Chapter ElevenGet it together.Tonight is all about having fun with my friends. No stress. No worry. No following creepy feelings that are probably the result of too many vodka tonics. I hold my arms out to my sides and shake my hands, ridding myself of the access energy that’s making me feel all jittery.I go back out to the main area of the bar, and Kristy pulls me onto the dance floor. Twenty minutes later, I’m hot and sweaty and still haven’t shaken the feeling that something is lurking around the corner, waiting to attack.There’s a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant across the street from the bar that’s open late, no doubt making a killing from all the drunk people who walk over night after night. I get a hotdog—Chicago style, of course—and a Coke simply for the caffeine. I sit on a bench along the street while I eat, watching people mill in and out of the bar.I take my time eating, enjoying the little reprieve away from all the people at the bar. When I’m finished, I ball up
Chapter TwelveI skid to a stop, throwing my hands out to keep my balance. Pressing my back up against the wall, I let out my breath and look down the hall behind me.What the fuck just happened?Two demonic dogs just merged into one bigger demonic dog.Holy shit.I bring my hand to my chest, feeling my heart racing. Calm down. I need to calm down. It’s pitch black all around me, and the air is still and stale. I need to conjure an energy ball so I can see what’s around me, but it’ll be a dead giveaway to where I am, though I’m sure that thing can sense me somehow, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it can see in the dark. Dogs can. Demons can.Demonic dogs certainly can.Holy shit.The world spins around me a bit, reminding me that I’m not one hundred percent sober yet. I’d say I’m never drinking again, but if I make it through the night, I’m going to need a big glass of wine.I plant both hands against the wall and take in a steadying breath. Pressing my lips together, I lean forward an
Chapter ThirteenThe double doors fly open and the bigger of the two comes barreling in, snarling and growling, showing off rows and rows of sharp teeth. The smaller dog turns and starts to run.“No!” I shout and hit it with an energy ball. Eliza grabs my hand and yanks me back toward the air vent, making the energy ball miss. It hits the ceiling and rains bright white light down on us. The tendrils of magic burn Eliza’s skin, and she screams in pain.I put out the magic I have burning around my fingers and grab Eliza’s arm, jerking her away from the energy falling down. Lucas heals almost immediately after being burned by magic, but he’s older and stronger than Eliza and is always well-fed, which affects a vampire’s ability to heal quickly. I have no idea when Eliza last ate.The bigger dog lets out a roar and then jumps on the smaller one, mouth clamping around its head. It bites down, breaking the skull, and then shudders. The smaller dog turns into black ooze that gets absorbed in
Chapter Fourteen“I don’t know anyone who can say they defeated a hellhound.” Lucas sets me on his bed and moves to his knees, hands running down my calves. He starts to undo the buckles on my shoes.“In heels and a pushup bra, no less.”He looks into my eyes and smiles. “Are you sure you’re all right, Callie?” He takes one shoe off and sets it on the floor. “What happened back there was intense.”“I’m alive. You’re alive and my friends are alive. Hell, even Eliza is alive. Well, I guess you and Eliza aren’t, but you know what I mean.”“I do.” He takes off my other shoe and then helps me to my feet again. The shower is already on, and as much as I want to clean myself up, I just want to crash into bed with a bowl of pasta.Lucas helps me to my feet and unzips my dress. It falls to the floor, and he does his best not to react to the sight of me stripping out of my clothes. My bra and panties come off next, and we get into the shower together.“Does it hurt?” Lucas asks, gently washing
Chapter Fifteen“Diseased?” I echo. “Like with the flu or something.”“Or something,” Lucas replies. “Based on the decomposition of the body, he’d only been dead for about a day. But the blood…the blood smelled like it’s been festering for much longer than that.”“That doesn’t make sense.” I rub my forehead. “Then again, a hellhound turning into rats doesn’t either.”“Unless it was so they can scatter,” Nicole guesses. “I mean, if you think about it, it makes sense. One of those giant freaky dogs walking around the streets of Chicago is sure to draw attention. But rats…they live in the sewers.”“But all the rats were dead. Unless…shit.” I start to stand but Binx growls, knowing what I’m thinking. “We have to go back and make sure none got out—”“Callie,” Kristy says, voice edging on scolding. “You and Eliza almost died. Lucas got hurt too.” She doesn’t have to tell me that if Lucas got hurt, shit is serious. Lucas is the oldest and strongest vampire any of us have met, and is more pow
Chapter Sixteen“Evander says he’s never heard of hellhounds being able to merge together or turn into rats.” Kristy puts her phone in her purse. I take my eyes off the road for a second to look at her. “It sounds so crazy when I say it out loud like that.”We’re on our way to the bar but have no intention of going in. The hellhound is dead, we’re all pretty sure, but I need to double-check. I did wear sensible shoes, though, just in case. The combat boots actually look kinda cute with this romper too, or at least I think so. I’ve loaded up everything we could use as a weapon, and we’re all carrying vanquishing potions.See? I’m prepared this time.“Did he say anything else?” Naomi asks.“He seemed rather perplexed by the whole thing.”“Aren’t we all?” I mumble.“He said hellhounds are physical beings, brought forth from hell. They can’t shapeshift like that.”“Do you think they were really hellhounds?”Kristy holds up her phone. “He sent me this photo from a book in the library. It’s
Chapter SeventeenI feel a little dizzy when I sit up, which Lucas warned me about. Anytime he drinks a decent amount of my blood, he always babies me for the next few hours while my body heals.“Are you all right, my love?” Lucas pulls his sweatpants back on and speeds over. I sit back down on the mattress and blink a few times.“Yeah. Just dizzy like you said.”“Lie back down. I’ll bring you water.”“I can get it.”“I know.” He’s already grabbing the blanket to tuck me back in. “And I can too.” He kisses my forehead and speeds out of the room, returning a few seconds later with a glass of water. I take a big drink and set it on the nightstand.“Do you have to work tonight?”“I’m done going over the bookkeeping, but I did plan on going in. I allowed Dina to feed last night so her fangs would grow back. I plan to rip them out again after I question her.”“What if she gives you answers?”“I’ll still rip them out, as I will continue to do for the rest of her afterlife. She bit you. Tast
Chapter EighteenWhen Eliza said we’d hang out and talk tonight, I assumed she meant at the house or maybe even a coffee house, even though she doesn’t drink coffee. I didn’t expect to be sitting at a table at the back of Taproom again, waiting for her to find time to come over as she tends the bar.Which is fine, actually. This place is familiar, and I cast a circle around myself to keep people from coming over and talking to me. Lucas is in the basement torturing Dina, and I’ve been debating if I should go down and join him.He’s probably more effective without me there. And sitting here by myself, I get to hold my feather.“I’ve officially lost it,” I whisper to myself and put the feather in my purse before I start calling it my precious. I open the internet on my phone and do another search to see if any articles have been written yet about the headless body. Is murder so common here in Chicago this guy doesn’t even get a mention?“We can talk now.” Eliza sits down across from me