by Diana Paz
Julia couldn’t have disagreed more. If she never saw another snake-beast or mutant fish person again, it would be too soon. She exhaled slowly through loosely pursed lips, her eyes closing as she drew in the other girls’ power. “Time is frozen. Now what?”
Angie’s small, serene face looked almost ghostlike as she stood in the increasingly dark, swampy forest. “Now they will come.”
Julia swallowed. How could someone so small and sweet turn completely scary like that?
“We should separate,” Kaitlyn said, looking radiant in her excitement. Her palms already pulsed with white light. “It will make us look more vulnerable.”
“Good thinking,” Angie said.
More vulnerable? Had these two lost their cheese? “No-no-no!” She hurried to Angie’s side. No way was she separating. “If something happens, we need to be able to form the connection and turn invisible or Journey or whatever we need to do.”
Kaitlyn’s derisive laughter was cut off by the sound of a fierce, terrible roar.
Julia cringed.
“Creatures,” Kaitlyn said as her lips curved in a smile.
“That was quick,” Angie whispered.
“W-w-when do I unfreeze time?”
Kaitlyn snorted as Angie raced back to the hacienda. “Not yet,” Angie said. “Not until we have the creature in sight. It has to be near mortals or else it might not return to the portal once we expose it.”
Julia’s throat sealed shut.
“I’ll take it down,” Kaitlyn said, the glow in her palms growing so bright her fingers disappeared.
“Don’t use your full power,” Angie whispered as they neared the ruckus the creature was making in the time-frozen world. “It won’t do any good if it gets knocked unconscious and we can’t follow it to the portal.”
Kaitlyn slumped a little, her full lips forming a pout. Julia would have laughed if she hadn’t been so scared. Leave it to Kaitlyn to look sexy even in the face of imminent danger.
“I’ll just blast it with one hand, then,” Kaitlyn said murkily. Her eyes found Julia’s and narrowed. “Quit lagging behind. I’m not missing out on blasting creatures because you’re scared without your precious Ethan protecting you.”
Julia’s cheeks burned and she took several purposeful strides forward, pushing open a wooden door. The foyer lay beyond, and she walked soundlessly on the tiled floor. The sight that met her sent a spear of ice through her heart. A minotaur. His horned head and deformed bull-face made that much clear.
“Daughter,” he rasped.
Julia flinched. It had been the same voice that found its way into her mind earlier. “Angie,” she squeaked, scrambling backward. Why had she gone ahead alone? Why had she let Kaitlyn get to her?
Her hands came up, instinctively filling with power.
“Don’t blast it yet,” Angie said from behind her.
Julia tugged at her friend’s arm and urged them back into the corridor. “Last time we met one of those things, it split your stomach open!”
Angie ran ahead. “And you healed me.”
“Barely,” Julia cried, struggling to keep up with her, the weight of her dress making her legs feel ten thousand times heavier than normal.
The minotaur snorted, his head thrashing from side to side as he took off after them at a run.
“Hurry,” Julia yelled.
“We have to lure it toward people,” Angie said, her cheeks flushed as she rushed through the hallway. “As soon as I say so, unfreeze time and Journey after it.”
“Where’s Kaitlyn?” Julia asked, swallowing hard against the fear making her stomach feel like she had been riding on the tilt-a-whirl after eating too many greasy hot dogs. “How am I supposed to do any of that without all of us together?”
“I’m right here,” Kaitlyn said as they turned a corner. “You are such a baby, I swear.”
Julia didn’t care about Kaitlyn’s mocking tone. She practically tackled the dark haired girl, relief pouring through her as she established their connection. The minotaur roared from behind them and Julia forced her feet to keep moving. The monster’s ragged breathing filled the narrow corridor. Its heavy footfalls slapped against the stone floor.
Another minotaur appeared at the opposite end of the hallway.
Julia screamed as they skidded to a stop. Kaitlyn’s hands lit with blinding power in the darkness.
“This way,” Angie called, turning into a side passage.
Julia raced after her, forcing herself to keep up in the awkward gown.
“They’re only going to keep coming after us,” Kaitlyn said, her eyes blazing as the dim hallway lit with the force of her magic. “Let’s blast them.”
“All right, but don’t use your full force,” Angie said. “Julia, you shoot one and Kaitlyn take the other. Just enough to slow them.”
“I’ll take the one on the right,” Julia yelled.
Kaitlyn nodded. Julia lifted her arms and fired a bolt of energy at the minotaur, but Kaitlyn blasted the same one.
“You said you were taking the one on the right, idiot,” Kaitlyn yelled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Julia’s breaths came in burning, painful gasps. She had said right when she meant left. How could she have made such a stupid mistake? With both of them blasting the same minotaur, it was knocked unconscious and useless to them for finding the portal. Meanwhile, the other one snarled, looking fairly pissed as it bore down on them.
“It’s okay,” Angie said as they sped down to the back of the large hacienda. “Just… don’t blast this one. Okay?”
Up ahead, an outdoor space led to a cooking area. Julia’s heart felt like it was going to burst… so much running! How big was this place, anyway?
Another whir of energy sounded behind her. Another infuriated roar. Was Kaitlyn blasting the other minotaur? As she turned to check, her foot caught on a groove in the tiled flooring. She went careening forward, slamming into Angie’s back.
Angie scrambled backward, twisting in her enormous gown as the two of them tumbled to the ground.
“Ow,” Julia muttered, unable to get up in the tangle of lace and skirts. She scooted across the stone floor. The kitchen area was behind her and time-frozen servants were clearly within view. “People,” Julia managed to sputter, still twisted in her gown. “The creature will have to go back to the portal if we unfreeze time.”
“Not yet,” Angie cried, managing to stand up. “Lure it closer, Kaitlyn. Hurry!”
Julia tried to stand but her nearly floor-length veil snagged, tangled around her waist. She kicked at her petticoats and the heavy fabric confining her legs, hitching up her dress as the minotaur fought Kaitlyn. It was clear Kaitlyn was in command of herself, almost toying with the beast as she twirled out of reach like a dancer. Her black hair spun in a horizontal plane across her back, landing in an inky waterfall along one bare shoulder. The minotaur lunged for her and she raced a few steps toward the kitchen before pausing again to send a tiny blast of magic at the creature’s leg, making him stumble. She laughed and ducked as he swiped at her.
“Don’t make him even madder,” Julia called out, finally unraveling her skirts and staggering to her feet.
“Fools,” the minotaur growled. “You do not understand the power you trifle with.”
Julia’s breath hitched at the gravelly sound. She wanted to run away and hide. The thing was huge. Its shoulders were as wide as the three of them. Its horns gleamed, sharp and deadly in the strange, time-frozen sunset. She managed to stumble toward Angie, who took her hand and held it tight. “Kaitlyn! Come on. Make the connection!”
But Kaitlyn only gave the minotaur a sly look. “We’re the fools?” she taunted. “You’re the one who got yourself banished to the nether.”
His nostrils flared in his slimy, glistening muzzle. “And you nearly did as well, Daughter of Future. Or have you forgotten?”
Kaitlyn paled. Her lips became a thin line as she lifted both hands.
“No!�
� Angie cried. “We need him”
But it was too late. Kaitlyn blasted him with the full force of her power, both palms turned out as twin bolts of searing white magic sped from her hands and landed square on the infuriated minotaur’s chest.
The beast flew back, slamming against a far wall. The impact caused a split to appear in the stucco behind him.
“Great move,” Julia muttered. “Now we have two unconscious creatures and no lead to the portal.”
“So?” Kaitlyn lifted her dress and stepped over him. “He’ll wake up.”
“Yeah but we waste so much time until then,” Angie said. “Other creatures could be pouring from the portal even as we speak, emerging on a time-frozen world that they have free reign over.”
“Not to mention Brian transforming into a creature,” Julia said.
Angie slumped against the wall, her delicate shoulder pressing against the clay-like stone. She glanced down at her palms and filled them with light for a moment. Julia realized Angie was healing her hands… she didn’t even have to say Restore out loud to heal small wounds.
She felt a moment’s awe, and also tried to cast the spell without talking out loud. Restore, she thought, holding out her own scraped hands. Magic formed in her palms, but it sat there, almost like it was waiting for her to tell it something. It certainly didn’t heal her. “Restore,” she finally said out loud.
Angie brushed her palms together and looked up. “We have no choice but to unfreeze time and try again. It might be hours before he comes to.”
Julia looked down at the monstrous creature. “But then he’ll return to the nether and be free to come back again.”
“Not if we kill it.”
Angie gave Kaitlyn a level stare. “Our magic can’t kill.”
Kaitlyn strode to the kitchen area and returned with a large, gleaming knife. She looked first to Angie, then set her flashing green eyes on Julia.
“Our magic can’t kill,” she said slowly, each of her words dropping like ticking time bombs. “But we can.”
Julia sucked in a breath. Stabbing an unconscious creature to death? “Are you flippin’ out of your mind?”
“It’s going to wake up and try to kill us all over again,” Kaitlyn said, her eyes cool and her voice soft and very, very serious. “I’ll cut its throat. You guys don’t have to watch.”
“You’re nuts,” Julia said, turning to Angie, looking for backup. “She’s nuts.”
But Angie wore an uncertain frown, her head tilted to the side. Her clear blue eyes lifted to meet Julia’s. “Ethan would do it, if he were here.”
Julia’s lips parted. Ethan never left a creature alive. Ever.
“Just because we’re girls doesn’t mean we can’t do the same thing he does.”
Her mouth went dry. Could they really do it? The idea of cutting into skin and meat, of hot blood gushing over her hands… her head shook slightly as she looked from the knife to the creature, then back to Angie. “I’m not—I’m not—”
“You’re not a killer?” Kaitlyn said. “But you let Ethan be one. You didn’t complain then.”
Julia wanted to deny it. The way Kaitlyn said it made it sound like she was just using Ethan. “But… th-that was what Ethan said. He said he was supposed to kill them.”
“Whatever we’re doing, we need to do it quickly. Leaving time frozen like this is only going to make our job that much harder,” Angie said, her hands clenching and unclenching in her gown. “Not to mention, that minotaur could wake up any minute.”
Kaitlyn moved in her dress like a dark angel. Shrouded in black lace, surrounded by black hair, she knelt beside the stunned beast.
“Ethan would stab it in the heart and slice its throat, quick,” Kaitlyn said. “I watched him fight at Santa Monica.”
A jolt of heat zapped Julia’s heart. She remembered that fight. Kaitlyn and Ethan had worked really well together.
“I’m going to do it,” Kaitlyn whispered. She raised the blade high.
Julia wanted to stop her. Killing something in the heat of the moment, out of self-defense, that somehow made it seem less terrible.
Kaitlyn’s blade flashed. Her teeth bared and the scar on her cheek twisted. The knife came down and as it did, the minotaur’s eyes flew open.
“Holy crap!” Julia yelled, her hands filling with power.
“No,” Kaitlyn cried, her knife coming down hard on the demon beast’s chest. Blood gushed from the wound, black and thick. The creature grabbed at Kaitlyn’s wrist, making her cry out. It rose to its full, horrifying height, yanking Kaitlyn’s arm high and causing her to cry out. Blood pulsed from its chest in thick waves. As the monster roared, something like vomit came up past its lips. Its eyes rolled back and its intense, awful noises made Julia’s stomach churn. She almost covered her eyes.
“We have to blast it,” Angie yelled, magic pooling in her palms. She fired a bolt at the beast, who reared back its head and roared.
Julia lifted her hands and focused her energy on the monster. “Kaitlyn, you’re too close.”
“It won’t let go of my wrist,” Kaitlyn said, her breathing tight through clenched teeth.
“Focus your energy on the monster,” Angie said, lifting her hands again. “You won’t miss.”
The minotaur slammed Kaitlyn against the wall. Her head lolled forward as her knife clattered to the stone-cobbled ground.
“Do it,” Angie cried, sending another jolt of magic at the creature.
Julia shot at the demon, forcing as much of her energy toward it as she could.
The monster’s eyes rolled back as it collapsed against the wall.
“We need to heal Kaitlyn,” Julia said.
Kaitlyn lifted her head, pushing herself into a sitting position. “We need to kill the creature,” came her dull, croaking voice.
Julia took the knife from where it had landed on the ground. It was heavier than she thought it would be. Silently, she offered it to Kaitlyn.
Blood still flowed from the minotaur’s wound. Julia pressed her lips together. Kaitlyn was right. The thing needed to die.
But Kaitlyn stared at the beast. Her eyes lacked their usual fire and her hand trembled. She rose to her knees, wincing as she lifted her arm high. Moments passed. Her face took on a strange, gray tone. With a hitch in her breath she turned her head aside. “I can’t.”
Julia blinked rapidly. She knelt beside her. “Maybe if we heal you first—”
“No. It’s… harder than I thought it would be. I think I could do it in the heat of the moment, but stabbing it earlier while it was unconscious,” she broke off, handing Julia the knife. “You do it.”
Julia nearly fell back on her butt. “Me?” She gripped the hilt, her hands slick with sweat and her body shaking, wanting nothing more than to hurl the weapon aside.
“Do it,” Kaitlyn whispered. “It’s only stunned, after all. That never lasts long.”
Julia stared at the creature. Its chest rose and fell, air escaping from cruel lips that even unconscious, still twisted in a sneer. The thing would kill them for sure.
“I just… I just don’t think I can.”
The knife vanished from Julia’s hands. Like a darting beam of light, Angie put herself between them and the creature. Silent, other than the rustle of skirts, the blade swept across the minotaur’s throat.
The monster’s nostrils flared once. Dark fluid poured from the wound in gushing waves.
Angie looked smaller than ever with a bloodied knife in her hand. Wide, blue eyes blinked at them, as innocently as an angel’s even as her hands dripped with blood.
Julia rose to her feet. “Holy crap.”
Kaitlyn took the knife from Angie’s hands. “Thank you,” she whispered, the two words low and halting. Her chest heaved against her blood-soaked gown. The scar on her cheek was rimmed in red.
“Hopefully we don’t have to do this often,” Angie said, her face pale and her eyes revealing no trace of emotion. “And, you’re welcome.”
Kaitlyn cleaned the knife on the minotaur’s fur. Before she had turned the blade over to wipe the other side, the minotaur’s body began losing substance. Blackness enveloped the creature, swallowing the corpse even as it swirled around them until every drop of blood vanished into nothingness.
“The nether took him back,” Angie whispered.
Kaitlyn stood. “It was the same at Santa Monica, remember?”
Julia swallowed thickly. She had never paid attention to what happened when Ethan killed creatures before. She hadn’t wanted to see their bodies.
Kaitlyn looked at Julia and then at Angie, almost as if seeking approval. “We did it. We killed a creature and we did it ourselves.”
Angie’s lashes lifted. She gazed steadily at Kaitlyn, her voice soft and clear. “One less demon for the world to worry about.”
Kaitlyn’s lips turned up, her scar puckering along her cheek, but her smile evaporated as another roar sounded from the hallway where they had come from.
“The other minotaur,” Angie breathed. “Link up. Let’s time it just right this time. We want to be sure it will have no choice but to escape to the portal.”
Julia nearly jumped out of her skin as the other minotaur appeared at the far end of the courtyard.
“Now,” Angie cried.
Julia shut her eyes, forcing the flow of time back into motion. The sounds of the kitchen servants could be heard on the light breeze, laughter and talking and utensils scraping against cooking ware.
“It will have to take off for the portal,” Angie said. “Julia, when you Journey us, follow the path of darkness. Don’t let it get—”
The minotaur bellowed, but rather than evaporate into a darkness that Julia could follow, it quickly morphed. Its fur disappeared, leaving tanned skin and a shaggy beard. “Gross,” Julia whispered at the sight of his naked body. Almost immediately clothing materialized over him. He wore a neckerchief, boots, pants that were frayed at the bottom… all he needed was an eye patch and he would look like a pirate. And not the Ethan kind of pirate. The kind of pirate that looked dirty and probably had scurvy.
He faced them and offered a snarling view of yellowed, rotting teeth.