hospital was home to many unable to find rest.
“Where do we start?” Jez asked. “Where did they have Kale last time you saw him?”
An image sprang to mind, one that brought with it a rush of fury. The last I’d seen of Kale, he had been a tortured, naked mess, held captive by humans who had no idea how large the forces they tried to command were. I should never have left him.
Briggs had struck a deal with me. He would free Kale, and I would give the FPA access to Veryl’s files. Instead, Briggs called to tell me Kale escaped and the deal was off. Lies. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise; those files should never be in human hands.
“He was in a torture room that could be viewed through one-way glass. It’s on the top floor. Heavy agent presence. But, that’s not where I want to go.” A trickle of fear slithered through me. “I have this feeling we need to go down. Into the basement.”
The basement held the morgue, which was creepy enough in its own right. However, the basement also held something sinister, something that had driven Arys crazy. Having to be saved from my vampire’s attack by Falon wasn’t a fond memory.
We reached the perimeter where a twenty-foot fence topped with razor wire stopped us. That was new. Large signs warning of prosecution for trespassers decorated the fence in various places. Ignoring them, Jez had little trouble peeling back the fence near the bottom. We slipped through with ease.
I would have expected higher security from a government agency. Except their goal was to appear as if they weren’t housed within the abandoned hospital, so the real security didn’t begin until one was already inside.
I led the way to the far end of the structure, opposite the entrance used by agents. That left us with little more than a broken window to enter through. I wanted to come in close to the stairwell since the FPA had no surveillance on the stairs.
“I’m not sure what’s in the basement, but it unhinged Arys,” I paused, looking from Willow to Jez. “I think the FPA has something really shady going on down there. Be ready for anything.”
Willow didn’t seem concerned. If anything, he was excited. Being immortal clearly had its advantages.
The second I dropped through the busted out window into the hall, I was frozen with fear. My heart pounded so loud in my ears I could barely hear Jez’s soft whisper.
“What the fuck is that?”
I followed her gaze to the shadow creeping along the wall behind me. In the nearly non-existent lighting I watched it morph as it moved, taking on different shapes. It grew and stretched, becoming a heavily muscled cat. It continued to writhe and ripple, changing into a wolf with bared fangs. Wings sprouted from the wolf’s back moments before it shifted into the form of a man.
“It’s mocking us,” I said in both awe and apprehension.
“It’s a shadow weaver,” Willow announced, utterly fearless next to us two fidgety mortals. “A demonic force that preys on restless spirits. Harmless to the living, for the most part.”
I edged toward the stairwell. Debris littered the floor. From broken boards with nails jutting through to drug paraphernalia and broken glass, the place was a hazard. It hadn’t changed in the month since I’d last been inside.
Several ghosts drifted over to check us out. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them darting out to grab my clothing or tug my hair. It wasn’t as startling this time around.
“I knew it would be like a horror movie in here,” Jez stated, her voice loud in the silence.
“On the bright side, you don’t have to see the psych ward upstairs.” I picked my way through the graffiti-riddled hall, stepping carefully to avoid rubble.
I kept expecting an alarm to sound as agents surrounded us. So, when we reached the basement door and nobody had stopped us, I started to get an ill feeling.
Willow came to an abrupt halt. “There aren’t many places that hold this kind of darkness. It could be dangerous for you.”
“Oh God, Lex, please tell me you’re not going to vamp out on us.” Her tone was light, but Jez wasn’t kidding. “Make that me. Tell me you’re not going to vamp out on me. I’m sure the angel will survive it.”
I was conflicted. Last time, the basement had done a hell of a number on Arys. If Falon hadn’t shown up when he did,