As Caleb passed by, mere inches from my hiding spot, I saw my chance. With a swift, desperate motion, I leaped from the shadows, wrapping one hand around his throat and using the other to jam the nail deep into the side of his neck.
It slid in with a sickening squelch, and Caleb’s eyes widened in shock. His mouth fell open, a strangled gurgling sound escaping his lips as he staggered backward.
I held tight, my hands shaking with the force of my grip. Blood sprayed against my face, warm and metallic, the smell filling my nostrils.
I didn’t flinch.
His body jerked violently, and for a moment, we were locked in a macabre dance, my fingers digging into his throat while the nail protruded from his flesh.
Then with a sudden tremor, he went limp, his weight too much for me to hold. I releas
