“He put her on that, he whipped her, and he killed her and then he took her skin. And he wrote something on her back in her own blood."

"What?"

"It said, ‘When you strike at a king, you must kill him.' Some of the guys are saying that this guy sees himself as the king and he's daring us to come after him."

Heda leaned back.

"Or maybe he's going after the king," she whispered.

Ed nodded.

“That's what I was thinking. I think this guy is going after Reichert."

“But why? Is this some bizarre challenge to his crown? Did you tell Reichert?"

"I've got an appointment with him tomorrow. Meanwhile, each of us is going through the files on all the students."

“Found anything?" Heda picked up a manila folder.

"Well, they all took one of Reichert's classes, but that is apparently not surprising."

"No," Joanna said from the bottom of the stairs, “every shifter takes one of his classes in their first year."

"What are you doing up?"

She tried to smile, but there was not much behind it.

"I doubt anyone is asleep right now," she added, moving behind Ed and massaging his shoulders.

“She's got that right," Kevin chipped in, coming out of the kitchen with Carla, Anthony, and Peter.

“We've been downing coffee and other things . . . for about six hours."

"I'm going to check on Madison," Heda said.

"Here," the bat-shifter said as she came out of the back with Billy and Sasha.

“We were just talking," she said, letting herself get pulled into her girlfriend's lap. She scanned and found Ed.

"We want to help. Whatever we can do. And we're not leaving."

"Babe, Mr. Hannity can help you relocate --"

("Would you ask any of the others to leave?"

Heda nodded.