“What? Sorry.” I looked up from my phone.
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re texting Dylan.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
Kenna reached for my phone, but before she could snatch it away, a loud crash sounded from the house.
“Shit, I better go make sure they aren’t trashing the place. Dad would never forgive me if the house burned down.” Kenna laughed at the implication as she sprinted toward the door. Both Kenna and her father had the power to manipulate fire, so the likelihood of the house burning down was low, but not impossible. Which was probably the reason Cal followed behind.
I stood alone, racking my brain for something clever to say to Dylan’s message. I typed and deleted response after response, unable to come up with a witty reply that would make him fall in love with me.
Maybe some liquid courage would help.
I wrapped my arms around myself, desperate to ward off the cold.
My phone vibrated again. Dylan followed up his previous message—an emoji with devil horns. At least he was as thirsty as I was.
I looked up from the text to find a young man who hadn’t been there a second ago. His head hung limply to the side in an unnatural position.
I inched backward, stumbling over the death traps strapped to my feet. My ass connected hard with the ground, the wetness from the grass soaking into the thin fabric of my dress as the bone-chilling cold confirmed what I already knew. He was a spirit.
No, no, no, this wasn’t happening.
I’d never encountered a spirit outside the walls of the church. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it was my mind playing tricks, but when I opened them again, he was still there—standing over me, his gaze unwavering and cold.
Panting, I got to my feet and sprinted inside.
My wings collided with bodies, knocking me off balance. I stole a quick glance over my shoulder, and my breath hitched.Glassy, dead eyes met mine. The spirit was chasing me through a crowd of oblivious partygoers.
“Watch where you’re—” a girl yelled. I continued down the narrow hallway, not stopping to hear the rest.
The door at the end of the hallway came into view. I reached out to turn the doorknob, only to find it locked. With trembling fingers, I pressed the pad of my thumb against the back of my earring hard enough to draw blood. A single droplet spilled from the wound as I pressed my hand against the door and whispered, “Aperta.” The deadbolt shifted and creaked, and the knob turned.
My shaky hand gripped the cold railing of the staircase, and I descended into the darkness.
CHAPTER 4
GREY
Inever thought an angel would be my salvation, but there she stood. And the dress she wore was anything but holy. My eyes trailed downward from the ridiculous halo resting above her long dark hair and lingered on the curve of her hips. Shit, they would be perfect for digging my claws into while I fucked her from behind. I salivated at the temptation…fucking gorgeous.
The girl fumbled with the light switch. The lights flickered to life, revealing the room and all the horrors it concealed. Myself included.
She crumpled the hem of her dress in shaky hands, exposing even more of her thighs. Those beautiful hazel eyes widened, snapping to mine as she stumbled backward, letting out a small whimper like a wounded animal. The predator inside me longed to be free, to devour her whole until her screams quelled the monster within.
“You good?” I asked, willing myself to focus. The last thing I needed was to fuck up my one chance at freedom because I wanted to get my dick wet. I forced in a deep, steadying breath, and the air seemed to thicken. Lavender laced with orange blossoms mixed with the faintest warmth of vanilla clung to theair, to my skin, to everything around me. The scent was so heavy I could almost taste the magic on my tongue.
Magic always left a lingering aroma. But this wasn’t the acrid stench of Devin’s power—this was sweet, almost intoxicating.
Anger washed over me like a cold shower, driving away the haze of lust.
She was a witch.
I ground my molars together so hard I was shocked they didn’t crack.
She strained her neck, trying to get a better look at me, but her eyes kept darting back to the staircase she’d tumbled down.
The sudden foulness of rotting flesh and decay drove away the sweetness. A chill, so cold death could be its only companion, filled the room.
