Page 38 of The Haunting
“Is that so?” Vladimir inquired.
“Yes. Like it was desperate to kill someone.” Daniel got up and shrugged on his clothing. He’d gone to bed wearing breeches.
“If he’s working on a time frame, that doesn’t bode well for us,” I figured.
“No. It damn well doesn’t,” Lucian agreed.
Daniel moved over to the sideboard and poured a drink. “Anyone else?”
Vladimir and I accepted, but Lucian and James refused. Daniel carried the drinks over to us. He watched the shutters as they trembled slightly, and we all heard the scratches again.
“He enjoys tasting fear,” Daniel said absently as he sipped his coffee.
“What else?” Vladimir asked.
“I think he attempted to eat my soul,” Daniel answered, his eyes clouded as he remembered his attack.
“You remember?” Lucian asked, although it was obvious Daniel did.
“Yes. He attacked me and tried to draw my soul out of me. The more fear I experienced, the stronger it became. But it also felt desperate, and it couldn’t sustain its… solid form. It kept phasing in and out.”
“Maybe it needs to kill to stay alive,” Vladimir mused, and I glanced at him.
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
“What if this is a demon? Sometimes they have to kill to become corporeal, or so rumours go. If it kills, then it can come back to life,” Vladimir explained.
“Like Pinhead?” James asked.
“Well, not Pinhead, but the guy he was torturing that killed his brother and became human again,” Vladimir replied.
“Shit. That’s not good,” Daniel stated, and I looked at him in disbelief.
“That’s a serious understatement,” I snapped.
“What would you like me to say? Stamp my feet and swear a lot? This isn’t the first evil I’ve faced, and somehow, I doubt it will be the last. Don’t stand in judgment because I’m not reacting like an uncouth barbarian!”
“What did you call me?” I demanded rising and holding Daniel’s gaze.
“My words were clear. I refuse to repeat myself,” Daniel retorted.
“Oh, la di da,” I taunted.
“Chance!” James bit out my name, and I looked at him. “What’s got into you?”
I opened my mouth to blast him, and his words sank in. What had caused that level of hate and anger? I shoved it down and swallowed hard.
“Do you think it can affect emotions?” I ground out.
“Apparently so,” Vladimir said, looking worried. “It could be trying to make us reckless or turn on each other and break into smaller groups.”
Daniel puffed his cheeks out and released a slow breath of air. “It’s powerful. Very damn strong. If it is affecting how we feel and we’re not aware of it, we could take risks that endanger us.”
“True,” Lucian said as the claws scraped on the shutters again.
I turned and checked my door as a shiver ran through me. The ice had spread, and a thick layer now covered it.
“Crap!” Vladimir exclaimed, and we spotted ice spreading from his door handle.
