Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Xavier meets my eye and nods. The hair on the back of my neck prickles and I switch the flashlight to my left hand, putting my dagger in my dominant hand. Devon follows closely behind, walking without a sound.
“How can twenty-seven people just disappear?” I shine the light around the faculty lounge. All personal items were left and are still in place. “It’s like they just up and left.” Using the dagger, I flip open the lid on a pizza box. There’s still half a cheese pizza left, and two phones are on the table next to it. “College students don’t go anywhere without their phones.”
There’s a backdoor to the lounge that goes into another hall. From there, you can either go outside and take a path to the cabins, or turn right and go into the kitchen. We check out the kitchen first. There are lights on in here, and several shot glasses and a nearly-empty bottle of tequila on one of the countertops.
Xavier picks it up and sniffs it, shaking his head to let us know he doesn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. Next to it are ingredients to make cupcakes, and someone went as far as opening the box mix and dumping it into a big metal bowl. It would take a very powerful demon to compel everyone to just stop what they’re doing and turn and walk away.
Nothing is overturned from anyone leaving in a scramble. Nothing has been bumped into and scooted out of place by people running in fear. I can see why this case has stumped the police, that’s for sure.
“There are a couple more rooms to check,” I say, automatically taking on the role of lead demon-hunter. What can I say, it’s a habit. “We should split up.”
“You’re not going anywhere on your own,” Xavier immediately replies.
“I’ve been doing this for years,” I remind him.
“You haven’t been my wife for years,” he counters. “I’m not risking it.”
“Fine. You go check out the nurses’ station and we’ll check the office. Whatever was here, isn’t here anymore. But we have to clear the building.”
“Do not let anything happen to her,” Xavier tells Devon and then speeds out of the room. I shine the light over the rest of the kitchen, opening a few cabinets just to be thorough.
“You have a hold on him,” Devon notes. “I get why Theo is concerned. You’re a liability, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Until you came along, Xavier kinda had nothing to lose.”
I look over my shoulder at him and shake my head. “He won’t lose me.”
“You can’t promise that.” Devon’s blue eyes cloud over. “You can’t promise any of us that.”
“You’re right. I can’t. Just because I haven’t been killed by a monster doesn’t mean I’m impervious to it. Hell, I could get in an accident the next time I get behind the wheel.”
Quietly, I close the cabinet door and we go back through the hall we came in to check out the other offices. Like the rest of the building, nothing is out of place. Xavier regroups with us and we walk outside together.
The staff cabins are the first and last in the row, and there are six rather large cabins. Something feels very off as soon as we get into the first one. There are several bunkbeds, all made up with different colored sleeping bags and pillows. Each cabin has one tiny bathroom, and the light has been left on, illuminating this room just enough for me to see around.
“She was aware,” I say, closing my eyes.
“Who was?” Xavier asks.
“Someone in this room.” I tip my head, hearing echoes of voices in my mind. “Female…maybe named Amanda. I’m picking up on a lot of apprehension. Like she knew something was wrong but it didn’t make sense. I think she’s dead.” I open my eyes. “I wouldn’t be getting her memories like that if she wasn’t.”
“Holy shit,” Devon says, holding up a name tag. “Amanda Perkins.” A chill runs through me as I see her smiling face on the lanyard. “Will this work?”
“Definitely.”
“Can we do the spell in here?” he asks, swinging his backpack off one shoulder.
“We can,” I reply and shine the flashlight on a table against a wall.
“Start setting up,” Xavier says. “I’ll check the rest of the cabins.”
“Be careful,” I tell him and he looks at me as if what I said makes no sense. He speeds out of the room and Devon and I start setting up to cast the locator spell. Now that I know I can locate anyone—dead or alive—I’m going to do the same spell I did that took me to my parents’ graves.
Devon clears the table, pushing a paper bag full of groceries onto the floor. Then he spreads a map of the area down and I put a hematite stone on each corner. He sets three lodestones on the map and gets out the herbs. I mix them together, crushing them in the mortar and pestle. I sprinkle it on the map and write Amanda’s name on a bay leaf.