Page 44 of Autumn Ritual

Cam shook his head. “It won’t.” He stepped in front of me, blocking the macabre sight from view. Wonder laced his words. “It really doesn’t bother you?”

“Like you said, he wasn’t using his ears.” I smirked. “This is really great material for the book I’m working on—”

I almost added that I couldn’t wait for him to read the scene. But I bit my tongue.

Cam lifted his hand, reaching for me. “You’re something else.”

He dropped it before his knuckles could caress my jaw.

I ached for him. I knew he needed time. He needed to see that I wasn’t disgusted by the horrors of the underworld. Street justice like this was far more effective. That spoilt Manhattan ass was going to kidnap me if Cam hadn’t been there to intervene. So, what if blood was spilt? That made Cam a hero in my book.

“Go back to your parents, Sara. Enjoy the rest of the festival.”

“There’s Black Forest cake,” I hedged.

A small smile played on his lips. “That’s why you’re so sweet.”

“I’ll save you some.” I let the offer hang between us. “For after when you settle him with your guys.”

But the devil didn’t fall for it.

“Enjoy it for me.” Cam jerked his chin. “Have a good rest of your night.”

My chest fell. He wasn’t ready to sit with me. He needed more time. I turned, walking back to the festival, fighting the urge to cry with the determination that someday he would be ready to take off the mask.

Chapter 16 – Sara

The scent of smoke tickled my nose. I sat up and promptly sneezed. Then sneezed again. The window, which I knew for a fact had been shut before falling asleep, was wide open. I shivered against the chill in the room, dragging the blanket over my shoulders.

Someone had lit a fire.

My bare toes protested as I climbed out of bed. The rug was chilly, but the wood floor beyond was downright cold. Inching to the window, I peered out on the backyard.

Where the patio pavers ended, before the sand of our private beach began, there was a raging fire.

He read the scene!

It had been a week since I’d seen Cam, even longer since he’d visited as my nocturnal caller. I wasn’t going to waste any time! I changed into the white lace nighty that was buried at the bottom of the dresser. Thankfully, my parents hadn’t opened the Amazon package that I’d risked being delivered to their house. Skin peppered with gooseflesh, I rushed from the bedroom, down the stairs, and pulled open the sliding glass door to the patio.

The ritual I’d written had been heavily influenced by the pagan rites surrounding the Fall Equinox. I took creative liberty to make it my own, and I’d left the freshly printed copy on the kitchen counter for my stalker to find. That had been three nights ago.

But he was here now, and he was ready to play.

The fresh October wind cut through the air, whistling around me. Skeletal branches, mostly bare now that the leaves had taken their final bow, clacked above my head. Waves crashed against the shore, excited at the otherworldly energy coursing through the night.

I hesitated on the edge of the patio, right where the pavers ended.

He was nowhere to be seen.

But I felt him watching me.

Kneeling in the freezing grass, I tipped my head back to watch the harvest moon, fat and golden in the sky. The icy blades of grass clung to my skin, leaching the warmth from my body.

I held my breath.

And didn’t wait long.

“‘Cadet! You shouldn’t be here.’” The voice of death broke through the night, quoting the dialogue from my novel perfectly.