Page 42 - World of Darkness

Liza closed the door quietly and surveyed the
cramped office. Shelves and filing cabinets groaned
under piles of books, scrolls, antique statues and
other odds and ends from a lifetime of study across
the world. Professor McCarthy refused to allow the
cleaning staff into his office, fearing they would
break or steal something — or discover the safe
hidden behind the picture on the wall. Liza smiled
and stepped carefully past the detritus of exam
papers piled on the floor. She reached up to unhook
the picture frame from the wall, revealing the tiny
safe door.
It took her only seconds to unlock it
with the combination, the numerological
name of a demon prince from the Dubai
Codex. McCarthy was so predictable.

Liza reached inside and felt for the
goatskin scroll. She pulled it out slowly
and carefully and placed it on the desk,
her palms clammy with anticipation.
She rubbed them against her pants and
pulled out a magnifying glass.

Without warning, a book tumbled
from a shelf. The girl gasped and spun,
her heart about to burst from her
chest.

A black cat mewed at her.

Liza frowned. Who knew McCarthy had
a cat? She turned back to the scroll and
unfurled it. Dust plumed, exuding a strange,
pungent smell, like wet hair mixed with…
what? Animal urine? Liza’s nose curled
in disgust.

She leaned forward, prepared to read
the faint glyphs, when the cat let out a
low moan and hiss. From the corner of
her eye, Liza saw the animal back away
as if afraid of something behind her.
Something that stank of wet hair and
animal urine….

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