I tried calling Kale again. This time the voicemail picked up immediately, indicating his phone was off. It was never off. I was afraid he was on another bender. Kale on a bender was dark, dangerous and more than a little terrifying.
Arys glided through the crowd, making his presence unmistakably known. Both humans and vampires in the vicinity paused to take note of him. It was impossible not to. Tall, dark and handsome, he exuded supremacy.
The atmosphere shifted as he moved through the club. Tension thrummed through the room. Apprehension and fear rolled off many of the vampires present. How many of them could I trust? The one that issued the hit could be here right now, and I wouldn’t even know it.
“Have you seen Shaz yet?” Arys asked upon returning to me. He seemed pleased by the reaction of the crowd.
“No. He’s probably in the back. With her.” My tone dripped venom.
“He’s here trying to help you. Cut the boy some slack.”
“You did not just say that.”
“I did. He doesn’t love her. He loves you.”
I did my best to glare at him. He held my gaze, crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. I clearly missed a portion of the conversation they’d had while I slept. Still, it was reassuring that Arys was so sure. Guy code and all that junk.
“I need to take off for half an hour.” Changing the subject entirely seemed like a good idea.
“Alone? Not gonna happen.”
“I just need to do a quick drive by. I want to check on the dreamwalker. I think he might be in danger.” It occurred to me that telling the total truth was not going to help my case.
“Hell no. The minute you rush off and do something reckless is when they will get the shot they need to take you out. Don’t make it easy for them.” Jaw clenched and brow furrowed, Arys was damn sexy when he was annoyed.
“It hasn’t been easy for them so far.” Arguing with Arys was useless. I knew that. Instinct told me to get my ass to the dreamwalker’s house. I had to follow that.
“Alexa.” That one word, my name on Arys’s lips, was thick with warning.
I fought back the urge to snarl at him. I didn’t have the right. He was rightfully concerned, and though I hated it when he tried to dominate me this way, I knew I’d feel the same if I were in his place.
“Come with me then,” I relented, “but I have to go.”
I fought a battle with myself the entire way there. I couldn’t shake the bad feeling that Kale’s absence instilled in me. Perhaps it was arrogant of me to think I knew Shya had less than savory plans for the kid. It sounded hard enough to be a dreamwalker. He deserved to make his own choices.
It was too easy to get sucked into this world. I couldn’t say I would have chosen it for myself. Then again, it had always been meant for me. I didn’t know what to think anymore.
I’d half expected to find Kale’s car outside. There was no sign he had been here.
The house was dark. That was the first thing I noticed. The light from the TV was absent, giving the place a vacant touch. The air was rife with negative energy. It hummed, thick and menacing. I had to go in. Something had gone on here.
Arys didn’t protest when I told him to wait in the car. It allowed him to watch the house while I went inside.
Slowly, I swung the car door open. It was late. Lights were off in most of the neighboring houses yet none of them felt tainted by the inky swell of residual energy the way the dreamwalker’s house did.
I reached out metaphysically, feeling out my surroundings. By doing so, something else could easily be feeling me as well. I couldn’t both reach out and shield myself. It was a chance I had to take.
The lingering energy burned when I openly let it in. It was a blazing hot sensation that scorched. Shya. Faded and slowly dissipating, his energy was still strong enough to hurt. Goosebumps rose up all over my body and pressure began to build in my head. I couldn’t let his power flow freely through me. I just couldn’t take it. I had to block it out. I shielded hard, unable to shake the not so subtle reminder of just how powerful the demon was.
The house itself appeared normal, except for the side door, which stood slightly ajar. My wolf was leery. I drew closer, and the scent of blood reached me. I was both horrified and intrigued.
I sensed nobody inside. Nobody living anyway. I was envisioning the absolute worst when I carefully pushed through the open doorway. My keen eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.
There was blood everywhere. I choked on the scent, struggling not to breathe more than absolutely necessary. It was fresh and tantalizing, taunting my bloodlust. It was only apprehension that kept the hunger at bay.
I stood frozen near the doorway. I could feel the echo of death all around me. The last thing I wanted to do was touch or upset anything, but I wanted to take a quick look around. Shya had done this. Why kill the kid’s entire family? And, where were the bodies?