Chapter Text
The Stanley Hotel, despite whatever Sam thought, was entirely coincidental. A happy accident, really. Marcus hadn’t known this beautiful stranger and his friends would be staying the same weekend as him, but he surely made his week.
They, he meant they made his week.
… No, he didn’t.
He was there for business, though. Business. Business. Business. He only had a night to gather enough souls to hold them over for the month, and he still needed a partner to aid him. If only Sam were magic, he would’ve been perfect. Or maybe if Colby was alone, that could’ve worked too. Maybe one day.
There was a witch by the name of Weston, though, with red hair and a vocabulary that held too many elegant words to match his American accent. He’d been spotted a few times, mostly parading around the grounds with Colby and another unnatural-hair-colored boy trailing behind. They stopped into the black market beneath the hotel, and Marcus knew that would be the perfect time to strike.
He waited until Colby and his friend separated from the man before he moved in for the pitch. Effort wasn’t really needed. A few intriguing words, a quiet reveal of his true self, and Weston accepted his offer.
Marcus took off before Colby spotted him.
Why, you may be wondering, was this important now? Weeks after the boys had already lived through their eventful experience?
Well, it’s simple.
That was the beginning of Marcus Pierce’s descent.
•••••
When Corey rose from his bed, the room dimmed like the Shadow Man himself had invaded his vision. Black spotted his eyes, beginning in the corners first and closing in for the final blow like death itself. His mouth fell open with a protest he didn’t have enough breath to voice. The darkness flashed around the room; it faded in and out. He caught Sam a few times nearing the door, oblivious to the panic behind him.
“I can’t,” Corey breathed on a strangled gasp of air that made his cheeks burn. He pressed his hands to his chest and collapsed on his bed. “I can’t. I can’t do it.” The words rolled out of his mouth like sandpaper across his numb lips.
“Corey!” Sam cried. He rushed back to the bed. “Corey, Corey, hey.” he squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay, man. It’s gonna be okay. We’ll be fine.”
“No we won’t,” Corey snapped. “How can you say that? It’s a fucking demon! We’re going to die!” He pulled at his sleeves. His chest heaved frantically. “Holy shit, I can’t breathe. I think he’s already here, bro.”
“He’s not. The salt’s still there.”
“Why the hell are we trusting fucking salt to protect us from a motherfucking demon?!” Corey shouted. “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!”
His frustration lingered like a bad taste. It made their stomachs turn uneasily. A deafening silence fell over that was only interrupted by floorboards in the living room moaning softly, reminding them that they weren’t alone in the apartment.
Sam’s hand dropped from Corey’s shoulder. He leaned away with a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” Corey apologized. He focused on deeper breaths for a few moments before continuing, “I’m just scared.”
“I know.” Sam swallowed thickly. “I know exactly how you’re feeling right now, and I really wish you didn’t have to do this.”
Sam watched him with a surprising amount of authorization and comfort, like he was about to lead them into war. Actually, that may not be too far off. He didn’t even look afraid about facing whatever stood on the other side of the door.
“Hey,” he said softly, “listen, I know how scary this is, but you can do it. You’ve got this, Corey. You’re the only one who can push it away. These things feed off of fear, so don’t give it to him.”
Corey rolled his eyes. “Don’t give it to him,” he repeated with a scoff. “How am I supposed to not be scared shitless? How are you doing it?”
Sam shook his head. “Months of practice, I guess. I know how they work now. Cowering away and hoping they leave you alone can’t be your only option. You can’t always let them win. They’ll overpower you. Eventually, you have to fight back.”
Corey leaned away and looked over Sam, like his friend just stepped into a new light. Who was this guy, brave and confident against the supernatural? When did he take over? Sam’s never been a coward , but used to, his boldness stemmed from his skepticism. He couldn’t be afraid of things he didn’t believe existed, but now? Where was he drawing this courage from?
“How do I do it?” Corey asked quietly. “How do I walk out of here as confident as you?”
Sam sighed deeply, then he jumped to his feet. He pushed his shoulders back and raised his chin. “You have to stand tall, always. You have to become a wall they can’t break down. Everything you say, even if you’re seconds away from vomiting, has to be spoken with as much confidence as you can muster. Just, you know… fake it til you make it.”
Corey huffed. He couldn’t believe he was betting his life on fake it til you make it.
“And hey,” Sam added, “remember that you’re not doing this alone. I’m here. I’ll even do most of the talking.”
Corey didn’t respond. He stared at Sam and shook his head in disbelief.
Sam shifted back. “What?”
“I just can’t believe how different you are. Trap House Sam would’ve never done any of this.”
Sam slowly retreated to the bed. He tucked one foot under him and sat next to Corey.
“Early Trap House Sam would’ve never believed it,” he chuckled. His smile slipped away as he thought back a few months. “Late Trap House Sam was in your position; he couldn’t imagine ever standing up to ghosts and demons.”
Corey watched him. “Must’ve been hard,” he guessed softly. “How long did you deal with it alone? When did you tell Colby?”
“I told him during the TFIL trip in Australia, so,” Sam sighed, “I had it for three months.” He picked at his nail beds and stared at the comforter. “There were things in that house, Corey. Over the years, more showed up. At first they were scattered, but then I got the Sight, and then they were all in my room. Always. I hated sleeping in there.”
“That’s why you were always in Colby’s room?” Corey snickered. “We guessed you guys were fucking long before you even came out.”
Sam’s mouth fell open with a shocked chortle. He shoved Corey’s shoulder as they shared a laugh.
“Well, you weren’t wrong.”
The amusement and chuckles subsided slowly, like a dull ringing. Soon they were quiet again, each reflecting on the memories in their old home.
“I’m sorry I didn’t do more back then,” Corey apologized quietly. “With all the shit I’ve been through with,” he waved his hand toward the door, “all of this, I should’ve been more open to the idea of you seeing this. I mean, I see things sometimes. I just brush it off because I don’t want it to be true.”
Sam shook his head. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I get it. I know I sounded crazy, claiming to see dead people and everything.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t believe me either. I’ve come to terms with this, though. I clearly pissed off the wrong people, and now I have to serve my time.”
“But it’s not fair. I played with the Ouija board for the first half of my life, and nobody ever gave me the demonic Sight.” Corey huffed.
“You’re being haunted by a demon,” Sam laughed. “Isn’t that enough?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
Sam inhaled deeply. He glanced between the door and his friend, and he smiled softly.
“You ready to tell the Shadow Man to fuck off?”
Corey dissolved into a weak smile. “Never thought I’d hear those words.” He pressed a hand to his heart. He tested his breathing with a few inhales. His heart beat faster than normal. No matter how many pep talks he received, Corey would still be afraid. The faster he accepted that, the easier this would be.
Whatever they’re about to do was going to be terrifying. It would probably haunt him for a while, but this encounter was long overdue. This needed to happen, he knew it.
“Yeah,” he decided finally.
“Before we go out there, we need to prepare for Plan B.”
Corey nodded slowly. “Okay, but… do you know how to draw it?”
Ten minutes later, Sam stepped out first with a fistful of salt in his right hand. He moved forward slowly, scrutinizing the apartment with every step. He strained his ears and listened for signs of life—or well… you know.
“Do you see him?” Corey whispered. He followed close behind, the bag of salt clutched to his chest with his hand shoved inside, ready to launch an attack if needed. His eyes darted across his living room. “I don’t.”
Sam squinted. Movement to his right stopped him in his tracks. He watched the kitchen with bated breath.
“What?” Corey whispered. He followed Sam’s gaze and stumbled to a halt. The kitchen doorway was shrouded in darkness that didn’t belong there; it wasn’t that dark in the apartment.
“Do you see him now?” Sam muttered as he wiped his free palm against his pants.
“Uh huh.”
Sam slowly stepped in front of Corey. He raised his chin. “We know you’re here,” he announced. “We can see you.”
O̷̘̥̻͈̙̘͓͉̾̔͌f̵͔̩́͒̄̕ ̸̡̩̫̞̤͙̍̌̂̇͜͝͝c̸̡̢̡̧̫͕̩̟̰̦̿̌̈̈̏̋̽͠ȏ̶̧̢̬̫̠̠̟͎͇̥͑̋͒̚͠ṵ̸̮̙͎͕̼̃̊̓̂̐r̷̪̫͆͒̽̄̀͐ṡ̷̜͓̯̟̬̌̃̓̄̈́̈̚é̷̡̬̘̟̺̰̉͆͌̏͜ͅ ̶̻̪̜͚̔̿̕y̸̡̹̣̺͍̝̻͔̅̍̂̈́̕ọ̷̡̢̻͈̞͖̀ụ̶͚̯̩͍̫̔͛͆͜ ̸͈͕̩̤͈̰̌͌̎͘̚c̷̨̡̢̛̪̜̞̫̭̹̆̽̅̚ͅa̸̘̖̫͐̋̈́͜͜n̶͓̥̤͚͖͋̄̓̄̔.̶̨̙̒̑ͅ
It mocked them; Sam rolled his eyes.
“What’d it say?” Corey whispered.
“Nothing important.”
The shadow made a noise that sounded like a growl and a scoff.
“What do you want with Corey?” Sam demanded. “Why are you here?”
There wasn’t a response this time. Instead it shifted down the wall, away from its corner and closer to the TV. When it lost its shadowed cover and revealed its full form, Corey gasped. The Shadow Man stood, in all his glory, at seven or eight feet tall. It couldn’t fit on the wall standing up, so its broad shoulders curved where the ceiling met, and its glowing red eyes glowered at them from above.
“Oh my god,” Sam whispered.
“Holy shit dude!” Corey cried.
Sam’s hands balled into fists. He raised his chin and held his glare.
“What do you want with him?” he growled. “Say something, coward!”
“Sam!” Corey snapped. “Don’t call a demon a coward, are you crazy?!”
When the Shadow Man spoke, his words rolled off his tongue in a low hiss.
H̸͚̞̜̗͖̝͙́̈̄̂̋̐̈́͜é̵̢̞̣̤̙̯͈͔̯̖̅̀̅̄̄͝ ̵͕̲̱̻͒̊͋̇͂͋̅̿͝į̶͎̮͖̗̏̃̊̾̎̅͝͝s̵͎̖͍̖͖͕͉̫̒̍̉̽͌̽̌̅͝ ̸̡̺̮̮̳̒̅́̑̾w̶̡͍̞̘͋͌̅̈́e̴̛̤͈͛̃̔̽͗̓͛̎̕ȧ̵̖̤̳͙̮̯̣̖͑͜ͅk̸͚̩̭̺͇̘̒͑̋́̒̈́̔̕͝ͅ.̵̧̩̗̠̻̝̙̖̑̌̊̈́̌̇̊̚̚̕
“He said you’re weak,” Sam translated softly.
“And he’s right,” Corey agreed with a huff.
The creature cackled.
Sam shook his head. “No, no, he’s wrong. Corey, tell him to go away. Tell him off.”
His phone vibrated in his back pocket repeatedly. Over and over and over and––what could possibly be so important right now? He scowled. As he switched his phone to silent, he glanced at the name. Fifteen texts and counting, all coming from Hailey. It made his mouth dry with nerves, but he forced himself to ignore her for now. She can wait a few minutes.
The Shadow Man’s cruel laughter echoed in Sam’s ears. Its body stretched across the ceiling with long fingers reaching for Corey. It hissed and mocked him. It growled threats and mercilessly teased him.
Corey couldn’t hear any of it, but his shoulders sank under the weight. His hands pressed to his chest as his breathing hitched.
“Sam,” he whispered, “bro, I can’t––”
Ş̵̞̖̮̠͚̳̳̗͍̄p̶̡̬͑͊͂̐į̸̧̟͔̫͙͍̓͊̎̊̒͌́̇̈́͝n̴̬̱̂̾̈́͗̀̓̓͝͝ë̵͔̱̫̔̀̐̅͊̄̔͠ĺ̶̛̟̖͖͇̰͎̳̈́͊ĕ̶̼̞̖͉̩̻͇̞̫́͗̿́̒̈́̐̚ͅş̴̨̫̏̋͛͛s̴̡̤̥͍̫͎͓͌̅̈́͜͠.̶̹͇͇̠̀̏̌͆̑͒́̐̚̚
Corey ran his fingers through his hair and stumbled away from the darkness looming over the room.
“I can’t breathe, Sam. I can’t do this, I can’t…” He clawed at his chest and gasped for air that couldn’t reach his lungs. The room spun. He fisted his hair. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over without hesitation.
Y̶̊̉͜ơ̸̡̡̬̹͈̣̜͕̿̅̾̍͆̕͜ṳ̶̜̯̲͓͈̩̱͖̈́̏̚͜'̶̰̲̇̊̈́ḽ̵̛̪̹̯̹̌̈́̔̉̑́̕l̸̳͋ ̷͎̞̖̗̣̩̩̒͒̾̈́̎͛n̶̜̙̘̔̑̿̃̈́̿̈́̉̚ę̷̡̯̮̩͓͎̗̥͍̄̅͑̓͌͠v̷͎̙̖̭͉͉̺̮̪̩͒͋̒͋͝è̶̛̹̭̖͗͐̍̓̈̕͘͠r̴̹̈̚ ̶̰͖̳͈͐̾̊̑͂̅̃͜b̷̢͉͙̤̳̱̥̊̊̾̕ḙ̴̮̰̿̓̓̿͘ ̷͙̤͈̹̘̭́̒̅̈̇̈́̀̕͝͝r̶̨̡͚̬͈̹͓̱̥͝i̶̡͚̰̥͖͔̰̘͇͆̀̾͑d̵̗͍̘̹͕̯͎͗̎̍̒ ̸͈͕̤̘̭̞̖̺͆̔̈́̑̕̚͝ȯ̶̡̜̝̱͓̞͗̊̑̓͛̚̕͝͝f̵̢̼̙͖͔̈́̒͌́̔͘ ̶͎̺̹̜̖̦͙̤̀̕͝m̴̛̛͖͇͙̠̮͛ē̷̗̤̦̱̤̟͊̓͗̌̅͠ͅ,̵̡͓̗̼̝͍̻̘̿͌́̎͐ ̵̻̥͇̞̙̑̌̿Ć̵̨̥͉̖̞͖̦̮̹͊̈́͝o̷̦̯̬̘̜̦͉͂r̵̞̋̆é̵̹̱̀̈́̾͛͗͠ỹ̶̹̳͔̙̫̹ ̶̰͓̦̞͓̻͎̻̮͘S̶̲̠͚̟̩͎̬̽͂́̊̌̀c̷̢̡̲̮͓̬͉̭̞̟͂̇͆̃̆̀͛̕͝h̶̢̓̈́e̷̳̖̭̘͋̾͆́̀͂͜ȓ̶̞̘͛͂̑ȇ̸̤̯̺̮̞̱͂̉͛̉̚͝ͅͅr̶̨̦̬͇̬͙̼͉͉͌́̉̊̈́̓̕͝.̶̨̭̣̦̹̗̝͍͖̊̎̈́̀̄̑̔͊̚
“Get away from him!” Sam shouted. He launched his fistful of salt toward its lower shadow pressed against the wall. It recoiled in surprise, retreated a few feet back, and shrieked.
“Sam—”
“Corey!” Sam turned to grab the bag of salt. “Plan B, go!”
For a split second, they had a silent conversation with their wide eyes. They were both afraid, but one was better at hiding than the other. Sam hugged the bag of salt to his chest. He nodded a few times for reassurance.
“Go,” he urged. “I’m right behind you, dude.”
Sam dug his hand into the salt. “Fuck off, dickhead!” he shouted as he threw another attack. Behind him, Corey bolted for the bathroom.
The Shadow Man peeled off the wall, and the living room dimmed immediately. The blinds snapped shut. Whatever lights in the apartment flickered violently.
Sam’s stomach dropped as one by one, the apartment’s lighting exploded. Everywhere he turned, sparks poured down like acid rain. His shoulders hunched forward, and he threw his arm over his head.
“Oh shit,” he muttered. Slowly, he raised his eyes.
The Shadow Man stalked toward him at a more reasonable height, but his entire being was a black hole. He wasn’t black or darkness; those were too light. This demon was a… a void. An empty nothingness that made Sam’s heart sink with dread.
As he neared the human, he chuckled lowly.
I̸̡̗̻̟͔̰̓̑͘͜ͅ'̷̨̡̖̪͎͈͂̂͌̊͘m̵̨͎̎ ̸͔̹̖̝̼̘̤̞̣̋̉ͅg̵̘̮͇̲̮̀͊̉͒o̵̥̳̼̞̤̯̭̣̳͆͛͘͜į̷̯̮̭̩͍͇͈͌͒́̌̽̏̚̚͜n̶̨̨̛͈̟̬̳̞̘̯̔̀̀͘̚g̴̤̋́͌ ̴̗̦͚̳̥̥̝͍̳͈͋͛̉͐̚ṱ̶̡̛̘̓͛̇͆͗͒̽ô̵̞̰̘͔̤͎̝̑͆̃́́̕͝ ̷͎̲̭̻͙̃͛͆͗̇e̵̥̫̮͙͍̟̫͇̐͐̈́̃̋̅̆́n̸̨͓̩̳̟͈͇̅̉͐̈̆̚͜͝ĵ̶̢̢̠̝̹o̵̮̬̬̘̠͙͈̊͆̅͠ͅy̴̧̥͈̅́͗͑͂̚͘ ̸̫͕̬̤͔͖̆̾͋͜t̷̫̳͑͂̈́̓̀͋͊͊̓͆ĥ̵̼̞̠͉̣͊̋̊̋̑̑̏͑͠ḯ̷̙̮̬͈̰̈̊̏̓̄͛ͅs̵̛͍̞̪̱̈́.̵̠̮̝̾́̽̉͌̍́͝
Sam stumbled back. He dipped his hand in the salt, ready for another attack. He only had one shot at this, but… he only had to make it to the bedroom.
“Wouldn’t count on it!” he sneered. In a quick motion, Sam pelted the creature with salt before taking off down the hallway.
The Shadow Man screamed like a banshee on fire. It was on him in seconds. A suffocating weight clung to Sam’s shoulders just as he reached Corey’s bedroom. He narrowly missed being pinned to the door and darted across the floor. Sam was careful to leap over piles of clothes in front of the bed that weren’t there before.
Just as he landed on the bed, nails dug into his wrist and sliced through his skin. Sam immediately cradled his arm and howled in pain. He would’ve fallen off the other side had his reflexes not grabbed the bed sheets before he rolled over.
Corey raced through the doorway. “Did it work?!” he cried. His mouth fell open as his eyes settled on the captured being a few feet away. It was just as he always pictured, but at the same time, it was much worse. Corey’s fingers hooked around the doorframe as his body swayed back. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his demon, no matter how badly he wanted to.
Sam couldn’t respond immediately. He lay curled in a ball, arm pressed to his chest as he attempted to ease the stinging pain on his skin.
Beneath him, the Shadow Man screeched with frustration and anger. It paced, kicked, punched an invisible barrier that refused to budge.
Finally, Sam lifted his head. He watched the demon struggle inside of its cage. Its efforts to escape shuffled Corey’s discarded clothes out of the way. The markings of a quickly drawn Devil’s Trap were revealed.
He smiled weakly. “It worked.”
“Holy absolute fucking shit," Corey whispered. “That’s… He’s the…”
Sam rolled off the other side of the bed. He made his way over to Corey as his gaze stayed on the Shadow Man. In his haste to reach the bed, Sam dropped the bag of salt on the floor. Maybe that was the best place for it.
“Now we have another demon problem,” he realized with a heavy sigh. “Goddangit, these guys are so hard to get rid of!”
“Like evil mice,” Corey joked weakly. His stomach churning; he was definitely about to puke.
“We’ll get Hailey and Colby to help. Hopefully, he won’t be here for long.” Sam squeezed his shoulder. Then, he gasped. “Oh shit, Hailey!”
He and Corey made their way back into the living room while Sam read his messages. The further back he scrolled, the faster his throat closed up. He stumbled to a stop, all pain in his arm forgotten while he felt his world spin.
Corey looked back at him. “Sam?”
When Sam raised his chin to meet Corey’s gaze, Corey’s heart plummeted. The color had drained from Sam’s face.
“What?” he demanded. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Sam swallowed thickly. “Hailey and Jake and… and Colby––They're in trouble!"
•••••
tick… tick… tick…
At that time, that moment, time did not exist. In the cold clutches of fear and surprise, their lives stood at a complete standstill. Their hearts, however, pounded in their chests like a metal building beat with baseball bats. Blood rushed through their ears, the loudest noise to drown out short, frantic breaths of the hostage with a knife to his throat. He was only a few feet away, out of arm’s reach but still close enough to grab if they moved fast enough.
Behind the victim stood Casey Claiborne, crazed brown eyes wide with sick amusement. He grinned with all of his teeth showing, lips stretched into his cheeks so tight that it probably hurt. He loomed over his prey like a demon, dark and chilling; his tainted energy sucked the air from the room and left a struggle to breathe. He dipped his head, pressed the blade of his knife closer to the boy’s neck, and chuckled as a drop of blood rolled down his throat.
Reggie’s head fell back with a hiss of pain. His body jerked, shoulders rolling forward and feet stomping against the ground as he tried breaking free of the iron hold on his body.
Casey growled and quickly slashed the knife across Reggie’s bicep. Blood poured out of the cut and splattered against the floor.
Across the floor, Jake, the youngest of the group, gasped. He rocked on his heels, tears in his eyes as he met his older brother’s gaze. There were so many things he wanted to say, to do, to explain, god, he just wanted to explain before it was too late. He wanted to confess everything, to apologize for lying, to admit Reggie was right about his “illness” being more than an illness, to tell him he loved him, fuck ! This couldn’t be how things ended! He couldn’t lose his big brother! Not now, not like this!
“Colby, dude,” he begged.
Next to him, Colby tried weighing his options. He could barely keep his focus with all the thoughts rushing through his head. Casey wanted to exchange Reggie for Hailey, but they couldn’t let Hailey leave with him, and they also couldn’t let Casey kill Reggie. Casey overpowered Colby and Hailey combined, so fighting back was useless. Negotiation seemed unlikely as well; the deranged glare in his eyes proved it. Fucking hell, what were they going to do? His palms were sweaty; he wiped them against his jeans.
“Tick tock boys,” Casey warned. “I’m growing impatient. Either hand her over now, or later after this boy’s bleeding out on the floor.”
Hailey Claiborne watched through the space between Colby and Jake. She shifted her weight, so most of her body remained hidden from view behind one of her friends. She distracted the sickness in her stomach by sending urgent messages to Sam, hoping somehow they can help from the outside. He wasn’t responding, but she was relentless, blowing up his phone with useless texts to divert her attention from her abusive husband trying to drag her back to the hell she only just escaped from. She’d worked on finding her strength, becoming her own person… hell, she just vanquished the last of his demons only ten minutes earlier! Literally! How dare he waltz in here with a hostage and blackmail her into running back to his side? How dare he use tactics that he… that he knew would work on her always because she couldn’t stand the idea of someone getting hurt because of her…
tick tick tick
“I’ll go with you,” she decided.
“Hailey—” Colby tried.
“If you promise to leave them alone, I’ll go with you.” She squared her shoulders.
Her phone vibrated in her hand multiple times, like Sam was returning the favor. It rang softly. She didn’t look, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Colby did. She saw the way his face softened, his jaw clenched, his hands curled into fists. He only confirmed her suspicions: Sam was trying to get a hold of her. Colby didn’t look that concerned and caring for just anyone. They had yet to make up from their recent argument after the mysterious ritual, and she’d be damned if they never got the chance because she decided to be selfish.
Casey shrugged. “I suppose that’s a deal. Marcus only cares about one of them anyways.” He smirked at Colby.
“Hailey, you can’t,” Colby begged. “After everything you’ve been through, don’t let him win.”
“It was a nice idea, but this was how it would always be.” Hailey smiled sadly. “Thank you for taking me in. You’re a good friend, Colby.”
She inhaled deeply and pushed past her barrier. As she moved across the floor, her world became increasingly silent and numb. She briefly made eye contact with the stranger released from Casey’s grip as they passed. He nodded in thanks, even if he didn’t understand who she was or why she was important. That’s okay, though. Just knowing she helped was enough for her.
Behind her, she heard the vague noises of bodies colliding in an aggressive hug between brothers. She heard relieved exchanges and soft, confused questions squeezed into pockets of air.
She couldn’t help being jealous of that stranger. He got to go home, safe and sound, surrounded by people who truly loved him. She was walking away from the first safe place she’d found since first moving to LA, and for what? A stranger?
Friends, she reminded. She was doing this for her friends.
But… why did she have to give everything up for them? For him? Why did he get to choose her sacrifices?
Casey beamed at her. He reached for her hands, eager to pull her back into his embrace and never let go.
Hailey peeked over her shoulder. She looked back at Colby, Jake, and the stranger secure between them. To her surprise, they all shared the same somber expression. Colby, Jake, even the stranger didn’t want her to go. They looked how she was feeling: afraid.
She turned back to her husband.
tick tick tick tick
He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t love her, not really. Or maybe he did, just in his own twisted way that she knew wasn’t right.
tick tick ticktick
Casey raised his chin. “Hailey, my love—”
ticktickticktickticktick
She didn’t want to be his love. She didn’t want to be his anything.
Hailey raised her hands, reached for his face to cup his cheeks.
BANG BANG BANG!
“Open up!!” a woman shouted on the other end of the door. “This is the police!!”
Time resumed like an avalanche. The knocking, the yelling, it was all a few pieces of ice shifting at the top of a mountain.
Hailey grit her teeth. “Quiesco,” she hissed.
Someone gasped behind her.
Her eyes flashed a deep amber. "Asshole."
Casey collapsed at the same time the police kicked the door in, like packed snow plummeting down the mountainside all at once. Reality rushed in with the officers, yelling and screaming. It swept past her with a warm breeze from the hallway. It clung to Sam and Corey, who followed the raid closely and split up to reunite with their friends.
Sam didn’t hesitate to throw himself at Colby, trapping him in a bear hug that had him stumbling back in surprise. He trailed kisses across Colby’s cheek and down his jaw until he buried his face in his neck.
“Are you okay?!” he demanded. He pulled away just enough to cup Colby’s face and look him in the eyes. “Oh my god, I was so worried!”
Colby smiled weakly. “I’m okay,” he promised. He dipped his head and kissed Sam softly. Then, he rested his forehead against his and sighed. “I’m okay.”
“I love you, and I’m sorry, and I—fucking hell, thank god you’re alive.” Sam hugged him again.
A few feet away, Corey broke from a tight embrace with Jake. He looked his friends over for injuries.
“You guys good?” he asked. “What the fuck even happened? Sam just said Casey was here and that you guys were in trouble.”
Reggie shook his head. “I’m just as lost as you.” He stayed close to Jake and Corey with his hand wrapped around his bicep.
Jake frowned. “Shit, your arm. How bad is it?”
“It’s, ah…” Reggie lifted his hand and revealed the bloodied mess beneath. “I’ve definitely had worse, bro. It’s nothing a band-aid won’t fix.”
“Excuse me,” an officer called, “I’m sorry to break up your reunions, but we still need to know what exactly happened here.” She pointed to Casey’s lifeless body. “Starting with this man. Is he dead, and if so, how?”
Hailey swallowed thickly. She took a deep breath and stepped toward the officers. There were only two, thankfully. That made things easier.
She took their hands in hers. Raising her chin, she focused her magic into the physical contacts while jumping from one gaze to the other.
“Nothing violent happened here today,” she informed. “This man died from a heart attack. No foul play was involved. Everybody here is fine; thank you for coming, but we no longer need your services.”
Hailey released them and smiled. “I’ll stay and answer any questions you have, but may my friends please leave? They’d like to go home.”
One of the officers blinked a few times before answering, “Sure… of course.” Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion, but she didn’t question why her mind was suddenly foggy.
Hailey looked back at her friends. “I’ll be over soon.”
Reggie shook his head. “What did she just—”
Jake shushed him and led the way out of the apartment. The boys followed one by one with Sam and Colby in the back. They shot Hailey concerned looks as they passed, hand in hand.
She smiled.
•••••
Sam and Colby escaped to their room. They left Jake and Corey to clean up Reggie’s cut because they needed just a few minutes alone with each other.
As soon as the door shut behind them, Colby trapped Sam against the wall. He didn’t kiss him, just wanted to be close. He wanted to touch him, feel his hot breath against his skin, to know that he was okay. They both were. They were okay and alive and still in one piece.
“Where were you?” Colby demanded. His hands fell to Sam’s hips; his arms wrapped around his waist.
“I was with Corey, remember?” Sam pressed his cheek to Colby’s chest and inhaled deeply, savoring his scent. “We were dealing with the Shadow Man.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Colby shook his head. “No, tell me now. I need to not think about what just happened.”
Sam nodded. He grabbed Colby’s hand and led him to the bed. He kicked his shoes off, climbed to his side, and hugged a pillow to his chest. Colby followed.
For the next few minutes, Sam filled Colby in on what they’d experienced a few blocks down. He told him everything from his crazy dash for Corey’s room to their risky plan B. He showed the three scratches on his arm, which weren't as deep as they felt. They were the traditional three scratches given by a demon as a warning or something. It was the first time he'd actually experienced them, and shit, he wasn't a fan.
Colby listened carefully. He ran his fingers across Sam’s arm, mindful of the scratches. The story finished, and Sam’s phone vibrated with a text. Colby ignored it and asked, “Do these hurt?”
“To touch, yeah.” Sam huffed. As he fished his phone out, he continued, “Those… things are so weird. Ghosts and regular shadow people don’t do damage. Like I’ve been touched before, but only a poke or something.” His thumb trailed the irritated skin surrounding the scratches. “Demons do damage.”
The message came from Marcus, an innocent question to check in and catch up. Sam grit his teeth and deleted it immediately.
Colby raised Sam’s arm to his lips and pressed soft kisses against the injury.
Goosebumps rose over Sam’s skin at the touch. The corners of his lips lifted into a smile before they fell again. “I’m sorry I stayed behind with Marcus,” he admitted quietly. “The second Corey left, I regretted it. I’m sorry I go off on my own to talk to spirits that I probably shouldn’t be talking to, and I’m sorry I snuck into our old house after you told me not to. I—”
“Shh,” Colby hushed. He shook his head and smiled.
“I just miss you,” he sniffed. He tipped his head back to lean against the headboard.
Colby breathed a laugh. “Baby, it’s okay.” He cupped Sam’s cheek. “It’s okay. I forgive you, alright?” He lifted Sam’s chin and kissed him softly.
When the kiss broke, their foreheads lingered against each others’.
“I love you,” Sam whispered. He buried his face in Colby’s neck. “So, so much.”
“I love you too.” Colby kissed his temple.
They stayed like that for a minute or so, pressed against each other, enjoying the comfort and love they’d been deprived of for the last two days.
Two days. Had it really only been that long? It felt like weeks since they last held each other. Earlier counted, they supposed, but it was rushed and messy. They were frantic, desperate to make sure they were okay. In this moment, curled up in bed, fingers intertwined with their foreheads pressed together, they could finally take a breath.
“You ready to dive back into whatever the fuck’s happening out there?” Colby whispered reluctantly. He didn’t want to pull away yet, but their friends’ voices drifted under the door. Reggie was beginning to ask questions.
Sam sighed. “If we have to.” He smiled and kissed Colby’s cheek.
They headed back into the living room.
•••••
A few minutes after Sam and Colby joined the party, Hailey stepped into the apartment. She eyed the quiet men occupying the couch a few feet away. With a deep breath, she stormed into the room and looked over each friend carefully.
She noticed Sam and Colby sitting side-by-side on the couch, joined hands resting in Sam’s lap. She bit back a smile at the sight.
“So who called the police, and what the hell were you thinking?”
Sam raised his hand sheepishly. “It was Corey’s idea, but I called and waited for them.” At Hailey’s unimpressed glare, he quickly added, “What were we supposed to do? Neither of us have magic!”
“They saved us,” Colby pointed out. “The cops distracted Casey long enough for you to…” He pulled his lower lip between his teeth.
“So, what the actual fuck happened here today?” Reggie demanded. Everybody but Sam looked at him as he pushed to the edge of the couch and leaned forward on his knees. At the same time, Sam received another text.
“Who was that sick fuck? What was with the mind game shit, and what did you do to him? And why,” he glanced around his friends, “did he know you guys?”
Sam, Colby, Corey, and Jake shared looks. They’d considered erasing his memory, but Jake was against it. So, that meant expanding their group a bit more.
Colby smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Hailey, we have to start from the top with this.”
Hailey huffed. She fell on the couch next to Colby and waved her hand, signalling them to continue.
From the very beginning of Colby performing his first spell to Sam getting his Sight to meeting Casey and Hailey to Colby refusing to join the coven to Sam meeting Sallos then Matt to Colby taking magic lessons, etc, etc, all the way up to a brief explanation of the ritual, the core four filled Reggie in on everything leading up to that moment. The times Sam didn’t speak, he listened in awe at the things they’d done over the past four months. He was there , and he didn’t believe some of it. Their lives had turned into a modern fantasy novel, who would’ve guessed?
“… and that’s why Casey made you a bargaining chip for me,” Hailey finished with a sigh. “There, he’s caught up.”
Reggie didn’t say anything for a solid minute. He stared straight ahead, absorbing every piece of information they just fed him like a dish sponge trying to soak up the ocean. He barely even blinked.
Jake waved a hand in front of his face. “I think he’s broken.”
“Would it help if we proved it?” Colby offered. He held his hand out, palm up. “Dark as night, show the way. Give me light, bright as day.”
A flame sparked to life in Colby’s hand. It exploded a few inches in the air before settling to a calm flicker.
Sam watched the fire in wonder.
Reggie stared, eyes wide and jaw hanging open. “No way,” he whispered. “No. Fucking. Way.”
Colby closed his hand and extinguished the fire.
“Do we all have to prove it?” Sam asked.
“I’d rather not,” Hailey answered.
Reggie shook his head. “I can’t believe this is what you guys have been doing on your ghost hunting trips and everything. And you,” he turned to Jake and smacked his chest, “that illness you had, it has something to do with all of this right?”
“Illness?” Sam repeated.
“It wasn’t an illness,” Jake stressed, “just a bad reaction to the… you know.”
Colby frowned. He glanced at his friends and was surprised to be the only one confused. “The what?”
“He took the drug the night of the ritual,” Sam explained quietly.
“Drug?!” Reggie repeated. “The hell are you guys talking about?”
“It’s a supernatural Sight drug,” Hailey explained with a sigh.
“Like Sam’s thing?”
“Stronger,” Sam corrected. “I can only see ghosts and demons. The Global Drug lets you see everything: Witches, werewolves, fairies, vampires, ghosts, demons, mermaids… angels.”
“Angels?” Corey repeated with wide eyes. “No way.”
“And you took that?!” Reggie cried. He smacked Jake’s chest again.
“Colby gave himself the Sight a few months ago!” Jake defended. “It’s like the same thing!”
“Hey, he’s right,” Sam agreed. “It is the same thing. As long as you’re okay ,” he nodded at Jake, “then I think we should stop ridiculing him.”
“Thank you,” Jake breathed.
Hailey rose to her feet. She stood next to the coffee table and crossed her arms. She raised an eyebrow at Sam.
“I’ve never heard it called the Global Drug before.”
Sam nodded slowly. “It’s what Marcus named it.”
“Marcus is… the bad guy, right?” Reggie asked. “Why would he tell you that information?”
“Cause Sam went rogue after the ritual,” Jake teased.
“Hey,” Colby warned.
“No, it’s fine.” Sam pat Colby’s thigh. He looked to Reggie. “I put myself in a dangerous situation without really thinking things through.” Next, he turned to Corey. “I am so sorry for putting you in that position, man. I shouldn’t have done that, not with Colby out of it and Casey coming after us.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have made you leave me behind. I’m sorry.”
Corey smiled. “It’s good, bro. We were all scared that night.”
“Was Casey chasing after you,” Reggie asked, pointing at Colby, “or all of you?”
“Us,” Sam answered, pointing between him and Corey. “Someone told him we were waiting on Colby.” He looked at Hailey. “Someone told Marcus, too.”
She sighed. “Okay, we need to start from the beginning. You two,” she pointed between Sam and Jake, “are going to tell us everything that happened that night. Colby,” she looked at him, “since the ritual and everything that occured after is being treated as an attack, we have to discuss it in private. I have to deal with it as the leader of our coven, not as your friend.”
Colby nodded slowly. “Got it.”
Sam began first. He recalled his conversation with Marcus in the car after the ritual. There wasn’t much information besides outing him for following them to each filming location. Unfortunately, the only information he gathered was that Marcus was a major stalker.
“But he did take me to Taco Bell, which is where I told you guys to meet us at, instead of kidnapping me, so…” Sam shrugged.
Colby rolled his eyes. “Yeah, at least he did that .” He scoffed. “What a fucking saint.”
Sam pressed his lips into an amused smile as he looked over at Colby.
“Jake, your turn,” Hailey ordered. “What have you learned with the supernatural Sight?”
Jake hummed. He leaned on his side and grabbed his phone from his back pocket.
“I made a list,” he informed, “of every supernatural creature I saw in those twenty-four hours. I didn’t see anyone cool except for a mermaid and someone with freaky black veins, though.”
He went down the line, starting with seers and ending with whatever weird black veined cashier he encountered the day he, Reggie, and Tara went out to eat. The others listened curiously, asking questions in between and voicing their wonders of the beings. Reggie stayed silent. He listened, mulled over the possibilities, and remained silent next to his brother.
“What happens now?” Colby asked after Jake finished his presentation.
Beside him, Sam received another text. This time it wasn’t a quick check-in but a request. After everything, Marcus still thought Sam would meet up with him.
He shook his head with a scoff.
“What if it’s over?” Jake wondered. “Casey’s dead. Marcus doesn’t really have a reason to go after us, I mean unless Sam—”
Sam locked his phone. “I cut any ties I had with him. Numbers, emails, they’re all blocked.” He looked at Colby. “That won’t stop him, but at least it’ll make things harder.”
“Hopefully, Marcus will stick to his business, which has nothing to do with any of you,” Hailey said. “Lay low. Stay out of trouble. Don’t take any more drugs.” She looked at Jake pointedly. “Try to make nothing beyond this point involve any of you.” Hailey turned to Colby.
Sam nodded. “Yes ma’am.”
“Hey,” Corey called, drawing his friends’ attention. He focused on Sam and Colby. “If something happens with either of you about anything, you better tell us. Don’t try to keep secrets because you’re protecting us or some shit.” He rolled his eyes.
Sam pursed his lips.
“We’re in this together, right?” Corry looked back at Jake, who nodded.
“Even Reggie… who might be broken again.” Jake poked Reggie’s arm. “Seriously, I’ve never seen him this quiet.”
“I’m just listening,” Reggie muttered.
Sam sat up straighter. “Reggie, man, you can’t tell anyone about this. Any of it. Nobody else can know.“
Colby nodded slowly. “Yeah, and… you don’t have to know, either. Hailey can erase your memories from the last few hours. It’ll be like this never happened.”
Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head. “Nah, it’s cool.” He glanced at Jake, who watched him with wide, concerned eyes. He didn’t do that often. Reggie sighed deeply. “Of course I’ll keep your secret.”
Jake grinned. “Thanks brother.”
Over the next half hour, the gang slowly dispersed. First it was Reggie, who bowed out early with the excuse of fatigue. Jake followed shortly after, mumbling about a photoshoot the next day.
Corey lingered more than hung out. He got to know Hailey more and kept conversation, but something was off. Colby and Hailey shared a few looks, wondering if they were thinking the same, but Sam knew. He’d been expecting something like this; Corey was stalling. He delayed his return home for as long as he could, and honestly, Sam couldn’t blame him.
Eventually, Corey announced he was leaving. He jumped to his feet, bid his farewells, and headed for the door.
“Hey, Corey?” Sam called as he followed. “Are you going home?”
“Hell no, dude!” Corey shook his head and sighed. “I’m staying with Chaz tonight.”
He nodded. “Got it. We're gonna figure this out.”
Corey smiled weakly. "Yeah, I know.”
Sam squeezed his shoulder. “See you later, man.”
“Later.”
The door shut, and the apartment was quiet. Behind him, Hailey and Colby conversed softly. They weren’t talking about anything special, just movies or magic or something. Sam turned to watch from the bar. He wondered if they were doing it on purpose, discussing random things as a distraction. Or maybe Hailey really did care whether Colby liked the Divergent series better than Hunger Games.
Actually, knowing Hailey, it was pretty likely.
Sam smiled. He approached slowly, savoring the moment. At first glance, you’d think the three of them had been friends for a while. You’d never guess that a month ago, she didn’t like either of them. You’d never guess they were all recovering from some trauma, near-death experiences being the common thread.
You’d never guess there was anything unnatural about their lives. At that moment, they just looked like a couple of twenty-somethings hanging out.
Sam sat next to Colby at the edge of the couch. Hailey moved down the table to give him feet room and crossed her ankles.
“We still have to talk about the ritual,” she reminded regretfully.
Colby nodded. “I know.” His hands enclosed Sam’s in a warm hold. The pads of his fingers brushed across Sam’s knuckles as he fell into a trance with his gaze on the table.
“Or,” Sam suggested suddenly, “we could go grocery shopping.”
Hailey gave him a weird look. Colby laughed and breathed, “What?”
“It’s only like six o’clock, and Hailey ate all of our food in the two weeks that she’s been here.” Sam smirked at her.
“First of all, there was hardly any here to begin with,” she defended dryly. “Second of all, you helped a tremendous amount.”
“Oh whatever, we got Postmates that night.”
“And what about the popcorn, hm?”
“You ate the last bag!”
“Okay, okay!” Colby laughed. He waved his arms and broke them up. “I was only gone for two days, what the fuck?”
Sam grinned. “My point is, we have to get food! So let’s go!” He jumped to his feet.
Hailey and Colby shared a look, half confused and half amused, as Sam headed for their bedroom to grab shoes.
•••••
Two hours later, the trio stepped back into the apartment. Sam had a large reusable grocery bag filled with basic essentials and sweets; they usually ate out anyway. Really, they could’ve waited a few days to go shopping, but he was persistent, and neither Colby nor Hailey were going to tell him no.
They were halfway through putting away the groceries when Colby hugged Sam from behind. He rested his chin on his shoulder and pointed out, “We really didn’t need groceries right now.”
Sam paused, a loaf of bread in his hands. He sighed and leaned into Colby’s hold.
“Yeah,” he agreed, “but you guys really needed a break.”
Hailey and Colby glanced at each other.
“I don’t know what happened in your apartment today,” Sam continued as he met Hailey’s gaze, “and I don’t know what happened at the ritual. Though what I do know is that you guys look like hell.”
Colby chuckled. He kissed Sam’s temple.
“I killed Casey today,” Hailey admitted. “Then, I compelled the officers to think it was a heart attack.”
Colby felt Sam’s shoulders tense, so he hugged him tighter.
Sam stared with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. He played those words back in his head, I killed Casey today. I killed Casey today.
“What the fuck?! ” he cried.
“And good riddance to him,” Hailey spat. “He was a horrible man.”
Sam shook his head. He stepped out of Colby’s embrace and turned to face the two of them. He looked at Colby first, wondering if his boyfriend was as put off as he was. To his surprise though… he wasn’t.
“Colby?? Why aren’t you freaking out about this?! She killed someone!”
“Sam! Sam,” Colby cooed. He stepped in front of him and reached for his arms. “Baby, look at me.” He tilted his head, trying to block Sam’s glare aimed at Hailey. When he finally caught Sam’s eye, he explained gently, “Casey had a knife to Reggie’s neck. He was going to hurt him and all of us. She acted out of self defense.”
“All that magic and she couldn’t, like, immobilize him or something?” Sam spat, but it held hardly any bite. He understood why she did it, and admittedly, he was grateful it happened to him and not someone he cared about. Still, his morals couldn’t let it go. There was still a murderer standing a few feet away.
“I acted impulsively, I’ll admit,” Hailey answered. “He was after me, but of course, Colby wouldn’t let me leave that easily.”
Colby cracked a smile.
“I had to make a choice between him and the rest of us, and I did. I won’t say I regret it, though I do feel remorse solely for the crime, not who it was committed against.” Hailey sighed. “I won’t deny it; the world is much better off without him. It was still a life taken, so believe me, I understand what I’ve done.” She rocked on her heels, wiped her sweaty palms against her pants, and chewed on her lip.
Sam inhaled deeply. “Okay,” he answered quietly.
“Okay?” she repeated.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what else to say.” He walked past Colby, grabbed the loaf of bread, and turned to place it on the back counter. There was silence behind him, likely full of unsure shared looks and hesitation.
Then Hailey’s heels clicked across the floor, and Colby asked, “Are you going home?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “I think it’s time.”
Sam tapped his fingers against the counter. Then, he turned to help gather her things.
“I still have questions about the ritual, Colby,” she admitted as she packed her bag.
Colby groaned. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” He took a seat on the ground to grab her spell books and hand them to Sam.
“Two questions,” she promised. “Then, we never have to discuss it again.”
Sam stacked the books on the couch next to Hailey’s bag. When he was finished, he joined Colby on the floor. Hailey, eventually, took a seat between them.
“The other witches who were there that night have already confessed, but there’s a flaw in their story,” she began. “They claimed to be attacked by a pack of werewolves, and the damage inflicted to the forest and the church was a result of self defense. Is that true?”
Sam looked to Colby, who shook his head immediately. His eyebrows furrowed, and he frowned.
“Werewolves?” he repeated. “That’s not even close.”
Hailey nodded. “Okay, last question. What exactly was the ritual?”
Colby swallowed thickly. He inhaled deeply, knowing he’d have to admit it in one go. Otherwise, the memories would take over.
“They carved scales off of an actual, living mermaid.”
“Was she awake?” Sam asked quietly.
He didn’t trust his voice, so he nodded slowly. When he felt Sam’s fingers brush his, he squeezed his hand.
“Okay,” Hailey said with a nod, “thank you, Colby. That will help me decide what kind of punishment to give those involved.”
“Those inv––what do you mean?” he asked. His jaw clenched. “ I was involved.”
“Your name hasn’t come up yet, and I intend to keep it that way. Besides, you’re the only one who’s dismissing the idea of a werewolf attack.” Hailey raised her chin. “That makes me think you left before they created that excuse.”
“Right…” Colby sighed. “Thanks for having my back, Hailey.”
She climbed to her feet. “No problem, what are,” she glanced at Sam, “friends for?”
“Ah ha!” he cried with a grin. “I knew you’d admit it by the end of the month! You owe me ice cream.”
Colby huffed with a fond laugh, and Hailey rolled her eyes.
“We’ll talk soon,” she promised. As she headed for the door, she called, “Goodnight!”
“Night,” they replied.
Sam got up next to lock the door. Colby followed a few steps behind, lazy to move but longing for his bed. He was more than ready to sink into the warmth and safety of his covers, snuggled against his boyfriend, and sleep for twelve hours.
When Sam returned, he smiled tiredly. Colby thought he’d say something, but instead, Sam pulled him into a tight hug that took him by surprise. Only a second passed before he registered the firm grip around his waist and the face buried his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.
“I’m glad you’re home,” Sam muttered.
Colby exhaled deeply, letting his eyes fall closed as he savored the embrace. Until that moment, he didn’t realize how bad he needed a hug. It didn’t even have to come from Sam, though he’s thankful it did. As if realizing this, Sam’s arms tightened around him. Tears pricked in Colby’s eyes.
“Me too,” he whispered; had to, didn’t trust his voice otherwise.
Sam’s grip loosened, ready to pull away and get ready for bed. Colby didn’t move. His heart skipped a beat.
“Colby?”
He sniffed, and it was heavy, the kind that comes with fat tears about to fall at any second. Sam’s stomach dropped. Reluctantly, he forced himself out of Colby’s hold. He hated to break the hug, but he needed to see him. He needed to know what was going on and how to fix it.
“Hey, hey,” he whispered as he took Colby’s face in his hands. His thumbs brushed a few stray tears away. “Talk to me, love. What’s wrong?”
Colby swallowed thickly. He clenched his jaw and took a few deep breaths. When his eyes shut, more tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I almost died,” he breathed with such softness in his words that Sam didn’t catch the first half.
The last word was all he needed for his breath to catch in his throat.
“The first time didn’t really affect me because we’ve had close calls before,” he continued. “Not with, like, werewolves obviously, but just…”
“Yeah,” Sam answered with a nod.
“And the second time, I––” Colby inhaled deeply, turned his head, shifted away from Sam.
“Love, it's okay,” he pleaded. He chased, grabbed his hands, reassured that he was there , right there.
Colby’s gaze settled on the floor, and Sam could see how glossy his eyes were. One blink, and the dam would break.
“I was almost buried alive,” he admitted slowly, carefully, like the words were numb on his tongue.
Sam’s mouth parted, and his eyebrows furrowed.
“I stopped—They were going to kill that girl, and I couldn’t just let that happen, so I stopped them. While I ran, Alley disappeared to help her. I took care of the three chasing me, and I thought I was safe, but then Casey caught me. He—” Colby’s breathing shook as he inhaled. “God, Sam, he is—was—so fucking powerful. We underestimated him. I underestimated him.”
“Colby…” Sam reached for him hesitantly. His fingers hovered next to his jaw before they swept through his hair. “I am so sorry that happened to you.”
“It was my decision to stay there.”
Sam frowned and shook his head. “But it’s not your fault.”
“I know, I know, but sometimes I can’t help thinking that if I—” Colby’s jaw clenched. “If I didn’t stop them from killing that girl—”
“Then you’d be an accessory to murder. Colby, you saved that girl’s life.”
“Yeah.” He looked at the floor. “I guess.”
“Casey is dead, and good fucking riddance to him,” Sam snapped. Just the name left a bad taste in his mouth. He tipped Colby’s chin up, forcing him to meet his gaze. Softly, he added, “He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Colby lower lip quivered. He bit it hard and pulled at his hair. He couldn’t stop the tears from falling this time, spilling over his cheeks and dripping off his jaw.
Sam grabbed his arms and pulled him into another hug, tighter than the last. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m here, you’re okay.” He kissed Colby’s shoulder and rubbed his back.
He grit his teeth. “Nobody’s going to hurt you again,” he promised. “Not while I’m here.”
•••••
The first time had been an obvious mistake. He’d gone in practically blind, experimenting with only a little knowledge of veil hopping. In his defense, though… he didn’t have a lot of material to go off of.
But this… this should’ve worked. His partner was older than before with more magic and control. He was willing as ever; his excitement rivalled Marcus himself. They’d started off perfectly, so why…
Marcus towered over a black pit, six feet deep. He stood in the forest surrounding the Stanley Hotel. Weston’s lifeless body lay inches from his shoes. There was a jagged line sliced right across his throat; blood stopped pouring out of it minutes ago. Now it was dry and crusty around the wound.
He pressed his foot against Weston’s side and pushed forward. The body rolled over the edge and unceremoniously plummeted into the grave. Marcus hummed as he commanded piles of dirt with the wave of his hand. In only a minute, the hole was filled, like it never even happened.
Why, why couldn’t he figure this out? Marcus returned to the hotel with his fists pulling at his hair. Why couldn’t he crack this code? What was he missing??
He managed to capture a few souls, but it wasn’t enough. They’d last him a month at most. He needed a new plan, a new test subject .
“The camera just died on three-fourths battery, which doesn’t happen.”
Just as he rounded the corner of the hotel, his dark eyes zeroed in on a familiar group of men across the courtyard. There were three with a final male in a white t-shirt joining a few steps behind. In the dead of night, their word echoed throughout the property.
Sam faced the hotel. It was dark, but… Marcus could still see him, and he wondered. He wondered how Sam dealt with his ability, constantly surrounded by ghosts. He worried about him sometimes. Living with the Sight was no easy task, and to do it alone… sure, he had Colby, but what could Colby do? Nothing. Colby didn’t understand. He didn’t get it.
If Sam trusted Marcus more, he could help. He could make all of Sam’s worries go away.
Marcus lingered at the top of the stairs. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the YouTubers discuss.
Maybe he’d been going about this all wrong. Maybe the witches were self destructing because they didn’t have the connection to veil hopping that Marcus did. He practiced magic, sure, but he was also a seer.
“Let’s go back inside,” Sam suggested. “I’ll throw in a new battery, and we’ll talk about this in a second.”
He hurried inside before they could spot him. He took the stairs two at a time as his brain reeled with theories for his next hop.
He needed to test seers, not witches. Which meant sending Casey after Colby was pointless. Colby couldn’t possibly achieve such a feat, but…
But maybe Sam could.