Night Falls on the Wicked by Sharie Kohler Page A

want to dawdle here, do you?”
    Dreads shook his head and announced in a marveling voice, “You know who we are.”
    “Yeah. I know.” She nodded. “So get the hell out of here.”
    “Oh, no, I can’t do that. You’re much too interesting. Cyprian will want to speak to you.”
    Before she could blink he was on her. He was fast. Faster than the other one. Too fast for her. He wrenched the two-by-four from her fingers and slammed her to the ground. Pain exploded inthe back of her head. Spots danced before her eyes and for one moment she thought she was going to black out.
    The other three grabbed Aimee and Pam, slapping hands over their mouths to silence their screams.
    Dreads pushed his face close, his lips grazing her cheek as he spoke. “Your scent … you don’t smell human. What are you?”
    She grunted, struggling to break free.
    “Hurry, Devon. We don’t have much time.”
    Devon. Almost like
demon
. Fitting. These creatures weren’t that much different from the demons that wanted to claim her soul.
    “Not talking? Pity. You will.” A warm chuckle puffed from his lips. “You will.” He hauled her to her feet in one smooth move.
    She spit in his face, strangely not frightened. Not for herself anyway. She was tired of being afraid, she realized. Tired of running.
    He smiled, wiping his face. “That’s not nice. Why don’t you like me?” His gaze flicked over her. “I like you. We’re going to be friends, you and I.” Her face must have revealed some of her revulsion. He chuckled. “Come.” He flicked another glance upward. “You’re right. It’s almost moonrise.”

E LEVEN
    T hey were transported quickly, thrown into the back of a van without any windows—a lightless box. A relentless cold crept into her body from the hard metal floor, seeping through her heavy garments and into her very bones.
    In the dark, Darby’s senses heightened. Her companions were close. Soft weeping floated in the tight space, and guilt stabbed at her. Maybe she shouldn’t have followed them. Maybe they wouldn’t have been taken if she hadn’t scared them into that alley. But then she shook her head. No. They were easy targets. These monsters would have spotted them and spooked them into some place where they could abduct them.
    She hadn’t made this worse. She had to believe that. She couldn’t consider otherwise, couldn’t let the guilt eat at her. It would keep her from thinking a way out of this. For all of them.
    The weeping belonged to Pam. Apparently shecouldn’t keep it together, even to keep her daughter calm.
    Aimee’s small voice pleaded, “Momma, Momma. What’s wrong? Where are we going?”
    Darby closed her eyes against her voice.
    “Momma, I’m scared. Tell me, Momma. What’s happening?”
    Pam only cried harder. Darby crept across the floor, stretching out a hand until she touched someone’s arm. She flexed her fingers, confirming that it was Pam. “C’mon, keep it together. We’ll be okay as long as we stay calm.” She didn’t know whether that was true or not, but she knew falling apart wouldn’t get them anywhere either.
    The van slowed, bumping along an uneven surface. She tensed, waiting, turning her stare toward the double doors, waiting for them to open. For a brief second, she considered telling Pam and Aimee the true nature of what they were up against, but she didn’t want to deal with hysterics.
    The doors opened and they were hauled out with rough hands. Marcus walked ahead of the other three with loose, confident steps. She scanned their new surroundings. There was a house, large and sprawling. Snow-shrouded trees crowded the log and rock structure. It was the kind of place a tourist would want to rent. A lovely snowbound getaway. Smoke curled from its chimney invitinglylike something on a postcard. She thought of the recent victims and wondered if this was where they had met their end.
    They were no longer in town. From the thick press of forest around them that much