“Me too, but maybe they went and didn’t find anything?” I said with a half-shrug and strode toward the door. Miska followed me, and we started to ascend the stairs. About halfway up, something washed over me, and I stopped. Miska was so close she nearly ran into me. My shoulders shook as a shiver ran up my spine, my body reacting involuntarily to … something.
Miska’s small hand fisted in my shirt at my lower back and pressed to my side to peek around me. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “Not sure. I just felt a chill, I suppose. Let’s go see what they found, yeah?”
She nodded, and we continued up the steps. We reached the top of the stairs that opened into the main living area. The overhead lights usually came on when we entered, but not this time. I slapped at the small panel on the wall, but the darkness remained.
“Of course, when Samkiel isn’t here, his shitty electrical system fails,” I murmured.
“Cameron, it’s cold.”
I turned toward her as she glanced up at me. Her breath curled in front of her, and she lifted her hand to dance her fingers through the puff of fog. “It is,” I said, small, misty puffs giving my words physical weight. “Maybe the ventilation system is messing up, too?” I suggested although I had no idea what the fuck was going on. Miska looked up at me and shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.
It felt like someone had left a window open, but even if they had, it wouldn’t be this cold at this time of the year. I stood very still, my Ig’Morruthen allowing me to see easily in the dark. I looked at each window and saw a thin layer of frost on the glass. My brows furrowed, but I needed to make sure Miska didn’t freeze before I could check any of that out.
“Wanna see something cool?” I asked, glancing down at Miska.
She nodded, her eyes wide and pinched with fear.
I turned toward the fireplace, thanking Dianna for insisting we put one down here. With a snap of my fingers, flames flickered to life at the tips, quickly coalescing into a ball on my palm. Miska’s eyes lit up. With a flick of my wrist, I sent the small fireball flying to land on the neat pile of logs.
“So cool,” Miska said, her face glowing as she looked up at me. The golden light gilded her light pink skin and reflected in her big eyes.
“Right? Dianna taught me,” I said.
The flames illuminated the familiar lines of the room, warming the air. Miska smiled and stepped toward the fire, raising her hands to the warmth.
“Better?” I asked.
She nodded and angled her body so she could still see me while keeping her body close to the heat of the flames.
“All right.” I grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders. “You stay here and keep warm. I’m going to check the rest of the house.”
Her eyes flickered nervously around the room before landing back on me.
“You’ll be fine,” I said. “Besides, I don’t think the house is haunted.”
Her eyes widened, and she snapped, “Why would you say that?”
I snickered and flicked her nose. She swatted me away and slowly sank onto the hearth, her eyes massive in her small face as she peered nervously into the shadows where the firelight didn’t quite reach. I left the room, taking one last look back at her before heading toward the kitchen. I did a sweep of every floor and came up empty. No windows were left open, and the farther away I got from where I’d left Miska, the more the cold seemed to ease. Maybe it was just a faulty system. My nerves slowly relaxed as I made my way back downstairs.
“Well,” I said, rounding the foyer. “I think Samkiel’s system is flawed—”
“I’d agree.”
My blood froze, my heart racing as a massive form loomed behind Miska, blocking out the entirety of the fire. A large, clawed hand cupped Miska’s mouth and chin, completely covering the lower half of her face. She stared at me with wide, panicked eyes, her body shaking so hard I wasn’t sure how she was still standing.
Kaden.
His ragged cloak was pinned across his chest, the dirty hem draped over Dianna’s pristine floor. He seemed larger than I remembered. Or maybe he just looked more forbidding because he held Miska like a shield, his claws hovering threateningly over the pounding pulse in her neck. I held very still, knowing that he could end her life before I got anywhere near him. Miska’s eyes caught mine, and I could see the pleading in them. I let my lips curve the slightest bit and gave her a small nod, trying to ease her mind. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to move, but I had to be smart. Any sudden movement and he’d hurt her. And then I’d never forgive myself.
“You’re dead.” It was a stupid thing to say, but it was all I could manage. I realized now that the cold we had felt wasn’t from the weather but the lingering touch of Death.
Kaden’s shoulders rose, the cloak he wore doing nothing to hide the line of muscle beneath it. “More or less.”
“Hurting a child?” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “That’s low, even for you.”
“I’ve done worse.” He ran a single claw under her chin. His touch was light, but she still winced.
