“I feel like we’re being watched. I can’t tell from where, or if it’s even from this realm.”
“Stay close.”
I just nod and pull my dagger from my belt. It’s been a while since I’ve sunk this into any demon, and I’m so glad I took it when Xavier and I went to the Russo’s compound. The blade is sharp and made from stainless steel, but has silver and iron inlays, making it effective against many types of monsters.
The front doors are unlocked, just as they were when the police arrived. Xavier goes first, slowly pushing it open without making a sound. The lights are off, and there’s not enough windows in here to have this place be lit up by natural light. Was no one in here when they went missing?
Maybe they were snatched out of their bed in the middle of the night?
The circle of dead birds is in the center of the lobby, behind two tables that were in the process of being set up to welcome and sign in campers. I shine my flashlight over them, quickly trying to take in every single detail.
Nothing is out of place.
“Is this how you summon a demon?” Devon asks, stepping next to the sigil.”
“It’s one way to,” I answer, joining him. Crouching down, I look at the birds. Some of them have cracked beaks and bloody faces. Turning, I shine the light on the windows on the side of the room.
“They crashed into that window,” Xavier says, able to see in the dark. “The glass is cracked.”
“Does that help narrow down what demon it is?” Devon asks.
“Not off the top of my head. Wild animals can act really weird when demonic forces are nearby. They panic and can act erratically.”
There are thirteen birds; twelve are common finches, and one was a beautiful crow. The sigil is messily drawn, and there are little drips of blood on a few of the birds. They were here first and the sigil drawn after.
Standing back up, I shine the flashlight around the rest of the mess hall. Most of the tables and chairs are still pushed up against the walls. The silence is deafening, as if this place is holding its breath, determined to win this game of hide and seek.
A heavy, wrongness starts to creep over me. A normal person would call this a bad feeling, and if they were smart, they’d listen to what that feeling was telling them and get the hell out of here. I’m far from normal, and the more I feel like I need to turn and run, the closer I know we’re getting to finding something.
“There’s blood on the floor,” Xavier says from a few yards over. He’s standing at the start of a hall that goes to the nurses’ station.
“A lot?”
“No,” he tells me and I join him, shining my light on the tile floor. I don’t see anything. “Just a few drops. It’s human. And fresh. Maybe only a day or two old.”
“So someone was here recently.”
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 acheese 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.
