Page 207 of Scarlet Wars
“Haunted,” James muttered darkly.
I swallowed hard, my gaze sliding toward the thin strip of darkness visible through the crack in the door.
Caden stepped forward first, hand holding on to his non-magical blade. “Stay close.”
My heart hammered against my ribs as Caden pushed the door open. The metal hinges screamed in protest.
As I followed him inside, James was right behind me, the sound of his boots against the concrete too loud against the dead silence pressing down on us.
The door swung shut behind us with a heavy clang, and I almost jumped out of my own skin. “Easy there, Nightcrawler,” Caden murmured in my ear.
My breath fogged in the air, thin tendrils of white disappearing into the dark as the sound of dripping water echoed through the emptiness.
The floor creaked beneath my boots.
The darkness stretched.
And then…
A breath.
Right next to my ear.
I spun, my Skindo already in my hand.
Nothing.
Only blackness.
“You okay?” Caden murmured close by.
No weakness, Emma. You will not have another panic attack in the dark. You’re safe.
Caden’s here.
I gave him a curt nod, as my knuckles tightened around my weapon, right before we moved deeper into the dark.
The next room we entered was thick with the coppery tang of blood, undercut by the cloying sweetness of decay.
My boots stuck slightly as I stepped forward, the slick, wet sound of liquid against concrete curling unease in my stomach. The walls were rough and uneven beneath the faint light filtering in from outside through the cracks, dark streaks glistening along the surface.
Blood. And something else.
“What the hell is this place?” James’s voice cut through the oppressive silence.
“No idea,” Caden replied quietly, as he scanned the room with methodical precision.
My ex-boyfriend stepped toward a dark patch smeared across the floor. “The fuck is this? Blood?”
I crouched down, my nose hovering almost right above the stain. “Yeah… And lots of it.”
My head snapped back up as I studied the walls. Dark streaks glistened wetly under the glow of magic. Pieces of?—
“Tissue.”
My stomach twisted.
“Human tissue?” James’s jaw flexed.
