Page 33 of Dead

Chapter Eight

Valen stood just outside the interview room, steeling himself for the man on the other side. After a deep breath, he lifted his hand to the knob and turned it slowly. The human sitting at the table turned and met his stare for a moment before quickly looking away. Brief as it was, Valen still felt the pull.

It’s not real. Ignore it.

He’d scanned the file from the last two encounters with these humans. The five of them worked on a show that worked to expose beings like them to the human world. That in and of itself was enough for his scorn. The fact they might be colluding with the vampires was even more.

Slowly walking in a circle around the table, he watched the human closely. The man scooted in his seat, uncomfortable under Valen’s scrutiny.

Good. Let him squirm.

Valen finally sat down across from the human, pinning him with a glare. He placed the thick file on the table and opened it, scanning the page again before lifting his stare. “Why were you in the field outside our portal?”

“Searching for people we lost.”

Valen frowned. “Who did you lose?”

The human sighed. “I… don’t know.”

Valen watched the man closely. “You. Don’t. Know.”

The man lifted his stare. “Look… we woke up in that field a few days ago with no idea how we’d gotten there or why. All three of us were freaked out… but we got a rental car and we headed home. And on the way, we started remembering little bits and pieces… and it felt like there were supposed to be others with us. We came back to the last place we remembered and looked for clues to figure out what the hell is going on.” The human sat back and glared at Valen. “It sounds like you have the answers.” He paused. “Where are we?”

Valen saw nothing but truth in the human’s eyes, but he refused to be swayed. “You want answers… so do I.”

“I don’t know that I’ll be much help. I appear to have lost a few days.”

Start simple. Get him talking. “Your name?

“Jeph.”

“And you’re from?”

“Pennsylvania. Jonestown.” Jeph eyed him again. “Well north of here.”

“And what brought you to Mississippi?”

“I told you. I don’t know.” He sat up straighter. “Nick, Griffin, and I have… a hobby… we’re ghost hunters, so maybe that’s why we were here in the first place.”

“For your show.”

Jeph lifted a brow. “What show?”

Valen held the human’s stare. Had the mind wipe gone so deep that it had taken away the man’s very living from him? Looking back on the page, he searched for the name of the show. “Paranormal Prowlers?”

Jeph looked as if he searched his own mind, seeking the answers trapped within. “That sounds… familiar.” He winced, as if in pain.

Valen turned a few pages in the file and saw that Hart and Reese had been completely wiped off the face of the human world. It was strong magic… and it likely had come from the king himself. Since Hart and Reese had played a part in their show—apparently that had been a part of the wipe.

The three had not only lost their friends but their very way of life.

I won’t feel pity for this man. He could be our enemy.

“I answered your questions, how about some of mine?” Jeph asked. “Why do I have pieces of memories I can’t fully remember?”

“Straight for the heart of things, hmm?” Valen leaned forward. “I can do the same. Tell me about the vampires.”

Jeph frowned, looking completely lost. “Vampires? What the hell are you talking about?”

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