Something was off.
It really was a cheap funhouse. The hallway was dark, too dark, as if it were a blackhole sucking up the light. At the end of it, an ominous hulking figure stood unmoving through the shadows.
I steeled myself, letting Breena lead the way. Her personality alone would be a torch in the dark.
The deeper we went, the stronger the uneasy feeling grew. Like eyes watching from all angles, as if the building itself was sentient.
Was that even possible?
The bouncer didn’t speak, just subtly nodded once, pulling back a heavy plum curtain.
I exhaled and took a step through.
Aine’s eyes scanned the room with immediate judgment, expression partially bored.
“Oh look, wall-to-wall leather. Nothing says class like furniture designed for easier cleanup.”
An involuntary snort escaped me again. I was unsure if she meant blood or bodily fluids.
Although the aesthetic was deeply Hallow Land, the club was surprisingly luxurious, opulence wrapped in darkness. Definitely not the dim candle-lit, mildewy crypt vibes I was expecting. Velvet plum sashes cascaded down from the ceiling, draping like banners. Onyx and silver checkerboard floor glinted beneath the shifting neon lights, mirroring the movement of bodies above. Center stage, a massive glassy black stone bar. Its smooth surface reflected the soft glow of the orb-lit chandeliers overhead.
What really made me pause—the coffins. They were staggered equidistant along the wall, standing upright. The carved stone surfaces were etched with neon-green veins of glowingmagic. Green light pulsated with the bass, the rhythm of a slow heartbeat thudding. Inside, dancers moved perfectly in sync to the music, sensually and hypnotic. Their silhouettes bent and curved like a river current trickling over stones, but their eyes were glazed over in a sinful haze, lost to the song, or lost to something else . . .
It made me wonder how much of a presence Lochlainn and Pogue’s drugs had here. I’d heard whispers among students about Arcadia Leaf being the ultimate ecstasy enhancer. But drugs like that had consequences.Always.
My fingers brushed the gold lace on my neck absentmindedly as I studied the dead-eyed entertainers.
Breena’s voice was filled with intrigue.
“If I get murdered tonight, just bury me in one of those.” She pointed to the nearest coffin-dance-box like it was a luxury car she wanted to take a spin in.
Aine scoffed and crossed her arms. “I think I’ll just prop ya up outside with ball-scratcher so he can play necromancer for a while.”
Breena gasped, scolding her with a look. “Ya wouldn’t dare!”
Aine smirked. “Wanna bet?”
The music thrummed, vibrating through my chest. My shoulders swayed naturally to the catchy beat.
And then, apull, so hard it stole a gasp from me.
It was far from the tug of my inkling. No, this was something deeper, hungrier, primal. It gnawed at my insides.
What the hell was that?
It felt like an invisible chain hooked around my chest, coiling, dragging me forward. The relentless ache spread to the pit of my stomach, among slightly lower places. It was a craving I needed to satisfy. Right . . .now. . .
I hadn’t even realized, but my fingers started torub at my chest, an attempt to sooth the ache. Luckily Breena’s voice snapped me out of the daze.
“Carwynn, you all right? Ya look like you’re going to hurl.”
I staggered, slightly out of breath.
“I—I don’t know.” My heart raced. I think I was going to pass out. “Maybe I’m having a heart attack. I feel like—like my insides are stuck in a snare. Like something’s summoning me.” I hunched over slightly, a hand pressing into my belly.
Breena’s curls bounced as she did a happy dance, hands rubbing together.
“Yessss! Someone’s here that you fancy!” she squealed.
