Page 29 of The Shadows of Excess

Footsteps echoed behind me. I looked over my shoulder, and the same hooded figure from the dream was back.

His red eyes glowed. “Your time is running out, Sawyer. Soon, your soul will be mine.”

Aurora screeched again as if drawing me away from the demon.

A red feather had fallen next to me. I picked it up. Beneath it was a shiny silver coin with a phoenix etched on it.

As I reached for the coin, the demon behind me hissed in agony. The sound echoed through the cave and into the recesses of my mind.

“Sawyer,” a male voice echoed from what sounded like far away. “Sawyer, wake up.”

I realized it was Damon.

As I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was my brother sitting beside me with deep purple bags under his bloodshot eyes. “Hey, sis, how are you feeling? That must have been some dream you were having.” His weary voice was barely a whisper.

I rubbed my eyes. “How long did I sleep this time?”

The deep lines in his face told a story of him not leaving my side, remaining vigilant. With a relieved smile, he choked out the words. “You were out all night and all morning. We thought…” He turned away as if he couldn’t get the words out.

I blinked as it hit me. “You thought the demon took my soul?”

His lips pressed together, forming a tight line. “Never pull a stunt like that again.”

My breath hitched as memories of the nightmare flooded back, but unlike last time, it was hazy and blurry. “And you were worried?”

Damon squeezed my hand. “Didn’t want to lose my partner in crime.”

I asked the question I was dreading. “What happened with the demons and the shadows?”

Please-please-please don’t say anyone was hurt.

He chuckled. “We evicted their butts out of this hotel. Father Ray worked his magic with the holy water. Blessed the whole place, and just like that…” He snapped his fingers. “They vanished into thin air.” He held his palms up. “Don’t worry, everyone’s A-okay. No humans died today.”

I leaned back on my pillow and sighed with relief. “Thank God.” I drew out the words in a heartfelt expression of gratitude. The knowledge that they were all safe, that the immediate danger had passed, was a balm to my frayed nerves.

I caught his eye. “Wait. Where is everyone? When I dozed off, Scott was here.”

“Gone.” He released a heavy sigh. “After we got rid of our unwanted guests, the three amigos went on another mission. Father Ray told them about reports from his parishioners of strange lights and eerie sounds coming from an abandoned warehouse.

“People were getting hurt. Some of the parishioners even claim to have felt a malevolent presence inside, fueling rumors of a haunted or cursed site. According to Father Ray, it used to be a storage facility for historical artifacts, but it’s been abandoned for years. Brody insisted they investigate and find out if what’s happening there is connected to our demons.”

I swallowed hard, and a cavernous emptiness filled my chest. Thoughts of what happened to Justice in town weighed on my heart. “Did Justice go with them?”

“No, he didn’t.” Justice walked into the room, his face drawn and exhausted. He carried two paper cups of coffee with steam rising from them. “Sawyer, I’m glad you’re awake. You had us worried.”

He handed Damon one of the coffees.

My brother smiled gratefully and accepted the warm drink. “Thanks. Do you want anything, sis? We could order room service.”

“Not right now.” I shifted my gaze between Damon and Justice. “I had a dream.”

As I said it, unmistakable anger flickered in Damon’s eyes. “Did he hurt you again, Sawyer?”

My skin prickled with fear at his tone. “Luckily, no. He wanted to, but I think the phoenix, Aurora, stopped him.” I strained to remember, but a sharp pain stabbed my temples as if someone were trying to drill into my skull. I winced. “To be honest, I’m not sure. It’s all a little fuzzy. I only remember bits and pieces.”

“Anything else that might help us with our search?” Justice asked, taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee.

I ran my fingers through my tangled hair, tugging at the knots. “There was something I discovered,” I stated through gritted teeth. “Something that made the demon screech and writhe in agony. Now, it’s slipping from my mind.” I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to ease the pounding headache that clouded my thoughts. “This is beyond frustrating.”

---