by Kali Argent
Raina danced on the other side of the sales counter, humming under her breath as she slid a new tray of pecan clusters into the display case. “Thea, could you bring me the tray of toffees? The ones in the little foil wrappers.”
Thea tried to answer, but her lips stayed pressed together, not allowing her to speak. Worse, her body felt heavy, weighted down, and when she tried to stand from her chair, she couldn’t move. Panicked, she tried to wave to her mother, to call for help, anything, but both her voice and her body remained paralyzed.
“Thea, did you hear me?” Her mother didn’t look up from her task, and her voice sounded strange, deeper. “Thea? Thea!”
Rough, callused hands gripped her face, shaking her head back and forth. “Thea, wake up.”
Dragging her eyelids open, she stared up at her mate with a strange sense of disappointment. “Stop that,” she muttered when he shook her again. “I was having a good dream.”
“That’s great, but we have to go, angel.”
“Go where?” The only place she wanted to go was back to sleep.
“Anywhere but here. It’s almost midnight.”
Thea still couldn’t seem to shake off the disorientation, and the taste of metal filled her mouth for the second time in as many days. “What day is it?” It was coming back to her in pieces, something about werewolves and…
“It’s the full moon.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Waking up on the night of the full moon wasn’t the worst part of the Gallows, but Rhys hated it almost as much. The enforcers always drugged them with tranquilizers, then carried them to some undisclosed location, leaving them to wake up groggy and confused.
This time, they’d chosen what appeared to be the St. Louis Art Museum. Only the display lights had been left illuminated, along with the eerie glow of the exit signs and the small, red dots of the surveillance cameras. They’d all come to in different parts of the building, but within twenty-minutes, they’d found every member of their group and convened in the lobby.
Three sets of double, glass doors line the wall at the front of the entrance hall, each of which had been boarded over and chained closed. Rhys guessed the same had been done to other exits and even some rooms throughout the museum. A digital clock over the welcome desk displayed the time, only ten minutes until midnight. Ten minutes until all hell broke loose inside the museum.
“Thea, we have to go.”
She smiled up at him from the black, suede sofa, her pupils little more than pinpricks, and when he said her name again, she started to giggle. “Your face is all smushy.”
“What’s wrong with her?” he asked when Zerrik dropped into an armchair next to them. “She’s completely out of it.”
“It’ll wear off,” Cade assured him, coming over to stand in front of the sofa with his hands resting on his hips. “My guess is they gave us all the same dose, regardless of weight. Abby woke up sooner, but she was kind of out of it for a few minutes, too.” Something akin to panic entered his eyes. “She cried. A lot. Something about how everything was her fault.” A visible shudder rippled through him. “It was uncomfortable.”
A quiet, pained groan drew Rhys’ attention back to his mate. She’d closed her eyes again, and she had a hand pressed against her temple, her head leaned back on the soft cushion. Every time someone spoke, she winced.
“Do you have to be so loud?” she asked. “Inside voices, boys.”
Cade laughed. “See? It’s already wearing off.”
“Where the hell are we?”
“Museum.” Rhys wished he had more time to let her rest, but only seven minutes remained until midnight. “I’m sorry, angel, but we have to move. We don’t want to be here when this particular party starts.”
“Why not?” Wringing her hands together, Abby stared up at the vaulted ceilings. “It’s big and open. Better than getting bottlenecked in some corridor. We could hold off Ravagers here.”
Rhys almost felt sorry for her. “Ten or so Ravagers…maybe. Try twenty, along with half a dozen starving vampires. Not to mention lions, bears, and whatever else they decide to toss in here with us.”
“Wait?” Thea sat up quickly, but gripped the arm of the sofa when she swayed to the left. “You mean animals? Like real animals?”
“What did you think happened to all the exhibits at the zoo?”
“Considering I’ve only seen what used to be the monkey cage, I guess I hadn’t really thought about it.”
Cade rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. “I kind of just assumed the pack ate them.”
Well, he was partially correct.
“We should split up,” Duncan announced in his deep booming voice.
Other than the concourses and stairwells that connected the exhibits, the building consisted of mostly open, spacious rooms. There was little chance that they’d be “bottlenecked” as Abby had put it, but that also meant more enemies to fight at once.
“No, our best option is to stick together and keep moving. The Ravagers usually break into groups of three or four. Some of the animals may pair up, just depends on which ones they set loose.”
“Divide and conquer.” Leaning against the wall near the public restrooms, Deidra folded her arms over her breasts and bobbed her head a few times. “Two minutes until show time. Let’s go.”
Having people with actual training and calm heads was a much welcomed reprieve from the usual. For the past six months, Rhys had endured the Gallows with dentists, accountants, bartenders, and a wide variety of other occupations that didn’t usually involve violence. He’d done his best to save them, but he’d always been outnumbered, constantly fighting his own urges, and only once had he managed to keep a prisoner alive until sunrise.
As if reading his thoughts, Thea slipped her hand into his and squeezed. “How does this game work? How do we know if we win?”
Standing, he pulled her up from the cushions, holding onto her waist with his free hand to steady her. “If the sun comes up and you’re not dead, you win.”
“At least the rules are easy.”
Kamara, however, appeared skeptical as she fell into step beside him, her tiny legs moving twice as quickly to keep up with his long strides as they marched toward the staircase. “So, the sun comes up, and all the Ravagers, vampires, and weekend double feature of Animal Planet just decide they no longer want to eat us?”
“They have collars, just like us, even the animals.”
Once the first rays of morning peeked over the horizon, the enforcers shocked everyone into submission, including the prisoners. Rhys saw no reason to share that last bit of information. It would only frighten them, and there wasn’t a damn thing they could do about it.
As they approached the second-level landing, the first hair-raising growl erupted in the cavernous building, echoing off the walls in a way that made it impossible to pinpoint where it had originated. Thea tensed beside him, all vestiges of her unsteadiness gone. Her hand went to her hip, an automatic gesture she’d undoubtedly performed countless times.
“Damn,” she cursed, dropping her arms at her sides. “I want my gun back.”
“There’s an Arms and Armor gallery,” Abby said when she’d reached the top of the stairs. She held a folded sheet of paper up to her nose, squinting at it in the dim light. “What?” she demanded when everyone stared at her. “I found a map at the welcome desk and thought it might be useful.”
“Where’s this gallery?” With a grunt, Thea ripped the left sleeve off her T-shirt and shredded the fabric into a long strip which she used to tie her hair into a ponytail at her nape. “Which floor?”
“Umm, main floor, near the west entrance.”
Everyone groaned.
“You couldn’t have said something while were still on the main level?” Looking over her shoulder Kamara peered into the darkness at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s not worth it.”
Rhys agreed. The guns on display were useless, and while a spear or mace would come in handy, th
ey’d likely find something even better in one of the other galleries. They’d already wasted too much time, and they needed to keep moving.
“What’s on this level?”
“Asian, European, Ancient, and Contemporary art. A restaurant, and a main exhibition hall, though it doesn’t say what the exhibition is.” Folding the map into a small rectangle, Abby tucked it into the pocket of her oversized sweats and shrugged. “We might get lucky.”
“There could be knives in the kitchen of the restaurant,” Thea added. “It’s worth a shot.” She tugged at her collar. “This would be a hell of a lot easier if I could shift.”
Rhys winced at the thought. The shackle fit her slender neck without much room to spare. If she attempted to shift, the unyielding metal wouldn’t change with her size, and she’d suffocate within minutes. There were already enough things trying to kill them, he didn’t want to add self-inflicted asphyxiation to the list.
Beyond the atrium, they entered a gallery filled with white sculptures atop lighted pedestals, framed art, and glass cases displaying an array of figurines, vases, and things he couldn’t begin to name. The faux wood floor squeaked under his bare feet, the sound painfully loud in the hush that had fallen over the museum. Beyond the quick breaths and pounding hearts of his comrades, he could hear nothing else, and the quiet made him uneasy.
“It’s too quiet,” Thea whispered, echoing his thoughts. “I don’t like this.”
Rhys didn’t either, but the second level was as good or bad as any of the others. “Just stick together and keep moving.”
After what felt like an eternity, they crossed into a room with blood red walls and even more sculptures. Some lacked heads. Some were only heads, each illuminated by a single, soft light that only served to up the creep factor. Beyond the gallery, another cavernous room opened up into pitch blackness.
“I’m not going in there.” Taking a step back, Abby wound her arms around her midsection and shook her head. “Not happening.”
“We have to cross through to get to the restaurant,” Rhys reminded her, his patience beginning to unravel from the stress. “You can stay here and take your chances, or you can suck it up and move your ass.”
“Hey.” Thea grabbed him by the elbow, pulling him around to face her. “She’s scared. Hell, I’m not thrilled about this idea, either. What’s with the attitude?”
“It’s the full moon,” Deidra answered for him as she jumped in place and shook her hands at her sides. “It makes us edgy.”
That was putting it mildly. A sharp, stabbing pain had started in his left side, and his muscles screamed in protest at every step he took. His pulse raced at dangerous speeds, his heartbeat pounding in his temples, and his insides felt like they’d been liquefied. The searing pain made it difficult to breathe, and the lack of oxygen made him lightheaded in turn. Added to his physical stress, he now found himself responsible for fourteen lives, including his mate’s.
“Okay,” Thea said, her tone thoughtful. “Wait here.”
She started past him, but Rhys grabbed her by the wrist, halting her forward momentum. “You’re not going in there alone.”
“You can’t stop me.” Pulling her arm from his grasp, she took two steps back, closing the distance between her and the darkness. “I’m just going to check it out.” Her eyes flashed amber with slitted pupils, the irises alight with an otherworldly glow. “Just wait.”
To Thea’s surprise, Justin stepped away from the group and shuffled toward her. “I’m not a fighter, and I’m not brave, but I can help.”
She nodded, her eyes drawn to the two other shifters in the group. The female stared down at the floor, twisting her hands together in agitation. The male, however, folded his arms and shook his head, clearly communicating he had no intention of putting his life on the line for the rest of them. Thea couldn’t blame him, but it did lower her opinion of the guy considerably.
Approaching the entryway that separated her from the darkness beyond, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves…and froze when the female shifter screamed.
Deidra crouched into a defensive posture, her claws extended. Beyond one of the larger display cases, two Ravagers stalked toward them, their hulking frames little more than silhouettes in the dim light. The shifter female screamed again before breaking down into hysterical sobs as she scrambled backwards toward the wide corridor that separated the galleries.
Whipping toward her, Deidra growled at the shifter. “Shut up, you insufferable gobshite.”
The words had barely left her mouth when two lionesses emerged from the same corridor, their sleek, powerful bodies low to the ground. The larger of the two pounced, landing on the shifter’s back with a fierce snarl, its claws daggering into her back, its teeth clamped around her throat. Wide-eyed, her mouth still open in a scream, the female dropped to the ground, her head bouncing on the tiled floor. She didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, and Thea watched in horror as the lionesses each grabbed one of the shifter’s legs and dragged her out of sight down the corridor.
What felt like an eternity had transpired in the time it took Thea to draw her next breath, but it didn’t end there. Behind her, Justin yelled, a sound of unmitigated terror, and she turned just in time to see him dragged into the darkness by a pale hand around his throat. His screams pierced her, ripping through her heart like a dagger. She started toward the doorway, picking up speed with each step. Three feet from her target, Rhys caught her around the waist, lifting her off her feet as he dragged her away.
“It’s too late. You can’t help him.”
Sure enough, a moment later, Justin’s screams ended on a wet gurgle, then the room plunged into silence once more. Thea struggled to think logically, to remember her training and figure out their next move, but they didn’t have many avenues of escape. They couldn’t go back the way they’d come, not with the lionesses making a meal out of the shifter in the hallway.
Only long walls with framed art and shadowboxes greeted her to the east and west, and the nearest stairwell resided on the other side of the unlit room occupied by at least one hungry vampire. Unfortunately, it was also their only option.
“Straight through,” she shouted, jabbing a finger at the abyss that lurked beyond the open doorway. “Don’t stop, and be ready to fight.”
Rhys set her back on her feet, his expression guarded, his gaze stubborn and determined. “I’ll go first.”
Though her heart seized at the idea, and every part of her resisted, demanding that she be the one to lead them across, they didn’t have time to argue. Rising up on her toes, she kissed his lips quickly, then backed away before she begged him not to do it.
“Go,” she forced herself to say. “Be careful.”
She watched him until he disappeared into the blackness, then started shoving the others after him when nothing happened.
Zerrik and Deidra held back the Ravagers, engaging them in a lethal dance of claws, fangs, and fists. Deidra almost looked like she was having fun as she took a running leap, using her momentum to scale the Ravager’s back and lock her thighs around his head. The male reacted instantly, swiveling his head and piercing the flesh just below her knee with his jagged teeth. Blood spilled from his snarling mouth and ran down his chest, but Deidra only growled, sank her claws into his throat, and sliced upward from collarbones to chin.
Zerrik dispatched his foe with more grace and less gore by delivering a solid punch to the spine that paralyzed the monster—including his lungs. They didn’t have time to celebrate their victory, though, because at the same moment the male Ravager crumpled to the ground, a female vampire staggered out of the corridor, her nude body bleeding from deep scratches across her face, chest, and thighs.
“Bloody hell,” Deidra spat.
She tried to stand, but slipped in the puddle created by her own blood. Her skin had paled drastically in the span of only seconds, and crimson seeped around her fingers where she pressed a hand over the gaping hole in her calf.
/> Her decision made, Thea shoved Zerrik toward the she-wolf. “Go, get her out of here. I’m right behind you.”
He started to argue with her, but apparently realize the futility of it, because he nodded and jogged over to Deidra. Dragging his shirt off over his head, he tied it around the wolf’s injured leg before looping her arm around his neck to help her up from the floor.
Their movement drew the attention of the female vampire, and she turned toward them, tilting her head to the side with a vacant smile like some deranged porcelain doll. Her skin looked almost blue in the light and paper-thin, highlighting the veins in her arms and neck. Tangled blonde hair fell over her shoulders to cover her bare breasts, the ends stained red, and her black eyes followed Zerrik and Deidra’s progress across the gallery.
“Hey!” Thea called, drawing the vampire’s gaze. “That’s right. Here I am. Just one, big, juicy blood bag, right here.”
The vampire shuffled toward her, sliding her feet across the floor as if she’d forgotten how to properly walk. Then she stopped for no obvious reason and tilted her head to the other side. Confused by the behavior, Thea wasn’t prepared when the bitch lunged at her with a loud screech, her arms extended and her fingers curved into claws. A pointed fingernail scraped across her cheek when she sidestepped, slicing through her skin with a sharp sting.
Roaring, she planted her left foot, hinged back on her hips, and delivered a solid kick to the vampire’s back, sending her flailing into one of the display cases. The glass didn’t break, but a thin fissure snaked down the smooth surface. Without hesitation, Thea threw herself at the other female, grabbing the back of her neck and slamming her face into the growing crack.
An unholy crash reverberated around the room as the display case exploded into a shower of glass shards. Screeching from either rage or pain, the female reared up, catching Thea in the nose with the back of her head. Pain exploded across her face as she stumbled backwards, her nose throbbing as blood gushed from her nostrils and trickled down her throat. Spitting the excess blood onto the floor, she mopped the crimson from her face the best she could with her forearm before delivering a roundhouse kick that connected just under the vampire’s jaw.