Forgotten in Darkness by Zoe Forward Page B

curved-bladed sword that, based on her research, looked like a Middle Eastern scimitar. She’d been dying for a better look at the black blade before she glimpsed what the hot guy was fighting. In a moment of insanity, she’d run at the orc-like creature he fought to distract it, somehow knowing he would regain the sword he’d lodged into the side of the building after a miss-swing.
    She still couldn’t recall exact details beyond that point. Apparently, it hadn’t worked out in her favor.
    Stephen cleared his throat.
    “Sorry. There was this creature in the church that looked like a Middle Earth orc, but on steroids. Grayish greasy skin, but gigantic and pumped. The smell in the air around it was awful. It had that decaying sulfur odor of a sewage treatment plant. I’m sorry this sounds so stupid. Likely I’ve just seen too many movies and had some sort of coma-induced hallucination.” She chanced a glance toward Stephen when she heard the metallic clink of his pen hitting the floor.
    Based on his ashen hue and frozen features, Shay figured he believed her. She had expected skepticism.
    Softly, he asked, “Is that what put you in the hospital?”
    She shrugged noncommittally. “Was it real? What could it have been?”
    “Best to forget you ever saw it and know that some god is watching out for you. We’ll find a new project for your thesis. Maybe you should look into something in North America or Europe. Something definitely not Egyptian.”
    “What was that thing? Please don’t bullshit me. I’ve been through a lot since I saw it.”
    He leaned back in his chair and blew out a long sigh. “I think it might have been a daemon. I’ve never seen one, but we’ve both read about them.”
    “As in the fictional supernatural evil spirit in the magi legend?”
    “There is always some truth to ancient legends.”
    “What does that mean? There are actually daemons out there? By inference, that means you believe magi do exist. I thought you were my number one skeptic.”
    “You never know,” he answered evasively.
    “So, there might be someone alive that knows about magi?”
    “Probably not.”
    “Then, who could tell me more about this creature I saw?”
    “People who invoke dark magik, I’d imagine.”
    “Magik? Like who? Witches or druids?”
    “Shay, forget about it. Anything to do with daemons and the people that play with that type of magik is dangerous. I absolutely forbid you from seeking out people like that. I’m afraid I don’t know any more than written myth.”
    “You can’t ground me like you’re my father.” Was he lying about how much he knew? The weird new tattoo on her arm moved and squeezed. Not painful, but somehow she understood the answer to her question. Yes, he lied. She massaged her arm in the location of the bizarre living tattoo. Her motivation to find out who knew about the orc-like creature lay in her fear of the living entity on her skin. She needed knowledge. And although it hadn’t done anything harmful, its presence freaked her out. It had been there when she awoke in the hospital.
    Had the daemon done this to her? Had the warrior man done this? Research in the library and online had come up with nothing regarding living, moving tattoos other than some really lame Asian films.
    She wouldn’t show Stephen the tat. On the two previous occasions she tried that with doctors, the physicians laughed and blamed pain medication delirium. The tattoo refused to move when someone else glimpsed it.
    Her other motivation was to find out if that guy she couldn’t quit thinking about had lived. She thought his soulful dark eyes had stared into hers when she first awoke, but later when rational, she decided she imagined him. He was the reason she was in this mess. Yet, intuition pushed her to find him, if he wasn’t...The thought of him dead—her palms went clammy, her chest would barely move air and her head spun to the point she thought she’d fall out of the chair.
    Calm