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The room fills with the kind of laughter that would make a grown man’s blood run cold.
The Boogeyman stands, darkness peeling off the couch with him.
Oni rises, making my living room look like dollhouse furniture.
Same as every year. One list. One night. Done by sunrise. I’ve done this for centuries, and nothing’s ever changed.
My phone buzzes with a text from my security staff. “Club’s at capacity, Boss. Crowd’s wild tonight.”
Perfect. The best way for us to hide has always been in plain sight.
“Gentlemen,” I announce as we reach the elevator, “welcome to San Francisco. Try not to fuck up my club while you punish our sinners.”
“No promises,” a chorus of beastly voices responds.
The elevator doors close on our reflection… sets of eyes already glowing with hunger.
The Brotherhood
Chapter One
KISHA
I’m thinking about how much Top Ramen I have left until my financial aid hits when I push open my dorm room door.
The black envelope on my desk stops me cold.
What the hell?
My roommate’s at her boyfriend’s, like always, and I locked the door when I left for class. I check the lock again…still secure. No signs of forced entry. But there it is, sitting on my cluttered desk, pristine black paper practically glowing against my pile of textbooks and empty energy drink cans.
My name is written across the front in gold script that seems to shimmer as I move toward it.
Kisha Williams
No address. No postage. Just my name looking expensive as hell. Something it never has…
My hands shake a little as I pick it up. The paper feels weird: heavy and warm, like it’s been sitting in sunlight even though my room’s been dark all day. I slide my finger under the seal and pull out a card that probably costs more than my rent.
You are cordially invited to
PANDEMONIUM
San Francisco’s Most Exclusive Experience
Krampusnacht
Midnight
Costume Required
This invitation admits one
I drop on my bed. Pandemonium? THE Pandemonium?! The club where celebrities and tech billionaires throw parties that cost more than my tuition?
“No fucking way.”
I grab my phone, and I’m halfway through texting Jessie when the door slams open.
