Page 12 of Gray

“That would explain the puncture wounds on the bodies.”

“Yep.”

“She’s also said to seduce unavailable men and lure them to abandoned places before eating them alive.” Scarlett was quiet a second before adding, “Oh, and she hunts newlyweds or couples who are in love.”

“Okay, so this demon is a bitter, evil bitch. Does it say how to kill her?”

“Not that I’m seeing. I’ll call you when I know more.”

“You’re the best, Scar.”

“I know.”

After disconnecting the call, I stood by the open window. The motel wasn’t far from the harbor, and the ocean breeze tickled my nose.

Echo Bay was a picture-perfect, sleepy town. Cloudy skies, seaside shops, and quaint residential neighborhoods. The people were friendly enough. Not that it mattered. I wouldn’t be staying long. I had followed the trail of the manananggal, mapping out the general path it had traveled so far and estimating where it would attack next.

If the demon followed the same pattern as the previous places, it would kill a man tonight and be gone by dawn.

When the cold air became too much, I shut the window and turned on the heater. It whirred as it came to life, sounding like it was on its last breath. Restless and hungry, I walked to the diner. Just as I found a table and sat down, the sky opened up, the rain coming down in big drops.

I watched it fall.

“Um, sir?”

I blinked, and the woman came into focus. She wore a name tag that said Penny. Half of her hair was purple, the other side was pink, and she had a stud in her nose.

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

I quickly skimmed the menu and ordered a burger basket with fries and a water to drink. Once she left the table, I pulled out my phone and researched the manananggal. I didn’t have much luck finding any more than Scarlett had.

Demons hated salt and silver. If all else failed, I’d stab the shit out of the thing with my silver dagger. Or shoot it in the head with a silver bullet. Maybe both to be on the safe side.

The rain came down harder, drumming on the roof.

My phone buzzed in my hand. A text message.

Scar:Found its weakness! The manananggal hates sunlight. It’s deadly to her when she’s in her monstrous form. That’s why she only hunts at night.

Me:Okay. So I need to find her during the day?

Scar:That won’t help. When she’s whole, she’s pretty much unstoppable. No weaknesses I can find. When she hunts, she leaves the lower half of her body behind, so you need to wait for her to detach into two halves and then find her lower half.

What the actual fuck? I rubbed my temple, a headache forming. The sleepless nights weren’t helping.

Me:So I need to find her legs and do what? Burn them?

Scar:Nope. You have to prevent her from reattaching. It says if her body is still separated come dawn, she’ll die. Lore says she prefers dark, private places, so look for abandoned buildings or anywhere with little to no windows like cellars or basements. Cover the exposed flesh of her lower half with salt and garlic. She won’t be able to combine again that way.

“Here you are.” Penny set down my water. “Your food will be out soon.”

“Thanks.”

I waited for her to walk away again before responding to Scarlett.

Me:I’ve been on some crazy hunts… but I think this one takes the cake.

Scar:lol you got this, Hawk. You may be a newb, but hunting is in your blood.