side door, each step slow and measured. I listened at the door, hoping to hear Ethan moving around in the kitchen, or hear the television blaring, though neither of us ever watched the thing.
There was nothing.
Of course, I really hadn’t expected there to be. Ethan would most likely be downstairs in his lab. And if another Cultist had decided to break in, there was a good chance he was hiding like the last.
I pressed myself against the wall as I removed the key. The wind gusted outside as I slid the key into the lock and turned it. The door fell slowly open. It squeaked open louder than I would have liked.
I waited. The garage had no windows, so I couldn’t see out. Someone could have been watching me from the trees as I pulled up and could be working their way to the house that very moment. I hadn’t even thought to pause to check behind me when I came up the drive. Anyone could have followed me.
My paranoia leaped to new heights. I had half a mind to open the garage door and peek outside before heading into the house, just to be sure no one was out there.
But that would take time. If someone was indeed inside, I couldn’t waste any more time than I already had. I needed to get this over with before I drove myself mad.
I took a deep breath and glanced around the corner, spied the empty kitchen, and worked my way slowly around the corner until I was inside.
A solitary bowl sat in the sink and the lights were off. It reminded me too much of what had happened the night before and my grip tightened on the gun. What would I do if someone else was in the house? What if they had already gotten to Ethan?
I couldn’t think like that. I could feel my anger boiling under the surface. My gums were tender from earlier and I could feel my teeth wanting to push through yet again.
I pushed my paranoia as far back as I could and tried to focus on the task at hand. Just a quick sweep through the house to make sure no one was lurking; then I could be done with this.
I sidestepped, gun pointed toward the dining room. The large curtains over the glass back door were pulled open. A glance outside showed me no one and I continued on into the living room.
Nothing moved. A small half-wall separated the living room from the front foyer, and a closed closet was just inside the front door. My eyes swept over the living room before checking the stair wells leading both upstairs and downstairs. All the lights were off, and my enhanced vision was unable to pick anything up as I moved toward the closet.
No one was in the foyer, which wasn’t a surprise. The half-wall might have hidden them from view, but it would have been an awfully bad place to hide. I opened the sliding closet door, poking my gun in before I could see what was inside. A handful of coats and jackets, mostly Ethan’s, hung from the heavy wooden hangers inside. Three pairs of work boots rested on the floor, and a fire-resistant chest sat in the dark corner.
Otherwise, the closet was empty.
I left the closet door open as I made my way from the foyer back into the living room. From there I had to choose which way to go. The upstairs contained three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was unlikely Ethan would be up there. It was still too early.
No, if anyone was in the house, they would be downstairs. If it was only Ethan, he would be hard at work repairing my weapons. Besides, there wasn’t much upstairs that would be of interest to anyone but me.
I took the stairs heading down into the sitting room sideways, making myself as small a target as I could. I reached the landing without confrontation and scanned the room slowly, making sure I verified that every shadowy corner was empty.
A fireplace stood against the wall, its embers cool since winter. Three comfortable chairs were arranged around the fire, an end table separating each of them. It was a cozy room, one I often sat in for long hours just recharging. I wanted nothing more than to sink into one of the chairs and
There was nothing.
Of course, I really hadn’t expected there to be. Ethan would most likely be downstairs in his lab. And if another Cultist had decided to break in, there was a good chance he was hiding like the last.
I pressed myself against the wall as I removed the key. The wind gusted outside as I slid the key into the lock and turned it. The door fell slowly open. It squeaked open louder than I would have liked.
I waited. The garage had no windows, so I couldn’t see out. Someone could have been watching me from the trees as I pulled up and could be working their way to the house that very moment. I hadn’t even thought to pause to check behind me when I came up the drive. Anyone could have followed me.
My paranoia leaped to new heights. I had half a mind to open the garage door and peek outside before heading into the house, just to be sure no one was out there.
But that would take time. If someone was indeed inside, I couldn’t waste any more time than I already had. I needed to get this over with before I drove myself mad.
I took a deep breath and glanced around the corner, spied the empty kitchen, and worked my way slowly around the corner until I was inside.
A solitary bowl sat in the sink and the lights were off. It reminded me too much of what had happened the night before and my grip tightened on the gun. What would I do if someone else was in the house? What if they had already gotten to Ethan?
I couldn’t think like that. I could feel my anger boiling under the surface. My gums were tender from earlier and I could feel my teeth wanting to push through yet again.
I pushed my paranoia as far back as I could and tried to focus on the task at hand. Just a quick sweep through the house to make sure no one was lurking; then I could be done with this.
I sidestepped, gun pointed toward the dining room. The large curtains over the glass back door were pulled open. A glance outside showed me no one and I continued on into the living room.
Nothing moved. A small half-wall separated the living room from the front foyer, and a closed closet was just inside the front door. My eyes swept over the living room before checking the stair wells leading both upstairs and downstairs. All the lights were off, and my enhanced vision was unable to pick anything up as I moved toward the closet.
No one was in the foyer, which wasn’t a surprise. The half-wall might have hidden them from view, but it would have been an awfully bad place to hide. I opened the sliding closet door, poking my gun in before I could see what was inside. A handful of coats and jackets, mostly Ethan’s, hung from the heavy wooden hangers inside. Three pairs of work boots rested on the floor, and a fire-resistant chest sat in the dark corner.
Otherwise, the closet was empty.
I left the closet door open as I made my way from the foyer back into the living room. From there I had to choose which way to go. The upstairs contained three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was unlikely Ethan would be up there. It was still too early.
No, if anyone was in the house, they would be downstairs. If it was only Ethan, he would be hard at work repairing my weapons. Besides, there wasn’t much upstairs that would be of interest to anyone but me.
I took the stairs heading down into the sitting room sideways, making myself as small a target as I could. I reached the landing without confrontation and scanned the room slowly, making sure I verified that every shadowy corner was empty.
A fireplace stood against the wall, its embers cool since winter. Three comfortable chairs were arranged around the fire, an end table separating each of them. It was a cozy room, one I often sat in for long hours just recharging. I wanted nothing more than to sink into one of the chairs and
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