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Lina Alfeeva
Tessa Gromova. Death Ritual
Those with the gift are an integral part of the supernatural world. Ordinary people envy magicians and consider them invulnerable. And yet people make mistakes. Visual confirmation of this was right in front of me. Natalya Mironova was found on the floor of her bedroom. The girl was lying on her back, covered below the waist with a sheet already darkened with blood. Whoever the killer was, he had enough strength to deal with the magician. After treating my hands with an insulating compound, I rubbed my palms together in hopes of stopping the trembling.
It is impossible to get used to death. In two years of working in the Office of Other Races, I never learned to perceive the body as an inanimate object. Each time I caught myself trying to imagine what the victim was like during life. The things we surround ourselves with can tell a lot about the character of the owner. Today I didn’t speculate, but looked at the summary I received from my boss. So, our victim was a Fire Mage and a graduate student at the local supernatural academy. Gifted and promising.
Trying to ignore the heavy metallic smell, I knelt down. I wanted to look at the symbols drawn in chalk on the floor. Each of them was written in neat, almost calligraphic handwriting. And yet it was a hoax, absolutely meaningless writing, unrelated to any ritual. Apparently, the killer copied runes unknown to him, without caring too much about the meaning of what was written.
Dark red candles were burning at the victim's head and feet. For me, this element of the scenery was superfluous, since Mironova’s bedroom itself seemed to have come out of the advertising brochures for the video game “The Halls of Hell.” One of the walls, painted dark red, was illuminated by flashes of illusory flame - when I entered, it depicted a hunting scene: fire hounds were chasing a white deer through the forest. Now a huge salamander lay on the smoldering coals, lazily releasing streams of fire from its mouth. There was no smoke or burning smell - a pure illusion. I considered its characteristics. Magic belonged to the fire element. This means that the author was most likely the deceased herself. Having made notes in the PDA, I began further inspection of the premises.
There were dozens of tiny light bulbs on the ceiling, filling the space with flickering orange light. The fireplace, in the depths of which an artificial flame danced, added to the ominous surroundings. About a third of the room was occupied by an ebony bed, more reminiscent of an ancient altar. The combination of the red bedspread and the heavy draperies of the black and red canopy evoked thoughts of leather, handcuffs and other outrages.
I would never agree to spend even one night in this bedroom. Even for a bet.
* * *The call from management came when I had just climbed into the bath to wash away the fatigue and memories of the Botovskaya cave. I spent almost a day tracking down the lamia who had settled there. I had to spend the next twenty-four hours in a stone bag, diligently convincing the snake girl that I had no designs on her faded skin, while at the same time describing all the advantages of moving to the Ural community of Lycans. The multi-hour flight in a trough passed off as an airplane by a transport company completely exhausted me. The last thing I wanted was to go to the crime scene.
Loud sobs and quiet, intermittent speech could be heard from behind the wall: Yudin and the task force were interrogating the victim’s sister. If the girl continues to cry instead of answering questions, we won’t be able to cope until the morning.
“I’m sorry I had to drag you out of bed, but I thought you should take a look at this.”
I turned around:
– Hi, Phil, I haven’t gone to bed yet.
Philip Yudin, captain of the first and so far only Office for Other Races in the south of the country, was approaching fifty. His narrow, clean-shaven face resembled a sad Basset Hound. Penetrating gray eyes glittered above the sagging cheeks. A rumpled dark blue checkered shirt and disheveled hair, which had not been touched by a barber's scissors for a long time, could give a deceptive impression, but I had already managed to convince myself that behind the external sloppiness and clumsiness of the captain, a sharp mind and a bulldog's grip were hidden.
The Office for Other Races was officially formed three years ago. The staff was going to be staffed with police officers who had undergone special retraining. In fact, the department has become something of a penal company, and transfer to it cannot be called a promotion. Among the local population, the abbreviation UPIR quickly transformed into “ghoul,” which also did not add to the management’s popularity. And yet, the city, inhabited by representatives of other races, needed more serious protection than our native police. The truly difficult cases were handled by the mages from the Gray Guard, but I personally will drive the tongue down the throat of anyone who says that the Upirians serve only as a cover necessary for the peace of mind of the townspeople.
– What did you find? “The captain squatted down next to me.
“I haven’t seen the most interesting thing yet—I haven’t looked under the sheet.” I wanted to make sure that the guys were already finished.
“Oh yes,” Philip wearily ruffled his hair, “they were of little use today.”
– There’s something you’re not telling me. I didn't notice a patrol car on the street. And the entrance is suspiciously quiet.
“Spit,” Yudin winced with displeasure, “if you’re lucky, in the morning the front pages of the newspapers won’t be full of headlines: “A monster has started hunting people” or “The fire witch became a victim of a deadly ritual.” Finish it quickly, this place gives me goosebumps.
Lifting the sheet, I expected to see at least a wounded stomach, but a surprise awaited me: a dark mark could be seen on the pale skin, as if someone had left their mark with a burning hand. And this mark was bleeding. Kvar'tram - "Seal of Flesh." I apparently said the last words out loud.
- What the hell? – Philip seemed confused.
– The mark that the Demonar Master gave her.
I threw the sheet aside.
-Are you covered?
- No, that’s what they found. As soon as I saw this crap on my stomach, I immediately realized that I couldn’t do without your consultation. By the way, when we lifted the sheet for the first time, Kirill almost vomited on it. I would spoil the evidence, you brat.
– Is this already the case?
“The third,” Philip sighed. “I warned him: one more time and I’ll transfer him to paperwork.”
He knelt down next to the body and pulled out a plastic bag containing test tubes and swabs from his pocket.
I shook my head:
- Useless.
The captain nevertheless ran the swab over the surface of the seal.
“Looks…” he sniffed, “…and smells like blood.”
“But it’s not blood, Phil.”
To confirm my words, the tampon began to turn white.
“I’m starting to miss the good old domestic murders.” – Philip placed the swab into the test tube and screwed on the cap. “Could this crap have killed her?”
– It caused some... hmm... inconvenience, but it was unlikely to lead to death. I'd bet on the bullet. So you'll have to wait for the autopsy results.
- And it's all? “He was clearly unhappy. – Can you track the owner? You did well with the curse that time.
“Quar'thram has nothing to do with the curse. Imagine two communicating vessels connected by a hose, through which water flows from one to the other, and now mentally remove the vessels.
“The water will continue to flow out of the hose,” Philip nodded understandingly.
- Right. Even if I followed the trail of the energy flow, I would not reach the Master.
- Not much, Gromova.
- If you hope that I, like a magician, will pull a murderer out of a hat for you, then you have come to the wrong address.
“I’m not looking forward to it, but give me something.”
“Whatever happened in this room, it has nothing to do with the ritual.” Have you already asked your neighbors? Suddenly they heard screams or some suspicious noise.
- Noise? Haven't you noticed?
- What exactly?
- Let me show you. And someone, calm down the murdered sister. I need testimony before the magicians grab her.
Kirill, the intern, who was hesitating at the door, nodded and hurried to the kitchen. He looked extremely upset. The boy had only passed his final exams two months ago and, since he was a distant relative of the captain’s wife, fell under his command. I doubt that he dreamed of such a start to his career - in a department that has lately increasingly specialized in crimes in which non-humans were somehow involved.
I followed Philip through the spacious hall into the entrance. The most ordinary hall with a large mirror, a wardrobe and a shelf for shoes. The fate of the bedroom passed him by.
Two for you, Tessa. No way! The neighbors wouldn't have heard a damn thing even if Natalya was slowly being cut into pieces alive - the symbols of a sound-absorbing seal were drawn next to the front door. You'll have to talk to the owner of the building. So to speak, check the legality.
Apr 8, 2017Tessa Gromova. Death Ritual Lina Alfeeva
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Title: Tessa Gromova. Death Ritual
Author: Lina Alfeeva
Year: 2017
Genre: Detective fiction, Books about wizards, Romance fantasy
About the book “Tessa Gromova. Death Ritual" Lina Alfeeva
In this world, magic and reality are intertwined, and representatives of other races live openly among people. The fragile order is maintained by a special police unit - the Department for Other Races, but the murder of a graduate of the local magic academy can change the usual balance of power.
Tessia Gromova, a magician and supernatural consultant, must unravel what is hidden behind a mysterious death ritual. She is no stranger to such investigations, but this time her every move is closely watched by representatives of the most ancient races - fairies and daemonars. What goals are they pursuing and will Tessia have to fear not only for her life, but also for her own heart?
On our website about books lifeinbooks.net you can download for free without registration or read online the book “Tessa Gromova. Deadly ritual" by Lina Alfeeva in epub, fb2, txt, rtf, pdf formats for iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and real pleasure from reading. You can buy the full version from our partner. Also, here you will find the latest news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors. For aspiring writers, there is a separate section with useful tips and tricks, interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary crafts.
In this world, magic and reality are intertwined, and representatives of other races live openly among people. The fragile order is maintained by a special police unit - the Department for Other Races, but the murder of a graduate of the local magic academy can change the usual balance of power.
Tessia Gromova, a magician and supernatural consultant, must unravel what is hidden behind a mysterious death ritual. She is no stranger to such investigations, but this time her every move is closely watched by representatives of the most ancient races - fairies and daemonars. What goals are they pursuing and will Tessia have to fear not only for her life, but also for her own heart?
The work was published in 2017 by Eksmo Publishing House. The book is part of the "Witchcraft Secrets" series. On our website you can download the book "Tessa Gromova. The Deadly Ritual" in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format or read online. The book's rating is 4 out of 5. Here, before reading, you can also turn to reviews from readers who are already familiar with the book and find out their opinion. In our partner's online store you can buy and read the book in paper form.