Chapter 28
Kallie
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Copper jerked his headtoward the door and fought his way through the storm.Finn squeezed Kallie's hand so tight it might break her fingers, but that was the least of her concerns.
He pulled her after him without hesitation.She had no time to think.It took all her attention to stay connected to Finn.
Outside, the wind shoved her sideways.Rain pelted her skin like needles.Stumbling, she cried out.The only reason she stayed on her feet was that Finn refused to let her go down.
She gripped Finn's hand so tightly her knuckles ached, terrified that if she let go for even a second, the storm would swallow her whole.
They sprinted through the empty street, Copper leading the way with long, purposeful strides for a man his age.Kallie tried to keep her eyes on him, but something flickered at the edge of her vision—a distortion in the air.She turned her head, and the veil snapped into focus, a warped shimmer twisting the rain around it.Her breath caught as the thing pulled at her, tugging like invisible fingers hooking into her ribs.
Finn yanked her back so hard she slammed into his chest, his arms locking around her."Don't look at it," he shouted over the thunder.
She clung to him, shaking, her heart pounding so violently she thought it might burst.The shadow pulsed once, as if aware of her, and the pull intensified for a terrifying second before Finn dragged her forward again.
Copper shoved open the restaurant door, and they stumbled inside, dripping and breathless.The storm roared outside, rattling the windows.Finn kept her pressed against him, his hand splayed over her stomach, as if he thought the glitch might reach through the walls and take her away.
"Follow me."Copper led them straight through the restaurant, past the empty booths and flickering lights, then pushed into the kitchen.
Kallie barely stepped into the small room when Copper lifted a trapdoor, revealing a narrow staircase leading underground.
"Go," Copper said, his voice low and urgent.
Finn guided her down the steps, his hand firm on her back, and she descended into the darkness, her throat spasming.The cellar was small, lit by a single flickering bulb, but the moment Copper shut the trapdoor above them, the storm's roar vanished.The silence hit her like a physical blow.
She leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breathing.Finn stood in front of her, dripping water onto the concrete floor, his chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven pulls.Copper stayed near the stairs, listening, his expression unreadable.
Kallie swallowed hard."What was that thing?"
Copper looked over his shoulder and met her gaze."A glitch.A tear in the veil.It's never this close to town.It wants you out of Everstill."
Finn cupped her face with trembling hands."I won't let it get you."
She shivered, remembering the glitch's strength."I don't understand.I've walked through the veil before.It was calm.It was nothing like that, that horror."
"You haven't seen anything yet," muttered Copper.
