CHAPTER 18

Eva raced up the stairs of the hotel, taking two at a time. Her lungs burned, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Each floor she climbed, the growls grew louder. She could smell blood, smoke and something else. Something that made her stomach clench with dread. Hotel security pushed past her. she noticed the radios crackling in their hands. “We need backup on the top floor! Something’s not human—” “What is that thing?!” someone else shouted. “It’s gonna kill us all. I swear—!” Below, guests screamed in panic. A man leaned against the wall, mumbling, “A monster…something’s up there.” But Eva didn’t stop. Somehow, she already knew where to go. When she reached the penthouse floor, a cold shiver ran down her spine. The corridor was dark. The lights above flickered wildly. She saw claw marks on the expensive wallpaper and shredded carpet. Doors hung crookedly on their hinges. Then—she heard it. A woman’s scream. Eva bolted forward, feeling her heart drop into her stomach. She round