“I think a bird flew into the window.” Eli craned his neck to get a better look. A small, misty cloud escaped from his lips as he spoke. He casually strode to the front of the church, looking at the window for damage. From where I stood it appeared to be okay, but I couldn’t say the same about the bird.
My gaze dropped from the window to the pews. There, sitting alone, was the young woman from the river. I slowly approached and took a seat next to her. “I was hoping I’d find you here.” I gave a tight-lipped smile. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”
The girl turned to me and opened her mouth to speak, but only a wheezing sound came out. They’d taken her voice even in death. My eyes lingered on her throat, and my stomach churned. I reached out my hand, and I hoped she’d take it. She deserved to find peace.
Vengeance wasn’t worth an afterlife of misery.
“I thought I told you not to go into the church without me.” Grey’s voice was a low growl. A shiver raked over my body at hearing his voice.
Emory and Eli’s attention snapped toward the entrance. They might not be able to see the spirit, but they could definitely see the demon stomping down the aisle.
Grey’s fists clenched at his side and his back went ramrod straight.
“What—” Howls in the distance cut me off. “Was that?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
The girl shook uncontrollably as the howls sliced through the night. Without thinking, I reached out with both hands. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you,” I apologized and gripped her arms tightly, trying to will her spirit to pass beyond the veil.
She vanished, taking the unnatural coldness with her. I wasn’t sure if it was my doing or her own. But I prayed she found peace.
“Everyone else can hear that too, right?” Emory’s head whipped around the church. Eli remained seated in his usual spot; legs stretched out in front of him.
“Hellhounds,” Grey said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion. His body tensed, and a low hiss sounded from the collar.
Manic laughter bubbled from my throat, the kind you hear bouncing around the halls of an insane asylum.
“We need to get out of here,” I managed to say, pulling myself together enough to speak.
“No.” Emory shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She crossed her arms, taking a defensive stance. “Not until you tell me who the hell that is.”
Eli finally stood, strolling over to Emory’s side. He wore a tight expression but said nothing.
“Grey.” I pointed in his direction. “Eli and Emory. Okay, introductions over. Now let’s go.” But Emory made no effort to move.
“Emory, I swear to god?—”
Another howl. But this one was much closer. Terror washed over me, raising the small hairs on my neck.
“You’re going to need this.” Grey shoved something heavy into my sweaty palm. I turned the knife over in my hand. “It’s made of iron. It’s supposed to repel spirits, but it’ll stab through flesh just fine.”
I clutched it tightly to my chest. No one had ever given me something like this. “Thank you,” I whispered, the words barely enough to express the overwhelming gratitude that flooded through me.
“Now, when I tell you to run, you fucking run.”
Glowing red eyes appeared in the doorway, blocking the exit. The black hair at the nape of the hellhound’s neck stood, indicating we were a threat.
“Don’t make any sudden movements,” I whispered over my shoulder to Emory and Eli.
“Did you learn that from a Discovery Channel documentary on hellhounds?” Emory hissed.
The hellhound pounced. Grey only had a split second to decide between knocking me out of the way or attacking. Strong hands pushed me out of the path of the snarls and razor-sharp teeth. I connected hard with the wooden floor of the church and looked up in time to see the hellhound tear into Grey’s bicep.
Demon and beast wrestled with one another. A mess of claws, fangs, and teeth mashed together. Blood coated the floor, and I couldn’t tell which one of them it belonged to.
The hellhound crouched low, ready to strike another blow. Blood coated its teeth, dripping to the floor.
Grey’s mangled arm hung limp at his side. Lightening danced over his knuckles, but I didn’t miss the way his face contorted in pain.
My eyes met his.
