"I told you Grey was bad news," Autumn said. The scarecrow reclined on her bed, busy knitting a black scarf.

Beatrix flopped onto her own bed. "One second Grey's blaming Astar for holding up the murder investigation, then he stops me from checking the woods for a suspect!"

Autumn looked up. "What do you mean 'Astar's holding up the investigation'? He's patrolling every night."

"Grey said Astar's lying and hanging with ghouls instead," Beatrix explained. "Did I tell you how Grey grabbed me when I went near the fence? Like, I know there's another ban on leaving school grounds, but he was being so weird!"

Autumn looked dejected. "Astar's out with ghouls every night?"

"Are you listening? We can't trust Astar or Grey! We have to solve these murders on our own!"

"How are we going to do that?" Autumn asked.

"I haven't gotten that far. I could start checking the perimeter secretly at night... or..."

"No way," Autumn interrupted.

"Then… I don't know… you're the smart one! Have any ideas?"

Autumn set her scarf aside. "What about magic?"

"Huh?"

"You cast some impressive spells last semester," Autumn reasoned. "If you're going to play detective, you could use magic to help find the murderer or, at the very least, protect yourself while investigating."

Beatrix was shocked. "Use magic? After all that drama I went through with the school board?"

"Astar and I were talking in the library while you were in your MSS meeting," Autumn said. "I told him I wished my body could recover faster after my fall in the gym. Astar suggested you could try some type of healing spell to speed things up... and he offered to help you if you were open to it. Using a bit of magic here and there doesn't sound like a bad idea, does it?"

"He has no business talking about that with you," Beatrix asserted. She was determined not to cast spells at Monster High anymore and found Astar's attempts to persuade her through Autumn disturbing.

Autumn persisted, "Think about it. You'll need a spell or potion if you're not going to rely on Astar for this."

"Do you hear yourself? I'm not using magic! Stop listening to Astar!"

Besides, Beatrix couldn't even use effective magic if she wanted to. Spectra had been the one teaching her, and Beatrix hadn't seen the ghost for a while.

Something slammed against their dorm window, making both girls jump.

"Good morning!" Astar called.

Autumn sprang out of bed and opened their fifth-floor window.

Astar took a seat on their window sill and leaned in. "Ready for training?"

"Training?" Beatrix asked.

Autumn suppressed an embarrassed smile. "I talked to Astar about how I can speed up my recovery and become sturdier. So, I'm starting to train with him today..."

"Autumn needs to toughen up if she wants to get back to fearleading," Astar said. "I was generous enough to offer my help."

"Autumn! Are you coming?" Frankie's voice shouted outside.

Beatrix pushed past Astar and saw Frankie, Toralei, and Abbey dressed in running gear below.

"Coming!" Autumn said, rushing to her closet to change. "Astar, turn around!"

Astar averted his yellow eyes as she slipped out of her pajama top.

"What are you up to?" Beatrix glowered at him. "Building an army?"

"The ladies saw me working out around campus and wanted to join," Astar replied. "I never turn away eager pupils."

Beatrix raised a brow. "And Autumn's exercising with you?"

"Only a light jog. Wouldn't want your beloved scarecrow to rip herself again. Hells, monsters are so fragile nowadays. Just look at that one," Astar motioned to Jackson Jekyll, who had approached the group of ghouls below, clutching a notebook.

Jackson's face was bright red as he spoke with Frankie.

"Hey, four-eyes! If you're not working out with us, get lost!" Astar taunted.

Beatrix elbowed Astar aside. "Ignore him, Jackson! He's got a God complex!"

"Ha! God wishes!" Astar elbowed back, then turned to Beatrix. "Stop being a stick in the mud. You're missing out on all the cool stuff I could teach you. I've got some serious street smarts from the fifth circle of hell—the best circle by a long shot."

"I don't see how. It's only the fifth circle," Beatrix said. "I should've been paired with a devil from the sixth circle, at least." Her attempt to annoy him worked. Astar looked deeply offended.

"Only the fifth circle?!" Astar squawked. "You have no clue about my abilities because you've never bothered to learn the benefits of a devil contract. You haven't even asked how to summon me."

Astar grabbed Beatrix's hand. "Draw this symbol in your right palm," he said, running the tip of a talon across her palm lines, tracing a small square with a few lines extending from it, "and I'll be there when you need me."

"Ready!" Autumn hopped over, dressed in running shorts with her straw hair in a single braid instead of the usual two.

Astar scooped Autumn up in his arms, flew down from the fifth floor, and gently set Autumn on the grass below.

Frankie shouted, "Trixie! Jackson wants to talk to you!"

Jackson was peeking up at Beatrix.

Astar led the ghouls in a jog, with Autumn following slowly at the back of the group, and Beatrix threw on a jacket to go out and meet Jackson. Frost-covered grass crunched beneath her sneakers.

Beatrix glanced at the notebook in his hand. "Everything okay?" she asked.

Jackson looked around to make sure no one was nearby and then opened his notebook. It was jammed with stray papers, scribbled-down notes, and sketches of different monsters. His handwriting was chaotic on each page.

"I didn't know who else to turn to. I couldn't tell Guillermo and Orion," he said nervously.

Jackson turned to a page labeled "Henry."

Beatrix whispered, "Henry Hunchback?"

"I saw Henry's body," Jackson admitted, "after Grey dragged you away from the crime scene. I managed to get close right before security taped off the area."

Jackson flipped to a messy sketch of Henry's body in the grass.

Beatrix twitched. "Hells, why would you draw that?"

"I drew it from memory yesterday. The image was stuck in my head. I had to get it out," Jackson said. "I couldn't stop thinking about how strange the murder scene was. No clear cause of death. At first, I thought it might be vampire bites, blood draining. But vampires usually target the neck or wrist arteries, and there were no marks there."

Jackson pointed a finger at his sketch. "I did notice this mark on Henry."

Beatrix's eyes landed on a line Jackson had drawn across Henry's back. Beatrix hadn't noticed any strange slash because Grey had pulled her away too quickly.

"Did someone cut him?" Beatrix asked.

"The mark was subtle and didn't pierce the skin. Henry and I had gym class together, and I never saw that mark on him in the locker room. It looked like a pale, precise slice."

Beatrix was baffled. "But Henry's body was intact. How could that cause his death?"

"That's why I came to you. I was wondering if this resembles any witchcraft, because it's not a typical weapon."

"I can't think of any witchcraft that would leave that mark to take someone's life," Beatrix said, trying to recall any spells her aunts had used. "I don't think it's magic."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say," Jackson murmured. "I have another theory. Promise you won't tell anyone."

"Promise. Witch's honor." Beatrix said.

"This mark looks like a ghostly, swift cut across his body, as if made by an immaterial sword or sharp spiritual weapon. I don't know if such a thing exists, or if it could even harm a physical person, but see how the faint line slightly curves up at both ends? It resembles a single-edged blade with a curved edge. The first thing that came to my mind was… a scythe."

"A scythe?" Beatrix repeated. "Who would be using a scythe near the school?"

"As far as I know, there's only one kind of being that wields scythes as their weapon of choice."

Jackson turned his notebook to the next page, where he had drawn a hastily sketched skull and bones.

Death.