But, you’re not going to run away because you have a mystery to figure out, I reminded myself.

  Instead, I focused on the mantle above the fireplace and noted there were a number of statues I could only describe as eclectic. Some of them were Greek, some were African and at least one was fairly modern—a Funko Pop of Vincent Price. Random and strange, to be certain.

  The furniture in the room was old, not the comfortable type you found in most modern homes, but the older wood-backed sitting room style in formal living rooms of yesteryear. It was my guess that much of what was in this home may have come with it when originally purchased.

  I closed my eyes and took another deep breath as my heart rate continued to climb. I didn’t know what the energy was inside this house, but it was powerful and it was pervasive. I breathed in, trying to slow my racing heart as the energy washed over me, feeling the tingle along my nerve endings as it vibrated throughout the house and me.

  Glancing down inside my briefcase, I noticed the EMF meter was still off the charts—glowing red. I didn’t know what I was feeling here, but there was definitely power emanating from those ley lines. It felt like an especially windy day, when the air is just vibing with electricity.

  With a house this old, I expected to find some residual energy from all the lives lived here previously. Most old houses had a certain energy that new houses didn’t. But this house had that energy in spades. The more I thought about it, the darker the energy began to feel and the more angst began to well up inside my stomach.

  “Rhea, are you here?” I whispered into the room.

  There was no response.

  Of course, there’s no response, I chided myself. Rhea’s been trying to get into this house all along—that’s the whole reason she came to see you.

  I opened my eyes and, still waiting on Tobias, stood up and began looking around, walking from item to item and touching them to see if I got any strange vibes from anything, but I came up empty handed. I could hear footsteps returning down the hallway from the kitchen, so I moved back to the sofa and took a seat again, picking up a nearby architectural magazine to flip through photos and articles about what was new in the world of decor.

  “I thought I might redecorate the place at some point, but I never got around to it,” Tobias said as he brought in a can of soda and a glass of ice, handing both to me. Then he motioned to the magazine in my hands, as if explaining why it was there.

  “Why not?”

  “At first, I was too busy, but now the company I work for is transferring me elsewhere from the looks of it.”

  “Oh,” I started, nodding. “That’s why you want to sell your house?”

  He nodded. “I’m just waiting to be given the final go-ahead.”

  “Well, it’s a lovely old home and I doubt it will take long to sell it.” I glanced around the room again. “There are so many gorgeous antiques.”

  “Those belonged to my parents. Actually, the house did too.”

  “Did it?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I grew up in this house.” Then he looked around himself and appeared to be embarrassed. “I haven’t done much to change it at all.”

  “What will you do with all this stuff when you sell?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ll likely put some of the pieces that were special to my mother into storage and then I was hoping to sell the rest with the house?”

  “Sure, you could do that.”

  I heard the sound of a coffee drip and seconds later, the aroma of hazelnut and coffee beans floated through the house. Tobias gave me a quick smile. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

  “Of course.”

  “You want any coffee?” he asked as he turned to face me just before entering the kitchen. Some of the sorrow in his eyes had lifted slightly, and I wondered if maybe he just needed connection with another person? Company? He just seemed so… lonely living here all by himself.

  I held up my glass of Coke. “I’m fine with this, but thanks.”

  He just nodded, and I watched as he disappeared back into the kitchen and I fought my temptation to sneak into other portions of the house to get a good look around.

  Chapter Nine

  I sat on the sofa sipping the glass of Coke that Tobias had given me, grateful he’d let me inside to talk with him.

  I continued admiring the grand old house, but my admiration was just on the surface because I still couldn’t beat back the feelings of darkness that pushed against me. I’d never witnessed energy like this before and I’d been in some highly haunted buildings.

  As I looked around again, I realized how worn everything appeared. At first, I’d only noticed the dust and dim nature of the room, but now I could see cracks and worn spots that lay beneath the dust.

  But, it wasn’t just the old furniture or the caked-on dust that caught my attention. No—it was that darkness again. Now, as I sat there, I could feel the darkness changing somehow—taking on a buzzing, droning sort of energy. I could feel it all around me—underneath my feet, above my head, surrounding me. It could have been the humming energy of the ley line, yes, but I was also fairly convinced it was more than that. The energy thrumming around me conveyed something dark and potentially dangerous lurking within the walls. It was the same ominous feeling from before, only heightened. It seemed to push into my skin from the air around me, as if wanting to burrow into my heart and blood and fill me with the same oppressive grief. It was an echo of the same feelings I felt when I was around Rhea.

  There was a residue of bereavement here, and it had multiplied after Tobias had returned with the soda. When he’d reached out to hand the Coke to me, his hand had lightly brushed mine.

  That’s it! I told myself. That’s when you started feeling this… anguish!

  Yes, it was as though by Tobias touching me, I could sense something he’d left behind—a residue on my skin.

  I considered he might be the dark force within this house, but how? And what did that even mean? One explanation could simply be that Tobias was the vessel through which this dark energy flowed. The more I studied him, the more I thought Tobias might have been suffering from depression. He seemed the shy, quiet type at first, but there had been something more to it than that. A sense of hopelessness that surrounded him, maybe? That same sense of hopelessness had seeped into these walls and was now reverberating out, as if it had a life of its own.

  And I had to wonder about that. Was it Tobias who was echoing his own depression into the house, which was causing this heaviness in the air, or was it the other way around? Was the house itself the source of the darkness and it was affecting him?

  This is looking more and more like a case of demon possession, Fifi, I told myself and, this time, I couldn’t shrug off the thought as easily as I could before.

  People who suffered from depression made good victims for unbarred demons. Demons, in general, liked to prey on those who were somehow broken—because they were easier pickings. Someone who was depressed, or addicted to something would have a tough time fighting off such a dark spiritual attack.

  Yes, he would certainly make an easy meal, the succubus within me piped up.

  Even my own demon half found Tobias tempting. And that was concerning.

  That’s enough out of you, I responded.

  But, even as I thought the words, it occurred to me that there was something different about the way I felt—it was almost as if the succubus part of me were growing stronger—the need within me was developing, reaching out into a heavier hunger.

  Don’t get me wrong, in general, I always felt a certain level of hunger because I never truly fed the succubus with sex and hadn’t for a long time. But, this hunger was different. It was the feeling I experienced after not feeding for weeks on end—a certain need that became impossible to ignore. Yet, I’d fed from Roy only a week or so ago? Hadn’t I?

  It’s the ley lines, I told myself. They’re strengthening the power of your beast, of the succubus.

  I’m so hungry.

  I felt myself studying Tobias in a whole new way now—eyeing him as if he were filet mignon sitting there, perfectly prepared and just begging me to take a bite out of him.

  Take your clothes off and allow him inside you, the succubus seethed. Let us feed from him, take his life force and make it our own!

  I had no doubt this house was affecting me. It was pulling at the succubus and bringing her to the fore, making her stronger. As I sat there, whatever was pulling at me, it was growing stronger, coaxing my inner nature to the surface, and encouraging me to act on my natural impulses.

  This is a bad place. I can’t stay here.

  Don’t be ridiculous, Fifi, you are stronger than your hunger.

  I had to tamp down my hormones, promising my succubus I’d feed her a decent meal soon—a decent meal… from Roy.

  For right now, I had more important things to tackle: I had a mystery to solve. And that mystery had everything to do with what in blazes was going on in this house, whether it was a matter of demonic possession, just an ordinary haunting… what?

  The only thing I knew for sure was that Tobias had intentions of selling the place. But he didn’t seem to be in any hurry. He’d contacted Glenn months ago, according to Glenn’s notes, but still hadn’t put the house on the market.

  So, why was Tobias waiting? I couldn’t help but imagine the longer he stayed here, the more he’d be affected by the power of this house—whatever that power was. And yet, he’d said he’d grown up here, so that meant… this power had been surrounding him his entire life? I couldn’t even imagine that. Why in the world was he only now contemplating moving? It made no sense. He had to have felt this dark energy, right? Maybe not?

  Or maybe the situation was a bit more sinister. Could it have been as simple as a battle of wills—Tobias wanting to leave but the house not wanting him to? Was the house winning?

  Your imagination is completely running away with you, Fifi! I thought to myself, wondering where I came up with this stuff.

  “Ah, that’s better,” I heard him say as he approached me from behind the sofa.

  I turned to see him looking even more handsome. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a plain t-shirt that hugged his sinewy yet muscular form. His formerly wild hair was now combed back, the waves giving it a rumpled look. Underneath, he still looked a bit fatigued, but he was delicious enough for my succubus to once again perk up at the sight of him.

  We want him, she yelled at me. Let us have him!

  Ugh. I needed to get her under control.

  “Oh, I brought you something,” I told him, jumping up from the sofa and pulling the small welcome package we commonly gave new clients from my briefcase before I said something inappropriate or simply jumped him—that’s how strong the desire coursing through me was.

  But, back to the welcome package, obviously, Tobias already knew about Hallowed Homes as he’d reached out about selling his house, but if I was here under the guise of being a realtor, I figured I should act like one.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, looking at me in concern.

  “Yes, I’m… I’m fine,” I answered, although I had to admit I felt a little flustered. And, now that I was standing up, I also felt a little dizzy.

  You must feed, the succubus insisted.

  “You just look a little winded,” Tobias said. “And all the color drained out of your face just now.”

  Thank God I was wearing the repulsion potion, which dampened my powers of attraction so much that Tobias only saw me as a normal woman. Because if he came onto me now? I didn’t think I’d be able to stop myself. Not with the weird way I felt—how weak I suddenly was and how strong the succubus was becoming.

  My succubus hated having her abilities suppressed and feeling my own walls crumbling, she was currently fighting like hell to get to the surface. I kept pushing her back into place, but it wasn’t easy to keep her there.

  I’d have to leave this house soon. Very soon.

  “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “Oh, I’m fine,” I answered, taking a big breath. “I just… drank too much coffee before I got here.”

  “Okay,” he answered with a shy smile. “I bet you’re wondering what’s holding me back from putting this old place on the market,” he said as he took the packet from me, his hand once again brushing across mine.

  For a moment, I was confused as to what he was talking about. It was as if I suddenly forgot I was in the middle of giving him the information I just had. I was that lost in my own thoughts—thoughts which mainly centered around forcing my succubus back.

  I turned away from him for a moment, commenting on the architecture of the home like some sort of idiot. But, it gave me a moment to gather my wits before continuing. I just… I couldn’t stop staring at him like I was ready to climb on top of him and ride him into tomorrow.

  What is wrong with me? I screamed at myself.

  I couldn’t understand why I was responding to him like this. I mean, sure he was cute, but he wasn’t out-of-the-norm cute. He was nowhere near as ruggedly handsome as Roy. Not to mention, from the moment I’d walked into this house, I seemed to have completely forgotten that I’d been crushing on Marty for however long.

  Marty Schmarty, the succubus said. He’s taken and besides, he’s dull. Now this one… he could be a real live wire under all that shy, sad exterior.

  Yes, I needed to get out of here quickly—for Tobias’ sake as well as my own.

  “It’s a lovely place. We’re looking forward to having it on our books,” I said, half stammering.

  “Yes. Which brings me to a question: is there a problem with getting it listed at a later point? Glenn gave me the impression there was no rush.”

  “Oh, there’s no rush,” I answered as a cold bead of sweat broke out across my hairline and my heart started pounding in earnest. My body was going into major fight or flight mode again and it was everything I could do just to remain standing there.

  “Then why did you stop by?” he studied me narrowly.

  “Oh, I just saw Glenn’s listing materials and was interested in the history of the house,” I answered, feeling flushed and woozy, but I didn’t want him to take notice, so I continued talking. “When we’re putting a place like this on the market, we like to be able to tell potential buyers as much as we can about it.”

  “Is that so?”

  Breathe, Fifi, I thought, talking myself down from the cloudy feeling taking root in my head. Breathe.

  “Yes. I can tell the house is old. When did you say you… bought it?”

  “I didn’t buy it,” he answered, lips tight. “As I mentioned earlier, I’ve lived here all my life.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “My parents left me the house,” he said, his tone cooling considerably.

  He’s annoyed.

  “Oh.” I said and started to collect my things, ready to leave as quickly as I could. As the seconds ticked by, I could feel myself unraveling. “I’m sorry. I’m feeling a little ill,” I answered and took a deep breath. “I should get going,” I continued, trying to smile, but inside I just wanted to flee as quickly and as far away as I could.

  Much to my surprise, he began to smile. It was a pleasant enough smile, but there was something unkind behind it and that quickly began to fade into something else—something I couldn’t put my finger on.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, but the expression on his face said he wasn’t sorry. He seemed suddenly empowered somehow—as though my feeling ill made him feel superior, stronger.

  “Thanks, I think I’ll just get going,” I said and started for the door.

  He reached out and gripped my arm and a buzzing electric current seemed to flow from him and through me, jolting me straight in my loins.

  Hold yourself back! I screamed inwardly. You can’t attack him!

  “I don’t think the reason you said you came here is the real reason you came,” he said, tightening his grip around my arm.

  There was a flash of anger behind his eyes.

  “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

  I swallowed hard as I tried to pull my arm away from him, but he was holding me tight and the need for him was almost overwhelming me.

  “No. You want to know about the murders.”

  “Murders?” I parroted, feeling suddenly like I was going to pass out.

  “I had nothing to do with those! I’m sick of having to explain that to people.”

  “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I didn’t get a sense from Tobias that he was a murderer, actually I didn’t get the feeling from him that he was anything more than a mundane with depressive tendencies. Right now, though, he wasn’t depressed. Right now, he was angry. I could see the large vein in his temple beginning to pulse.

  “You can go now,” he said finally, releasing my arm as I immediately took a few steps away from him.

  I hurried to the front door and let myself out, running down the front walkway, and then threw my briefcase into the 4Runner as I fought to catch my breath. The need to breathe was almost as urgent as my need to get away from this awful place. I turned on the engine and started down the street, not slowing until I’d turned the corner and was halfway down the block.

  Then I pulled over to the side of the road and, panting, I reached into my briefcase and pulled out my phone. I texted Roy.

  I need to come and see you asap, I wrote.

  Luckily, he responded right away.

  You okay?

  No, I just had an incident where I nearly lost control of myself with a mundane. I need to feed.

  I could see that he was typing back to me.

  Meet me at my house. I’m headed there now.

  Okay, I texted back.

  The next person I texted was Marty, to tell him I’d be late for our pizza get-together.

  Then, as I pulled back onto the road and headed for Roy’s, I started replaying the details of what had just happened with Tobias. His split-second change from kind and shy to angry and suspicious struck me as completely odd. I had no idea what had come over him.