had also spent all-day training in the combat room, and Ylva had been there most of the day too, which means there was no way she could have been in the library to kill Emmett.

Shen also knew for sure he hadn't done it, so that left only one possible suspect out of the seven Summoners of the legendary beasts.

Sucia.

He had been suspicious of that girl since the beginning. Shen didn't understand why, but ever since the seven summoners met, Sucia had been constantly shooting him nasty glances. He had tried to keep it blocked out of his head, but if Sucia had been the murderer, her mysterious demeanor would all make sense.

Liu the dragon was a hidden tattoo on his right shoulder. In a flash of bright light, the dragon materialized in front of him. In Liu's current form, he was the mere size of a small serpent, wrapped around Shen's neck like a scarf.

He saw the summoner of Electro head out the door, and Shen trailed her. Down the stairs, through the damply lit corridors and into the gardens of Greenhaven.

Sucia noticed him as the door closed behind him.

"Why are you following me?" The Niloan girl didn't turn around, barely stopped to glance at him. Electro the phoenix perched on her shoulder, fiery eyes watching Shen.

"You killed Emmett," He blatantly accused.

Sucia turned around, a quizzical glare on her face, "Excuse me?"

"Don't pretend," Shen lowered his voice as he walked closer, "You've been acting suspiciously ever since we arrived on this island. So answer my question, why did you kill him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sucia spat, "Why are you accusing me? Did you interrogate Rae yet?"

"I happen to be observant enough to see you're the only one in this castle who could have possibly been the murderer," Shen stood his ground, even though Sucia looked like she wanted to eat him alive, "On top of that, you've been acting strangely from the-"

"Do you want to know why?" Sucia's voice was now fiercely quiet, "I never murdered anyone, Shen. If anything, I have reason to ask where you were during the time of Emmett's death,"

"In the training room, being productive. As Ylva can testify,"

"Training," Sucia scoffed. Her voice was filled with a fiery passion, or hatred as it more so sounded like, "Let me tell you where I was, o great future emperor of Zhong, I was writing a letter to a family back at Nilo. Not my own, my grandparents stopped worrying about me long ago."