Read Online Eerie by C.M McCoy - Free Book Online Page B

maniacal belly laugh.
    Fin eyed him cautiously. Cobon was clearly mad, and that was dangerous.
    â€œWhy didn’t you ask me, then?” Fin said backing away slowly, and the Envoy straightened up.
    â€œAsher’s favorite pet?” he spat. “You would’ve run straight to him, and Asher . . .Asher the Benevolent!” Cobon raised his arms dramatically. “He still thinks he’s so just. So . . .righteous. He objects to my . . .” He stifled a laugh. “ . . .my . . .methods.”
    Fin took a few more steps away.
    â€œSo Asher made you a Guardian,” Cobon taunted, and Fin wasn’t about to correct him. “You’re not a very good one. And now that you’ve failed in your duty, do watch your own back, Guardian. Asher does not very happily tolerate failure, and I find you insufferably annoying.”
    He turned toward the shadows, but then pivoted and lunged at Fin, thrusting his hand through his chest. Cobon wrapped his fingers around Fin’s soul and tugged it just a little. He stared into Fin’s wide open eyes.
    â€œI would do it, you know,” he whispered, “but why ruin a perfectly good servant?”
    â€œYou’d be doing me a favor,” Fin grunted.
    Cobon slammed him against the brick alley wall and vanished. Fin fell like a rag doll to the pavement and rolled onto his back, clutching his chest.
    Hailey was calling for him.
    He let out a moan as he hobbled to his feet. Leaning against the alley wall for support, he lumbered toward her voice.

Chapter Eight
    Rising Sun
    â€œThe greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”
    â€“ William James
    â€œFin!”
    Hailey was close to panic when he didn’t answer straight away.
    â€œFin!” she hollered again as she stood next to his car. The whole block felt eerily quiet, and a lot like déjà vu. The last thing Hailey wanted was to walk around a corner in a parking lot, looking for someone who wasn’t answering, see a dumpster, and pass out.
    â€œFIN!” Her throat ached.
    There was movement in the alleyway. Someone dragging their feet, maybe ? Hailey lifted her shoulders, cringing away slightly, her heart pounding.
    â€œHailey . . .” a weak voice called out. It was Fin’s. She sighed heavily and jogged toward the alley, rounding the corner just as Fin emerged.
    â€œOh my gosh, what happened?”
    Bringing her hand to her mouth, she examined the broken man in front of her. Fin’s eyes were bruised and bloodshot. In fact, his whole face looked bloodshot. A spider web of capillaries stretched across his cheeks; his nose was busted, and blood was leaking from his right ear.
    Hailey looked over his shoulder for the gang of thugs that had done this to him, but the alley was empty.
    â€œNothing,” he said shaking his head.
    â€œWell, nothing sure packs one heck of a wallop. You look like you just expelled a demon.” She hovered her hand over his cheek, afraid it would hurt if she touched him, but he tilted his head into her fingertips and closed his eyes.
    â€œI’ll survive.” He turned his head so her fingers stroked his hair.
    Reaching up, he took her hand and held against his cheek for a moment before he kissed it gently and returned it her.
    Hailey didn’t want her hand back. She looked up at him and then quickly away, weighing whether she’d tell Holly about this.
    â€œCome on,” he said. “I’ll go inside with you.”
    â€œOh, I already talked to the coroner.”
    â€œI told you to wait by the car,” he said stiffly.
    â€œI did.” She shrugged. For a good few seconds  . . .
    Fin lowered his chin, looking very seriously at her.
    â€œI couldn’t wait any longer,” she told him.
    He placed a bruised hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”
    â€œFine,” she answered,