Chapter 96

She stepped into the house, into the yellow light of two lamps, one on either side of the couch. She stopped at the stairs and sniffed again, once, twice, and then sniffed to the left, the right, sniff, behind, sniff, and back to the front, sniff.

Moregodlings. Another one upstairs. Two here. She turned to face two children, red-haired liked the godling she was after. A girl-child was asleep, curled up under a snowflake-patterned red afghan. No—sniff—not asleep, terrified, lost inside a dark, paralyzing fear. A boy-child was trying to press itself into the couch.

The boy-child reeked of fear, like the girl. But she had been consumed by it, not the boy. They also smelled like the godling she was hunting. Ah. The same blood. Then I’ll kill these two after.

She started up the stairs.

“Mama, it’s the Devil…?

Ella looked back and the boy was silent. She could see he was close to letting go as his sister had, to giving in to the terror. Fool child. As if anyone can hear you cry.