Page 17 of Safe in Shadow
It was tempting, so tempting, to shoot through the skin of the portal, ripping the veil between worlds, and slam every window and door at once. How stupid did the policeman think he was? If he could leave the grounds, he would have. And the woods...
Grace is outside. Is she in the woods?
The sudden thought of her ending up as The Stranger’s next trophy, nothing left but a pile of blood-stained clothing in a black plastic bag, sent him spiraling away from the living world. Suspiciously soft claws raked at his foot as he sank into the depths in a panic.
Nyx looked down. Red eyes glowed back up, hovering over wide, white teeth that wouldn’t look out of place on a hungry Great White.
It took all of his strength to fight back up, to resist the aching pull to stop fighting, and to swim farther away from whatever the hell (literally) had grabbed him.
When Nyx broke the surface—it was night.
Time moved differently in the Netherworld. Had he been there for hours? Or days?
“No, the policeman was here today, and he said there were no hidden devices or cameras. He said living alone in a big, empty house with a lot of sad memories could cause a depressive state. I know, super sensitive. He was cute, but he had a wedding ring. Bubbe, stop.”
Nyx slowly, carefully emerged, tired and weak from battling. He sank wearily into his favorite corner and rested, a small blob of darkness in a natural shadow.
Grace sat on the bed, her phone pressed between her shoulder and ear as she typed on her laptop. “He suggested I get out more, pay a visit to town, meet some locals, make friends. Very camp counselor. I told him I’d be out to visityounext weekend.”
Nyx smiled. The police officer had probably sensed his absence from this living realm and taken it for a sign of agreement.
But I need to find the police officer. I could tell him about The Stranger.
Thank goodness. Grace is safe—from everyone but me.
I don’t even understand what that means.Dark instincts urged him to think cruel thoughts, while his remaining humanity protested, fond of his new distraction.Pretty pet.
“Love you. I gotta go. I have a long day tomorrow. I’ll be driving all over the state picking up furniture—I hope. Yes, I’ll be careful. Yes, I know about men on the internet. I promise I’ll check in at lunch and dinner, okay? Okay. Night. Love you.”
Nyx groaned. Soft words. Loving, reassuring words. Not meant for him, of course, but it was odd to hear them. Odd to feel like he had a peephole into a life, a real life—not the rush and bustle of patients in and out, dying men and ever-changing nurses.
Watching Grace made him remember living. Remember something he couldn’t have back, no matter what he did.
He liked it more than he should.
Chapter Seven
It may have been her imagination, but Grace felt like the next few days passed smoothly. Getting out helped. Not out of the house and into the grounds—the eerie feeling seemed to intensify the further she went into the woods—but traveling to pick up old wingback chairs in need of reupholstering, faded loveseats, and discarded chaise lounges was pure therapy.
Except for her abysmal lack of thought about groceries.
“Gosh darn it.” Grace looked down at her sweat and grass-stained clothing. Her hair was a giant tangled ball on the top of her head. “I’ll shop tomorrow.” She’d pick up something hot and easy to eat tonight. Something that could pass for homemade. If she ate one more microwaved meal or slice of cold pizza, her stomach would probably file for divorce.
Grace tapped her phone as it sat in its mount on her dashboard. She was returning home through Pine Ridge. Her GPS offered a list of restaurants at the push of a button.
