ALDRIC
I returned to the basement within the hour.
The tray needed collecting. I couldn't leave it down there. Gabriel could be dangerous if given an inch.
I reached the steel door and pulled out the key from beneath my shirt. The lock turned with its usual smooth click and I pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The white room greeted me with its sterile brightness. The cage sat in the center, exactly where it always was. And inside the cage, Gabriel hunched over the empty tray.
He'd eaten everything. Licked the plate clean from the looks of it. The glasses were drained. Even the garnish was gone.
But something was off.
I counted the items on the tray without moving closer. Plate. Two glasses. Napkin. Spoon.
No fork.
I walked forward slowly. My footsteps echoed against the pristine white floor. Gabriel's head lifted. He watched me approach with those wild eyes, trying to look innocent. Trying to look harmless.
He was neither.
