Page 78 of Ravaged Devotion

It clattered to the floor and before anyone else could do anything, Thea picked it up and drove the blade straight through her co-worker’s gut.

The Black Hart leapt down and shoved her away, but the damage was already done.

Cyril dropped to the floor, gasping.

“What the hell happened?” Ryker demanded.

“Cosima is dead,” Thea began. “We couldn’t find anyone upstairs, so we went to her office. Her throat was cut. Cyril went to check the side room to make sure that Jesse was still there, but…”

“Let me guess, he was gone?” Ellery quirked a brow.

“Yeah.”

“Great. So there are monsters outside and a killer on the loose.” He motioned to Cyril, who had taken his last breath only a moment ago. “Why’d he attack you?”

“I don’t know,” Thea said. “Everything was fine one moment, and then suddenly it was like he snapped. He just lunged for me out of the blue, so I ran.”

“And the knife?”

“I’m not sure where he got it. I wasn’t aware he was armed.”

“That’s—” The lights flickered, and Ellery stopped talking, staring up at the chandelier with the rest of them. There was a buzzing and then all of the power went out. “Fucking fantastic.”

“What’s going on?” Esti struggled to her feet with Ishleen’s help, frantically glancing around.

“Where are the breakers?” Ellery asked Thea, drawing most of their attention that way.

Just in time to see her leap at Ryker.

Chapter 16:

Ryker threw up his arm defensively, hissing when the blade sliced through him. Ignoring the instinct to stumble back, he shot forward instead, using his larger form to force Thea against the counter, grabbing her wrist and twisting in the process.

She screamed and struggled, eyes bloodshot, skin covered in a sheen of sweat. Either the fear had gotten to her or something else had, but one thing was for certain, she was no longer acting like the person she’d been before the lights had gone out. Her nails swiped at him, adding more cuts to the larger one where the skin on his left forearm had been opened up.

A gunshot sounded and then her body went still, slumping against him.

With a curse, Ryker stepped away, watching her lifelessly fall to the floor.

“Seriously?” Ellery glared at his cousin. “What did I tell you about saving bullets?”

“She was clearly unhinged.” Uriel lifted a single shoulder then checked the magazine to count the remaining bullets, leaving the rest of them to discuss everything.

“Ryk is armed,” Ell reminded. “He carries that damn switchblade around like it’s his baby.”

Rue had grabbed a bandage roll from the first aid kit and made it to Ryker’s side, grimacing when he saw the damage.

“It’s not that bad,” Ryker reassured him. “Doesn’t need stitches or anything.”

“Wrap it tight,” Ellery instructed, then caught Ryk’s gaze. “We need to hurry.”

There wasn’t just a fear of losing sunlight now, which was already murky at best due to the weather, but without electricity, it was going to be nearly impossible for them to find their way back to the main lodge once they were outside. They needed the lights to help guide them through the dense fog.

“We’ve wasted enough time,” he continued. “We have to move.”

“No.” Rue wrapped the bandage around Ryker’s arm. “That’s final.”

“Sweetheart, this isn’t up for debate.” Ryker ran a hand through his hair.