“I’m taking her to Sirix,” Kunik says.
“That’s not our orders,” he responds.
“Shut-up, Hul! Kunik says he’s taking her to see Sirix, then that’s what he’s doing,” Krel says.
Hul grumbles something and steps back but continues to stare at me.
“Now, let us in,” Kunik demands.
“Not so fast,” Krel replies. “If you’re taking that one, then that means the other one must be expendable.”
He turns and glares at Syrra, and Xal takes a small step forward, putting himself between her and Krel.
In a flash, Kunik is on him, his claws wrapped around his throat. Hul stands a few feet away but makes no move to interfere. Xal is watching the encounter with intense ferocity.
“She is mine,” Kunik growls, his teeth nearly touching Krel’s face. “I will decide when and how she dies. Understand?”
“I got it,” Krel croaks.
Kunik releases him and he coughs a few times and spits on the ground before looking at Kunik again.
“You didn’t need to do all that,” he complains with a whiny tone to his voice.
“Just let us in, you spineless idiot,” Kunik orders, glancing at me.
Krel mumbles something and uses a passkey to open the two massive steel doors.
“By the way. Where’s that other Shayd, the one who comes to the tower all the time?” Kunik asks as Krel pushes the doors inward.
“You mean Sirix’s little pet? Probably upstairs in one of those fancy rooms. He showed up injured, so he’s probably crying like a baby,” he replies as we walk inside. “Any other questions I can answer?”
“Nope. That’ll do it,” Kunik says before reaching forward, wrapping his massive paw around Krel’s neck from behind and pulling back with the other hand. There’s a sickening snap and the demon drops to the floor like a rag doll.
I whip my head around just in time to see Hul fumbling with his knife just as Xal leaps on him like a rabid animal. The stunned guard is knocked to the ground and Xal easily tears his throat out, blood spraying from the mortal wound. Kunik looks at me and tosses me my weapons.
“All clear,” he says.
I nod and give him a wicked grin.
“No other guards?” I ask, looking around.
“Doesn’t look like it,” he replies.
“All clear,” I say, while sweeping the area with my eyes.
“We heard. We’re on the way.”
Syrra walks over with Xal just behind, his face streaked with blood. She buckles up her belt before drawing her sword and looking up at Kunik.
“I thought you said you’d only kill demons if they were attacking us,” she says.
He looks at her and grins, his long canine teeth glittering under his scaly green lips.
“They were assholes,” he replies. “Besides, they probably would have attacked us…eventually.”
A moment later, Reeva, Kateri, and Jax burst through the door, their weapons at the ready. As soon as she sees me, Kateri dashes across the room and throws her arms around me, pulling me into a quick, but intense hug. After releasing me, she looks down at the two dead demons.
“Things went well then?” she asks.
“As well as you might expect,” I reply.
“So, where to now?” Syrra asks.
“I’m gonna say the rooms Krel was talking about.”
“And where’s that?” Reeva asks.
“Twenty-third floor.”
I look around the room and quickly spot the bank of elevators off to the right. Various doors hide other rooms or corridors behind their thick, metal structures.
“And how do we get up there?”
“Elevators or stairs,” Kunik replies with a shrug.
“Twenty-three floors of stairs?” Kateri scoffs. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It’ll take forever if we use the stairs, and we’d be exhausted by the time we got to the top,” I say.
“Then it’s the elevators,” Kunik says.
“Hold on,” Reeva interjects.
We all look over at her and she nods towards Jax.
“What if Jax takes us back to the Solas and then then we use the elevators? That way we avoid the demons.”
“Hmm. That might work,” I reply.
“Except for the fact that they’ll detect the portals,” Jax adds, instantly dampening the mood.
“Well, whatever we’re going to do, we have to do it soon. The longer we stay here, the more likely we’ll get caught,” Kateri says.
“We can’t risk the portal, at least not until we have Clay. It has to be the elevators.”
The others nod their agreement, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
“Xal. Help me move the bodies,” Kunik says.
Our two demon allies drag the lifeless corpses of the guards across the room, stuffing them into a small storage closet.
“How long do you think we’ve got before someone discovers they’re missing?”
“Perhaps an hour, maybe less,” Kunik says as he walks back over to us.
“That doesn’t leave us much time. Let’s get moving.”
We all head to the elevators, our weapons at the ready. I punch the button and the doors slide open immediately. We file inside; Shayds in the back and Demons in the front, just in case we encounter any enemy units. The twenty-third floor is a long way up. Kateri, Reeva, Syrra, and I are pressed back up against the rear wall, with very little room to maneuver.
Kunik presses the button for our destination and the doors close with a quiet whoosh. The car isn’t small, but with seven of us, we’re jammed in tight, and I can feel a sense of panic beginning to rise in my chest. My heart beats faster and my pulse quickens. I close my eyes and take in slow, deep breaths; in through my nose and out through my mouth. A moment later, I feel Kateri take my hand, squeezing my fingers gently, and the spell passes.
Two…three…four…five…and we continue to rise inside the dark tower.
We make it to the thirteenth floor, of course, before the car stops. Kunik and Xal move back slightly, reducing our space even more. Kateri, Reeva, Syrra and I press ourselves up against the back wall while trying to stay hidden at the same time. Jax remains in the front row, but he moves into the corner, trying to conceal his face as best as he can. The doors open, and two large demons dressed in armor, carrying swords and shields file into the already crowded car.
They grunt some sort of greeting to Kunik and Xal who return the same guttural acknowledgment. As soon as they’re inside, the one on the left presses a button on the panel, although I can’t see which one. The doors close and we begin moving again. After a few seconds, I can hear someone sniffing the air.
“What is that stench?” one of the soldiers asks.
“That’s probably us,” Kunik replies. “We were out hunting. Probably got some Shayd on us.”
“Well, you reek. How much got on you? It smells like they’re in here with us,” he complains.
I look over and Kateri. She has her fingers wrapped around the handle of her knife.
“We’re on the way to get cleaned up.”
“See that you do and then get someone to de-stink this car,” he orders.
“Yes, sir.”
The elevator continues to rise, and I suddenly realize that we’re going to have a major problem if we hit the twenty-third floor before these two soldiers reach their destination.
Fifteen…sixteen…seventeen…
I grip the handle of my sword.
Eighteen…nineteen…twenty…
If we have a fight in here, it’s not going to go well for us.
Twenty-one…twenty-two…
…and finally the lift stops, and the two warriors exit. As soon as the doors close again, I let out a breath. Kunik and Xal step forward to give us a little more room.
“Everyone get ready,” I say. “Stay safe, stay close.”
K ~ You too.
E ~ I will.
The car stops again, and the
doors slide open. As soon as they do, three demons with yellow skin and red eyes turn and look at us as we burst out of the elevator. Kunik charges the first one, while Xal pounces on the second. I raise my crossbow and fire two bolts, one right after the other. The third demon is so shocked, he doesn’t even have time to react before dropping to the floor, his lifeless eyes staring at me. Kunik and Xal make quick work of the others, and I’m happy he’s continuing to break his promise about not killing demons unless we’re being attacked.
“Where to?” Kateri asks.
The room we’re in seems like some sort of waiting area. Corridors run in all three directions, with some nearby doors visible from here.
“I’ve no idea,” Kunik says. “He could be anywhere on this floor.”
“How many rooms are there?”
“Over fifty.”
“Shit!”
“We have to split up,” I say. “Kunik, you and Syrra with me. Xal and Kateri take the right-hand hall, and Reeva and Jax to the left. If anyone finds him, let us know and we all meet back here. Everybody good?”
Everyone nods their agreement, and we split up. I don’t feel good about dividing our forces, but we don’t have much choice. As I watch Kateri and her party disappear from sight, a feeling of dread passes through me, like it’s the last time I’m ever going to see her.
The corridor looks like a hotel hallway with doors lining both sides running further than I can see.
“We just check each one?” Syrra asks.
“It’s the only way,” Kunik replies before trying the first door.
The door is unlocked and opens inward. The room beyond is small, but well furnished with a bed, desk, nightstand and even a flat-screen mounted on the wall. It’s like a Motel 6 for demons. There’s no sign that anyone is staying in this unit, so we retreat into the hall and try the door on the other side. We repeat the pattern for the first six rooms, finding no one in the process.
“This is taking too long,” Syrra says.
I nod before trying the handle on the next room, but it’s locked. I look over at Kunik and he gestures with his head for Syrra and me to step aside before he knocks firmly on the door. It takes a few moments, but eventually it opens. Kunik stands to the side, to obscure us from the tenant.
“What?” a sleepy-eyed demon asks, the annoyance in his voice obvious.
“Sorry. Wrong room,” Kunik says. “I was told to find that Shayd that comes here and bring him to Sirix.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the demon says before slamming the door.
“We’re never going to find him,” Syrra says.
I look over at her and frown. I know she’s right, but I can’t—
Suddenly, a door opens about six rooms down and a figure walks out. At first, I don’t recognize him, the hair is wrong; too dark and too short, but when he turns his head and looks at us, I realize it’s him.
“Clay!” I yell.
He turns and stares at me for a second, his mouth hanging open and then he snatches something off the ground just inside the room and takes off down the hall, limping as he runs. We start after him, but before we even take two steps, an alarm blares and the lights illuminating the hall turn red.
“Well, they know we’re here!” Kunik yells to be heard over the din.
“We found him Kateri! South hallway!”
“Got it!”
A door opens suddenly in front of me and I have to dodge to the left to avoid slamming into it. A huge demon with dark, scaly skin and spikes protruding from his arms and shoulders steps into the hall. I pull my sword, and in one quick, fluid movement, separate him from his head. We race down the hall, my eyes locked on Clay. More doors open, and within seconds, the corridor is filled with demons of all sorts. As soon as they spot us, they charge, weapons drawn, and claws bared.
I rush forward, raising my bow and firing three times at three different targets. The first bolt digs deep into the skull of a strange, bug-like demon with long antennae and vicious looking pincers. The monster crumbles to the ground, its legs curling inward as the life drains from its body. I completely miss with the second shot, but the third missile grazes a wiry, little demon with long claws and bulbous eyes. It bounds off the wall and leaps toward me, its mouth agape. The creature slams into me and we both fall to the floor.
Kunik jumps over us both and bowls over two other attackers, his massive claws ripping and shredding them to pieces in a matter of seconds. I fumble for my knife, my fingers frantically searching for the handle while the little bastard claws and snaps at me. His talons dig deep into my arm, and I scream out in agony. Suddenly, Syrra comes out of nowhere and drop kicks the beast down the hall. He slams into the wall and before he can recover, Kunik steps on him, nearly crushing him flat.
Syrra helps me up, and I cradle my injured arm against my chest.
“You okay?” she asks.
“Yeah. Come on, we have to catch him!” I reply, pushing past her and heading farther down the hallway.
There’s no sign of Clay, and the hall splits here, turning left and right.
“Which way?” Syrra asks.
The sound of demons flooding onto the floor fills the air, their weapons clanging and their rough voices echoing down the narrow corridor.
“We have to abort!” Kunik says.
“No! We can’t leave without him.”
Kunik shakes his head.
“Damn stubborn Shayds,” he grumbles.
“This way,” I say, choosing the hallway to the left.
We race down the corridor, keeping our eyes on the doors, just in case they should open and flood the floor with more demons. My arm is throbbing, and I can feel blood running down my hand and dripping off the end of my fingertips. I’m not sure if it’s because this is the arm that was poisoned, but the pain seems incredibly intense. I take a deep breath and push it into the background.
Two minutes and still no sign of Clay.
“We have to go!” Kunik says again.
“Kateri! Reeva! We have to abort!” I reluctantly order.
“We’re too close to stop now,” Kateri replies.
“Kateri, just do it. Get out!” I scream just as we round another corner and there he is, standing at the end of the hall with two demons, a shimmering oval floating just beyond them. It still looks small, like it was just opened.
They all turn and glare at us. The one on the right lifts a bow and fires. Syrra shoves me to the side and I hear her grunt as I’m turning back to face her. The shaft of the arrow is protruding from her chest, just below her left shoulder.
“Shit!” I scream as I rush to her side.
Kunik charges down the corridor, roaring with rage.
“Damn this hurts,” she says as she slowly slides down the wall. “How bad is it?”
I lean her forward and spot the end of the arrow sticking out of her back.
“It’s not good. We have to get you out of here.”
“No,” she says, squeezing my hand. “Get him!”
“What? No! I can’t leave you here.”
“You have to stop him. Go!” she says, pushing me away.
I look down the hall where Kunik is battling with Clay’s two demon companions.
“Kateri!”
“Here.”
“South corridor. Syrra’s down. Get here and then get the hell out!” I command her.
“What about you?”
I race down the hall toward Kunik, Clay and his demon friends.
“I’m gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch!”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lifting my crossbow, I fight off the wave of nausea from the pain coursing up and down my arm. I pull the trigger, sending a bolt rocketing down the corridor while I’m running. The closest demon turns to look at me and the missile pierces his right eye and explodes out the back of his skull. Just as he hits the ground, I launch myself off his corpse and literally fly past Kunik and the second demon. Clay is just ahead, standi
ng in front of the portal, waiting for it to open enough so he can get through.
“Clay! It’s over!” I yell as I land hard on the floor, stumbling for a second.
I recover quickly and pull the trigger on the bow, but nothing happens.
“Shit!”
I drop the weapon and draw my sword. Clay looks at me and shakes his head.
“You’re too late! I’m going to end this!” he yells, and I look at the backpack slung over his shoulder. He turns and throws himself through the hole.
I can tell that the portal is already starting to fade along the edges. Five yards and the border of the hole begins to collapse. I reach the shimmering gateway and I launch myself through the fading opening. There’s the always present flash of bright light followed by darkness, followed by another flash of light and I hit the ground. I scream as I land directly on my injured arm, and for a second, I can’t even gather the strength to stand. Gradually, the pain subsides, and I scrabble to my feet, looking around the offices for Clay.
He's nowhere in sight. I grab my phone as I start moving toward the door for the stairs.
“Evan! You there?”
“I’m here. Where are you?”
“I’m back in the Solas. You need to evacuate the Factory!”
I tear the door open, not caring if any of the humans wandering around in in here see it.
“What? Why?”
“Clay’s back too. I think he has a bomb, and he’s headed there.”
I look down over the railing for any sign of him, but I’m not even sure he went this way.
“Okay. How long?”
“Maybe ten minutes.”
“Got it,” he replies, and the line goes dead.
I look up at the skylight maybe thirty stories up. There’re some jagged shadows haphazardly lying across the stairs and railings down below.
“Well. Here goes nothing,” I say and flip myself over the rail.
I tumble for a moment and then I fade into the shadows, adjusting my course as I fall. Linking off the railings a few times, I zip back and forth from side-to-side, descending fifteen floors in less than ten seconds. I grab onto the handrail and re-materialize on the stairs on the second floor. Racing down the remaining flights of stairs, I leap from landing to landing, each impact sending shock waves of pain from my arm into my shoulder and chest.
All Things in the Shadows II Page 24