Gray's Shadow (Kings of Hell MC 4)

The shadow stepped closer, and Gray realized that this creature, which had started out as an image of him only seconds ago, was now able to look down on him, growing in size with every step it took.

When it sprouted two more arms below the first pair, Gray felt faint, despite having seen more than his fair share of nasty shit in his life.

But instead of attacking him, the shadow stopped and glanced at the new arms. The creature’s blank face had no features and no mouth, but it somehow gave a strange, screeching whine.

Gray moved very slowly until he stood perfectly straight in front of the desk. He had no fucking idea what was going on, but while this building was by no means a normal place, the clubhouse was his home, and he would take control of the situation if it killed him.

“What do you want?”

The shadow charged at Gray.

Gray let out a yelp and braced himself for impact, arm stretched out to take the first blow, but the monster… hugged him. With all four arms. It leaned over Gray and its strange, warm body molded itself to him as if it wanted to be absorbed by Gray’s skin.

After initial shock, the tension turned into unease when Gray stared into the tar-black face that disclosed precisely nothing. Cold shivers trailed up and down his back when the creature leaned in, rubbing its soft flesh against Gray’s cheek.

Closing his eyes seemed like the only option, and Gray took his time to convince his panicking senses that his life wasn’t in danger. As strange as the shadow was, nothing about its behavior was straight-out malicious. Its touch felt oddly pleasant—slightly warmer than a human being, the surface of him smooth like satin.

When Gray looked at the shadow again, nothing seemed to have changed about its expressionless face.

“Do you know what we should do? Do you have any instructions from your master?”

“Body,” it said with a rasp, as if whatever it spoke with was clogged up by dust. “You promised me a body.”

Gray’s stomach plummeted. Was he to give up his own? Kill someone and sacrifice that person to… whatever this thing was? “Did I?”

One of the shadow’s large hands gently cupped Gray’s stump, but then moved up, over the sigil Baal had left on him. Pain hit Gray as if the mark were carved into him all over again, and he screamed even though the agony only lasted seconds.

The monster stepped back with a yelp, but its touch left Gray’s mind with the clarity of unlocked memories.

He’d promised to give up his shadow, protect it while it was in his care, and for three consecutive new moons, take it to one of the stones Knight had buried around the town of Brecon. But first, he had to offer Shadow a body. And not just any body but one Baal had already chosen.

The shadow stood inches away, all four arms in the air as if it were still holding its breath. Which was ridiculous, because the thing clearly didn’t breathe. It couldn’t, since it wasn’t made of flesh and blood.

Gray pushed back the loose strands of his hair, frustrated when the shadow did the same. “Where is your body?”

“In a chest.” The shadow took a step closer and once more pulled Gray into a hug, though this time the difference in size was crystal-clear. When Gray’s cheek rested in the shallow valley between the creature’s satin-smooth pecs, he closed his eyes, taken aback by the four arms holding him with such gentleness. The flesh-like matter faintly smelled of sulfur and smoke, and yet it wasn’t an unpleasant odor. Were Gray to smell it on a man, he’d have assumed it was some edgy, experimental cologne that evoked a campfire.

Seconds passed, and he remained in the odd embrace, slowly growing angry when he realized that Mike would have mocked it to no end, were he still alive. Sometimes, he’d even mocked Gray’s one long-term relationship and called him a sap, even though it had been just good-natured teasing. This? Gray wouldn’t have heard the end of it.

“What chest?” he asked eventually. This was ridiculous. He hated the shadow breaking his personal space like that, but how was he to reason with something that wasn’t even human? This would surely be over once he was done with tonight’s task. The sooner he dealt with it the better.

“The chest. The bones are in the chest. I will show you.” The shadow finally pulled away from Gray, but then headed for the window.

Gray said nothing until the creature raised its foot and placed it on the windowsill. “What the hell are you doing? We can’t just jump out!”

The shadow stilled and turned its head toward Gray. “No?”

Gray gestured at the open window. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not breaking my legs now. Follow me,” he said and reluctantly turned his back on the creature. He could sense its gaze on his nape, but not wanting to express unease, he quickly put on his sneakers and led the way out into the hallway.