“Monty—”
“I know what you saw,” he said. “And I believe it. But we’re a long way from dusk right now, and I’d rather sleep in my own bed than on your couch.”
“Yes, but—”
“You can make me dinner again tomorrow night,” he said. “Hopefully by that time, Jamie will have come through with a better means of tracking and killing the bitch.”
I hesitated, but his set expression said there was no way I was ever going to talk him out of this course of action.
I blew out a breath in frustration—a common affliction tonight, it seemed—and then reached around and grabbed my backpack from the rear seat. “Just make sure you set your protections—”
“Liz,” he said gently. “I may be new to this whole spirit-hunting thing, but I’m not stupid.”
“I’m not saying you are, but—”
“Stop worrying,” he cut in again. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and we can plot our next course of action. Okay?”
“Okay.” I shoved the door open and clambered out.
He jumped into the driver side, slammed the door shut and, with a quick wave, drove off. Leaving me standing in the middle of the road, staring after him and feeling even uneasier.
I grimaced and headed for the front door. Monty was a grown man and a strong witch besides. I had to trust he knew what he was doing, even if my gut was saying he was doing the wrong thing.
Once I’d grabbed my phone, I placed the backpack in the reading room and then headed upstairs. I took a quick shower in a vague effort to wash away the unease and frustration and then finally climbed into bed. But my dreams were filled with fiery dread, and I woke with a start some hours later.
For several seconds, I didn’t move. I just stared into the darkness, listening to the creaks and groans of the old building, wondering what had woken me. Wondering why my body was bathed in sweat and my heart beat so fiercely.
Nothing stirred through the darkness. There was no hint that anything—or anyone—was testing the magic that protected this place.
But something was happening. Not here, perhaps, but out there in the deeper darkness. I frowned and reached for my phone—it was four forty-five. Dawn was still a good half an hour or more away. Plenty of time yet for the soucouyant to be active without the sunlight pulling on her strength.
I tossed the covers aside and hastily pulled on a T-shirt as I padded through the living room to the sliding door. It squealed slightly as I pushed it open, the sound reverberating through the silence as sharply as fingernails down a blackboard. I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder, wondering if I’d disturbed Belle. Relief stirred when she didn’t appear. I didn’t want to be waking her if the trepidation stirring through me was nothing more than unwarranted fear.
The predawn darkness held a cool edge, but the sky was clear and the stars still bright. I stepped out onto the balcony and walked over to the edge. There was little noise to be heard other than the occasional rumble of a car from the nearby Midland Highway, and nothing moving on the street below.
Castle Rock was at peace.
And that, for some reason, only tightened the strands of unease.
I hesitated and then walked across to one of the chairs, dragging it around and then carefully standing on top of it. It didn’t really help me see over the rooftops of the buildings opposite, but I nevertheless looked in the direction of Monty’s street and scanned the skyline. No hint of heat. No flicker of fire to suggest either the soucouyant or one of her fireballs was about to attack Monty.
And yet I feared that was exactly what was about to happen.
I jumped off my chair and strode toward the sliding door. But just as I stepped inside, energy hit. It was a fleeting wash of power and heat that nevertheless promised death. I swung around, my heart pounding violently somewhere in the vicinity of my tonsils.
And saw a huge whoosh of flame erupt from the area where Monty lived.
My vision, come to life.
Eleven
My vision hadn’t been wrong; I’d just interpreted it incorrectly. I locked the sliding door and ran for my bedroom, barely avoiding Belle as she came out of hers.
“What’s the problem?”
“Monty’s being attacked. Get dressed.”
She swore and disappeared again. I quickly got dres