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My body calms, aided by years of experience in dealing with the faceless. I take a step towards the creature, fully prepared to tell it to get the fuck out of here. But as I look at it without fear, I’m surprised to feel a familiar pain emanating from it. The feeling is almost exactly what I feel from the faceless.
Well, shit.
I think this might be another trapped soul. It’s either that or this creature has huge problems with projecting its negativity.
Keeping my breathing even, I let the pain of the creature flood through me. Despair, shame, and so much anger radiate from it. The creature is now deathly still as I step forward, slowly extending my shaking hand toward it.
There are a lot of teeth. No amount of self-soothing techniques will make those teeth less of a threat.
I can hear the creatures outside now, getting closer to us. There are claws scraping against the roof and walls of the parking garage. Everything is happening fast, but my mind feels like running in slow motion.
Unsure of whether it will work, I mentally search for whatever is binding the forsaken to the earth. As I do so, the same warm silver energy rises through my chest andout my arms, feeling like goosebumps erupting over my skin. My energy reaches for the forsaken that is now only a foot away from me.
Still, it makes no move to attack me as light envelopes it. While I can’t understand the creature, I can feel for it. It’s pitiful that something has lived trapped in those negative emotions.
Other forsaken are now entering the garage, scrambling up walls and along the ceiling. I block them all out.
My silvery light fully encompasses the forsaken now, blocking out its shape. I hold my breath, hoping this will work.
As the energy dissipates, the forsaken is replaced by what looks like a warrior. He is massive and wears leather and metal armour, akin to something I’ve only seen in movies. He’s holding a large battle axe.
Just like the faceless I’ve freed, he still holds a slight unearthly glow. I don’t have time to take in much else because the warrior looks around at the forsaken that are now swarming into the building and mouths, ‘Run.’
The sound of the forsaken’s claws digging into cement and plaster is a steady scratching sound. Breaking my eyes from the warrior, I see them pouring into the garage, skittering across the walls and other cars, moving like a swarm of insects.
I don’t need to be told twice and run the last couple of steps towards my car.
Throwing myself inside of it, I can hear the creatures running and jumping for me, but instead of feeling pain, I hear their pained shrieks as the warrior attacks them, buying me some time.
Turning my keys in the ignition, I slam my foot onto the gas. I hear a thump just as claws pierce the passenger side of my car as I speed for the open door. The forsaken slams a clawed hand through the passenger window, trying to reach for me.
I scream and twist the wheel so that as I tear through the parking garage exit, I pinch the creature between the garage wall and my car — the forsaken screeches in pain before it’s effectively dislodged.
My car emerges from the parking garage, and I can see more of them through the thin fog that coats the outside air.
I swerve my car to try and avoid them as I speed through my building’s outer parking lot, heading for the road. All the while, I scan the area, looking for Leon.
He said the creatures can’t hurt him, so I hope that means he’s well and alive.
Spinning my car onto the road, I see him running towards me from another side of the building. His eyes glow that same vivid blue, making it easy to spot him. I fishtail my car around, turning to pick him up.
Behind me now, a swarm of forsaken tears out of the parking garage, running towards us, the soft glow of the warrior nowhere in sight. Without slowing, I speed towards Leon and only slam the brakes once I reach him.
As Leon jumps into the car, he looks up to see the forsaken still coming out of the parking garage in droves. I say nothing at his shocked expression as he puts two and two together, realizing that is where I just came from. Instead, I step on the gas, speeding as quickly as my car can take us to get anywhere that isn’t here.
Chapter 18
WE’VE BEEN DRIVING FOR A QUARTER OF AN HOUR WITHOUT ANYsign of being followed when I finally ease off the gas pedal, and offer Leon a weak smile. “See? Plan B totally worked.”
Leon’s jaw twitches as he slowly turns to look at me. He still looks furious. “Worked? Your plan worked?” He whispers.
I frown back at him. “Well, yeah, we got out of the apartment without blowing up the town during some epic supernatural fight. I think that counts as a win.”
I’m just going to pretend his barely contained fury doesn’t exist. That way, it can’t hurt me. Right?
Leon narrows his eyes. “I don’t think you understand what is at stake here. This is bigger than just one insignificant town. The universe, Vivian. If we allowMorgana to release her Destroyer, the entire universe could be ended in a heartbeat.” He snaps his fingers for effect.
I fume but bite my tongue. The voice inside my head is screaming, even though I don’t let her out. I never let her out.
