“They’re coming!” someone from the back ofthe group called. I’d taken over leading the group deeper into Hellwith Hawk, Vargas, and Erin. We knew what was behind us, we had noidea what awaited us ahead.
Those words spurred me into action oncemore. I wiped a strand of damp hair from my eyes and took a deepbreath of the muggy air. This place smelled of something I couldn’tquite put my finger on. Like fire and maybe brimstone, though I hadno idea what brimstone smelled like, but something sulfuric burnedmy nostrils with every breath I took.
I kept expecting my lungs to burn with everybreath, but that didn’t happen. It became increasingly hotter withevery step. My breath came in ragged pants, and sweat coated mybody, but I believed that was due more to exertion than myenvironment. My throat burned with thirst, but Hawk and I faredbetter than any of the other humans who were already beginning totire behind us.
The small beams from the penlights playedover the black rock beneath us as we ran. Grabbing Hawk’s arm, Itugged him back when I spotted a side tunnel carved into the rockwall. Stones kicked out from beneath his abrupt stop. They bouncedagainst the walls as they fell away into nothing. I was acutelyaware that I never heard them hit bottom.
“Look,” I whispered and pointed at thetunnel.
Hawk’s gaze followed my finger. He gave abrief nod before gesturing for the large group to enter the tunnel.“Go on,” he said to me when they were tucked securely inside.
I shook my head and motioned for him to goahead of me. I held my hands up before me. “I still have these as aweapon. I’m going to torch their asses straight off this road andinto that pit.”
Hawk grinned at me before slipping into thelittle tunnel. I followed behind him, squeezing in between thejagged black rocks lining the tunnel. My head tipped back againstthe rocks. Sweat trickled down my forehead, but I didn’t wipe itaway as I waited for the approaching lanavours.
The flow of life down here was differentthan what I was used to, but I could feel it brushing against mybody as I drew it into me. There was nothing golden about thesparks sliding over my fingers now; they were a deep midnight blueshade. Digging my fingers into the wall, I willed the power backinto me before our stalkers could see the light from it.
The lanavours made no sound when theyneared, but I could feel the coldness they emanated and theemptiness of their souls as they approached. Then, the first onestepped into view. I didn’t dare move as I watched the hideouscreatures floating over the ground not more than five feet awayfrom me.
CHAPTER 12
River
I held my breath as I waited to see whatwould happen. Maybe the lanavours would all go by us, and we couldslip out behind them to return to the top. That was what I hopedfor anyway.
I should have known better though assomething behind me scraped against the rock. One of the lanavour’sheads turned toward me, and I felt the moment it spotted me. Asone,extremelycreepy unit, the rest of their heads swiveledin my direction.
Digging into the fear these creaturesbrought forth in me, I drew on my ability to wield fire. Flameslicked over my fingers.
Those hideous stitches pulled and twistedtheir faces as I swore they laughed at me. Ice crept down my spineagain, ensnaring me within its depths as those nightmarish imagesof my brothers’ broken bodies burst over me. I could once againfeel the weight of Bailey’s limp body in my arms.
I bit back a scream when anger at theirability to manipulate my mind in such a way spiked through me. Iflipped my hand over and released a ball of fire that barreled intofive of them. Wails resonated in my head, making it spin and poundas the burning lanavours stumbled backward and tumbled into the pitof Hell.
The remaining creatures turned toward me,but this time fire didn’t blaze from my hands. Now, the life withinthe rocks fueled me as deep blue sparks danced across my fingers.The lanavours slipped back, disappearing from view. My teeth gratedtogether, I edged cautiously toward the road as the chill theyemanated lessened. Poking my head around the corner, I searched forthe hideous monsters, but didn’t see them.
I slid out from between the rocks and liftedmy hands, when I spotted the remaining lanavours floating up thehillside. They spread across the path a hundred feet away from us.I glared at them, torn between hunting them and trying to geteveryone somewhere safer before something else came along.
In the end, I knew I couldn’t allow thesethings to lure me away from everyone. They were hovering between usand the entrance to the gateway, but I couldn’t shake the feelingthey were trying to bait me or biding their time until somethingworse came along.
I turned and gestured for the others to comeback out of the crevice. Most looked as if they were going to fallover at any second when they funneled past me. Their faces wereflushed as sweat poured from them and cleaved their clothes totheir bodies. Many clung to whatever weapon they had, but I wasn’tsure they would be able to walk for much longer, never mindfight.
“What do we do?” Erin asked as she brushed astrand of black hair out of one of her ocean-colored eyes.
“We have to keep moving,” I said. Glancingup the hill, my heart sank when I realized the lanavours werecreeping closer again. “Now.”
Nudging her in the back, I fell in at therear of the line. I glanced repeatedly over my shoulder to watchthose things floating toward us once more. Hawk and Vargas flankedmy sides while Erin led the group. It was only a matter of timebefore the lanavours caught us, or we stumbled across somethingnastier.
We were in Hell after all.
I shuddered at the realization. This waswhere Kobal had been born; this was the place that had forged himinto the man he was. Being surrounded by all this rock and barrenlandscape helped me better understand his coldness and indifferenceto others.
At the front of the pack, a man stumbled andfell. The woman beside him rested her hand on his shoulder. Theycouldn’t keep going, not when every step brought more heat from ourinhospitable environment. Looking over my shoulder, I realized thelanavours had slowed in their pursuit. I had no idea why, but I hada feeling it wasn’t a good thing. Or maybe they’d decided to waitfor us to drop so they could swoop in on the easy pickings likevultures on roadkill.
“Hawk, I’m not sure I can make it.” My gazewent to Sarah as she held her hand out to him. I hadn’t realizedshe was at the back of the pack with us.
Hawk cursed under his breath, but he tookhold of her hand and helped her continue onward when shedoubled-over and wrapped her arms around her middle.
“We have to find some place for everyone tohide,” I said. “I’ll lure the lanavours away.”
