"Are you kidding me, Kairine?" asked Fleur, raising an eyebrow, a mug of steaming coffee in her hands. "Zoe blew up the front door of your apartment?"

I nodded slightly before shaking my head as I took a sip of my tea. "She said she was practicing a new spell," I told her, recalling the events of the morning. It started as any other day. Except the giant explosion and the red-faced, clenched jaw of Seth as he demanded an explanation for us not having a front door anymore.

Fleur covered her face with her hand as she shook her head with a heavy sigh, her golden hair glistening in the sunlight streaming in from the windows. "I swear, that girl's knack for trouble surprises even me," she said.

Then, just before I could respond to her, there came a heavy knock on the door. We both glanced to the door, then at each other. "Were you expecting anyone?" I asked her; she shook her head. She stood up and strolled over to the door, opening it wide to reveal the scowling gruff face of Officer Lavarsus, of the Maji Guard. 

"Oh, Lavarsus. To what do we owe this surprise?" said Fleur, trying hard to cover the sarcasm in her tone.

He glared at her. "I've got a problem. And I feel rotten enough about having to rely on a psion without your snarky attitude, Miss." 

I smirked as I turned around in my chair. "What can I do for you?" I asked, not getting up as I sipped my tea. The morning was so pleasant too, other than the explosion at home. 

He stepped past her and shot a look at me. "Got a murder outside of town. A hermit; she lived alone, stabbed through the heart. Already got a suspect I like for it."

I giggled as I took a sip of my tea. "So it sounds like you don't need me after all."

"Only now I got three people all claiming they did it."

The tea flew from my mouth as I stared up at him with wide eyes. "Now that's a new one, Lavarsus!" I exclaimed. Suddenly I realised just why he needed me after all. So I'm to be reduced to a lie detector now. Great. 

Shifting the cigar in his mouth, he grunted. Don't exactly appreciate you smoking in here. He had a square jaw and a rough stubble, with a receding mocha-brown hairline. "You're telling me. And I don't even like telling you nothing about the case! So you can see where I'm in a quandary here."

That was right. Normally he would make me go into a case completely blind, though I was beginning to see the logic in it. "Alright," I replied with a sigh, setting down my tea. "Let's get started then. Fleur, you want to come along?"

The elvan woman put her hands on her hips, looking back at me with her head tipped to one side. "Do you even have to ask? Kairine, really," she joked. "I'd love a chance to make fun of the officer here."

He turned and glared at her. "You Fey are all the same. . ." he groaned, shaking his head. "Right, let's head out. Got an automobile waiting."

Great. I get to ride in one of those again. Hopefully the driver isn't as bad as my boyfriend. Standing up, I smoothed out my skirt and blouse. "Alright, let's go meet your four suspects," I said. This ought to be amusing, at the very least.

We followed him outside in the blazing hot sunlight, though a soft cool breeze blew past my hair. However, as it did, it picked up sand from the ground, stinging my eyes. I wiped them, frustrated. "Fleur, remind me to get sunglasses," I said. "Between the sand and sun, this desert has it out for me."

"You're the one who chose to live in a desert, little girl," said Lavarsus in his gravelly voice, motioning to the automobile parked in front of the tower. It was white and black with the Maji Guard insignia stamped on the side. I was immediately happy to find that this one had a hood over the cabin.

Sighing, I stepped down the steps and got in, as Fleur got in the other side, sitting next to me.  Lavarsus sat in the passenger seat up front alongside another officer. He nodded to me before turning toward the road. Instantly, I could tell that this was going to be a long ride.

Lavarsus glanced back at me with a smirk over his stubby face. "I see you've got yourself a sidekick now," he observed, shooting a look at Fleur.

"Well, she's a prettier sight than you, that's for sure," I shot back, glancing at her with a smile. Normally I wouldn't make that kind of comment. But for you, I'll make an exception. The automobile started up and bolted down the road.

"So what can you tell me about the case and the suspects, since you're being surprisingly forthcoming this time around?" I asked, sitting back in the seat and crossing my arms.

He glared back at me, as the left part of his lips curled up. "This one is a doozy," he responded, looking forward. "Better buckle up, little girl."

I'd really appreciate it if he'd stop calling me that. Sighing as I pulled the seat buckle strap over me, I waited for him to tell the story.

"Victim's name is Vianola Dorsys," Lavarsus began, rubbing his chin and shifting the cigar to the other side again. "She was a hermit that lived outside of town. A Fey, I think. Don't know which one, don't care."

"Judging by the name, possibly Nyselvan. They're a secluded people from the Lotus Islands. They're nice, but I've had little interaction with them," replied Fleur, her arms crossed and eyes closed as she listened to his story.

"Right," he said, glancing at her for one moment, then turning away. "Well, way I heard it, she was an outcast. But that's not important. She also appeared to be something of a witch, I think. You'll see when we get there." He pulled a folder out of his jacket and opened it. "The cause of death was a stab wound to the heart," he continued, handing a photograph back to me. In it, Vianola was lying in the middle of the floor of her hut, her arms sprawled out and her head cocked to one side. 

This doesn't look like any normal murder. I handed the photo to Fleur. She took one look at it then shot a look up at me. Then, turning to Lavarsus, she asked, "How deep was the stab wound, did you say?"

"Straight into the heart. The knife or dagger wasn't retrieved, couldn't find it. Shouldn't matter though, we've got the guy," he grunted. "Only problem is the three morons who decided to make my job harder."

Narrowing my eyes, I challenged his statement. "What makes you so sure that he did it?" I asked him.

The man turned around in his seat and glared back at me. "You questioning my job?" he said, his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. "Look here, girl, I bring you on to these cases as a courtesy and because, once in a while, you're actually useful to have around. But I don't need no psion telling me how to do my job."

Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward, looking him in the eye. "I don't mean any disrespect, Lavarsus. But you sometimes miss things, things that I've picked out on occasion. I don't ever take credit for any of the cases I help you solve, because frankly, I don't want the publicity," I told him, my tone measured and calm. "And I would appreciate it if you stop calling me 'girl'. Kairine is fine."

Lavarsus stared at me for a long moment. The silence in the automobile was thick enough you could cut it with a knife. I almost thought he was going to kick us out at any moment. But I stayed my ground and continued staring right back.

Finally, turning back to the road before us, he responded, "So we're on a first name basis, now are we? Name's Don."

Fleur gawked at me with wide eyes as I leaned back in my seat. "That was good!" she whispered to me.

"He's really a teddy bear deep down under the gruff exterior. You've just got to know how to manage him," I whispered back, smirking. "It's just managing my emotions at the same time, that's the problem."

"You're doing well with the breathing exercises I taught you."

Smiling back at her, I said, "Thanks. And thank you for helping me so much, you really have made my life much easier." I took her hand into mine. Instantly, I felt the throbbing of my heart in my chest. "Before you, my life was a challenge, every day. It's always been a struggle to manage my emotions and to control my powers."

She beamed back at me. "It's no worry. I'm happy to do it. You've been a dear friend."

"If you two love birds are quite done, we're here!" groaned Don Lavarsus from the front seat.

We both stared at him, our cheeks flushed bright red for a moment. Then we both glanced at one another before turning away. I can't deny how I feel about her. But we're just friends. . . Aren't we?

As I got out, I could feel the scorching sun beating down on me. My feet sunk into the sand like thick heavy snow. At this point, I'd prefer the snow. Glancing around, I almost couldn't find where we were supposed to be. The hut was so buried in sand that it almost seemed like just another dune. Must have been from last night's sandstorm. "So who found it?" I asked Lavarsus as he led me into the small hut.

"Courier boy. Said there was an awful stench and when he went to investigate, he found her. . . Well, you'll see," he said.

As I got just a meter from the door, I could see what he meant about the stench. It hit me like a pile of bricks. Pinching my nose, I took a deep breath as I walked inside.

The hut was dark and cluttered. A small table sat in the middle, while a tiny cot rested to the right hand side coming in. Along the wooden walls were shelves filled with bottles, jars, and beakers, all filled with herbs, dead bugs, and strange liquids I couldn't identify. On the centre of the table was a mortar and pestle with different spices and herbs sprawled out alongside it. At the back of the hut was a tiny kitchen with a stove and oven and a couple of cupboards. Probably filled with more of the same.

My eyes scanned over the hut, searching for the source of the smell. I didn't have to search far. Just behind the table, there she was, lying on the floor, her arms sprawled out, just like the photograph. She wore a long black and violet dress and had long red hair. Her skin was certainly a different tone than Fleur's. I stepped toward and knelt beside it, looking for anything out of place. Stab wound to the heart, just as he said. But it's straight down. Picking up a hand, I checked her fingernails. Clean, except for bits of herbs and spices and the like. I couldn't make out any defensive wounds. This is too clean to be a crime of passion.

Fleur knelt beside the body across from me. "What are you thinking?" she whispered.

Not looking at her, I replied, "I don't know yet. What do you see?"

She observed along the body. "Well, at first glance I can confirm the Nyselvan ancestry," she responded. Then, narrowing her eyes, she pulled a pen from her pocket and stuck it into the victim's mouth. "There's something in here. . ." she pulled out a handkerchief then carefully stuck it in the body's mouth, pulling something shiny out a moment later.

We both stared at the object she'd just pulled out with wide eyes. It was round and silver. Stamped on one side was an emblem representing Phoenix, a legendary Mystimon. "What do you think that is? And why would it be in her mouth?"

Examining the coin, she turned it over in the light. "Well, I've heard tell of Ancient Almahnan mythology with a curious tradition," she started, looking up at me. "They once believed that when you get to the afterlife, there would be a ferryman to take you into the great beyond. And they would stick a coin in the mouths of the deceased to give to the ferryman for safe passage."

Glancing at her, then back to the body, I whispered, "This is beginning to feel more and more like a ritualistic killing."

She nodded in agreement, pursing her lips. I glanced back at Lavarsus, who was standing at the doorway in conversation with another officer. Gritting my teeth, I called to him. "Hey. Did you find anything else on the body or nearby at all?"

He grunted as he nodded to the officer. The younger gentleman with short cropped black hair walked over to me and handed me a leather pouch. "This was found under the body. We think it could be hers, but we can't be sure," he said to me in a jittery voice, his lips quivering.

"Thanks," I said as I opened the pouch. Inside was a small, round pocket watch. Narrowing my eyes, I tipped the pouch over, dropping its contents in my hand. I glanced up at Fleur, who looked back at me. The pocket watch was golden in colour and covered in strange hieroglyphics.

"Isn't that the same as yours?" she muttered to me, shooting a glance at the two officers. They weren't paying attention to us now.

I turned it over in my hand, inspecting it closely. The surface was stained red with blood, and there were some chips on the back and sides. "It could be. . ." I replied, handing it to her while I dug in my pocket for mine. When I did, we compared them. They almost matched! There were a few minor differences in the design, but other than that, they could almost be twins. 

She clicked the watch open to reveal the dial face. "It's stopped!" she muttered, staring up at me with wide eyes.

Gazing at the watch face, I narrowed my eyes. Half past six. I glanced up at the pair of officers. "Hey, what was the approximate time of death? Did you get one from the examiner?"

He stared back at me with a raised eyebrow. "She believes she died around 6 or so last night. Why?"

Fleur and I stared at one another, our mouths ajar. "Because, Lavarsus. This watch stopped at precisely half past six."

"What?" he grunted, walking over to us. Fleur handed him the watch and we both waited while he looked it over for what felt like forever. "How can that be? I don't see any major damage that would cause that." He turned to the other officer. "Can we get an artificer down here?"

The man saluted and ran off, while we both stared at one another. Finally, I spoke. "There was something else. . ."

Fleur nodded and held out the coin wrapped in her handkerchief. "This was inside the victim's mouth."

He glared down at the coin, then glanced at each of us in turn. "What's that mean?" he asked. "Some kind of ritual?"

You said it."We think it could be, yes. It was a common tradition in the ancient past here," replied Fleur.

I sighed as I rose to my feet. Fleur followed. Turning to the officer, I said, "Based on the style of the killing and that coin, we think this was a ritual murder."

"You've got to be kidding me. . . Do we got some kind of cult here or something?" he snarled, shaking his head.

Pursing my lips, I stared back at him. "We can't be sure, but it's possible."

"That's just great. . ." he threw up his arms as he turned away. "Not even five minutes in, and the damn psychic's already blown up my case!"

You're the one who called on me. Don't blame me when you don't like the results.