Face the Dark (Hunters of the Dark #3)

by Dave Ferraro

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “New weapon?” Rachel asked, tapping her finger against her lips. “What does that mean?”

  “Greece,” Brett said. “What else? What did we bring back with us?”

  “The vial?” Krystal suggested. She looked toward Amelia. “I mean, I assume that it, um, came out?”

  Brett snorted.

  “It came out,” Amelia answered tightly.

  “We don’t know anything about it yet, besides the fact that it’s powerful,” Jordan said. “Should we perform some tests on it?”

  “I have a sample,” Jade informed him. She glanced up at Amelia. “I haven’t really had a chance to look over it yet, with everything going on around here.”

  “Me neither,” Amelia admitted.

  Shanna shook her head. “No. Rangda seemed to think I would know what it was. We don’t even know what the vial is.”

  “Not yet,” Jade said. “But with a little time.”

  “I think it’s something else. Something more obvious.”

  “Maybe some information we came back with,” Hunter reasoned.

  “Or maybe you,” Rachel said to Hunter. “We didn’t meet you until this mission.”

  “Or Krystal,” Brett threw in. “Cause she’s wicked strong.”

  Krystal beamed.

  “Yeah!” Quinn perked up. “Is the Dream Demon like, dead? Because she can control the dead.”

  “Demons are higher beings,” Jordan said. “They were never human.”

  “They’re not higher beings,” Jade scoffed. “They’re a different species. They would like you to think that they’re more important, but they’re not.”

  Jordan didn’t look convinced, but shrugged, not willing to argue the point.

  “So, if I’m understanding this right, we have to grab him in our dreams?” Krystal asked. “That will bring him to reality like the sand he…sheds or whatever.”

  “Yeah,” Shanna nodded.

  “Sounds kind of sketchy, doesn’t it?”

  “How so?” Natalia turned her head toward Krystal.

  “Well, Shanna will have to go back in there no matter what we think up. Maybe it’s just to put her back in the dreamscape. So, I don’t know, she can take over her body when she’s finally lost enough strength or something.”

  “It’s definitely a risk,” Shanna acknowledged. “But I don’t think she’s lying about this.”

  “Either way,” Jade cleared her throat. “It sounds like Rangda suggests that you go back into the dream, but bring this weapon in with you. So it seems like it works both ways. You can bring things into your dream, and you can take things out.”

  “I guess so,” Shanna frowned.

  “And we just need to figure out which weapon you bring in with you.”

  “But she has no chance of fighting it if it’s so out of range,” Cameron said. He threw up his hands. “It’s hopeless. I think this discussion is a waste of time.”

  “You have a better idea?” Quinn asked him.

  Cameron glared in his direction. “Yeah, how about we not listen to what a fucking demon tells us to do? For all we know, she’s setting it up so we’re all screwed here.”

  Shanna looked away uncomfortably. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was a trick. But somehow it seemed like the truth. It felt right.

  “Either way, researching has turned up nothing thus far, as Rangda indicated. We’re running out of time, and we’re running out of ideas,” Hunter said. “We need a solution fast. If the solution comes from a demon, so be it.”

  “As long as it doesn’t catch up with us,” Natalia added.

  “I don’t mind,” Shanna said. “I’ll go into the dreams again to fight the creature, with whatever I need to.”

  “Shanna…” Cameron put a hand on her shoulder, but she pushed it away.

  “Rachel saved me in there. I’m going back in to help her this time. And…it’s not like I really have much of a choice in the matter. I’m going back whether I want to or not.”

  Natalia looked at her for a moment before she sighed. “Shanna, Rangda said you knew what the weapon was. What do you think she meant?”

  Shanna looked startled by the question but quickly recovered. She pondered over the question for a moment.

  “The vial doesn’t seem right?” Jade tried again.

  “No,” Shanna said with certainty.

  “What else is powerful enough to bring the guy to you?” Krystal asked, shrugging.

  Shanna blinked, then stood up straight. “Of course. That’s it.”

  Krystal’s eyes widened. “What? What’s it?”

  She looked over at Brett nervously before she answered. “Serene.”