Page 89 of Starved Until Sunset

“He’s had a lot of blood loss,” Zenona said, her voice quiet as she stared at the floor in front of her. “He’s going to be weak. His body will need a lot of rest.”

“Voice of experience?” Tracey said.

“You could say that.”

“Okay, I know why I’m here,” Cody said. “And Zenona was taken to get back at Michael, which, I mean, okay, I get it. But you need to really bump up your standards in the men you choose.”

“Case in point, the six and a half feet of useless meat lying on a concrete floor,” Lucia said.

“Yeah, yeah.” Cody flipped her off again. “My question is, why are Lucia and Tracey here?”

There was a pause, and Cody shifted to look at Zenona. She was looking past him at Lucia. “What? What the hell is going on?”

A sound across the basement stopped him cold. It was quiet, which made it even worse than if it had been loud and shocking—just the soft sound of something shifting. As if something that had been dead asleep inside a wooden box was beginning to wake.

Cody looked at the one unblocked window again, cursing at the deep orange glow.

“We’re out of time,” Tracey whispered. “They’re waking up.”

“Demmy will find us,” Cody said, his voice quiet as well. “He won’t stop.”

More sounds from the deep darkness of the far corner. Cody wondered if the caskets were lying on the floor or if they were on sawhorses or tables. How many were there? Was it only Aldrik the Asshole and his father, or were the residents they’d turned sleeping away the day down there as well? And how long had the monsters been right under his and Demmy’s feet? The whole time they’d been working for the DPW?

Cody twisted and pulled his wrists, frantically trying to get free. The muscles up and down both arms cramped and shook, but he fought through the pain. He heard a scratching sound from the shadows, like the world’s most terrifying cat asking to be let out.

The duct tape peeled hair and most likely a layer or two of skin from his wrists. It was now a long and twisted line, sticky and tangled. Cody drew in a breath that hissed between his teeth as the tape continued to pull away hair and abrade his skin. His bindings felt looser, and it encouraged him to amp up his efforts. He thought back to football practice under a hot sun, Coach Burnett shouting at them to keep going, push through the pain, give him maximum effort.

When the duct tape finally unspooled enough for him to pull his arms farther apart, Cody shouted in happy surprise. His shoulder muscle tensed as he yanked his arm back several times, desperate to break the tape once and for all. But it was stubborn and only yielded so far. Still, he was able to pull his arm up from behind him and rest his hand on his hip.

“I’m almost there,” Cody said between breaths.

“You’re too late,” Tracey said quietly.

Cody raised his head and squinted into the darkest corner. His heart hammered even faster and his stomach tightened in fear as a figure materialized from the shadows. It was terrifying. Tall, even taller than his own six feet five inches, and unnaturally pale with a short, upturned nose, long pointed ears, and glowing red eyes. It looked like a gigantic bat stalking toward them on powerful legs. Large wings stretched out to either side, small claws clutching and releasing at a joint in the middle of each. It was naked and sexless, skin smooth and pale, all sinewy limbs with large hands and feet. Its long, knobby fingers were tipped with sharp claws.

“Jesus Christ,” Tracey whispered.

“I may have met him,” the thing said, flashing a smile that revealed rows of sharp teeth. Two fangs extended down on either side of the thin-lipped mouth, ending in wicked points. “Hard to keep all my acquaintances straight after so much time.” He swept his red-eyed gaze across them all. “I am Xavier. Welcome to my home.”

“You stay away from us,” Lucia said. “I am a deputy with the sheriff’s department. Release us now, and this can all be handled peacefully.”

Xavier tipped back his awful head and laughed, placing one big hand over his chest. From the shadows behind the monster, Aldrik slowly approached. He looked at each of them, licking his lips as his eyes burned like dying embers.

“She says this can all be handled peacefully.” Xavier peered down at Aldrik. “Because she’s a deputy.”

“Think she tastes like a deputy?” Aldrik asked.

“Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Then by all means, let’s eat.”

Aldrik moved faster than Cody could track. Lucia cried out, and Cody lifted his head to see Aldrik bent over beside her, his mouth fastened on her throat.

“No!” Cody shouted. “Get the fuck away from her!”

He struggled harder now, yanking and pulling, kicking his feet, trying desperately to free himself.