Page 23 of Deceiver (Soul Chasers #2)

Wilder

I pull my phone out of my pocket, but before I can even dial, it’s already ringing, Calliope’s name showing up on the small screen.

I answer it quickly. “I was just about to call you.”

“Wilder. Is something wrong with Keagan?”

“Yes, that’s why I was about to call you. How did you know?”

“I felt something break through my protection spell. Something was still able to get to him there.”

“He’s acting very strange, and I found him nearly unconscious on the bedroom floor after getting a very distinct feeling that the Horror was near. When he came to, he said his dad borrowed energy from the other spirits that were summoned.”

“Oh no,” she says. “Now that he’s using their power, he’ll be that much harder to get rid of.”

“I know. Been there, done that. The problem is, now Keagan wants to go to his house, and I’m pretty sure he’s a lot more susceptible to something getting to him there than he is here, but I don’t have the right to keep him from his own house.”

“No, I don’t suppose you do.”

“Any ideas?”

“You could try an amethyst around his neck, that might help, but if the Horror can get past my protections, I don’t know that a crystal is going to do any good. My advice is to keep an eye on him and make sure he’s not alone. If he’s alone, there’s an opportunity to harm him.”

“I won’t leave him alone.”

“Where is he now?”

“Upstairs.”

“Alone?” Calliope asks.

“Well, yes, but he’s in my house.”

“The house where the Horror was still able to get through?”

I frown. “Good point. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Please do.”

I end the call and hurry up the stairs, rapping softly on Keagan’s door.

“Keagan?”

“One second.”

“Just checking if you’re good in there.”

“I’m good. I’ll be right out.”

I lean against the hallway wall waiting for him. Seconds later, he opens the door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

“I’m ready.”

“Anything happen in there?”

He shakes his head. “No. Why?”

“Because the last time I saw you, you were passed out on the floor.”

“Passed out?” He sounds confused. “Hmm, I gotta admit, my memory seems a little spotty lately.”

That’s not a good sign. I hope in this process, I don’t end up having to perform some kind of exorcism on him.

It usually takes a Horror a long time to figure out how to possess a person, and this Horror hasn’t been around long enough to achieve that —at least not that I can tell.

I’ll have to keep an even closer eye on Keagan.

As I walk him down to the car, I glance at him a few times. He seems like the same guy he was when I first met him, pleasant and laid back.

When he catches me looking at him, his cheeks turn pink and he smiles. “What?”

“Do you remember what happened a few hours ago?”

Keagan’s brow creases. “Can you be more specific?”

“Between us.”

He’s silent again, but then his cheeks bloom even darker pink, and he nods. “Yeah, of course I remember. Honestly, I don’t know what got into me.”

“I see.” I fasten my seat belt. “I was concerned that you weren’t really into it.”

“Oh, no, no. I didn’t mean it like that. I was definitely into it, I’m just normally a little more subtle about making a move on people, and I was pretty aggressive with you. I hope that wasn’t too much.”

“It wasn’t.” I pause as I press the ignition. “You’re sure you were completely in charge of your decisions?”

“Yes. What, do you think I’m possessed or something?

” He laughs, but I don’t, and his laughter fades.

He puts his hand on my wrist. “Wilder, it’s not like that.

I knew what I was doing and I wanted all of it.

And more. But like I said, I’m usually not that forward, so it was a little bit of a surprise to me, but it was definitely what I wanted. ”

“Okay, good.”

“You did too, right?”

“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t want to.”

“Okay. Then we’re cool, right?”

“Yeah, we’re cool.”

“Awesome.”

He fastens his seat belt and turns to look out the window.

I drive as quickly as possible to his house, probably just as curious as he is to see the state of his place, but when we arrive, it looks perfectly fine.

The house appears quiet, and there doesn’t seem to be anything disruptive happening at all, which is a good thing, but it could also mean that he’s right, and the Horror managed to follow him to my house.

When we go inside, the house is cooler than it should be, and as I walk around, I’m aware that we’re definitely not alone here.

Keagan seems blissfully unaware.

I follow him up the stairs to the second floor, but before I can walk into his bedroom with him, he stops me with a hand on my chest.

“I’m just gonna grab some clothes, and then I’ll be right out.”

“I’ll be right here.”

“Okay.” He smiles, but he’s avoiding eye contact with me, which immediately makes me suspicious.

He goes into the bedroom and closes the door while I wait in the hallway, straining my senses to pick up on anything else that may be lingering in the house. It does seem like all the other spirits are gone, which means what the Horror told Keagan is true.

The Horror absorbed the other spirits to use them for his own benefit.

That’s going to make my job a lot harder, but not impossible.

It’s not like I’ve never had a difficult Horror before, but it is rare to have one that was related to the target in life.

I can’t remember the last time. Decades for sure.

Satisfied that the house is empty of spirits, I walk around.

I check out the attic again, finding it empty, then check the other bedrooms in the home, also empty, before heading downstairs to look around.

Other than the mess we left, everything seems to be the same as it was before, with no signs of additional activity.

I send Calliope a quick text letting her know the situation here.

After what seems like too much time, I go back upstairs to check on Keagan, knocking softly on his bedroom door.

“Keagan?”

I’m met with silence.

“Keagan,” I say again as I knock a little louder this time. Still no reply.

“Keagan, I’m coming in.”

I turn the doorknob, only to find it locked.

Why would he lock me out of the bedroom and not answer me.

He hasn’t come across as someone who would hide something important from me which makes me think there’s a problem.

As the sense of something being very wrong intensifies, I kick the door open, ready to battle what’s on the other side if I have to.

The room is empty.

The windows are closed, and nothing is out of place, but Keagan isn’t in here.

He’s gone.

Fuck. I lost my target.