Chapter Eight. #2
I was also suspicious of the four couples that we didn’t know. Vladimir and Emmaline seemed too relaxed and unworried about events here. The question was, were they overly confident in their ability to protect themselves, or did they have information the rest of us didn’t?
Daniel and Sabine, Lucian and Maggie also seemed to be holding back.
Both of them had shown that they’d little fear of what was happening—Daniel in leading the creature away, and Lucian with his own actions.
Something was strange about them all, and I’d no idea what.
Daniel’s attack had caused me to believe they didn’t know what was happening, but, and it was a huge but, they were all hiding secrets.
A creak made me glance in Vladimir’s direction, and I saw he was moving on the chair he sat on.
His eyes were focused on the door, but as I watched, they flicked to mine and held my gaze.
There was something dangerous lurking within him, and I guessed it could be a threat to me and my family.
But Vladimir had it locked down, or I hoped he did by his calm demeanour.
Vladimir offered a nod, and his eyes swept the room.
It briefly landed on Emmaline, and as I watched, Vladimir’s expression softened, and a look of intense love crossed his face.
Guess that made the uptight asshole a little friendlier.
Moments later, I reconsidered that thought as a darkness changed Vladimir’s expression.
This man was fully capable of killing, if he hadn’t already.
For now, Valdimir was on our side. Or at least he appeared to be.
A scratching noise made me look towards the shuttered window, and I glanced at Lucian. He’d already sat up straight, his eyes on the shutters.
James also became alert as Vladimir looked over.
“What was that?” James murmured, aware of those sleeping around us. I’d not expected anyone to sleep, but it had been a long day. And now that their adrenaline had crashed, they’d easily fallen asleep.
“Sounded like claws,” Lucian replied quietly.
We sat and watched, ready to move if needed, but ten minutes passed, and nothing happened. The door handle by Vladimir rattled loudly as if something was attempting to enter. Alert, we looked towards him. Vladimir raised the poker he’d taken as a weapon and braced himself, but the rattling stopped.
“Damn thing is playing with us, taunting us, trying to force us to make the first move,” Vladimir said, and I nodded.
“Stay here; we defend the women,” Lucian replied.
“Naturally,” James said, his weapon pulled and resting on his lap.
The creature went quiet, but our alertness didn’t die. I glanced over as the fire sputtered and flickered. Chills tingled down my spine, and the hairs on my body were standing up. Despite the heat the flames were putting out, I felt cold.
“Move, Chance!” James exclaimed, and I looked down. Shit!
I scrambled away as I gaped at the door.
From the centre outwards appeared a frost. I could literally see the ice crystals forming as it spread sluggishly outward.
From all around us came a low moan, which sent further shivers through me.
I rubbed my arms and tried to get warm as the four of us stood.
The creature was going to attack. There was no doubt about that, like the fact the sun would rise in the morning.
“Where’s it attacking from?” Lucian asked.
Concerned, I shrugged. We were all keeping our voices low, not wanting to wake the sleepers unless necessary.
“We appear to be surrounded. But it’s a trick,” Vladimir replied.
“A clever one,” I agreed.
“Is it gearing up to frighten or attack us?” Lucian considered.
“I sensed urgency coming from it,” Daniel said as he sat up. The poor guy looked tired, but he’d regained some colour in his cheeks.
“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.
“It’s locking us in,” James stated and sat forward.
Worry hit me hard as I realised how vulnerable we were.
Daniel moved and grabbed a piece of wood from the fire and strode to Vladimir’s door.
He held the burning log to the door, and the ice receded a little.
Then it lunged, and a clawed hand formed and tried to grasp the log.
Daniel leapt backwards and held the flame out to the ice again.
The claw retreated as Daniel pressed his advantage.
A crack echoed, and the clawed hand broke off and fell to the floor, where it became water. The ice stopped spreading, and Vladimir moved away as Daniel held the log against the door to melt the ice on it.
“Nice try,” he muttered as the ice turned to water.
A foul smell drifted through the air, and we all gagged.
“Okay, that’s vile,” James said as he buried his nose in his elbow.
“Look!” I cried, spotting something.
Lucian
A sickly green-yellowish smoke snuck under the door. We were all heaving over the stench, which was the worst I’d ever smelt. The creature had failed to ice us in and was trying to… what? Poison us? Force us out? If we left the room, somebody would die; that was for damn sure.
I grabbed a spare blanket and hurried over, and as I tried to shove it around the gap, something slapped me hard.
“Damn!” Vladimir gasped and helped me back up. Together, we shoved the blanket in the small gap between the door and floor and blocked the smell as best we could. But the stench lingered, making us all nauseous.
“That would have knocked us out,” I gasped between heaves.
Trying not to spill my guts everywhere, I sat down and ducked my head.
“And it would have easy access to everyone,” Vladimir said grimly.
“It’s amping up, and we need to somehow stop it,” Chance stated.
Any tiredness we’d been feeling had fled. We were wide awake now and on guard. Our heads twisted constantly, looking for the next angle of attack. Because I damn sure knew one was coming.