Page 28 of The Haunting
“Wait! Hit it together,” Lucian called out. Drake and I swapped glances and counted to three. The door shuddered but didn’t budge.
“Inglorious, step back, I’ve more bulk than you,” Chance exclaimed as he appeared. Inglorious moved out of the way as Phoe began whimpering in sheer fright.
Chance and Drake crashed into the door hard, and it refused to crack even an inch. Phoe screamed long and loud and then went quiet.
“Phoe!” Drake shouted, panic-stricken as he shoved at the door again.
“Move!” Daniel cried as he and Lucian raced forward carrying a bench. Drake moved just in time as they slammed it into the door. There was a cracking noise, and they stepped backwards and rammed it again hard.
Inglorious wrapped me and Clio up in his arms as panic overwhelmed us. Phoe had gone quiet, and we had no idea what that meant. My gut twisted as an insidious thought entered my mind. Was Phoe alive?
Phoe
Drake and I walked upstairs after Chance, Clio, Calamity, Rosie, Vladimir, and Emmaline. We’d split into two groups.Despite agreeing we’d stick together, there wasn’t room to clean dinner away with all of us in the kitchen. The first group had gone to shower. They’d come back and hunt for snacks and make hot drinks while the rest of us cleaned up and got ready for bed.
Lovingly, I slid my hand into Drake’s back pocket and cupped his ass. Drake shot me a smile, and I grinned in return. My husband was the sexiest man I knew. While he infuriated the hell out of me sometimes and vice versa, I couldn’t live without him. Drake owned me, heart, body, and soul. To say I was the luckiest woman alive was an understatement. Sure, we argued, but we never went to bed on a fight. We’d learned far too often that life was short.
As we approached our bedroom, Chance said something to Drake, and he paused to reply. I didn’t see a problem with entering, so I entered.
I twisted to hear what Chance wanted when the door slammed shut. A cold wind blew through the room, and I shivered and screamed. Don’t ask me why, but I guessed I was in trouble. The temperature fell rapidly, and my breath puffed out in little clouds.
Without a second thought, I rushed over and yanked on the handle.
“Drake!” I screamed as the door refused to move.
“Phoe!” Drake yelled back, and I heard the fear in his voice. Drake shoved at the door, but it wouldn’t open.
A low cackle ran through the room, and I jumped and screeched again. Shit, I wasn’t alone! There was nothing to see, but I sensed I was being watched. Terrified, I backed against the wall as I searched frantically for what was here with me. The cackle repeated, and this time I heard a note of glee.
Fear crawled up my spine as I plastered myself to the wall. Even the shadows appeared to be moving.
“Mine to kill,” an eerie voice whispered, pulling another scream from me. My head flipped wildly from side to side until I spotted a shadow in the far corner. It seemed to be growing larger as I watched.
“Drake!” I shrieked. I inched along towards the door as it shuddered under my husband trying to get in. Two red eyes appeared and stared, before they suddenly darted forward. Petrified, I rushed away. Cold hands grabbed me, and I made a noise of pure terror.
Mindlessly, I bumped into the bed and scrambled over it. Dark laughter chased after me. In a clumsy mistake, I backed into a corner and trapped myself. The shadow was over six feet and continuing to grow.
I couldn’t distinguish any facial features but those red eyes. Two raised, clawed hands appeared as if ready to rake me from top to bottom. A whimper escaped me, and I screamed as those claws slashed towards me. In a panic, I fell to the floor and crawled away.
The room was freezing cold, my palms ached against the icy floorboards, and the fire we’d left lit spluttered and died behind the protective frame.
“Mine to feast on,” the voice said, and something grabbed my ankle.
I started kicking and screaming in fright as I was dragged towards the shadow. It continued to grow in front of me, those red eyes burning deep into my soul. I tried fighting my way free, but it was useless. The shadow, now seven feet tall, leaned over me, and I saw a gaping maw with razor-sharp teeth.
One last scream left my lips, and I began whimpering.
A foul stench made me gag, and I heaved as I bucked, trying to escape. Weight pinned my legs in place, and the shadow crawled up my shivering body.
The door shuddered as something heavy rammed into it. Drake was coming, but he’d be too late. Nails as sharp as razors dug into my waist, drawing blood, and I fell quiet in pure horror. Wide-eyed, I watched as those claws were raised to the gaping maw, and my blood was sucked off them.
I could only watch helplessly—frozen—as the eyes levelled with mine.
Hatred and evilness whirled in red orbs, and the Lord’s Prayer ran through my mind. I couldn’t say the words out loud; my throat had closed in terror. Slowly, the featureless face began lowering to mine.
“Die so I can live,” the rasping whisper came.
I shut my eyes, not wanting to see my death.
