With hours to go and nothing to do until Nik’s return, her edginess grew like fire ants beneath her skin—
“You can’t catch me, Shady Shadow…”Shadow froze at the childish voice echoing in her mind and desperately tried to hang onto the wisp of a memory, but it dissipated like mist. Christ, she rubbed her achy temples, wishing she knew who the voice belonged to.
She jumped to her feet, needing to keep moving. Her gaze settled on the granite balustrade. Hell, why not?
Adrenaline pumping, she grasped the pillar, leaped onto the rail—her kicks giving her enough of a grip—grabbed the support beam, and scrambled up onto the roof. The wound on her chest pulled a little, but it didn’t stop her.
More in her element now, she raced along the slightly sloping rooftop, her gaze darting to the dark clouds submerging a part of the tower, her destination. Exhilarated, she slowed near the circular structure, but a glow coming from below drew her. Shadow skirted around the turret to the rim of the roof and peered down into the courtyard.
Beneath the tree in the backyard, the angel, Lore, practiced with some kind of glowing sword, the weapon leaving shimmery waves in the air. Curious, she grasped the edge of the roof and swung down, landing on her feet like a cat.
Lore stopped mid-swing, his expression a little annoyed. “Human, you put yourself in danger.”
“I’m fine.” She studied the shimmering weapon. “You use that to kill—”
“Demons.” He rested the silver sword against his black, tunic-clad shoulder, waiting.
Right. Shadow furtively eased back, just in case the sword possessed demon seeking magic or something and detected her other, darker side.
A sharp, pulsing sensation tugged at her to move. Her throbbing nodes jacked up, and she pressed a hand to injured chest, biting back a wince of pain. Maybe a demon about?
As if. None would find the Guardians’ warded residence. They were zealous about their privacy, so she’d learned while at the castle.
But she had to get out of here before Lore sensed her strumming nodes and their demonic connection. She didn’t want a Heavenly weapon inherchest.
“I’m going to explore this ghostly monastery.”
“Why?”
“It’s fun.”Please don’t say you’re coming, too.
“Suit yourself.” He went back to his sword dance.
Thank God.He’d probably know if danger was around, anyway.
Shadow headed indoors. Once clear of the angel, she raced along the cracks marbling the granite floor in the softly lit corridor. Moments later, she entered a gloomy, seemingly unused part of the monastery, and she stopped at a bricked-up passage.
Musty air hung dank and heavy here. The pull inside her didn’t subside. In fact, it ramped up like earlier today when she’d thought Nik was in trouble…but he was out on patrol.
A sudden chilly breeze swept past, and she shivered. She rubbed her arms, spying a narrow entrance in the shadows. A wooden door stood slightly ajar.
Cautiously, she stepped through and made her way down the crudely excavated steps going deeper into the mountain.
The stairs spilled into a dark corridor. Only her keen eyesight prevented her from crashing into the granite wall. As if invisible strings drew her, she followed the tug inside her along the passageway. Torches burned, casting eerie shadows, revealing the dingy walls and a ceiling thick with cobwebs. Heck, she lived underground, the dark didn’t scare her, but this place had a spooky vibe. The several wooden doors she passed were far too close to each other, almost like narrow crypts.
Stopping midway, she glanced back at the shut doors. All of them appeared ancient and worn, except for the last one, which was the only door made of heavy metal. How odd.
Did it cage a wild animal? A supernatural beast? Demons?
Frowning, she drew closer and pressed her ears to the unexpectedly freezing metal and concentrated. A low growl, no, agroanreached her, followed by a grunt.
The familiar smell of stormy nights and cedar permeated the air, stronger than the faint one from the sweater she wore. She reared back and frowned.
A pained moan reached her again.
Her heart banged against her ribs then took off in a frantic sprint to her throat. She hammered her fists on the chilly door. “Nik?”
“Get out!” A guttural growl. “You can’t fuckin’ haunt me here, too!”
