Page 14 of Insatiable Hunger

“Stop it.” Jinx quickly nudged her, trying to hide her laughter. Lazarus chuckled to himself, his eyes meeting mine as he winked at me. I quickly raised the hot mug to my lips, my cheeks burning at the tiny, flirtatious act.

Cain, oblivious to Ruby’s snarky remark, wobbled over to the table as he flopped into an empty chair. He rubbed his face, his eyes hidden behind dark circles, his clothing wrinkled and disheveled. He looked as if he had wrestled some invisible enemy in his sleep, being tugged in all directions. “Are you guys ready to check out the cemetery today?” His reddened eyesraised to meet ours as we all stared at him, shocked by his eagerness despite barely being awake.

“Cain, youjustwoke up. At least let us finish our coffee first.” Lazarus’ face scrunched as he inhaled, sipping his coffee. “Wouldn’t kill you to take a shower either, considering Alastair smells better than you.” Lazarus poked, taking his time as he drank from his mug. Alastair perked at the sound of his name, Ruby choking on her coffee as she spat it back in her cup.

Cain smelled himself, unaware of the reeking scent of alcohol that soaked his skin and lingered heavily on his morning breath. He rolled his eyes, brushing his hair back with his fingers. “Whatever.” He stood from the chair, stretching before kissing my head. “Morning, babygirl. Did you have a good night?” I held my breath, my grip tightening around the hot, ceramic mug.

“It was fine,” I whispered, forcing a smile. Cain squeezed my shoulder before he left the kitchen and headed to the bathroom, unaware of the sinful acts that transpired between Lazarus and myself the night before.

“Last night was pretty eventful, huh?” Ruby asked over her coffee, her eyebrow raised. My head shot in her direction, my eyes wide as I swallowed hard.

“What do you mean?” I asked, Lazarus’ eyes moving to me, faint worry falling over his face.

Ruby’s eyebrows pressed down as she shook her head, puzzled by my response. “The storm?” She motioned around. I exhaled, immediately relieved she wasn’t referring to Lazarus and me.Fuck, that was close.I could see Lazarus’ shoulders relaxing, allayed that our secret was safe.

“Yeah, it was wild.” My eyes fell to my coffee as my fingers traced the round ceramic top with meekness. I shifted in my seat when something touched my ankle and slowly began to run along my leg, stroking me with a delicate touch. My gaze shot forward to find Lazarus smiling, leaning back in his chair as hedrank his coffee. His posture told me he was fully aware of what he was doing, enjoying the reaction I had given him.

“I mean, I don’t know how you guys were able to get any sleep. Last night was eventful,” Ruby groaned. I coughed on my bitter coffee while Lazarus hid his smile. “Seriously, Alaska, that storm was insane. The thunder last night was so intense, it startled Jinx. She could feel the vibrations in her chest. Thankfully, we were able to sleep through most of it after taking some sleeping pills, but damn. I don’t know how you guys were able to get any sleep, especially with that thunder.”

“Oh, we felt it all right.” Lazarus raised a brow as he drank his coffee, his leg moving along mine. My thighs tightened, fighting back the small hints of excitement. Thankfully, neither Ruby nor Jinx noticed my fidgeting. “That storm was a real banger.” Lazarus joked.

Ruby eyed him, shaking her head. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Can you stop being so fucking weird? Seriously.” He shook his head, smiling like a child as she sighed. “Look, we’ve only been here one night, and I’m already done with this place. We need to find that damn cemetery, do our little investigation to make Cain happy, then head back home. I’m not sure what it is, but this whole town gives me the creeps. Something about this place is just… off.”

Couldn’t agree more.

Chapter

Thirteen

ALASKA

The group slowly prepared for the day while Cain showered, all of us surprisingly ready to head out to the cemetery once he had dressed. Ruby and Jinx each carried full duffle bags into the living room, tossing them onto the couch. “Alright, you restless spirits. Here.” Ruby pointed to the open bags. “Grab your equipment.” Ruby tapped Jinx’s shoulder, speaking only to her. “Make sure you take everything you need. Never know what might happen out here, and I want you to be prepared.” Jinx nodded.

One by one, we each reached into the bags, withdrawing flashlights, two-way radios, and our usual investigative tools. Ruby, being a witch, relied more on her gifts to feel the energy of what was around us. She would always partner up with Jinx, who had brought along a pair of Dowsing Rods. The two would work together, Ruby asking questions, provoking spirits to answer, while Jinx would hold the metal rods and patiently wait for a response. She was abnormally sensitive to energy fields, feeling the slightest shifts within them, creating a unique, yet beneficial, sixth sense. Lazarus always chose to use an instaprint camera or camcorder in hopes of capturingevidence on film. A simpler choice. He would sometimes record Cain, who always teased and provoked spirits, egging them on as Lazarus photographed and filmed anything he felt was a potential ghost. Aside from those moments, Cain usually preferred investigating by himself with a simple recorder. He would venture off alone, determined to hear and document voices of ghosts, but truthfully, all he had captured in the past were soft, faint sound disturbances. Nothing concrete. I had my own preferences, relying on weird instincts that always peeked through when investigating. I also had Alastair and, on some occasions, my magic. Despite investigating numerous known haunted locations over the years, we hadn’t experienced much success with our findings, and honestly, I think we collectively just enjoyed the break from reality to run around and search the shadows for the unknown.

Cain entered the room, a brown leather sling bag across his chest. He unzipped the bag, reaching into the brown opening as he withdrew a large hunting knife. His lips curled into a grin, branching high across his face as he observed the reflective blade closely.

“What the fuck?” Lazarus verbalized what we were thinking. Our eyes were all wide, watching as Cain sheathed the enormously vicious blade to his belt. The entire interaction set me on edge.

Cain’s smile grew, unphased by the uneasiness we all reflected. “You can never be too careful, especially in these woods. Don’t worry, I brought one for each of you.” The calmness of his answer concerned me, not to mention the idea of Cain carrying multiple large hunting knives. He reached into the bag, retrieving the blades, each unique and sheathed, handing them out to each of us, one by one as if he was simply passing out candy on Halloween. It was a disturbing exchange.

“I don’t want this thing near me.” Ruby dropped the knife from her hand onto the floor, disgusted by the sight of it. Jinx silently picked the blade up, handing both hers and Ruby’s back to Cain, shaking her head. Her face showed her feelings, those of which were worry and panic.

Cain stared at Ruby as he held their blades in his extended palm. “Your magic can’t stop everything.” His flat words sent a chill down my spine.

Ruby crossed her arms, her face tightening as her fingertips began to faintly glow with her temper. “I’ll take my chances,” she hissed. Cain shrugged, instantly resuming his normal, arrogant demeanor. Lazarus hesitated, eyeing the knife in his hand before quietly placing it inside his own bag. I stared at the heavy blade in my mine, pondering if I wanted to bring it along or leave it behind. I didn’t particularly want to pack it, but that weird instinct in my gut told me I should. Cain smiled, watching as I slid the sheathed knife into my bag.

The group slowly gathered the rest of our things, each of our bags now filled with additional items such as bottles of water and various snacks. I always carried a mini, first aid kit in my bag, just in case someone got hurt. Seeing as we were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains and thick woods, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to be prepared. Never know what could happen.

Once we were all ready, we gathered outside on the damp porch. The rain had finally stopped, leaving the soil drenched and the air thick with moisture. The afternoon was cooler than the day before, more so than I had anticipated. Thankfully, I was dressed in a long sleeve crop top, jeans, a green faded military jacket, and my everyday black combat boots. Perfect for this kind of weather.

“Jesus,” Ruby groaned. “Why is it so cold?” She was shaking gingerly, wearing a black mini dress with long netted sleeves, herlegs bare and exposed, covered in goosebumps. Not something I think anyone would prefer to wear in a place like this.

“Get used to it. The cemetery isn’t too far from here, and with walking, we’re going to be outside for some time,” Cain spoke as he pranced down the porch steps.

“Excuse me?” Her tone reflected the annoyed expression across her face. “These shoes were not made for trampling around like some boy scout, Cain.” She shook her black, knee high platform leather boots, pissed. “You should’ve told us we were walking so we could’ve packed better! And why bring your fucking car if we’re just going to hike the whole way?”

Cain turned to face her. “What did you think we were doing? Look around, Ruby.” He threw his arms out, motioning to the woods that surrounded us. “I’m sorryyoudidn’t come prepared, but that’s not my problem. Now, let’s go.” He growled the last few words, impatient and ready to head out.

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