Page 26 of The Shadows of Excess

We took turns introducing ourselves.

“Can anyone tell me what happened here tonight? We’ve received reports of a disturbance and need a clear account of the events.” His statements indicated he was tired of interrogating people.

“I was the first to investigate,” Justice told him.

The detective motioned toward a corner. “What exactly did you witness?”

He pulled out a notepad as he spoke with Justice. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, and we remained quiet, waiting our turns.

After they finished, the detective motioned toward Grady, Brody, and Damon. “You three appear to have been involved in some physical altercation. Can you explain the nature of this conflict and who else was involved?”

Damon shrugged. “Someone looked like they were being attacked, and we tried to help. They were three big white guys built like football players dressed in jeans and T-shirts, but they got away.”

The detective looked at the other three. “Did you see anything else?”

“No.” Grady shook his head. “We heard a commotion, and these three individuals were terrorizing the patient next door, so we went to help. The individuals were aggressive. They attacked and overpowered us as they made their escape. We didn’t see which way they went.”

I couldn’t believe how easy it was for him to lie to the detective, but maybe he was throwing him off to protect him from the true danger.

Detective Harris closed his notebook. “Could you add anything about these individuals?”

Brody shook his head. “No. I can’t think of anything else. Everything happened so fast.”

Detective Harris scratched some notes. “Has anyone seen or spoken to Dr. Ward or nurse Jennifer Wells recently? They seem to be unaccounted for at the moment.”

I held his inquisitive gaze. “Dr. Ward came in a few hours ago, but that was the last time I saw him.”

Justice nodded. “Last we saw him, too.”

Damon leaned close to me. “Jennifer Wells is the nurse who worked on your arm.”

My mouth dropped. No way was that a coincidence. Why would the demons want the doctor and the nurse who were attending me?

Damon glanced at me. “Detective, my sister’s getting tired.” He struggled to keep the irritation out of his voice.

The detective finally closed his notepad. “Thank you for your cooperation. We might have more questions later. Stay available.”

As Detective Harris exited, we collectively exhaled in relief. However, Damon’s brow furrowed with a different worry. “That was a close call, but what about everyone else in this joint? If those shadowy freaks are still around, it’s not only our necks on the line. We’ve got a whole hospital full of sitting ducks here. We need to get to the bottom of this, and fast, before it turns into a full-blown horror show.”

Justice peeked out the door. “Time is not on our side. We should use every moment we have to piece this puzzle together.” He stood taller and went rigid. “We’ve got a problem. A shadow just slipped into the patient’s room next door.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and I balled my fists into the blanket. The shadow was here, and I was stuck in this hospital bed, feeling as strong as a newly hatched chick.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Before I could even process what was happening, Justice was already out the door, moving with vampiric speed.

Panic surged through me. “Justice, wait!” I attempted to swing my legs off the bed, intent on following him, but Damon quickly intervened, gently but firmly grabbing my wrist.

He gave me a stern look, his protective instincts clearly on edge. “Not a chance. You’re staying right here where it’s safe. No heroics, okay? It’s way too risky out there.”

Next door, someone screamed in terror. I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

Without missing a beat, Damon snatched the can of salt from the duffle and began methodically pouring protective lines in front of the door and across the windowsill. Demons couldn’t cross salt lines. His precise movements revealed how seriously he was taking the threat.

Brody grabbed the jar of phoenix grass, then bolted from the room with a speed that took my breath away.

“Hey, you need to get back into the room.” The guard trailed him, but it looked like he was moving in slow motion.

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