* * *
Alex and the other two men burst out of the stairwell onto the fifth floor. When the alarm went off, they’d been waiting for the elevator, but they knew it would stay locked on the ground floor during an emergency. Only slightly winded from sprinting up five flights, Alex began moving down the corridor toward Cassie Rogan’s room. Terrified patients and hospital staff ran straight into him, blocking him.
Then, he heard the staccato roaring of what could only be a giant animal. The walls literally shook with its rage. This was no fire.
“There!” Anders yelled, pointing down the hallway.
Alex saw the back of Cassie Rogan’s blond head as it disappeared in the crowd, moving the other way.
“What’s going on?” Pearson asked.
“I think maybe this is our dragon,” Alex said.
“Shit!” said Pearson. “So, what do we do now?”
“We grab the target then get the hell out of here,” Alex said. “Move!” Alex ran down the hallway, pushing his way past the terrified crowd.
McKnight was going to be really, really pissed.
* * *
Through Gazekiller’s blue-tinted vision, Maelhrandia saw the terrified mage before her. Paralyzed by fear, the woman had remained in her room. No sadist, Maelhrandia received no gratification in the slaughter of lesser beings—unlike some of her sisters—but she did feel the heady sense of satisfaction course through her as Gazekiller rammed his massive head into the room. The wall shattered, and the woman screamed.
Feast, she ordered. And then, another woman—younger with hideous golden hair—ran into the room just as Gazekiller’s jaws bit into the mage. Through the mind-tether, Maelhrandia tasted the blood of her victim, felt the basilisk’s satisfaction. Blood splattered the other woman’s face as Gazekiller bit the mage in half.
All too easy. She didn’t even try to cast—
A wall of air smashed into Gazekiller’s head—so hard the basilisk was knocked back outside of the building. He lost his grip on the wall and fell several feet before managing to hang on again.
Gazekiller had killed the wrong woman. The golden-haired one was the mage. The basilisk roared in rage, tearing loose pieces of the wall as he climbed back up.
* * *
Alex dashed down the corridor. The roaring of the beast, whatever the hell it was, reverberated through the hallways. He came up behind Cassie Rogan, still standing in front of her hospital room, her hands clenched into fists at her side. When he saw the carnage inside her room, he staggered to a stop: A giant horned lizard head reared up on the other side of a twisted, smashed hole in the wall. The monster was literally hanging onto the outside of the wall. Its teeth were the size of his forearm and wickedly pointed. Its bulbous eyes blazed with a blue radiance. On the floor of the hospital room, just in front of Cassie Rogan’s feet, was the severed lower torso of a human being. Through the hole in the wall, the wind whipped and blew the scent of fresh blood and rot into Alex’s face.
Someone ran into him from behind, snapping him out of his shock. The monster roared. He grabbed Cassie around the waist and wrenched her back, away from the doorway.
“Kill it!” he screamed at Anders and Pearson, who were standing just outside the room.
Dragging Cassie along with him, he ran back down the corridor. She put up no resistance—likely, she was in shock. He glanced at her blood-splattered face. Was she hurt? He didn’t have time to stop and find out. Behind him, he heard the distinctive pop-pop of small arms as his colleagues fired at the beast. His mission was the woman, but he was pretty sure he had just killed Anders and Pearson.
He dragged Cassie to the stairwell and held the door open as he shoved her through. Risking a quick glance down the corridor, he saw that Pearson and Anders had stopped firing and were standing like statues. The lizard’s head burst through the wall of the hospital room, smashing into the two men.
Their bodies shattered into chunks of red meat. What the hell?
The lizard struggled as it pulled itself farther into the hospital corridor, but the space was too enclosed. Plaster and debris rained down from the ceiling, and the entire hospital shook. Its giant eyes, filled with hatred and rage, still glowed with that eerie blue light. Alex reached for the pistol in the small of his back, but Cassie chose that moment to yank free of his grip and flee down the stairwell. He cast one quick glance back at the lizard, now smashing its way toward them, before turning and darting after Cassie, taking the steps three at a time.
He caught up to her before she reached the bottom floor, grabbed her arm again, and dragged her with him through the main floor, past terrified patients and frantic staff. As they reached the main entrance, two RCMP officers ran past, their service automatics drawn. “Don’t!” he yelled at their backs. “Pistols won’t—”
They were gone. He wouldn’t have stopped either, he knew, but it didn’t make it any easier. He turned away. Saving Cassie was his only goal at that moment. Whatever that thing was, it seemed to be after her. He shoved his way past terrified people, still gripping her upper arm in a viselike grip. Outside, a large crowd swelled near the entrance, pointing and staring at the hospital. They could hear the beast’s screaming, hear it thrashing about on the upper level, but obviously, they had yet to actually see it. If they had, Alex was pretty sure they’d be running for their lives.
When that thing gets loose, it’s going to kill indiscriminately. “Everyone get the hell out of here!” Alex yelled, waving his free arm. A few onlookers glanced at him in confusion, but nobody moved.
Once again, he heard the beast roar, metal twisting, glass breaking. He drew his pistol free, released the safety catch, and pointing it in the air, fired four quick shots. Now, the crowd screamed and broke, running in all directions. Cassie also seemed to come awake. She stared at his face in confusion then started pulling away, trying to get free of him.
The lizard’s head burst out of the wall above them, showering everyone in broken glass. Alex forced Cassie’s head down, covering it with his own body. The monster screamed its staccato challenge and ripped more of its body free of the opening it had just created. Had it known where they were, or had it just found them by chance?
The lizard’s rear legs seemed stuck. Its giant horned head spun about, clearly looking for something—or someone. Its gaze locked on Alex and Cassie. “Oh shit!” Alex muttered.
The thing’s blue eyes lit up like a searchlight, and Alex turned and bolted, dragging Cassie with him. They needed a vehicle—immediately. Alex glanced about. Pearson had had the keys to the van, not him.
They hit the parking lot, running past terrified people hiding behind parked cars. A second RCMP car roared up to the hospital behind them. Its tires screeched as it halted in front of the hospital. Risking a glance over his shoulder, he saw the lizard was almost free of the hospital wall. He dragged Cassie farther away.
She jerked to a stop. “Lee!” she yelled.
Following her gaze, he saw a young man and woman standing beside a motorcycle, still wearing helmets. Like everyone else, they were staring in shock at the giant lizard. Alex let Cassie drag him to them. The young man yanked his helmet loose and dropped it on the ground. His eyes went wide when he saw the pistol in Alex’s grip.
“What the hell are you doing? Let her go!”
“Give me the bike,” Alex ordered.
“What?”
“Lee,” Cassie said. “Alice is dead.”
“What’s happening? What is that thing?” asked the other woman.
The lizard was free of the hospital now and had bounded to the ground, swiveling its massive head about, no doubt still looking for Cassie.
“We need your bike,” Alex said, letting go of Cassie and gripping the shoulder of the young man.
“What?”
Pistol fire rang out from behind them. The police were still trying to stop the creature.
“Lee,” Alex said, putting steel into his voice. “Your name is Lee, right?”
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He nodded.
“Lee, if you don’t help us, that thing is going to kill Cassie. We need your bike.”
The young woman turned from Cassie to Alex then to the giant lizard. “Do it, Lee—just do it.”
The young man rammed his fingers into the pocket of his leather jacket and thrust his keys into Alex’s hands. Alex climbed aboard the bike, dragging Cassie with him. This time she yanked free of his grip, remaining with her friends. Alex locked eyes with her. “Cassie, you have to trust me.”
“I won’t leave my friends,” she said, shaking her head.
“Cassie, if you don’t get on this bike, that thing is going to kill you, me, and your friends.”
“Cassie, do it—just go,” pleaded the other woman.
“Go, Cassie,” said Lee.
The pistol fire had stopped. They were out of time. She hesitated only a moment longer and then climbed onto the bike behind him, locking her arms around his waist. The engine roared as it came to life.
“Run!” Alex screamed to the young man and woman.
As they turned and fled among the parked cars, Alex put the bike in gear, gunning the engine. Its tires spun as they fought for purchase. Alex changed gears again and sped out of the parking lot, hitting the street and accelerating. As they roared away, they passed a fire truck heading for the hospital, red lights flashing and siren thunderous.
Alex felt like a coward, but he had no other choice.
“Where are we going?” she yelled into his ear.
“As far away from here as we can get.”
Part 2: The Magic Kingdom
Chapter 16
Cassie clung to Alex’s back as he drove Lee’s motorcycle south, away from the hospital, away from the city. Nothing made any sense, and it was difficult to think clearly, but she was aware that they drove southeast along the Alaskan Highway, through the community of Taylor, and then across the bridge that spanned the roaring Peace River. Unlike Alex, she wore no helmet, so the wind assaulted her face. With no other choice, she placed her cheek up tight against his back.
Alice is dead. How is that possible? It isn’t. I’m dreaming, having a nightmare.
But her nightmares were almost always of the night her parents died.
Across the river, Alex slowed down and turned off the highway, heading west along Big Bam Road in the direction of the Big Bam Ski Hill. She had been there many times before, but not in years. Her heartbeat was racing, and coldness began to spread out from her core. She turned her head, looking back the way they had come and seeing nothing but trees. They passed the ski lodge but kept going.
Is there anything else this far out?
Alex slowed down when the paved road ended then pulled onto a dirt road. A large sign warned they were now on private government property and that all trespassers would be prosecuted. Where was he going?
“There’s nothing here,” she yelled into his helmeted head.
“It’s all right,” he yelled back. “You’re safe now.”
Well, of course I’m safe. None of this is real.
She heard rushing water and realized they must be close to the Pine River, a tributary of the Peace River. A moment later, she saw the river and the bridge that spanned it—a new bridge, one that shouldn’t be there, all metal and strong looking albeit narrow. Alex slowed down as he drove across it. On the opposite bank, the dirt road continued into the woods.
She closed her eyes again and lost track of time. She needed to sleep—she was so exhausted. But how could she go to sleep if she were already dreaming? And who was tired in a dream? Nothing made sense.
Her eyes flashed open just as she realized she was starting to slip off the bike. She gripped Alex even tighter. He yelled something to her, but she couldn’t make it out. It was becoming increasingly hard for her to focus. The chill that had begun in her stomach had spread throughout her entire body, and she couldn’t stop shivering.
Now she knew she was dreaming, because up ahead a tank blocked the road. Alex slowed down and came to a stop in front of it. He lifted his visor and started talking to a soldier standing up in a hatch on the top of the tank. She recognized her name but couldn’t focus on what they were saying. The soldier waved them on, and Alex drove past. Up close, she realized it probably wasn’t a tank after all because it had big, high wheels, and she was pretty sure tanks were supposed to be tracked. Surprised, she also now saw that the soldier Alex had been speaking to was a young woman. Cassie smiled and waved, holding on to Alex with only one hand. She may have been dreaming, but there was no need to be rude.
The female soldier looked confused, but she raised her hand and waved back.
Cassie’s vision began to turn gray around the edges, and she could no longer feel her fingertips. Perhaps she should just let go and fall off. She could curl up on the ground and close her eyes, be alone in silence. That might be nice.
They drove out of the woods and into a vast open area that had been cleared of trees and covered in gravel. Ahead of them, she saw a large fence topped with razor wire, surrounding a massive complex of buildings and trailers. Alex drove toward a gated guard building. The motorcycle’s tires crunched on loose stones as he came to a stop. Several young men in dark-blue security uniforms and bulletproof vests, carrying machine guns, came out and surrounded them. She found herself staring into the face of a large dog that stood on a leash next to one of the guards. The dog, its ears standing up high, locked its eyes on Cassie and then cocked its head as if confused. Alex was explaining something to the guards—no, that wasn’t right: he was giving them orders. She watched them for a moment but then lost interest. Once again, she stared into the dog’s eyes, smiled, and fell off the bike.
She heard the dog barking, but it seemed far off and quickly grew fainter as she slipped away.
Chapter 17
Cassie screamed as the avalanche of mud, water, and debris smashed into her parents’ car, knocking it off the highway and down the embankment. The car flipped again and again, yanking her against her seat belt. With a crunch of metal, it came to an abrupt halt—right side up but almost standing on its hood, its rear end in the air. She hung forward against her seatbelt, gasping for air. The car’s headlights shone against the trunk of the tree that it had smashed into. All around them, the mudslide continued to roar as the slurry sped past. Then, it poured over the hood of the car. She heard screaming and then realized it came from her.
Her mother kept calling her father’s name, but he didn’t answer. The dark muddy waters reached the front windshield and then began to rise over it. The light from the headlights went dark, and all she could make out was the silhouette of her parents’ heads. She frantically jabbed at the release button for her seatbelt, but it wouldn’t give. She was trapped.
The waters reached the side windows. Something salty dripped down the side of her head and into her mouth. The waters continued to rise, now reaching the rear windows. Soon, the entire car would be submerged.
“Cassie!” her mother yelled, cutting through her lethargy. “Pay attention. Can you get out?”
“What?”
“Baby, can you get out?” Her mother’s voice trembled, but there was determination in it as well as fear.
“I… the seatbelt is stuck. Get me out. Dad, help!”
Her father didn’t answer.
“What’s wrong with Dad? Make him answer.”
“Baby, listen to me.” Cassie could just make out the shine of her mother’s eyes in the darkness where she had turned around in her seat. “You’re hanging against your seatbelt, pulling against it. You need to brace yourself against something first.”
“Mom, I’m scared.”
“It’ll be fine, baby, but you need to move, now!”
The windshield cracked, the sound too loud within the car. The furor of the mudslide was growing dimmer as the car became submerged.
“Hurry, baby. Push with your feet against the front seat.”
“But—”
&
nbsp; “Now!”
Cassie shoved her feet against the seat in front of her and pushed. Then she jabbed at the seatbelt release button again, certain it wouldn’t work.
It did. As the seatbelt snaked loose, Cassie fell forward against the front seat, closer to her parents. Gasping, she wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck. Her mother gripped Cassie’s arm and sobbed.
“Mom, help Dad.”
Her mother pried her arms loose. “Baby, you have to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Once again, she tried to wrap her arms around her mother’s neck, but her mother held her wrists away. “Cassie! Listen to me. You need to get out of here now. We’ll follow. If you stay, you’ll drown.”
“But—”
“Do it!”
Cassie grasped at her handle and tried to push the car door open, but it didn’t budge. She groaned, gritting her teeth and slamming her shoulder against the door as she pulled on the handle. Nothing.
“Not working.” She was nearly breathless with effort and terror.
The slurry lapped over the top of the rear window.
“Here, try this.” Her mother reached over and shoved a heavy metal object into Cassie’s hands. It was the rod her father used to lock his steering wheel whenever he parked in Fort St. John. It was at least a foot-long piece of solid steel, weighing about five pounds. Her mother had always teased her father about it, making fun of his paranoia. He, in turn, had insisted they needed it, that car thieves were always prowling the city, waiting to steal their six-year-old family car.
The rod was smooth, hard, and cold in her grip. “What should I do?”
“Smash out the rear window. Swim free. Don’t stop for anything.”
“But Dad…”
“I’ll bring Dad. You just swim up. Just go up.”
“But—”
“Baby, do it now!” Her mother was shrieking. The panic in her voice was unmistakable, terrifying in itself, and it galvanized Cassie into action.
Turning, she squared off against the rear window and gripped the rod in both hands like a bat. As hard as she could, she smashed the rear window, creating a spider’s web of cracks across it, but it held. Frantic, she hit it again, and again, and then again. With each hit, the cracks widened. Water sprayed in her face, cold and terrifying.
Starlight (The Dark Elf War Book 1) Page 13