Page 16 of Safe in Shadow
If I bring her here...what would happen? Will she see me? Could we talk?
Dark, shadowy things moved underneath him, far below, in yawning chasms made of ether and savaged souls. Things that he was on the brink of becoming.
What would those beasts below do to a pretty, living thing?
Everything Iwantto do to her—and they won’t stop themselves.
“HELLO. I’M OFFICERWalsh. I took your call a few minutes ago.”
Grace stopped hugging her knees and tried not to feel completely idiotic as the handsome police officer met her at the steps. “Hi. I’m being paranoid, I’m sure, but... Well... I really would feel better if you could check.”
“You feel like someone is in the house with you?” Officer Walsh narrowed his eyes, one hand on his belt.
“Not all the time. But there are shadows that don’t move and dark spots that won’t get brighter. I know it’s probably just the way the house is built with weird little nooks and crannies, but... I feel like someone is watching me. My friend heard a story about contractors hiding video cameras in the houses they were working on to watch women and film them.” Grace stopped there. She thought of the other morning, how she’d feverishly fingered herself to a screaming, thigh-shaking orgasm.
Oh, God. If that’s on the internet, I’m going to die.The thought of someone watching her do something so private made her throat fill with bile.I’ve never even given a special someone that much of a show, and now some stranger might be sitting in his office, getting off on my dreams?
Walsh frowned. “Miss Sanderson, thank you for calling us. That’s certainly concerning. Let me have a look.”
Part of Grace was relieved. Part of her was shocked. “You’re taking me seriously?”
“We take all reports of suspicious activity very seriously. Why don’t I look around inside first? You wait outside, and if I don’t find anything on my initial sweep, I’ll ask you to come in and show me any specific areas where you’ve noticed sounds or sights that seem off. Also, I’d like you to provide me with the names of the individuals or companies who worked on the house. If necessary, we’ll follow up with them.”
Grace nodded and stepped off the porch into a circle of sunlight that surrounded the house, watching as Walsh went in, flashlight in hand. She noticed he stopped just inside and twisted something on his hand as if fiddling with a lucky charm.
Oh, man. Even the cop is nervous.
Staring at the house isn’t going to make anything better.
Go. Go get some light. Some sun. Think about what you could do with the acreage that comes with this place. Maybe a garden? Ooh, a pretty Victorian-inspired garden would be a big draw. Of course, I wouldn’t touch the trees. The fall foliage is a big draw, too.
Grace clenched her hands nervously, squeezing air and releasing it in time with her shallow breaths.
NYX HEARD THE VOICEas he hovered near the surface of the living world.
“Hey, Jakob. I’m at Hilltop. No, everything is fine—sort of. I’m doing a sweep for any hidden cameras. The lady who bought the place says she feels like she’s being watched. There are dark, shadowy spots in the house. I’m not seeing them currently, but that could be because whatever is in here is messing with her,not me. You did say at the last Night Watch meeting that this thing wasn’t a threat?”
Nyx felt rage billow up inside of him.Not a threat, hmm?
He could show the owner of the voice a thing or two. Curse the girl for reinforcing the loose boards and plaster in the house. If she hadn’t meddled, he could have sent a rain of rubble crashing down on this intruder.
If he wasn’t also curious to hear more. Grace noticed him? Noticed his watchful eyes?
She’s scared. I’m hurting her. I need to make sure she leaves once and for all. Or...
The thought was sudden and tempting. He could always try to befriend his plaything. Would she allow that? Was it possible?
The voice was back, along with creaking footsteps. “A shade? Is he safe?” A pause. “There’s a difference betweennot harmingandharmless, Jakob. Harmless means itcan’thurt her. Not harming means ithasn’thurt her.” A longer pause. “I know you put up wards, but— What? I’ll try. If that lady walks in while I’m talking to an empty room, she’s going to think the local force is nuts.”
Nyx hovered, fingers taking form here, shadowy tips on the underside of a smooth black lake as cold as ice. The wards the old vampire and his warlock friend set up. They protected the occupants of the house. He’d agreed to allow it. Did that mean his actions with Grace, his pretty plaything, his sunflower, were welcome to her?
Not his presence, obviously.
“Look, I know you’re here. I know there’s nothing hidden in the walls and ceilings but you. We’ve got a whole bunch of paranormal people a few miles away. Can you cool it with the horror movie shit?”
Nyx almost smiled when the policeman spoke to him in a low, factual voice, a note of weariness in it.
“If you want help, this would be the time to let me know. Speak. Write on the walls. Whatever you want, tell me, and we’ll see if we can help. But we can’t force the human out. You’re going to have to let her be and stick to the woods or move off the property.
