“Ugh, fuck,” Ethan grumbles, going behind the table. “I found their nest.”
I look past the table, not really wanting to go around for a closer look. There’s a pile of blankets, balled-up bloody clothes, and bones in a corner against the wall. It smells like death in here—literally—and I’m guessing the rotting, half-chewed hand on the floor belongs to one of the construction workers.
“This was beyond your training,” Ethan starts, shining the light around the room. “But it goes to show you never know what to expect when you’re called out for a job. Something seemingly simple can take a turn—fast.”
“Are you okay?” I ask Stephanie as Ethan finishes looking around the large room, making sure we did get all the ghouls.
“I’ll be sore in the morning.” She pushes her hair back. “You guys got here fast. One ghoul isn’t a problem, but three…fuck.” As someone who’s used to being in danger, she’s rattled but not as much as one would think. Still, coming close to death like that will leave anyone shaken. “How did you know to come down here?”
“The spirits were talkative tonight.” I offer a small smile. “I just listened.”
She holds my gaze for a second and then nods. “Well, thanks.”
“Hey, it’s what we came here to do.”
Zach comes over, face stricken. Now he looks pretty damn rattled. “How did you set it on fire?” He nudges the dead ghoul with his foot. The magical fire was enough to incinerate the ghoul’s insides and char some of its flesh, but not enough to totally burn the body. The only thing worse than being in a basement with ghouls is being in a burning basement with ghouls.
“Flare gun,” Stephanie answers for me. “Risky, and I wouldn’t recommend it.” She meets my eye again and gives me a small nod. “Now, after a kill, you gotta get rid of the bodies. In this case, we’re going to have to drag them upstairs and burn them outside. So, each of you recruits, take a body.”
It’s a bit of a group effort to get the bodies out in the backyard of the building. My breath clouds around me and I stuff my hands into my pockets, watching Ethan explain the best way to arrange the bodies so they’ll burn, which is harder to do when they’re fresh like this.
My phone vibrates from inside my purse and I dig it out, seeing a text from my childhood best friend, Laney.
Laney: T ell me not to quit my job.
Me: Don’t quit your job. Why are you tempted to quit this time?
Laney: We’re short staffed like fucking ALWAYS. I’m nine hours into a twelve-hour shift and am on my first break of the day.
Me: I’m sorry, that’s not right. Don’t quit, but maybe put in applications anywhere else? Though it’ll probably be the same issue anywhere, right?
Laney: Right. Ugh. I regret being a nurse more times than I don’t at the moment. Anyway…how’s life?
Me: Interesting. I’m watching Ethan teach young hunters how to burn demon bodies. Is it weird it’s kinda turning me on?
Laney: Depends on WHAT is turning you on…watching Ethan or watching bodies burn.
I send a laughing emoji and look back at my boyfriend. He’s calm and confident and holy fuck, is he good looking. My heart does a skip-a-beat thing, and the feeling of being watched comes back tenfold, but it goes away as soon as Ethan looks up and his hazel eyes meet mine.
Me: When are you coming to visit?? I miss you.
Laney: I miss you too, girl. I have a scheduled week off in April.
Me: We need to catch up.
There was a time in my life when I saw Laney nearly every day. We grew up together and she leased a horse at the barn where I kept Mystery. Hours and hours were logged in the saddle, laughing as we walked the trails. We went in different directions for college, and life kept us apart more than we wished after that. But she was only twenty minutes away from my house in Syracuse.
It was hard moving to Indiana, but I know it had to be done. There’s a reason Aunt Estelle left the house to me, and now that I’m going to meet the coven I should have been born into, then I know Thorne Hill is where I’m meant to be.
Laney: We do. I gotta get back to work. Xx
I put my phone back in my purse and pick up the duffle bag full of weapons. A decent fire is going now, and Ethan gives Ben a stick to poke the fire and keep it going. Shivering, I take the bag and go to Ethan’s Jeep, getting in and starting the engine so I can warm up. I waste time scrolling through social media until Ethan comes back to the Jeep.