by Lou Paduano
“Hello?” he called into the dark. He played with another button on his shirt then slapped his hand away. Instead, his palms slapped against his thighs with a distracting melody. He did not know where he was. He did not know whom he was with. What the hell was he doing?
He scanned the room until he caught sight of a single leg. He followed it up until the shape of the woman came into view through the darkness.
“I didn’t see you there,” he managed to stammer out between deep breaths that reminded him of bad asthma days and gym class.
She stepped out of the shadows, the woman with the red dress and the long legs. The moonlight greeted her, only she was not the same as she had been when she first approached him at the bar. Her brow was creased. Her eyes were tinged with a dark yellow. When she opened her mouth, Francis McKay saw nothing but fangs and heard his mother cursing him from beyond the grave for not listening to her sage advice.
He screamed in a high-pitched squeal, though he pretended that the fear brought out a deeper quality to his voice. He leapt to his feet, racing for the door, only to find her barring the way.
She laughed, her sharp teeth glinting in the light of the moon. He fell back against the bed, her long slender legs carrying her closer and closer to him. She bared her teeth.
Francis McKay was not happy with the current change of pace, wishing the last would have endured a little longer. He whimpered, his hands folded in prayer.
“God, no…”
He felt a hand wrap around his chin and hot breath on his neck. “Shhh. No praying. It sours the taste.”
“We wouldn’t want that, would we?” a voice called out of the darkness. Both turned to the young woman stepping out of the shadows of the room. She wore a tight bodice and torn jeans. Ribbons ran down the length of her left arm, whipping around her body with the night wind. Behind her, the moon shone brightly in a cloudless sky though the rumble of thunder rang out in the distance.
“Who the hell are you?” the woman roared, fangs dripping with saliva. Francis McKay felt his attacker’s grip loosen. He slipped away from her, stumbling backward for the hall and his freedom.
“Call me the welcome wagon,” the dark-skinned woman answered, her wry smirk escaping the shadows on her face. In her hands, she held a large stone. Adorning its surface was a symbol.
The rumbling of thunder outside grew louder. The symbol burned brightly, illuminating every corner of the room around them. The woman smiled widely. “Hope you enjoyed your stay.”
Out of the clear night sky, a single bolt of lightning snapped from the heavens. It split the skyline, turned down over the city and shot through the seventh floor window of an inconspicuous apartment building.
Life continued in the city of Portents.
About the Author
Lou Paduano is the author of the Greystone series of paranormal mysteries. He lives in Buffalo, New York with his wife and two daughters. Sign up for his e-mail list for free content as well as updates on future releases at www.loupaduano.com.
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Detective Greg Loren faces his darkest hour in this thrilling prequel to Signs of Portents.
With his career joining his personal life on a downward slide toward oblivion, Loren is running out of time and patience. Pulled into yet another in an endless series of supernatural cases, he uncovers a series of grave robberies that are more than they seem.
What is the Church of the Second Coming? And what does it have to do with Loren’s deceased wife, Beth?
With everything on the line, will Loren sacrifice his future to reclaim his past? Will his partner and confidante, Soriya Greystone, stand with him or against him in his decision?
No one walks away unscathed in this scintillating chapter of the Greystone series.
GREYSTONE BOOK TWO
Six tales of monsters, the dead rising, and the terrors of Portents.
The beasts Detective Loren and Soriya Greystone battled in Signs of Portents were just a hint of what lurks in the city. Tales from Portents explores the city’s immersive history, including stories of Loren’s descent after his wife’s death—and his opportunity to have her rise from the grave. Among the pages, Soriya battles gremlins, navigates lessons with Mentor, and meets the werewolf Luchik. Follow new characters with expansive histories as they come face to face with the horrors of Portents—both human and otherwise.
From the Greystone Collection, Tales from Portents navigates the cases that make even Detective Loren lie awake at night.
GREYSTONE BOOK THREE
Death has come to Portents.
Three months after the Night of the Lights, the city has changed. Detective Greg Loren struggles to find his place in the city, while his partner Soriya finds her confidence shattered in an instant.
Something is wrong with the Greystone.
There isn’t time to worry about it, however. A new menace stalks the streets, slaughtering innocents mercilessly. Who is controlling it? Who has found access to the mysterious Medusa coin? And what does it mean for the city?
Faced with an insurmountable challenge, will Loren and Soriya be able to overcome this new threat or will they fall with the rest of Portents?
GREYSTONE BOOK FOUR
The shadows are growing around Portents.
Detective Greg Loren attempts to recover from injuries sustained during his hunt for the Medusa coin but is pulled into more darkness as the full extent of Erikson’s attempt at immortality is discovered.
Soriya Greystone works to connect with the city she protects, stumbling on fluctuations caused by the evolving Bypass and an ancient cult attempting to bring back the god, Anubis. On top of the dangers surrounding the pair, the Founder returns to the city and brings death with him.
Danger is around every corner and Portents grows darker as war inches closer to the surface in these tales from the Greystone collection.
GREYSTONE BOOK FIVE
COMING SEPTEMBER 2018
The war for Portents begins.
Soriya Greystone faces threats on all sides as the city turns on her, accusing her of multiple murders. Even Loren stands against her, the secrets between them too much for him to bear.
But their conflict is only a distraction from the threat building behind the scenes. A dark light is rising and with her comes an army of darkness.
The Heads of Cerberus have returned.
Portents and the Bypass at her heart will fall unless Soriya and Loren can face their darkest secrets and stand together—one last time.
