Free Sinister: A Paranormal Fantasy (Sinisters Book 1) by Colleen Fleshman

smoke, calling to mind the campfires of Boy Scout trips when he was younger. He inhaled a second time, getting his breath back, and he smelled a hint of rotten egg beneath the smoke. The wind had ceased as well, but the crackling of fire continued. Matt opened his eyes to see the fireplace Luke had described. Flames licked the stones as they flitted merrily into the chimney.
    "And here we are." Luke's cheerful tone grated on Matt's frayed nerves. He threw a glare at the alleged angel and curled open his left hand, expecting to see burn marks. Instead, his palm was clear, and he ran his right hand over it in wonder. He couldn't figure out how he wasn't burned. Then again, he couldn't figure out how he wasn't still standing on the street, feeling a little foolish for buying a crazy man's story. He would have preferred feeling foolish to knowing that Luke was telling the truth.
    "It will become easier with practice," Luke said. "I apologize for not warning you, but had you known it would be painful, your worry would have prevented you from making the transition. Now that you have done it once, your cell's memories will be able to cross again with less strain."
    "Sweet," Anna said. "So we're, like, in hell?"
    Matt started. It hadn't really occurred to him where they were going, mostly because he thought he wouldn't be going anywhere at all. He was actually in hell...he could feel his jaw slacken. In awe, he looked around the room. It just looked like a large room, exactly as Luke had described, which was disappointing. Matt had imagined hell would be full of fires and pits, with screaming souls pleading for release. Instead, the left side of the room looked like a cross between a medieval castle and a coffee shop. The other half of the room, the one that didn't contain chairs, looked like a gym of some sort. The floor was covered in mats, and a man and a woman were practicing some sort of martial art in the middle. He watched for a few minutes, fascinated. The woman blocked a punch the man threw, then swept her leg out and caught him behind the knees. The man started to fall back but caught himself on his hands and sprang upright again. Pressing her advantage, the woman jabbed the man's solar plexus with her elbow. When he leaned forward in pain, she grasped his right arm and moved to flip him onto the ground. In a swift movement, the man brought his other arm up and locked her in place, using his greater weight to crush her movement.
    "Those are two of my rangers." Luke spoke from just behind Matt. "They tend to get into physical altercations with their targets, so it is imperative they hone their skills. You, on the other hand, will be an investigator, so fighting abilities are less important. Still," he continued, "you can practice if you want. Sydney and Marcus are two of the best and are happy to help new recruits learn."
    "We're investigators?" Anna asked eagerly. "What do we get to do?"
    Luke raised an eyebrow. "I am not entirely certain I shall place you as an investigator yet. Since I am certain I will be unable to persuade you to stay out of Matt's assignment, however, you will be a temporary investigator. You both shall share a mentor."
    Anna looked gleeful as Luke waved at a chair near the fireplace. Matt belatedly noticed there was a man sitting in it, who rose on Luke's command and sauntered over to the pair. Matt's eyes traveled up, and up, to study the man. He had to be at least 6'5", with a serious expression beneath salted brown hair. His hazel eyes were unreadable as he studied the teenagers. Matt swallowed.
    "I'm Elias." His voice rumbled out of his chest as if it were coming from the deep recesses of some cave. He offered his hand, and with more warmth in his voice, said, "Welcome to the team."
    Matt shook his hand firmly, surreptitiously straightening his spine. Something about this man made him want to snap to attention.
    "Elias is, of course, an investigator. He will help you on this case."
    "Wait." Matt