by Eden Ashley
Kali recognized the sound.
It was the thing from her nightmare…the monster in the void.
Chapter 41
“Run!” Kali yelled and scrambled to her feet, dragging Shannon along when the girl didn’t immediately rise. Choosing a direction that would put the howling behind them, Kali took off in an all-out run, trusting Shannon would keep up.
By light of the moon, Kali could see the topography was rapidly changing. Tiny brown pebbles littered the fine sand in greater quantities. Small rocks became large boulders. Then her feet stopped sinking into sand, landing on hard packed earth instead. She squinted at the darkness. Remains of buildings and monuments stood on all sides of them. Crumbled stone and broken clay were everywhere. In daylight, the ancestral grounds were probably magnificent to behold. But at night and while running for her life, they were downright creepy.
Keeping her footing on the uneven landscape became a struggle. After stumbling repeatedly, she slowed her pace to minimize the risk of breaking her neck. From the left and slightly behind, Shannon squeaked as her foot tripped over the remainder of a disintegrated wall Kali had successfully avoided only a second or two earlier. The intern went down hard. Barely getting her arms up to break the fall, she landed face first. Shannon lifted her head and sobbed pitifully as she labored for air.
Kali grasped her hand. “Get up. Cry later. We have to get out of here.”
“I can’t run anymore.” Shannon sobbed. Tears streamed down her face. “I can’t run anymore,” she repeated.
“Shannon, please.”
Shannon snatched her hand away. “Mack is dead. And it’s your fault. Mack is dead.”
Much closer than before, the howl bellowed into the night, resonating with lust and hunger. Kali shivered. The chill covered her body like a second skin. “Don’t you hear that? We are going to die if you don’t get up!”
The relief Kali experienced when the girl stood was short lived. Shannon shoved her, screaming, “Get away from me, you freak.”
Taken by surprise, Kali stumbled and fell awkwardly into the dirt. Memory pulled her back to the bus, and a sickening twist reached low in her gut. Shannon had seen what she’d done to the old man. No wonder she’s afraid of me. I’m afraid too. Keeping her eyes on the intern, Kali climbed to her feet slowly. Her throat tightened when Shannon backed away. “I don’t understand what’s happening either.” She tried to keep her voice calm. “I’m not going to hurt you. But I think others are coming that will hurt us both if we don’t get out of here.”
“Hurt me? He only wants you,” Shannon spat.
“What?” This time, Kali backed away.
“Don’t even try to act like the dumb high school kid. Why do you think Mack insisted you come here? He sold you to save everyone else.”
“What are you talking about?” Kali shook her head, too confused to interpret what Shannon was saying. “You saw what happened to Mack. We don’t have time for this.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Kali was torn. A very big part of her wanted to leave Shannon and all of her name calling behind. But there was another part that was afraid to be alone in the empty desert, pursued by creatures from her wildest nightmares.
Shannon was still yelling.
“Where do you think I was yesterday morning before we started this disaster of a road trip?”
Kali decided to keep quiet and wait for answers. If they both died tonight, at least she would have the truth.
“Our buyer, the real buyer, has a plan that will save millions of lives. All they need is you and that stupid statue. But then Mack started having second thoughts at the hotel. It took a lot for me to talk him into going through with this deal. The stupid sap was ready to risk everything just because he was afraid you might get hurt. He was going to risk the money, and he was going to risk me.” Shannon’s hands clenched into fists. “He finally agreed. But to be sure, I went and made arrangements to back door this deal. One way or another, Tsai was going to get what he paid for.” She laughed. “You don’t get it, do you? We sold you. Like a slave.”
“Shannon, I don’t…” She searched for the right question, knowing there might only be enough time for one. “Why?”
“Because I’m sick. They promised to save me.” Shannon’s expression twisted strangely. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish on dry land. A single breath eased out as her eyes slid shut, and she slumped to the ground.
Moonlight touched the ivory handle protruding from Shannon’s back. Mr. Ma stood over her body, a predator with a fresh kill at its feet. His eyes glittered, hungering for more, as he smiled and stepped over Shannon’s fallen form.
Kali backed away. Tears were on her cheeks, but she wasn’t going to scream anymore. She wouldn’t give this murderer the satisfaction. She relaxed and closed her eyes, waiting for what would come next, shuddering when another howl tore through the crisp air. The monster was much closer. She began to feel its presence, leaving her cold inside.
“He approves,” Mr. Ma whispered eagerly. “He beckons you.”
The wind lifted. A gentle breeze caressed her cheek, steadied her. A voice spoke softly in her ear. Into the ruins. Kali’s eyes flew open.
Only a few feet separated her and the old man. “Your release will be quick.”
The monster roared again. This time it was joined by a cacophony of howls that shook the earth and made her insides quiver. She thought the sound would never end. Then the howls climaxed, fading into silence. Another voice answered from somewhere in the distance, challenging the approaching monsters. As this new presence announced itself, Mr. Ma’s visage changed. His face became uncertain as the old man peered into the desert.
Kali heard the whisper again. Run.
As if of a separate will, her feet started moving. They pounded across the earth, ushered forward by a reserve of strength she hadn’t known was there. Her lungs screamed for air. Mr. Ma was close, shrinking the gap. Slipping and sliding, Kali somehow managed to keep her footing. A fall would mean the same fate Mack and Shannon had suffered…or something worse.
She gained a new burst of speed as the wind pushed at her back. Up ahead was a congestion of boulder-sized stones arranged in a circle. Outside of them, a huge shadow rose into the sky, oddly untouched by moonlight. She neared the shadowed mass and saw it was the remainder of two pillars. No. She looked closer. They were monuments…in the form of wild beasts. Each stood erect atop four pedestals, canine in stance. One of the monoliths held its head toward the stars. The other’s gaze was lowered, searching into the desert. They were positioned as guardians, beautiful even in darkness. Kali thought of Bailen.
Suddenly, her left foot slammed into something hard. Both feet left the earth and ran on nothing as she sailed through the air. Kali hit the ground. Her lungs emptied with a whoosh, followed by a gasp as she frantically tried to refill them. Fine sand filled her mouth instead. Gagging, Kali rolled onto her back. Her fight was gone. The flight was done. There was nothing left to give but her life. If all of this is because of me, maybe I deserve it.
The old man appeared above her with a look of excitement. He threw back his head, shouting in his native tongue. The monster roared in answer.
They’re communicating.
Another guttural cry was unleashed, the same challenge from before. The old man shouted again. The newcomer answered more ferociously.
A dark figure emerged from the sands, moving as a phantom, almost too fast for the human eye to follow. The blur collided with Mr. Ma like a speeding train. Snarls and shrieks punctuated the violent brawl that raged between them. A startled yelp. The snap of breaking bones. And then the struggle was over. Even armed with his dagger, Mr. Ma had been no match for the creature. After murdering Mack and Shannon in cold blood, the old man was dead.
The voice whispered in her head. Come.
It was too much for Kali to process. Nine years ago, a small raven haired child
had watched helplessly as mommy screamed at daddy. That thing is not our daughter! And then mommy had a knife. I’ll prove it, she screamed at daddy. He stopped her. Dragged mommy out of the house kicking and screaming. And then policemen came. Mommy and Daddy were dead. Car accident, they said. Then Wesley was there. I’ll always be close, he said. She had trusted him. Trusting him had led her here. Now she was going to die too. Curling up into a ball, Kali moaned. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to feel helpless.
The voice spoke more urgently. Kalista, get up.
Kali clutched her head, covered her face while sobbing. “How do you know my name?”
The creature crossed the sands, stalking toward where she lay. With her last thread of consciousness, Kali saw it rise from four legs to stand on two. And as he knelt down beside her, the night slipped away.
Chapter 42
All eight cylinders of the Land Rover’s engine were wide open. Rpms neared red. “Faster,” Rhane demanded. He spotted Warren up ahead, almost a mile off. “We have to go faster. Gabriel’s already here.”
York gritted his teeth and pressed the accelerator. “We’ll reach them first.” His muscles were tense, ready for the coming fight. A local had rented them the SUV and issued a warning: “shadows” roamed the desert. Shadows were cryptic creatures of legend, killers of livestock and any human who strayed too far into the wilderness. Existing well before those oral legends were seeded, York knew the truth about shadows. They were Reapers, once honorable men of his own kin, transformed into monsters for crimes of treason.
Rhane shook his head. “This won’t work. Reapers have the advantage. Ditch the car outside the ruins. We have to go in.”
“Maybe we should stand and fight.”
“No. I can’t risk War tangling with Gabriel.”
The statement left no room for argument. York spun the Land Rover into a skidding halt, kicking up a thick curtain of sand. Rhane bailed before the wheels had stopped turning, leaving the door wide open as he dashed out into the night.
The breeze felt good on his skin. He looked up at the stars, twinkling innocently next to an ever-watchful moon. Floating beneath that beauty, the smell of blood was strong. Rhane thought of tainted roses, handsome flowers that grew in corpses left to rot on blood-soaked battlefields.
Warren sprinted up to him, tilting his head backward to see Rhane over the bill of his stupid ball cap. He carried a very unconscious Kalista as gently as he could in an all-out run.
“They’re close,” he said.
Rhane grimaced. “I know. Go to the car. I’ll cover you.”
“You guys didn’t bring it here?”
“Some things should not come here, War. I realize it’s before your time, but you should know our history.”
With a look of rueful bafflement, War observed Rhane’s hands busily exchanging a normal clip for a custom extended magazine in a very large semi-automatic. “And the gun?”
Rhane smiled. “Let’s not be unreasonable.” As he turned to lead War back to the Land Rover, York appeared, blocking the path.
“Whoa. Not that way.” His eyes fell to Kalista. “Is she okay?”
War quickly nodded. “She sorta fainted.”
“York,” Rhane said as calmly as he could. Seeing Kalista so motionless and knowing how close he had come to losing her again had really unnerved him. All he wanted to do was take her from War’s arms and never let her out of his sight. But he couldn’t let himself think it. Whether they lived or died depended on all of them having level heads and staying in the moment.
“Right,” York nodded with a sheepish expression, remembering he’d yet to explain the current dilemma. “Another pack is cutting off our approach. In all probability, they’ve already reached the car.” As if on cue, a dozen howls erupted. Their voices held knowledge that the ones hunting against them were few. The Reapers felt certain of victory.
Rhane changed tactics. “Into the ruins then.”
York and War obeyed without question, immediately heading back to the ancestral grounds. Rhane followed closely, sidearm ready to pick off the first Reaper that entered his sights. A mass of shadows topped the dark horizon. To human eyes they would have been invisible. But Warekin were born to kill them.
Careful to remain outside the ruins, Rhane dropped to one knee and fired three shots. Two of the creatures dropped. A third fell behind the rest, severely wounded but running strong. Rhane swore. He was a little rusty.
More Reapers came from the east. He fired without hesitation, improved his aim significantly, and cut their numbers in half. Loading the last clip, he took aim again. One behind another, the creatures fell dead. Then the monster Rhane waited for appeared.
The one called Gabriel materialized out of darkness. Glowing red eyes hung ten feet above the ground. He towered above the others, walking upright on two legs. The smell of its hatred poured off in waves. Rhane felt as if Gabriel knew him. But that was impossible.
Rhane shifted his stance. He was going to kill this thing.
Gabriel let out a tremendous bellow, sending tremors rumbling beneath Rhane’s feet. The glowing eyes disappeared, and the monster was gone.
Rhane blinked. The eyes reappeared. Closer! Too close. How can he move so fast? Rhane squeezed the trigger. The muzzle flashed with gunfire, sending a barrage of blue-green bullets whizzing into the night. Half the clip was done, and he hadn’t missed once.
The glowing eyes vanished…
Rhane waited. He thought he heard York’s voice but blocked it out. There! Not even a hundred feet away, the eyes reappeared. The immense form enveloping the red orbs would have made lesser men piss their pants. Rhane got off one more shot before his body was hauled backward by an irresistible force.
“What the--”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” It was York, hurriedly dragging Rhane away from certain death. “We have to go pronto.”
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything move so fast.”
“OK. What’s plan B?”
Rhane ran on his own now. “We have to hide.”
York gritted his teeth. “This way.”
The ruins were immense. Once an oasis, the huge city formed of clay and molten sands covered miles of desert and had served as an outpost for their people, the Warekin. Some of the buildings were three stories in height and still blended perfectly with the surroundings. Refreshing pools, formerly fed by cool streams flowing throughout the city, were now bowls of dust. Not a drop of water remained.
York led them to a spot well hidden inside a courtyard reduced to shambles like everything else. Kalista was tucked safely between two boulders only approachable from one direction. War crouched nearby. His eyes flicked briefly to Rhane and then returned to watching the ruins.
“Since you are no longer bravely keeping those things occupied, I’m thinking we have less than a minute until they find us here.”
Rhane heard York loud and clear. But something else tugged at his thoughts. He looked around, absorbing the environment, trying to find what he was missing. He spotted the sentinels.
Yes.
“There used to be tunnels beneath this city,” he said.
York followed the direction of his gaze. “Great idea—but those are closed to everyone except the ruling class. And I’m pretty sure they’ve marked you off the guest list.”
Rhane knew York was right. But the whisper urged him forward. Go.
“York, carry Kalista. We’ll move faster.”
He went toward the towers built in the likeness of Primes. One looked to the heavens, calling out to Warekin ancestors. The other Prime, he who was killed in the massacre, held a protective gaze over the city. The tunnels were sealed and the city abandoned not long after his death.
The three men moved as fast as possible while maintaining stealth. They had to remain invisible for as long as possible. Reapers were in the city, fanning out, trying to surround them. Rhane used ev
ery alleyway and shortcut he remembered to prevent that from happening. He signaled to York and then scrambled up and over the remains of a well-fortified wall. War followed. York climbed to the top and peered over. Landing that while carrying Kalista would be tricky. Hurting her simply wasn’t an option.
Rhane called up softly, “Give her to me.”
York nodded and dropped her into Rhane’s waiting arms. He made the catch expertly, forming a cradle to absorb the momentum through his arms and shoulders. Inhaling her scent, he swallowed hard and couldn’t resist pulling her to his chest to feel her heart beat solidly against him for a moment.
York landed lithely next to Rhane. “I hope this works.”
They had entered the Courtyard of Primes. The barren, rocky soil bore not even a shadow of the sanctum’s former glory of lush grass and flowering gardens. Rhane led them to the nearest statue and halted at the base. He was unsure of what to do next. War and York waited quietly.
“Take her.”
York nodded, slipping Kalista from Rhane’s arms.
Rhane studied the stone surface, running his hands across the immense head, then down through the neck and shoulders. It was hard to shut out the whispers of the horde moving about in the ruins. Gabriel bellowed again, far hungrier than the rest.
Long dormant defenses responded in Rhane’s body. White fur rippled across his forearms. His vision sharpened tenfold as his eyes transformed to something less human. Rhane restrained the partial changes and calmly reversed them.
“Rhane, buddy, we got a lot of action headed our way,” York said tightly.
He was right. From the sound of things, Reapers were almost on top of their position. Their moans and whispers came from all directions. In seconds, the Warekin would be fighting tough odds to stay alive. Rhane shoved the thought aside and moved on to carefully examine the wall of rock that made up the fourth pillar of the sentinel’s hind quarter. A groove between two panels showed itself to him. Pulsing blue light illuminated the seam.
The voice spoke again. Blood.
Rhane slipped a knife from his boot and used the serrated blade to slit his palm wide open. Blood spilled from the gash, pooling in his hand. Hot droplets spattered on the cool earth.
“As soon as we get back, assuming we get back, I want you to talk to someone.” York was only half kidding.