When Night Feasts: Episode 1

Welcome to Wind Night Feasts, the first book in the Invisible Defenders series. I'm going to be posting chapters from this book on my blog and on Patreon. If you would like to read the rest of the book, it's available on Amazon or wherever ebooks are sold. 

If you don't want to wait for next week's episode or you just want to show me some support, you can subscribe to my Patreon. All episodes of this book will be available three weeks before they are here for free on my blog.

In the first episode of When Night Feast, a normal night for Ruby Simmons turns into a hellish nightmare as she discovers what lurks just out of sight.

Enjoy…

Chapter One

Ruby Simons stepped out of the club and was engulfed in the sights, sounds, and smells of Newland. She merged with the throngs of people walking down the wide sidewalks. She smiled, enjoying the buzz of the city. Buildings loomed overhead, their silhouettes punctuated by the occasional airship. Many were adorned with neon signs, promoting various restaurants or shows in the city. 

 Next to her, the growl of car engines echoed as they moved down the street. The smell of exhaust, the street, restaurants, and the people mixed together, giving the area a distinctive odor. She moved with the crowd, allowing it to dictate her pace as she made her way towards her apartment. In a city that never slept, there were rhythms to the days and nights, and there was no use fighting them. She passed several shadowy alleyways where dark figures huddled, looking out at those on the street. Others congregated around small fires flickering in trash barrels.

A gust of wind whipped through the buildings and she buttoned up her jacket. She turned down another street, this one had far fewer people on it. Her pace slowed to a more leisurely stride as she passed various buildings until she reached her own. She opened a heavy metal door, stepping into the welcoming warmth of the entryway. The elevator door creaked and clanged as she stepped in and shut it. The elevator was small and bucked and bounced a bit as it started its reluctant ascent to her floor.

Ruby glanced at her watch. It wasn't late, but she had work in the morning, so she planned for an early night. She sucked her lip waiting for the elevator. It came to an ungraceful stop, bouncing slightly. She opened the door, stepping into her hall. The hall was narrow and lined with doors, each marked with brass numbers. Ruby walked down the hallway, rummaging in her handbag for her keys.

She inserted her key into the lock and turned it, careful not to make a sound. Her roommate should be getting up soon, but Ruby didn't want to wake her. The apartment was dark and she gently closed the door, clicking the lock.

She took off her jacket, immediately noticing an unusual chill. 

"Hello?" She whispered into the shadowy apartment.

The faint city light filtering through the window provided just enough light to confirm the room was empty. Strange, she thought, and hung up her bag. As she was getting a glass of water, it hit her that she hadn’t called her parents in a while. They were probably worried. They hadn't been thrilled about their daughter moving to the big city. She felt a twinge of shame about disappointing them. They’d wanted her to settle down and start a family, not go get a job in the city. She thought it hadn’t been much for them to expect of her.

Her good mood left her as she thought about her parents. She took a sip of water and tried to suppress her guilt. She quietly opened the door to the bedroom in an attempt not to wake up her roommate, Alicia. 

She froze.

Alicia lay on her back, her eyes shut tight as tears streamed down her face. Ruby heard her roommate's whimpers as dread gripped her. Atop the bed, she saw what looked like some kind of creature. At first, it resembled a cloud of smoke with tendrils of darkness coiling around Alicia's head. But after a moment, the creature took shape. With a snap, Ruby could make out its form.

A small creature, black with a body like smoke, perched on Alicia's chest. Its long-fingered hands clung to her temples, pulsating with a dim red light. A jolt of shame coursed through Ruby, causing her to gasp and drop her glass. 

The glass shattered on the floor, and the creature's head snapped towards her. Glowing red eyes locked onto her, and a mouth filled with rows of teeth opened as it let out a shrieking roar. Its hands jerked away from Alicia. Her eyes flew open, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. Ruby echoed her scream and backed out of the room. 

The creature growled, lunging towards Ruby. She sidestepped its attack. As it flew past her, one of its clawed hands reached out. Ruby felt lines of burning pain in her side where the claws grazed her. She tumbled onto the floor, rolling onto her back, scrambling to get to her feet. Terror ripped through her as the creature leaped on her chest, swiping at her face. She felt its claws burn as they made contact with her skin. 

She shoved it off and rolled, getting to her feet. She crashed into the kitchen, her fingers wrapping around a knife. She spun around, searching for the creature. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart hammered in her chest. She felt like she was going to throw up and the edges of her vision blurred. 

Her eyes darted around, hunting for the monster. She slowly moved towards the front door, desperate to find help. As she neared it, the thing jumped from a shadow. Ruby lashed out with the knife. She felt a slight resistance as it passed through the creature. It tumbled to the ground, missing an arm. 

It looked up at her, its red eyes almost seeming annoyed. She watched as the severed arm on the floor turned to smoke and slithered over to the creature, where it reformed. 

"Oh god, it can't die!" she yelled, panicked. 

She fumbled with the lock. The creature slammed into her back as she got the front door open. She fell hard in the hallway, feeling claws rake down her back. She rolled, kicking the thing off her. She backed down the hall on her back. There was a shadow behind her, and she covered her face. 

The creature hissed, and she heard the gruff voice of a man. She moved her hands away from her face, catching a flash of metal. A knife, perhaps? A man in a heavy coat stepped into her apartment. There was another hiss from the creature. Ruby rolled over, her stomach clenching, and she vomited on the floor. She collapsed on her back, her mind spinning with terror. Her breathing was labored, and her vision blurred as the man came out of her apartment. She looked up at him, trying to make out his features, but her vision faded to black and her head lolled back as she fainted.