Primalcraft: Sins of Bygone days (book 2)

Rituals in the Dark, Chapter 2

"Who is missing?" Alex asked, not even bother to greet Freya as she stood by the bar looking grim as ever.

"Erin Lewis."

Shit. That's Aeron's squirrel girlfriend. "Does anyone know yet?"

"No, she was visiting her parents in a close-by village but never got there. She has been missing the last couple of hours."

"Any traces?"

"Not much, I have talked to every connection I have but none has seen the girl."

Grimacing, Alex pulled up a bar stool. How many was this now, five? More. All suddenly vanish only to turn up dirty and tired but with no memory. First, they thought the witches had done something but then the news got out that something similar is happening to the witches. Most are livening outside the coven, and where vulnerable to attacks. The same can be said about the shifters. None of the wolf shifters had been taken, which is why they don't know about it but the other shifters had been targeted.

Alex had concluded that the one doing this most likely is going for the loners. Wolves are tight. If one goes missing, you would have an entire pack on your heels in a matter of hours. The other shifters are to spread out. News doesn't reach Alex until they are back.

"I hate to ask, but is this your father's doing? I know his reputation," Freya tried to be tactful, but the words still sent a jolt through Alex.

"No, if it was him. None of them would have come back alive. Besides, all his victims were witches or fae. Stealing magic from shifters doesn't give you much magic," Alex muttered, but he seriously doubted that the two were unrelated. His father cannot just show up and suddenly a lot of people are kidnapped for 24 hours only to suddenly come back without memories of the event.

"What are you thinking?" asked Freya, noticing his grim face.

"If it is my father, then he is doing something to them. Interrogating them perhaps, before he erases their memories."

"Why though?"

"I don't know and it makes no sense to let them live."

"Maybe he didn't want to attract the attention of the wolves. He has been avoiding them for some time," Freya said, taking a sip of her drink. Alex bit his lips maybe, but...

"Or Vale Academy."

"What?"

"Maybe he is avoiding to grab someone off Vale academy. All the kidnappings have happened in Elan Valley. Not in Claerwen Valley. Maybe whoever did this fear something or someone in Vale Academy."

"Or they might be trying to pit the two against each other. I'm fairly sure that the witches believe that the wolves are doing this," Freya muttered grimly.

"That is bloody daft. The incidents reek of magic and the wolves don't use magic," Alex replied but knew that common sense isn't a common commodity among the two groups. Especially of late when their distaste for each other's overpowers any logic.

Freya just shrugged," Never said they were anything but daft."

"Where was she seen last?"

"Garreg Ddu dam."

Just beside Nantgwyllt Church... Is that a coincidence? Her getting lost so close to Ronan's hideout. Alex hoped so, because if she wasn't a victim of the previous kidnapper but been taken by Ronan's goons, he seriously doubted that she was all right.

"I go there later to see if I can find anything. Maybe catch a scent," Alex said.

"Already tried that, didn't find anything. If we don't ask the wolves, then I doubt we can catch a scent," Freya muttered and finished her glass.