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Lucas got to his feet, and some of the color returned to his cheeks. The worst of the deaths were over. “Did you learn anything?”
“Some, but I’m not sure what to make of it.” I glanced around, but there were so many people nearby. I didn’t want to be overheard. I grabbed Lucas’s arm and led him around the front of The Hearse and into the trees. I lowered my voice. “The driver said he saw a reaper standing in the middle of the road. That’s why he slammed on the brakes. He swerved to avoid it.”
Lucas’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah, that’d scare the hell out of me, too.”
“Do you think Leto could’ve summoned one? Maybe that’s the spell he’s using. He could be controlling a reaper, and that’s why no one saw what happened to Professor Perez.”
Lucas furrowed his brow, looking thoughtful. “I doubt it. The reaper’s power would rival a demon’s. They’re too strong to be controlled. Plus, even Seers typically can’t see reapers. They exist on a different plane than we do, on a higher level than even the astral plane. Only ghosts can see reapers.”
“Could he see one if he was marked for death?” I wondered.
“There’s been accounts of seeing reapers moments before you die, but the driver’s still alive. It doesn’t make sense. Even if a reaper knew what was about to happen and was hanging around to collect souls, he wouldn’t cause it. Reapers don’t mess with fate like that.” Lucas sounded certain.
“Maybe it wasn’t a reaper at all,” I said. “I heard something hit The Hearse. The driver swore it was a skeleton dressed in a black cloak, but it must’ve been… solid.” My voice trailed off as I caught sight of something fluttering in the wind. A black piece of fabric hung from The Hearse’s grill.
Lucas followed my gaze. “Solid, indeed.”
We crept toward The Hearse. No one was watching us, as they were too busy attending to the injured. Curiously, I reached out to touch the piece of fabric. I half expected my fingers to go straight through it, like I was imagining things, but I touched solid fabric and plucked it from where it was embedded in the grill. I ran my fingers over the frayed edges, then handed the swatch to Lucas. He inspected it closely.
“This was no reaper,” he said with certainty.
I pressed my lips together. “Clyde sounded sure it was a skeleton. Could Leto be using necromancy magic?”
Lucas shook his head. “There’s no way. The way he teaches necromancy is weird. It’s like he’s obsessed with it but can’t do it himself.”
“So he’s using a necromancer—manipulating them somehow.”
“He must be,” Lucas agreed. “Do you think the priestesses know?”
I looked toward the priestesses, who were still questioning witnesses. “They know something. The last thing we want is for them to find out how much we know. It’s better if they continue to believe we’re ignorant.”
Lucas subconjured the fabric swatch. “Agreed. Let’s go before anyone sees us poking around.”
We trudged through the snow and returned to the road. Our feet barely touched the pavement before someone shouted, “Sheriff, arrest him!”
The priestesses pushed through the crowd, and Lilian pointed an ugly finger at Lucas.
I planted myself in front of my boyfriend. “He didn’t do anything!”
“Eyewitness testimony states there was a reaper on the road,” Sheriff Baker said as he conjured a pair of handcuffs. “He’s the Reaper’s Apprentice. He’s coming down to the station for questioning.”
Sheriff Baker hadn’t believed the story about the reaper a minute ago. Now he was arresting Lucas for it? It seemed awfully convenient.
“I can’t control reapers!” Lucas protested.
“Where’s your evidence?” I demanded.
“Where’s yours?” Lilian sneered.
“Lucas is innocent until proven guilty, so I believe you’re the one who must supply evidence,” I stated. “We were in The Hearse the whole time. He couldn’t have cast a spell outside the vehicle.”
“Nadine’s right,” a voice came from nearby. We turned to see Quentin leaning against one of the squad cars. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, but he was still shivering. He was hurt, but not in bad enough shape to be taken by ambulance. “I saw the two of them just before it happened. They were dining, like the rest of us. It couldn’t have been him. Whatever we hit, it wasn’t a reaper.”
Margaret narrowed her gaze on us. She couldn’t arrest Lucas without probable cause, not with all these people watching. “Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of this. Come, Sheriff. We have more witnesses to question.”
The priestesses turned away, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m calling Talia and Grant to come and get us.”
“Can I come?” Quentin asked. “I need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. They took Lydia on a stretcher, but the ambulance drove off before I could get to her. They won’t let me in any of the ambulances. They’re taking the worst cases first.”
