Page 95 of Witch Undecided
I needed to check on him.
I turned so my back was resting on the bar and smiled up at Sloane flirtatiously before allowing my gaze to slide toward the warlock.
The space where he’d been standing was empty.
I tipped my head toward her. “We’re clear.”
She nodded curtly and then led me away from the bar. We made a beeline for the shadows. Where had the woman gone?
There was no restroom or exit here. No…wait… What was that? I moved closer to the wall where a door was built into it so seamlessly it was easily missed if someone wasn’t looking for it.
“Sloane…” I pointed at the door.
“Good catch.”
“What have we got?” Poppy appeared at my side.
Sloane indicated the hidden door.
Poppy sashayed over, bubble-gum hair swaying against the small of her back, and then leaned up against the door all casual-like, drink in hand.
“Won’t open under physical pressure,” she said into her glass.
“No problem,” Jessie said. She joined Poppy, reaching around her to press her palm to the door. Her mouth moved with a spell and then the door popped open a crack.
With a quick look behind us, we hurried through and into the narrow gray corridor beyond.
“Secret space,” Jessie said. “Not creepy at all.”
Sloane pulled a blade from beneath her jacket. “Let’s find the human.”
The corridor led to a short flight of steps that ended in a landing and a door that was slightly ajar. A soft beeping drifted through the gap. Sloane caught my eye, her brow furrowing. That sound, rhythmic and even, reminded me of—
“Heart monitor?” Sloane whispered.
Jessie made a what-the-fuck face and then stepped forward to peer through the gap. She reared back, eyes wide.
“Fuck.”
“What is it?” Sloane shoved her aside to look into the room.
“What?” Poppy and I asked in unison.
Sloane backed up. “We need to leave. Now.”
“Dammit, Sloane,” Poppy said.
I needed to see. I slipped by Sloane and took a peek. My heart shot into my throat at the sight of the row of beds, each occupied by a human hooked up to a machine. Revenants hovered above each bed, pulsing as they fed. If they sensed us, they didn’t give any indication. This was an organized operation. Humans being used as feeding bags, vitals monitored to avoid death, but there was no sign of the woman we’d followed, and these humans looked gaunt and thin.
I backed up and closed the door. “We can’t take on ten revenants. Sloane’s right, let’s go.”
“Lost, ladies?” A smooth voice drifted up behind us. We spun to find a man staring up at us from the steps.
Oval-faced with dark, cropped hair and dark eyes, this was the meat suit from our last visit.
Fuck.
He tipped his head to the side and then his gaze flicked to the door behind us. “Ah, I see you’ve found our medical room. Some people have no idea what their limits are, and alcohol poisoning can be so icky.” He smiled, showcasing even white teeth, and it hit me. He thought we were human. Regular human women who’d stumbled into this back area of the club. We wouldn’t be able to see the revenants, just the people hooked up to monitors.
