Chapter 92

My three vamps, the devil, Cleo, and I stood in front of the Senate mansion, its gray stone structure looking so much colder and more foreboding than it had just a couple nights ago. Then it had almost seemed warm and inviting with the large fountain bubbling happily behind my back, welcoming candlelight warming the window, and the fireflies dancing in the bushes lining the front steps. Now, a winter breeze snapped through the air, and the fireflies didn't stand a chance underneath the thick darkness that literally felt like it was crushing down on top of us. The fountain stayed quiet, the water inside it all gone, and every window inside the house was midnight black.

Though the outside swept cold unease down my back, I knew the inside would be ten times worse. It had been the sight of a mass murder, every little detail of which had wormed behind my eyelids and took root in shocking detail whenever I tried to sleep.