Heart of Glass [manxman]

Chapter Fourteen

Eyes opened.

A man shrouded in black shadows lurked at the front door. He didn't move or speak, just stood there silently with his eyes drilling into me as I lay there motionless, asleep, unable to see this—or so he thought.

Eyes closed.

Sleep was useless and unrestful. Tossing and turning... maybe I needed the handcuffs after all.

Eyes opened.

He'd crept closer. The silhouette now hovered at the dining table with a shadowy hand draped on the back of the chair, like he was meant to be there and felt right at home.

The floor creaked like someone walked across it, moving closer.

Eyes closed.

Gods, it was cold. What time was it? Why couldn't I sleep?

Eyes opened.

Back against the wall, next to my bedroom door, there he stood. Still, I couldn't make out his features, but there were sounds, whisperings, low and harsh and indiscernible.

I needed to wake up.

Eyes closed.

Hunters were trained to sense demonic entities in order to prevent casualties. Before I'd fallen asleep, everything felt wrong. It was cold; I felt watched; I—

Eyes opened.

The black apparition stood over my bed with a hand resting atop my forehead. The touch burned my skin, but I was paralyzed.

"It's almost time, Alexei." The voice of the apparition was Rainier's. It sounded muffled, like it was crackling through the shitty little speakers he once used to call to me while I was in my cell. "You'll be back home soon with your new family, but this time, you'll be watched better so you don't murder them too."

I jerked awake, sitting upright, as my gaze jumped around the room, searching for someone, something, anything... Nothing was there. Instead, the room was empty. The apartment was silent save for my ragged breaths. After another moment, I forced myself to calm down, grab the gun from the bottom drawer of my nightstand, and leave the bed.

Room by room, I turned on each light, looking under and around everything, searching for even a trace of a tracker or anything else that may have entered my home.

Ending the search in the lounge, I settled on the sofa. Not even the lingering demonic residue that emitted frequencies to set off one of the physical symptoms of a demonic presence was left behind. There was always the possibility that the tracker or even Rainier, had bargained with a dream keeper—a neutral force set to keep any interference, whether it be demonic or anything else, out of dreams. They usually did their job well, but occasionally, it was possible to buy them off or manipulate them into allowing small scale interference.

I set the gun on the table and grabbed the burner phone I'd left laying out. Louis had texted me a few hours ago.

Assignment 3 is tomorrow. Rivian listed you to be the first in.

Okay. When are we going?

A moment later, I got a reply. I glanced at the time. It was almost two-thirty, what on earth was he doing up?

After classes. We'll meet up in the usual conference room to do a briefing before we head out.

Sounds good. What're you doing up so late?

I just can't sleep. You remember that old Hunting myth? That if you just can't fall asleep, it means demons are close? Well, before I fell asleep, I thought I felt something, but it went away and I just thought it was a draft or something, but now I don't know.