Blackburn tried to throw another one, but the remaining creature bounded right at us. Mark shoved Carly and me aside and swung at the hound, forcing the animal’s face away. It still threw its weight into McDowell, knocking him to the ground. The beast sprang on top of him, baring its hideous canines.
“Run!” he ordered.
Like hell.
Brandishing Reese’s pocketknife, I leapt at the two of them, ready to drive the blade into the hound when it inexplicably whimpered. The blackened fur vanished in an instant. Nothing but the hound’s human form hovered above Mark, and then that petered out too. The petrified young man just lay there, still holding the angelic steel in his hand. He’d stabbed the beast in the heart.
Realization must have finally settled in, because McDowell sprang up from the floor. He violently shook himself out, trying to free the mound of ash that now covered his entire body. The effort did very little, as the filth clung determinedly to his dampened clothes. He abandoned the effort however once he looked down the hall. A similar pile of ash fell to the ground just ahead of Reese. The light caught his blade, revealing an equally bloody foible.
Blackburn nodded to us, but froze in his tracks. “Where’s Carly?”
Mark and I turned on our heels, so certain that we’d find her standing there.
But there was no one.
We all took off down the hallway to the connecting corridor. Our heads twisted from side to side, looking down every direction. She was still nowhere in sight.
“Carly?” I called out as softly as I could. Three hallways later, and I was shaking, my head drowning in all the horrors it could conjure up.
Where was she?
“Testing, testing,” crooned Daniel’s voice over the P.A. system in a sickeningly sweet tone. “Attention, all Mystic Harbor students. Will Katrina Montgomery please report to the gymnasium immediately? Your friend is waiting for you.”
My blood ran cold.
“Say hello to our audience, would you?” he mocked.
“Kat, don’t!” Carly bellowed hysterically from the background.
“How’s about a little swap meet?” Daniel further insisted. “Kitty Kat for Car-Car.”
Reese snatched my arm the instant I stepped forward, dragging me back to his side. “This is exactly what he’s counting on, for you to be impulsive—”
“I’m not leaving her.”
“You heard what Daniel said earlier. Sitri’s on his way. You’ll be walking right into his trap,” Reese growled. “That’s why I’m going. You and Mark find a way out of here.”
Before I could object, the P.A. system pitched back on. “Just to make things a bit more expedient, I’m gonna set the buzzer for two minutes. If Kat isn’t here,” Daniel emphasized my name, “you’re gonna need to bury Barbie here in a closed casket. Or better yet, perhaps I might sic her on you after I take a bite out of her neck.”
All our grips loosened around the blades in our hands. Seeing what Daniel had become was hard enough; I couldn’t begin to imagine how painful it must have been for Mark to watch his best friend turn into a monster. Every muscle in my body knotted at the thought of having to witness Carly go through the same thing. This was my fault. I was the one they were after. And I wasn’t about to let my best friend die…or worse. Not for me.
Chapter 30
This Means War
Slow clapping resounded across the gym as Mark, Reese, and I all walked in through the double doors. Fog still engulfed the floor, stirring with every step we took. Daniel wasn’t anywhere in sight.
“Yoo-hoo.” A sharp whistle echoed overhead, and our heads shot up to the overlook. Daniel continued clapping, even with his arms wrapped around Carly’s trembling frame. Those blazing yellow eyes glowed in the limited light, sending a chill up my spine as he leaned down toward Car’s neck. “Just in time,” he laughed, the game buzzer counting down the last ten seconds.
It didn’t escape any of our attentions that the hallways were conveniently Hellhound-free on our trek back here.
“Don’t be shy, Kat.” Daniel beckoned me up to the weightlifting overlook. “Come, join us.”
I didn’t so much as look to the side stairwell as I remained glued in place.
Daniel sighed. “And to think we had a deal.” He kicked a section of the wire mesh railing, and the metal blasted right out of place. We leapt back as the section crashed down on the hardwood floor not five feet ahead of us. Daniel threw Carly forward, whirling her back around to grip her by the throat. He extended his arm, and she was forced off the exposed ledge.
“Don’t!” I begged, watching Carly choke on a gasp as he held her out by nothing but the throat. Her acrylic nails dug into Daniel’s arms well after drawing blood, but he only laughed. She kicked at the empty air beneath her feet, desperately trying to regain her ground.
“Make up your mind, Kat,” hummed Daniel. “Agree to my terms, or Barbie takes your place.”
“Which is it?” I growled. “You gonna bite her, or kill her?”
“Kill her,” he clarified. “Then I’m gonna wait for your betrothed to get here, in which he’ll bring her back. And then I’m gonna bite her.”
Carly’s hands started slipping from Daniel’s arms. She was losing consciousness. He tightened his grip, and her thrashing legs fell limp. Any sense of self-preservation vanished as I bolted across the room to the staircase.
Daniel clicked his tongue, waving his finger at me in disapproval. “Not so fast there, sweetheart. Leave your weapons down there, along with your entourage.”
I looked over my shoulder, seeing McDowell and Blackburn still standing right behind me.
Reese shook his head, the rest of the blood in his face draining as his eyes bore into mine. “Kat...”
I handed Reese’s sword back to him, holding up my empty palms. Daniel nodded, motioning to the stairs. I remembered what Reese had once said. Hellhounds had spectacular hearing, so I didn’t risk saying anything to him as I walked into the doorway. Once I was amerced deep enough in the stairwell that Daniel could no longer see me, I mouthed to Reese and Mark, praying they understood before making my way up the cement steps.
“There she is!” Daniel announced as I stepped out into the workout center with my hands raised over my head.
He pulled Carly back over to the platform, but kept a fist still clamped around her throat. She barely managed to drag in a decent breath as her feet planted on the ground, and the lack of oxygen had tinged her face with a sickly mix of purple and blue. Cold metal snaked down my sleeve as I lowered my hands.
“Let her go.”
“You sure about that?” Daniel thrust his arm out again, forcing Carly right on the brink of the ledge. Her toes curled, barely managing to cling to the lip of the brink.
“You know what I mean.”
He grinned. “Come closer, and we’ll negotiate.”
“Kat, don’t,” Carly choked out.
I forced a small smile. “It’s gonna be okay.”
Daniel’s grin grew to an outright smirk as I walked over to them both. I came within arm’s reach, and sure enough, he flung Carly backward, her tiny blonde frame dropping out of sight. I lunged to the railing still in place, leaning over to see Carly splayed on the ground…with Reese and Mark sprawled out beneath her. Groans erupted from below, and Daniel sneered in disappointment as the guys pulled Carly up to her feet.
“Catch her,” I’d mouthed. And they had understood.
Car yelped as she put pressure on her right foot, and Reese quickly caught hold of her before she tumbled back to the floor. Daniel snatched a hold of my jacket, prying me over to him as he let out an ear-aching whistle. There was no doubt that he’d just called for reinforcements.
I let the cool chain stuffed in my sleeve slide out into my palm as I bellowed, “Go!” I jammed the cross necklace into Daniel’s face, and he howled as the silver seared his cheek. Breaking free from his grip, I bolted to the door, practically falling down the stairs to the gym.
The double doors burst open, and figures piled into the entryway. Countless yellow eyes gleamed even through the swelling fog that now billowed up overhead from the sudden rush of air. Reese shoved Mark and Carly back toward the side exit. Mark raced over to the door, driving Reese’s spare sword down on the padlock.
Carly shrieked as Trace emerged and charged at her. Reese hurled his last dagger, catching him right in the chest. Bolton staggered back, his fists clamping around the steel in confusion. Just like the others, his body disintegrated into a pile of ash. Reese barked at her to run, and Carly clumsily hobbled towards the exit just as the padlock brokenly clanged to the floor. Mark yanked the chains out of the door, flinging it open. He swept Car up into his arms, and the two disappeared outside.
Knowing where my fallen classmates rested, I managed to gain an edge over my attackers as I darted across the gymnasium. Everyone else stumbled or outright fell over the bodies amid the blinding haze. I followed Reese’s instruction, ducking as he swung his blade through the air. And I didn’t dare steal a glance behind me, hearing what I knew now to be flesh slicing open. A hand brushed my back, and I jumped, only to find Reese at my side a second later. The chilling October air took my breath away as we raced out the side exit. Not three steps later did Reese suddenly vanish from my peripheral vision. I whirled around, seeing a hulking young man throttle Reese against the side of the building.
Blackburn brought up his blade, but he wasn’t fast enough. The stranger grabbed Reese’s wrist, twisting it until it snapped at the most unnatural angle. Before I could reach him, arms ensnared me from behind. I thrashed and kicked and flailed, only to feel a sharp single stab to the side of my collar.
“If only you played nice,” Daniel laughed wickedly with a sneer.
My vision clouded over, giving me just enough time to see the stem to an empty syringe being ripped out of my neck.
“Sweet dreams.”
The muscles in my arms screamed as I came to, finding myself suspended up by the wrists. My feet dragged on the floor, and I found I could stand upright to take the weight off my aching arms. I couldn’t see anything, assuming amid my disorientation that I was in a dark room. But as I shifted, I could feel the fabric. There was a sack draped over my head. Like I was a hostage. A prisoner.
And that’s precisely what I was. Shackled and hooded and left alone in the deafening silence.
The restraints clamored as I yanked at them. Metal on metal. Was I wearing…handcuffs? My fingers traced over the material and up to whatever I was fastened to. A cold metal rod, about three feet long. Even with the hood over my head, I could still smell something, ever so faint.
Lilac.
I knew exactly where I was.
The old workout room. I was handcuffed to one of the pull-up bars.
Shit.
Mark had still used it when he came in here fooling around, and the damn thing never budged. Given that he weighed nearly twice as much as me, I seriously doubted I’d be able to pull it out from the wall.
Which was probably why my captor found it fitting to chain me up here. Plus, I was on the top floor of a presumably empty building where nobody would hear me screaming for help.
Perfect.
Goosebumps raked my exposed arms, and the thought only sickened me all the more. Someone had removed my jacket. What else had they done? I continued fussing about, only stopping once I heard the door squeak open.
“Aww, look who’s awake,” laughed the familiar voice. Daniel.
I still couldn’t see anything with this stupid sack over my head, but the light pouring in from the hallway illuminated two silhouettes as they walked into the activities room.
A long, noisy exhale. Someone didn’t sound too pleased.
“Oh, lighten up. Where else was I gonna put her?” sighed Daniel, presumably talking to the other individual. “Besides, she’s perfectly fine. Arent’cha, Kat Nip?”
He brushed a finger under my chin, and I blindly thrashed my legs up to where it sounded like he was standing. I only kicked at the air, making Daniel laugh all the more.
“Screw you,” I gritted.
He clicked his tongue. “Such poor manners, especially when I come bearing a gift for you.”
“Unless it’s a gun for me to shoot you in the face with, I’m not interested,” I snarled.
“Oh, I beg to differ.”
The ends of the sack tugged around my neck, and I instinctively jerked, half expecting to be strangled. Instead, the bag lifted from my head. Only one section of the lights was turned on in the room, but I still winced at the sudden brightness that flooded my vision.
I’d been right. A brief glance around the room, and I could see the stacks and the wall of mirrors, not to mention my reflection across the way. Sure enough, I was handcuffed to the pull-up bar. Bastard.
But that’s not what I was looking at.
Gaping at the sight, my mind fought to find answers. But I couldn’t even form a single question. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real.
I had to keep blinking, waiting for the phantom to erase from my vision.
It wasn’t leaving.
I wasn’t…breathing.
I couldn’t quite digest the unnatural blonde hair, but I knew those cheekbones. I knew those crystal blue eyes. I knew him.
“…Blaine.”
Chapter 31
Sucker For Pain
Everything about him was off. The hair, the clothes, the way he carried himself. The Blaine I knew always looked perfectly polished. Prim, proper, always a gentleman. Hell, that’s why his nickname had been ‘Gatsby.’ This person, this imitation, was not him. He laxly leaned against the doorway, hands in pocket. Where perfectly groomed black hair used to be now rested bed-head, bleached-blonde locks. His head-to-toe Armani attire had been replaced by faded black jeans, beaten up riding boots, a black leather jacket, and an untucked, half-unbuttoned dress shirt. I just continued to gawk stupidly at him, my brain unable to process what stood in front of me.
His lips tipped up into a pirated grin. “Hey, Kit Kat.”
I finally managed to tear my eyes from him long enough to look at Daniel, seeing the side of his face still marred by the silver I’d burned him with. “What the hell is this?”
Daniel motioned to Blaine with an exaggerated Vanna White gesture. “Your present, of course. Don’t you like it?”
Blaine just looked at me, expectantly. He sighed at last when it was clear I wasn’t going to answer. “You seem surprised, and reasonably so, but I thought for sure you’d be happy to see me again.”
“How is this possible? You… I mean, the police reports… You were decapitated.”
He and Daniel shared a knowing, Cheshire grin.
“We have what you’d call, ‘friends in low places,’” said Daniel.
“Not to mention a few members of the police force in our pockets to fudge some facts,” added his cohort. “With the way death is treated around here, it’s best to convince everyone that you won’t be coming back, especially with the likes of Reynolds snooping around. And nothing sounds more absolute than beheading.”
“Where’s Reese?” I growled. “What did you do to him?”
Blaine cast me a mocking smile. “We took care of him.”
Daniel outright laughed, seeing the blatant horror in my eyes. “Relax, Kitty Kat. Not like that. The Boss thought it would be in poor taste to start your new union together by offing your previous beau. Even if it is Blackburn.” He cocked his head in amusement. “You really do have lousy taste in men, don’t you?”
Blaine clicked his tongue. “Now, now. No reason to be mean. I’m on that list too, remember.”
“I, for one, have to admit. I’m quite impressed with you,” said Daniel, crooking a finger at me. “I mean, I always knew you had tenacity, but this?” He eyed me up and down, shivering his shoulders theatrically.
He brought his hand up again to my chin, and I instantly snapped at it with my teeth. Daniel startled back wi
th a laugh. “That’s the spirit. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what the Boss saw in you at first, but I stand corrected. Quite the little fighter you are. You just might make a fine, ferocious princess after all.”
My body quivered at the very thought. Of what their ‘boss’ had planned for me.
I couldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me scared. I looked back to Blaine, trying to bury the sheer terror beneath all the anger. “Who did this to you?”
“Did what?”
“Dyed your hair,” I countered with equal moxie. “What’d you think? Who turned you?”
Blaine smiled guiltily. “I have what you might call a…preexisting condition.”
“Meaning what?”
That smile quickly turned feline. “You’re a smart girl, Kat. Figure it out.”
My heart sank in my chest. “No.”
He whimpered mockingly. “Afraid so.”
“But you can’t be. I know your parents. Our moms play tennis together for crying out loud!”
“Being a ‘mom’ doesn’t necessarily make a woman a mother, if you catch my drift.”
“Adopted?”
“As I suspect you’re already familiar with. And to think, my folks were so happy at first, having an adorable bundle of joy that never cried. It wasn’t until a bit later that they realized the wiring upstairs just wasn’t quite right,” he remarked, tapping the side of his head.
“But…how? You guys aren’t exactly what you’d call upstanding citizens. You’re more like gremlins on crack.”
“Years of practice on my part. Clinically, I’m what you’d call a sociopath. See, demonic entities such as myself still feel emotion. Our range just isn’t very expansive. And the pesky ones we can just turn off.”
Insidious: (The Marked Mage Chronicles, Book 1) Page 29