Grave Secrets

Grave Secrets Cassandra Aston Copyright © 2023 by Cassandra Aston ISBN: 979-8-218-09416-4 Book Cover Design by ebooklaunch.com All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of a brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Table of Contents Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Epilogue About the Author Acknowledgment Prologue re you sure we should do this?” She asked in a hushed tone. The pair leaned over the crumpled form of a girl, seemingly lifeless on the gymnasium floor. A sudden intake of breath startled them both, followed by a wheezing rattle emanating from her lungs as the air slid between her cracked lips. A red bubble popped, splattering blood across their faces. “We have little time,” he whispered back. “She’s dying. It’s now or never.” Her gaze meeting his, she breathed, “He still might find her, you know. Perhaps we should bring her home now.” She looked down at the too-thin girl clinging to life. “She’s already suffered so much in this life.” He wiped her cheek, smearing a streak of red across the limp girl’s pale face. “If we take her with us now, there will be no one left to stop him.” Another breath hitched in the girl’s lungs; the exhale was much longer this time. “Take my hand, Dina. We must do this now,” he said as he reached for her. The pair circled their arms above the body and began a rushed chant, their words growing in fervor until a slow, glowing flame burst from their encircled limbs. Rising to stand, their limbs remaining entwined, they increased their pitch, lifting their heads to the sky as the fire grew into a brilliant white-hot light arching through the night. A wispy blue spark sailed up the path of flame, following its trail until the light and the two forms standing over the dying girl winked out. All that remained was a flashing red exit sign, casting the disfigured girl in garish repose between moments of complete darkness. Chapter 1 May 6th hadows lengthened on alley walls, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She cocked an ear, tilting her head to the left. Tensing, she reached for her sword, jerking as her ears popped at the sudden pressure drop. Allie Graves dropped her arms, rolling her shoulders to relax her stance and spread her legs just a bit. A slight ringing in her ears told her it was very near. She licked her lips, placing one hand on a hip, and leaned into the wall. The casual observer might mistake her for a streetwalker in stilettos and a skirt that barely covered her lady parts. It was the perfect disguise for hunting prey, but the short skirt and thin leather vest were not enough to cover the twenty-four-inch blade strapped to her back. For that, only her reash abilities would do the trick. Out of place in the dank alley, a slight wind ruffled her jet-black curls. Slowly, she turned, assuming an air of concern. A human could sense their presence and might even be afraid, but until they turned to face it, it would seem only a feeling of unease. Too much fear or not enough would mark her as one who knew they existed. In one fluid motion, she spun on her toes, whipping her blade overhead to arch the point toward the demon hovering at her shoulder. She sliced from head to groin, sending him reeling into the afterworld. She barely had time to catalog his look of shock before he vanished. Wiping the blade across her leather skirt, she sheathed it at her back and assessed the remnants of the demon: smears of bright green streaked the brick walls of the narrow apartment building where its lifeblood spattered, mirroring her spin, with a few globs dotting the ground where they had fallen prior to its moment of vanquishing. Overall, a fairly easy cleanup job. Allie pulled out her phone and dialed. “Alley behind Boba House. Small cleanup job needed. No witnesses.” Without waiting for a reply, she closed her phone and slipped it back into the inside pocket of her vest. This kill was much cleaner than she’d expected. The trick to killing demons was to let them believe you were an innocent, unaware human. They only put up an actual fight when they knew what was coming. The problem with humans was that they didn’t pay enough attention to their sixth sense. All humans had it. They just preferred to live in the dark. That feeling they got in the pit of their stomach when the lights went out, or they were alone on a deserted back road at night, was telling them to get the hell out of there. But humans preferred to pretend it was nothing. Surprisingly, the blind lack of faith in the demon hunting them usually saved their life. It turned out that demons needed some faith, just like angels, to be material enough to do harm. Allie trekked through the streets, tuning her senses for any rogue demons that may be hunting for victims tonight. As she passed Davinci’s, the smell of tomato sauce and melted cheese wafted through the air, filling her nose. Peering through the dimly