Then I focused, really focused, on the scene surrounding the fire. Ten spears protruded from the ground forming a semicircle around the flames.

I frowned. Ten. The number had no significance I could think of. Bubbe stepped toward the first spear and nodded to where the iron head stuck out of the soil.

Traced in the dirt with some kind of powder was an esoteric drawing of a deer. The design was classic Amazon, simple, but elegant, showing just enough of the animal’s definitive characteristics to leave no doubt of what it was-the kind of design preferred for givnomai tattoos because of their smaller size.

I swallowed hard and kept my eyes cast down, away from Bubbe’s prying eyes. I moved to the next spear and the next. In front of each was a drawing: lion, bull, hawk. I listed off the totems one by one-all present and accounted for except for two, the bear and the leopard.

“Two are missing.” Bubbe stared into the fire.

It was an obvious statement, not one I thought needed a reply.

“Do you wonder why?” she asked. The flames crackled, laughing at us.

“I-”

“The dead girls’ totems are missing, but they are not far, I don’t think.” She stepped toward the fire, stuck her hand into the roaring flames and pulled out a glowing metal spearhead. She dropped it on the ground at my feet and reached into the fire again-a second spearhead landed next to my bare toes. “He’s mocking us.”

The warriors arrived then and under Zery’s command began dousing the flames. Within seconds nothing but a smoldering pile of wood remained. Not having the same level of control my grandmother had over fire, I was forced to wait, to contain my nervous energy. As soon as the heat had died down enough that I could stand next to it without gaining a permanent sunburn, I grabbed the closest spear and began shoving ash to the side.

The white outlines of two beasts slowly emerged-a leopard and a bear. I plunged the spear back into the ground. Cursed and walked away.

Another message. Saying what? That the killer was targeting all of the clans?

“Did you do this?” Zery’s voice was low, controlled, barely hiding an anger that rivaled my own.

I turned on her. I was tired of her accusations and angry enough to challenge her to a fight right there. I held her gaze. What I saw in hers calmed me. She was as filled with rage as I was, but it wasn’t directed at me. She didn’t really believe I was the killer, probably never had.

“This is personal,” I said. The dead girls were tied to me now and their deaths, this fire, all of it was meant as some kind of message…for me.

“Has been since the beginning,” she replied. “There’s nothing more personal than killing someone.”

Unless it was violating them by stealing a patch of their skin, a piece of who they had been in life. I bit the inside of my cheek, reminded myself Zery didn’t know this piece of information.

“I want to help,” I said.

Zery raised a brow, then turned and walked back to the fire.

Hating every step, I followed her like a puppy. If I was going to find the killer, I needed to know more about the girls who had been killed. To do that I needed access to the Amazons who knew them. I needed access to the safe camp.

I was on her heels when she turned. “Why? You don’t even want us here. Why say you want to help now?” She waved at the smoldering mess. “Because of this? Why would this change your mind? Make you want to come back to the tribe?”

“I didn’t say I wanted back in.”

She grunted and shook her head, then ignored me again to start shouting orders to her warriors.

I grabbed her by the arm-a bold, probably stupid move. She froze and stared down at my hand.

I didn’t let go. “You made it clear the Amazons want me to be the killer. Wanted you to bring me back for trial. I have twenty Amazons living in my gymnasium practicing with broadswords. And now, I wake to a bonfire in my front yard-a bonfire it looks like the killer set. Why wouldn’t I want to help? It’s the only way I’ll get rid of all of you, and get my life back. Besides…” I dropped my hold on her arm, but she stayed put, twisted her mouth to the side.

I breathed in, then continued. “I’m not a monster. I don’t want any more girls killed either. And I can help. You know I can. I’m the only Amazon who really understands the human world and Madison, who has lived here.”

“That’s not important. We won’t let humans get in our way,” she replied.

“Do you want to endanger the whole tribe? There are laws, Zery. The police are already involved. A detective came here. He showed me pictures of the girls’ telios tattoos, wanted to know if I could identify them. You don’t know how to talk with the police, but I can. I can get information for you.” It was a big promise and not one I was sure I could deliver on, but I was desperate.

I’d interested her; I could see it on her face. “You think he’d talk to you?”

I nodded. “But I need something from you first. I need safe passage to the tribe’s camp, need to know more about the girls.”

Without warning, she grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Why ask for passage now? You didn’t the other night.”

My breath caught in my throat. The totems; they’d found them and sensed me.

She leaned closer, whispered in my ear. “I didn’t want to believe Alcippe when she said you delivered those totems, but it was you, wasn’t it?”

I licked my lips. Across the dampened fire, Mother and Bubbe watched us. I didn’t trust that Bubbe couldn’t hear every word.

Zery let go of my hand. I squeezed my fingers in and out of a fist, forced the blood back into the digits.

She stepped to the side, blocking my view of my family-and their view of our conversation. “How’d you get them?”

It was my chance to share, to lighten my load, but as I looked at her, the smoke from the now-dead fire still hanging in the air behind her, I realized I couldn’t. At some point I was going to have to open up to someone, tell them what had happened, but I wasn’t ready yet-not until I understood why the killer had brought the girls to me.

I realized some part of me wondered if something I had done had cost the girls their lives. The killer hadn’t picked me at random. I needed to know more, do more, then I’d share.

I blew out a breath and stared my old friend in the eyes, prayed some of our lifelong bond still existed. “I didn’t kill those girls and I don’t know who did, but I want to find out-just as much as you do, more than you do.”

There was doubt in Zery’s eyes, indecision. I clasped her hand in mine. “Let me help.”

The expression on her face was serious, deadly serious. I thought she was going to say no.

Instead, I got, “I’m sorry for the loss of your son. I never said that before, and I’m sorry for that too.”

Damn her. My eyes began to leak. Tears hung on my lower lashes, threatening to fall.

She squeezed my hand, then dropped it and took a step back. “I’ll let Alcippe know you’re coming. You’ll have to deal with her. She doesn’t trust you, and she won’t like you being there.”

Alcippe, the high priestess who killed my son. The feeling was mutual.