by Dave Ferraro
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Serene?” Krystal breathed, staring at Shanna.
“But she’s mute!” Brett protested. “She’s hardly dangerous anymore. It can’t be her!”
“She’s still got some of her strength,” Jade mumbled. “And possibly her wings. And maybe even-”
“Okay,” Hunter interrupted her. “I was afraid that you were going to say that, Shanna. Now, Serene could conceivably be the weapon to lure him to us if she had her voice. She can attract a man to her-”
“A man?” Brett demanded, cutting her off. “This thing that’s in their dreams isn’t any man.”
“Male,” Hunter corrected himself. “The male sex. The point is, that in her dreams, Serene can be whatever she wants. It’s a dream. She can still be empowered, have a voice. She could make him come to her.”
Brett closed his eyes. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. You can’t be serious! That thing is a monster! We can’t just let it out of its cage to help us with another problem we have. Do you have any idea what that thing’s capable of!?”
“Yes,” Hunter replied darkly. “We are all aware.” He let his eyes drift toward Jade before catching himself. “I’m well aware of the risks. Just as I’m well aware that one of our own is lying unconscious in the infirmary, fighting for her life, with Shanna fighting to stay awake so she won’t join her.”
“He’s right,” Shanna concurred. “I’m not going to be able to hold out much longer. And if I fall asleep, I won’t be able to bring anything in there with me.”
“So we’re just going to let the enemy smooth things over, solve our problems for us?” Brett asked, crossing his arms.
“If Rangda wants us to release Serene,” Jade said slowly. “Perhaps that isn’t he smartest course of action though.”
Jordan put a hand on his sister’s hand. “I know the idea of this makes you nervous.”
“Try petrified,” Jade said, laughing a little to cover up her shaky reply.
“But it’s Shanna…we have to try.”
Jade glanced over at Shanna. “Yeah, I know.” She looked at Brett. “We have to, Brett. She’s not going to be able to do any harm in her condition. And if we only need her to be drugged up and asleep, all the better.”
Brett considered this for a moment, then nodded stiffly.
“Okay, say it’s male and we do get this thing out of the dream realm,” Krystal suddenly piped up. “What then? Beat it relentlessly?”
Quinn frowned. “Not if it’s made out of sand, you won’t.”
Hunter froze at his words, and stared at him incredulously.
“You don’t say,” Jade murmured, a hint of a smile crossing her lips.
“Well, how the hell do you kill something made out of sand?” Brett asked.
Shanna watched Hunter, who’d recovered his composure. He leaned back into his chair with a smile. “Well, there might be a way.”