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Either way, Nigel and I had to move quickly, so I told him in a whisper, “We need to split up,” but he shook his head no.
“It’s too dangerous. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt.”
While I appreciated his concern, it was still the best way to cover the most ground and find the lawyer. “I’ll be fine. We have to help this guy and we don’t have time to argue. You take the left hallway of offices and I’ll take the right.”
Nigel didn’t look happy, but he agreed with a nod. “Fine. But if you catch even a whiff of trouble, call out my name and I’ll come to you.” I nodded as well, and he surprised me by pressing a firm kiss to my forehead before dashing off down the hallway.
I shook off the excited warmth his kiss gave me before hurrying to the furthest office on the right hand side.
Because it was so dark in the room, I illuminated the light on the end of my wand, though I kept my gun drawn as well. This was no time for a prop; the killer was dangerous, and I needed real protection.
I did a quick survey of the room, finding nothing but a desk and an empty office chair.
The next three rooms yielded the same results. With each empty office, my heart beat faster and my nervousness grew. The pit of my stomach churned; I could sense that I was getting closer.
I steadied my hand as I silently turned the knob to the next office. I slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside. This time, instead of silence, I was met by a suckling, slurping sound. I stepped around the desk and my heart dropped into my stomach at what I saw.
Lying on the floor was the attorney who had made the call for help. His body was still, and his lifeless eyes were wide and focused on the ceiling.
Kneeling beside him was a man dressed in all black. He was hunched over and from the sounds coming from him, one would assume he was kissing his victim…until he moved slightly and I got an eyeful of the horrific truth.
The attorney's head was nothing more than a crater, as the dome of his skull laid a few inches away on the carpeted floor. The attacker was feasting on the poor man's brain, leaving not a scrap behind.
Before I could say a word, the attacker must have sensed my presence. He spun around to face me and pointed his wand at my chest.
I was completely frozen. Not from fear, but by magic. He'd cast a spell on me which kept me from moving a muscle. I assumed that it was the same spell he'd used on Micah and Madame Margot when he killed them for their body parts. Perhaps he'd done the same on the poor lawyer.
The figure rose and stepped towards me, appearing more beast than man. His eyes were the same black as his pupils, creating orbs of darkness in his face. Black, greasy hair hung around his shoulders. Blood dripped from his chin, and he moved in a stalking manner.
"You're too late," he said as he stepped toe to toe with me, his words sounding like a hiss. I tried to pull the trigger of my gun, but I had no power over my hands. "I only need one more kill…for now," he added with a chuckle.
He walked behind me, trailing his fingers across my shoulder. "Just one little soul, and I'll have all the power in the world; free to do anything I like, to control everyone with a snap of my fingers." As he spoke, he snapped beside my ear, before chuckling again.
"I wasn't expecting the last piece of the puzzle to be hand delivered to me, though." My heart pounded in my chest as he leaned in and sniffed the nape of my neck. "I can smell the grief on you." Another deep breath. "Delicious."
I couldn't allow him to take me as his last victim and complete the spell. I was powerless against him, but if I could get Nigel's attention, there might be a chance.
To my surprise, I could move my lips. The sick realization hit me that this asshole probably liked hearing his victims scream. But it would be his downfall. I dropped my jaw and yelled as loudly as I coud, "Nigel!"
In an instant, my partner appeared in the doorway with his wand drawn. Relief washed over me until the man behind me laughed in my ear. "I wondered if the great and powerful Nigel would be called to find me. I'm almost flattered."
"What have you done, Foras?" Nigel asked between gritted teeth, and the realization that these two men knew each other hit me like a ton of bricks.
