The Lure of the Devil (The Demons' Muse #4) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,206

a quiet nook between a pair of large ventilation shafts. The heat radiating off of them was welcome after the long, cold trip. The silence wasn't. As he settled in for a long night, he tried to remember the last time he hadn't been able to hear at least one other voice. Tonight, the only sounds that would lull him to sleep were the creaking of the building and the clanking of outdated technology.

And maybe his own sobs, but he didn't want to admit that. Closing his eyes for a long moment, he finally let himself wonder if he'd ever see his home again. When he'd set off on this mission, it had seemed exciting - thrilling even - to visit strange worlds, sample alien life, and make enough to return home a very wealthy man. He lifted his shirt up and looked at his damaged ribs. It wasn't nearly as exciting now.

Chapter 3

The Mimics: Bioluminescent: Book 1

They were under a media blackout it seemed, even though cellular and data service were mostly back. The news hadn't made a single report about the downed ship. The closest Hailey saw had been a comment that the asteroid didn't look anything like what had been expected. Of course, that hadn't stopped YouTube and social media. She scrolled through her Weblife page, reading all of the conspiracy theories.

Locals all knew it was real, but she couldn't blame anyone else for being skeptical. Granted, that also didn't stop the national guard from putting their quiet little tourist town on lockdown. "Quarantine" they called it, stating that the object - they were still just calling it an object - could be radioactive, biohazardous, or even weaponized. Hailey didn't really know what that meant, but she'd heard enough people complaining about being turned away at the city limits that she knew better than to try.

Not that she needed to. As the sun sank lower in the sky, she tossed on her green polo and grabbed her burgundy apron, then headed down the block. She didn't even work far enough away to drive. The only reason she had a car was for groceries. Which, she probably should get. If they couldn't get out, then there was a very good chance that deliveries wouldn't get in.

With her feet slapping on the sidewalk, she made a mental note to grab a few things after she got off work. It didn't take long to get to the Pink Flamingo Cafe. It took longer to get inside. The line at the door was shocking, making her wish that she had a key to get in the back. Instead, Hailey squeezed past the customers, explaining to a few that she was not cutting, she was trying to help serve them. When she finally got behind the counter, Carter shot her an appreciative glance.

"Been like this all afternoon," he said. "Guess the tourists are stuck for a bit. A couple of places closed for the day, something about alien ships crashing." He lifted one shoulder in an attempt to shrug with his hands full.

"Hopefully it also means decent tips." She tossed him a smile, then dove in.

Over and over it went. Coffee, cappuccino, latte, espresso, she made them all, and then some. A few customers were obviously from larger towns, wanting sugar free syrups and designer flavors, but the Pink Flamingo wasn't really that kind of place. It was a local seaside coffee house. They focused more on serving many cheap and simple beverages with a few cold sandwiches, and less on the exotic stuff.

For the most part, the customers got their drinks and left. A few stuck around long enough to finish eating, but one man wearing a dark hoodie claimed a table at the back and sat for most of the evening. He seemed overly interested in people watching, but Hailey didn't really mind. Under his grey knit hat was a mop of disheveled, shaggy, dark brown hair, and he was exceedingly easy on the eyes. She must have glanced in his direction a few times too many because even Carter noticed.

"You still seeing Miles?" he asked a little too casually.

She rolled her eyes, squeezing past him to grab another package of paper cups. "Not this week."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that guy's vanilla latte is long gone. If you happen to," he slid a drink at her, "offer him my latest screw up, I won't say shit."

She took the cup carefully, thought about it for about two seconds, then made her