Nightmare City: Book 1 Of The Nightmare City Series (Urban Fantasy)

by P. S. Newman

  The cone of light shining down on me and the doppelgänger shifted towards the bigger fight. Someone deemed the chimera worthy of more coverage than Sean 2.0 and me. Which was more than fine with me, but had one disadvantage; when I spun back to face the doppelgänger, he’d disappeared into the darkness.

  Blood glistened on the ground where he’d stood. My gun lay not two feet away, indicating the direction the doppelgänger had escaped in - with my sword still stuck in his side.

  “Aunt Vy?” I screamed into the void in my head. “Answer me, damn it!”

  Nothing. I couldn’t tell whether she was still sulking or already out of range. Either way, I didn’t have time to follow them. Even if I hunted the doppelgänger down, eliminated him in the next sixty seconds, and severed his connection to the chimera - the beast would still be there. Taylor and Greyson would still have their hands full with it and Bella and Cecelia would still be poised to drop into the Pit in—

  I whipped out my phone. One minute and four seconds.

  I glanced over the edge into the Pit. A single step and the chimera would die with me. Taylor could free Bella and Cecelia before they fell into the hungry abyss. But I wouldn't be killing just myself and the chimera. Greyson would die, too. I wasn't ready to let that happen, not after everything we'd been through. I could at least die trying. I still had time. Fifty-eight seconds.

  Aunt Vy would have told me to go go go!

  I swiped the Walther from the ground and ran along the ledge towards Bella and Cecelia just as Lassie and the raptor joined Greyson and Taylor in the fight against the chimera. The beast had shrunk in size and the flames licking from its hide were weaker. The doppelgänger's severed connection to the Pit was influencing his minion after all.

  Too bad it hadn't turned into a docile puppy. The three heads were as alert as ever, breathing fire in quick succession at its attackers. Greyson and Taylor were feinting, dodging and charging with rising desperation, taking dangerous risks. They knew time was running out. But they couldn't get past it to Bella and Cecelia. Despite the backup from Bella's shades, the chimera always kept two heads trained on Greyson and Taylor. It recognized them as the greater threat.

  Forty-five seconds.

  The raptor leaped at the left head when it lowered to spit fire at Greyson. It landed on the chimera's face. The dagger-like hind claws caught on the lava-dripping lips while its talons sliced at the burning red eyes. The chimera roared from all three heads and reared, claws raking the air. The middle and right heads breathed fire onto the raptor, whose scaly hide was already smoking. The left head jerked, tossing the raptor through the air. It landed head-first with a sickening crunch and lay still.

  Thirty-five seconds.

  I approached at a dead run. More and more beams from the newscopters found me, lighting me up. They knew I was up to something. The chimera would notice me any moment now. I had one shot to get past it. One. If I didn't manage it, I would have to make sure it killed me.

  Greyson saw me. His eyes went wide, but he gave me a nod in understanding. He gripped his tomahawk and sword tighter. His chest expanded with a deep breath. Then he ran at the chimera and ducked between its forelegs. Right into the inferno blazing from its hide.

  My heart stopped. Somehow, my legs propelled me onward.

  Twenty seconds.

  Taylor, out of bullets, flung a rock at the middle head, which was curling down to look between its legs after Greyson. Lassie barked and growled, bouncing back and forth, avoiding the flames while drawing the attention of the left head. A second rock from Taylor’s hand beaned the right head between the eyes.

  Ten seconds.

  The left head spotted me. Its maw opened with a shriek of consternation. The other two heads came up and caught sight of me, too. I aimed the gun at the left head. Come and get me, hellspawn.

  The chimera’s giant body convulsed. It threw all three heads back and howled, staggering to the side. The fire engulfing its body spat out Greyson, leaping to safety like a diver into water. His hair was on fire, and his hunter suit smoked. The sword in his hand dripped with lava, or maybe blood. He'd stabbed the chimera, sacrificing himself to win me precious seconds.

  No time to check if he would be okay. If I wasted time now, he never would be.

  Five seconds.

  I sprinted past the chimera's hind legs. The heat from its body blasted me. I could hear Bella's muffled screams of panic through her gag. Thirty feet to go. They seemed like miles.

  Four.

  I saw the rings of white in Bella's panicked eyes. Twenty feet. Slow, too slow.

  Three.

  I focused on the box with the timer holding the ends of the ropes tied to the chairs. I had no idea how to turn it off.

  Two.

  Nine feet. Too far. I leaped.

  One.

  I landed by the box, dropped the gun and grabbed the taut ropes that exited its sides, one leading to Bella's chair, one to Cecelia's. The clock ticked down to 00:00:00, ending the countdown. A pop sounded from inside the box holding the ropes. The ropes released and with a jerk left me holding Cecelia and Bella’s full weight, one end in each hand. The rope burned through my grip, and I clamped down harder with a scream, bracing myself. I dug my heels into the ground and threw my weight into the ropes, trying to pull the chairs down on all four legs. The back legs of Bella's chair scraped over the ground, but Cecelia's didn't budge. I heaved harder.

  The front legs of Bella's chair came down with a crash, unbalancing both her and me. Her chair pitched to the side with a heavy thump. I let go of the rope attached to her chair and grabbed onto Cecelia's rope with both hands as she dropped several inches below the edge, upending when the rope pulled taut. For a terrifying moment, I thought I saw her slip through her bindings and fall. Somehow, we both managed to hang on. The rope burned my hand and my legs trembled with the effort of holding onto Cecelia.

  "Hang on,” I roared, though I wasn’t sure if I was talking to Cecelia or myself. Probably both of us. I strained and pulled, creeping away from the edge step by step. The rope scraped over the edge, inch by inch. Please don't tear.

  The chair legs rose above the edge. My muscles were on fire. Sweat from my palms slicked the synthetic fibers of the rope. I stopped pulling to gather strength and took a deep breath. I curled my body into the rope, leaned against it and dragged myself forward with a desperate battle cry.

  The weight lifted from one moment to the next. I overbalanced and crashed to my knees. I stayed there, breathing hard, too afraid to look behind me. I'd either pulled Cecelia back over the edge, chair and all - or the rope had torn and she'd fallen.

  Bella's muffled sobs finally gave me the courage to turn around. Cecelia lay beside her sister. Her feet dangled over the edge and the chair attached to her hips rested half on top of her.

  A gigantic flaming paw thundered to the ground beside me. Sparks rained down around us. I rolled to the side, about to draw the wakizashi - but it was only a hind leg. The beast was still occupied by Taylor, who was visibly flagging. His face was pale and sweaty, his breath coming in short bursts. Greyson was only a blackened heap on the ground.

  I ran over to Cecelia and cut the rope with my wakizashi. She sat up and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

  "Go," she said, "help Taylor. I've got Bella."

  I handed her the Walther. Her eyes widened at the gun. "I’m not leaving you without a weapon," I told her.

  She nodded. "Go!"

  I turned to help Taylor against the chimera. Somehow, he was still on his feet and fighting. An unnatural wind picked up, whipping my hair around my face. Loud thunks reverberated around me. A helicopter. It flew lower than any of the others had dared.

  The chimera's left head looked up - right into a gush of water raining from the sky. The beast screamed from all three throats as it staggered beneath the onslaught. Steam rolled from its body in a hissing cloud. The flames on its hide flickered to their deaths and then the chimera stood, dripping and steami
ng, heads bowed, body heaving. Shrinking.

  I charged, armed only with my wakizashi. This was the opening we needed.

  As the steam lessened, the chimera straightened with a sound between a moan and a roar. It heaved in a breath. Red fissures returned to the chest, running up one neck. Fire and lava exploded from its left maw, aimed at the fast-approaching Taylor. He dodged, just as the middle head let loose a second volley toward me.

  Drops of liquid fire sprayed in my direction. I leaped to the side, rolled and jumped back to my feet. Heat singed my back. Taylor kept running towards his foe, that eager, deranged expression on his face. He’d almost reached the chimera and wasn't going to dodge, not if all three heads turned to him.

  "Taylor!" I snapped, hoping to penetrate his pig-headed intentions. But he didn't stop. Instead, he jumped and swiped at the chimera’s right head. It whipped around, evading him by inches as he dropped back to the ground. The red cracks on the black hide pulsed. Steam and small tongues of flame licked out of them. It was going to reignite!

  I changed course, heading for the chimera’s side rather than its heads. Let Taylor distract it. Greyson lay directly in my path. Wisps of smoke curled from his suit and a frazzled black mess was all that was left of his beautiful hair. The skin on his scalp and face puckered, black and bleeding. If he wasn’t dead, he was in serious condition.

  But he was Greyson Deynar, no mere mortal human. As I approached, my footsteps light on the rocky ground, he moved, struggling to sit up. His eyes met mine, clear and calculating. Relief punched me in the gut. That wasn’t the gaze of a dying man.

  He rose to his feet in a graceful spin, gathering momentum. The sword in his right hand spiraled upwards. He let go. The sword shot like an arrow, straight and true. It pierced the throat of the chimera’s right head and bit deep. Lava sprayed. The bottom jaw fell open and the tongue lolled out, red and heavy. The eyes dimmed. The right head dropped, dead-weight. The other two screamed. The chimera reeled away from the pain - giving me a clean shot at its side and belly.

  As Greyson collapsed to his knees, I ducked beneath the chimera’s belly. My wakizashi sliced through the softer hide behind the elbow, opening a long gash of dripping red. The bright fissures that covered the creature’s hide dimmed. The middle head whipped between its forelegs, upside-down. Lava-dripping fangs snapped shut inches from my face. I jabbed my sword deep into the eye in front of me. The light in the other eye dimmed.

  The chimera’s legs buckled like crumbling pillars. I jerked my blade out of the black skull. The head dropped to the ground with a crunch, dragging the chimera’s front end down with it.

  A flailing leg smashed into my chest. I hit the ground flat on my back, gasping for air. My ribcage felt like it imploded. Breaths wouldn't come. Black spots darkened my vision. The last thing I saw was Taylor, his eyes burning with hatred as hot as the chimera’s fire. He swung his sword and sliced clean through the neck of the remaining head. My vision dimmed as the red cracks on the chimera’s great body fizzled out for good.

  Darkness consumed me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  When I opened my eyes, Greyson hovered above me. He looked the way I felt – like hell. His hair hung in charred tatters. Pus-weeping blisters shone on his scalp. A red burn-mark ran from his lips to his ear. It paled before my eyes, already healing. He had to be hurting, but he didn’t seem to notice. His mouth widened in a smile when our eyes met. I reached up, laid a hand on his unmarred cheek. I would have pulled him down with both hands if one weren't still holding my wakizashi. He was here, alive and healing.

  Footsteps approached. A dark silhouette took shape behind him. Firelight glinted on a razor edge. The blade came down.

  I brought my arm up. My blade intercepted the swinging sword with a ring of steel. I pushed Greyson off me. He rolled out of reach. The offending blade slid off mine with a metallic ring.

  "What the hell, Maybrey?" Taylor bellowed. "Had another make-out session planned?"

  I sat up. Just that amount of movement set my chest on fire. My head swam, but I had to think. I needed to come up with an excuse, a reason for my southern-belle swooning, but there was only panic.

  "Sorry," was all I managed, "reflex."

  "Fuck reflex." Taylor kicked a rock that flew right by my head. I got the feeling his toes itched to feel the resistance of my skull. "That was intentional."

  "I--"

  "Stay out of my way." He leaped toward Greyson and attacked. Greyson, unarmed, danced out of range. Taylor followed. Hatred rolled off him like a rancid stench. It had to be the only thing keeping him going, because he looked half-dead, too.

  No no no. I had to stop them. But if I helped Greyson, I would compromise myself even further. And nothing would stop Taylor. Nothing except death.

  For one long, crazy, frenzied moment, I pictured myself getting to my feet, marching over to the combatants and ramming my sword deep into Taylor's chest. It would be so easy. I'm so sorry, Captain, but I couldn't save your very best hunter from falling into the Pit.

  So very easy. Except of course for the helicopters circling above, recording every move we made.

  Right now, I almost didn’t care.

  Where was Aunt Vy when I needed her? Although she would have told me to eliminate Greyson instead of Taylor. God, I missed my cantankerous sword. I sent her a silent promise that I’d hunt down the doppelgänger, get her back, and fix whatever had broken between us.

  A gentle hand patted my shoulder. “Edita?” Cecelia's voice reached my ear. "You okay?"

  I turned my head. Cecelia stood behind me. She held my gun in her right hand, her left wrapped around her little sister. I could see in Bella's wide eyes that she wanted nothing more than to throw herself at me, but Cecelia was keeping her away. Leaving me room to maneuver.

  "I'm fine," I said. Bella's face crumpled and tears leaked out of her eyes, but she didn't speak. I locked gazes with her. "I'm fine. We're all going to be fine."

  "Taylor's going to kill him," Cecelia said.

  "He sure is trying.” I failed to keep the pride for Greyson out of my voice. All Taylor’s military training, rage, and hatred weren't getting him close enough to touch my weaponless Greyson. Who, instead of fighting back, was trying to reason with the man on a mission to kill him.

  "I saved your life," he yelled, dodging another sweeping blow from Taylor's ax.

  Taylor spun and sliced at Greyson from the other side. “Not my problem you have a false sense of chivalry.”

  "I'm a hunter," Greyson pointed out, "you've seen what I can do. I could be helpful. I'm good at--"

  "The only good shade is a dead shade," Taylor roared.

  Greyson realized that Taylor would die before giving up. And despite having been burned by a full-on hellhound blast of flames not three minutes ago, he was looking far healthier than Taylor, whose skin had taken on an ashen quality. When Taylor's blade flew at him again, Greyson sidestepped with ease, turned his body past Taylor's arm and into him. Greyson's elbow connected with Taylor's ribs with a sickening crunch and then Greyson was the one holding the sword. Taylor crumbled to the ground with a bellow of pain and fury.

  Greyson raised the sword, their roles reversed so suddenly I almost reacted too late. The blade swung down towards Taylor. I snatched my gun from Cecelia's hand and surged to my feet. "Greyson, stop!"

  The blade sang to a halt an inch from the back of Taylor's neck. Greyson looked up and saw me approaching, gun leveled at him. His eyes went wide with surprise.

  "Greyson, step away from him.” Please.

  "Shoot him!" Taylor demanded. "Now!"

  I ignored him. I had eyes only for Greyson. His own broadcast the sentiment I'd felt only moments before, loud and clear. I can kill him now and rid us of him.

  I shook my head. "I can't let you do that." Not with all the choppers in the sky, filming every move we made.

  "Take the shot!" Taylor yelled.

  "I have to," Greyson said, "or we can never be toget
her."

  He was wrong. If we killed Taylor so that we could live in peace, we would never find it. But if we didn't kill Taylor, he would bring us down. All of us, including Cecelia and Bella. He wouldn’t rest after this, not until he knew every last iota of truth about Greyson - and me.

  I still had a chance to salvage my life. One single chance to turn Taylor off my scent.

  My vision blurred; I was crying. "It doesn't matter what we do, Grey," I said. "We can never be together. Not like this."

  "What are you saying, Zee?"

  My heart threatened to break. If I wanted to survive, I couldn't let it control me. I fused it together in cold, hard ice. "I told you before: my name is Eden."

  "Lies." A challenge flashed in his eyes. He raised the sword and swung it down, at Taylor's neck.

  I pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Greyson in the chest. He staggered back, tripped and fell - over the edge of the Pit.

  The last I saw of him was his face and the look of absolute shock and betrayal on it.

  The last thing I heard was his scream.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  The world stopped. Or maybe I stopped. I saw nothing except Greyson’s eyes, full of disbelief. My ears rang with his scream, endless and accusing. I stepped up to the edge, every step a compulsion, every heartbeat a slice of pain. A hot updraft ruffled my hair when I looked down. There was nothing but roiling lava. It had swallowed him whole. I reached out with my shade-sense but encountered only a vast nothingness. My version of Greyson might be able to take a bullet point-blank and walk away, but not even he could survive a dive into thousand-degree liquid fire.

  What would it be like to follow him? To fall and incinerate? It wouldn't hurt for long and then I would never hurt again.

  A cold hand smuggled itself into mine. The world beyond the red hot abyss returned. I wasn't alone. Bella stood on my left, Cecelia on my right. They looked down into the Pit beside me. Tears streamed down Bella's face. It was her hand gripping mine.