"We've already requested a search warrant. I'm just waiting for it to-"

"Detective you know what these people aaah-aaah-are capable of. If I wasn't aaah-a bloody raven I'd have already gone in. I don't know how long she may have. They've probably already hurt her. Please, I know where Zoiia keeps her spare key." Myrddin was becoming frantic.

"I vill go," Vlad said. "I can say I vas one of her boys. It sounds like she had many."

"All right." Berg held up a hand in defeat. "You still need to be careful. Say as little as possible and if you do find anything, call triple 0, immediately!"

"Thank you-aaah. I need to come with you, please," Myrddin begged. "I can go in the baaah-basket."

"Da, I understand." Vlad picked up the basket with Myrddin in tow and prepared to go into Zoiia's house, across the road.

"I think it would be best to use the back entraaah-entrance, considering," Myrddin said.

Once inside Myrddin perched on Vlad's shoulder and directed him straight to the basement door. Upon seeing the blood Vlad paused. "Perhaps I should turn volf?"

"She has cameras set up in the basement. Many of the rituals aaah-aaah-are recorded. You can explain that I'm a tame raven, but how would you explain a Eurasian wolf in the middle of Sydney?" Myrddin asked.

"You make a good point." Vlad sighed. "Good thing I am fast and strong."

"Well go faster and open the faah-king door," Myrddin replied.

Vlad did.

"Oh, Bozhe moy!" Vlad dialled 000, the emergency number.

Myrddin left Vlad's shoulder and flew around the basement. The lights were on, so he would see her, if Rosemonde were hurt and hiding in a corner. She wasn't here. They had left the door open and he flew back up the stairs and out of the basement.

"Ros-aaah-aaah-monde! Rosemonde! Rosie where aaah-are you?" Myrddin flew from room to room. She wasn't there, either. He needed to see the footage. He couldn't wait for the police. He called out to Vlad to come upstairs, which he did.

"Da?"

"I have to see the footage," Myrddin began to explain. "Let me show you where the DVRrrrr is."

"DVR?"

"Digital Video Record-aaah-Recorder. The surveillance for the outside of the house and the basement is in the basement itself.

Vlad argued that they shouldn't touch anything down there, especially since the DVR was still recording. A knock at the door prevented further quarrel as Vlad let the police in.

"Down there." Vlad pointed to the basement door, which was still open.

One of the officers took a step back in apparent fear. "Is that the raven that-"

"I feed him occasionally. He trusts me but I vould not pat him. He is still vild animal."

The policeman's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Did you train it to kill her?"

"I only feed him. I doubt I could get him to do anything else but eat out of my hand and land on my shoulders. You should check the DVR for clues on the attack and on vhat happened downstairs," Vlad answered patiently.

"DVR? How do you know there's a-"?

"I'll take it from here thanks, Constable..." Detective Berg leaned in to read his name tag, "Finch."

"Oh, yeah...er, sure thing Detective." Poor Finch scurried after his colleagues.

"Ha! Finch, no wonder he's afraid of Ravens," Berg sniffed, but Vlad did not laugh at his weak joke.

"Vhat took you so long?" Vlad asked.

"I had to wait until I was officially notified, but you were actually handling that well."

"Da, of course."

Myrddin lost patience. Landing on Vladimir's head he pecked him.

"Ai! Okay, I get the message." Turning to Detective Berg he said, "Myrddin says there is DVR in basement. Is surveillance for outside house but they also record their rituals."

Berg paled. He wasn't sure that he wanted to see it, considering the state of the bodies he had already seen, but it was exactly what they needed to make an arrest. He cleared his throat and said, "Let's go find it, and Myrddin, no matter what we see, promise me you'll behave like a raven."

☆☆☆☆☆

Back in Agatha's house, the mood was sombre. Myrddin made a soft low pitch croaking noise occasionally. He said he couldn't help it, it just seemed to come from his throat involuntarily. Agatha speculated that it was the noise ravens made when they were sad, and that made Myrddin make the noise again.

"At least I know that she's aaah-alive, but she must be so aaah-afraid. She thinks I'm dead and she thinks I... Where did she get the clothing?" he asked finally.

"They're Zoiia's. There's evidence Rosemonde used the bathroom and showered, but there are three hours between the attack and her departure. We know from the footage that it was self-defence but the time frame worries me. Why three hours? If that despicable vampire wannabe has any friends or relatives, they may try to use that against her. Why not just call for help after she got away?" Christian Berg liked Rosemonde. He thought she was a sweet girl and he really hoped that wherever she was, she was okay.

"Dizzoziation," Vlad said.

"I beg your pardon?" Berg asked.

"It's the accent," Agatha explained. "He said dissociation. I agree. Perhaps the only way that Rosemonde can accept what she had done is to somehow file it away in her brain for examination later, to...separate herself from the now. She may have even completely blacked out the event and forgotten that it happened. Depending on how traumatised she is, she may not even know her own name. It's terribly sad," Agatha said.

Myrddin made his mournful sound again and in response, Vlad howled and shifted right in front of the detective.

"WHAT THE HECK?" Detective Berg jumped up onto the couch.

His reaction amused Myrddin, who now made a cackling sound that must have been raven laughter. "My reaction was simil-aaa-r." He cackled. "You said you'd explain who you were," he reminded Agatha.

"Yes, my apologies, an explanation is long overdue. Vladimir for heaven's sake control yourself. The neighbours will hear the howling," Agatha scolded.

"Sorry," Vlad said as he shifted back. "Is just so sad. If she vere my girl I vould not be as calm as the bird. Sorry for calling you bird brain earlier. You are braver man than I."

"It's all good mate, but can you at least put your jocks on. I really don't need to see your dong-aaah, impressive as it is." Myrddin cackled again.

Poor Vlad was confused. "Er, translation please."

"Put your bloody pants back on," Agatha laughed.

"Who on earth are you people?" Detective Berg asked warily. "I thought I'd seen everything when Myrddin became a bird. Are you telling me werewolves are real too?"

"Da." Vlad nodded simply, before leaving the room to find more clothes.

"Well, you already know that demons are very real." Agatha began carefully. "So are werewolves, vampires, and practically every other mythical creature you've ever heard of. Many of these dark creatures are in fact evil and choose that path willingly. Others, like Vladimir here, find themselves with dark powers they don't want, and or, don't know how to control.

"They have a belief in the powers of good and want to do good deeds but they don't always understand how. We help them, recruit them and train them to understand and use their powers for that good. We offer them hope shining the light on their darkness. Perhaps for this reason, we're often referred to as the Luminous Warriors."

"Luminous? Like illuminati?" Christian raised an eyebrow. At this point nothing would surprise him.

Agatha shook her head vehemently, before responding. "There is nothing luminous about those who hide in shadows, and act only for their own agenda. The light reveals everything, and we stand in it openly, boldly, with nothing to hide. We stand luminously, in concert with love."

"Agatha is mine Yoda." Vlad beamed, as fully clothed he joined them once more.

Christian Berg smiled widely. "This is...incredible! You could help us find Rosemonde."

"Of course, and...oh, I'm so sorry for your loss."

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I am just a simple woman. I have no superpowers, but God has given me the gift of discernment and of...being able to see what is in a person's heart. I merely looked into yours."

"She reminds me of her in my head, Rosemonde does." Christian said quietly. "I imagine that had she lived, my little Freya all grown up, would one day become a sweet young woman just like her. It's been ten years. She'd have been seventeen now," Vlad howled and became a wolf again.

"VLADIMIR PETROV MY POOR DEPARTED HUSBAND ONLY HAD SO MANY CLOTHES IN HIS WARDROBE. NOW YOU STOP THAT!"

"Sorry Aggie, I buy you more." He held up the shirt and trousers that had been completely shredded during the transformation. Myrddin cackled even louder than he had done before, and Christian Berg threw back his head and laughed like he hadn't in a long time.

"I may have some recruits for you," Berg said. "Vlad grab a change of clothing...or three. Agatha, there are a couple of ladies I think you should meet. At the very least, I think we should be all working together.