“Neither do I.”
Another head turned toward us. Nostrilsflared as the creature released a breath that plumed in the air.Is their breath hot or cold to make it do that?
Its black eyes burned red as it watched usbefore it rotated out of sight. I didn’t think my heart could takemuch more of this, and we were going to have to step onto thatcarousel in order to get to the door.
There was a good chance I’d have a coronarybefore that, but we didn’t have much of a choice.
“Come on,” I said and took Hawk’s hand. “I’mnot going to be trampled by these things.”
“Can you burn them?”
“Not in these close confines. I could takeus with them.”
“Then use that handy dandy little suck thelife from things and zap them with it talent you have,” hereplied.
“Handy dandy?” I inquired.
He shrugged a shoulder, but his eyesremained riveted on the creatures bouncing up and down and comingmore alive as we spoke. “It is, and hopefully it works.”
Another head swiveled toward us. The soundthe creature released was unlike any other noise I’d ever heard.Part growl, part guttural hunger, it made my stomach plunge into mytoes as its eyes burned like embers of coal. That thing would eatus after trampling us beneath its cloven hooves.
Working on burying my fear, I rested myfingers against the rock wall. Life swelled beneath my hand as oneof the two-headed horses snorted loudly and jerked to the side. Thepole holding it bent and broke with far more ease than I would havethought possible when we’d first entered this room.
Its hooves clinked against the glass liningthe bottom of the carousel when it set them down. The pole stillwent through its middle, but it no longer kept it pinned in place.The creature shook its heads and turned toward us with what I sworewas a smile on its black lips.
Beside me, Hawk took up a defensiveposition, but I had no idea how we would defend ourselves against acouple dozen pissed-off monstrosities if I was unable to stop them.Lifting my other hand, deep blue sparks leapt to life across myfingers as the horse stepped down from the carousel and startedtoward us.
The bolt sliced out of my hand. Streakingthrough the air, it hit the creature and sent it reeling backward.A spurt of pity went through me when it squealed loudly beforecrashing into the wall and lying motionless.
Are they actually alive and some kind ofanimal and not some possessed wooden things?I couldn’t dwellon the answer to that question, not now. No matter what they were,they were going to kill us if they got the chance. Already, more ofthem were breaking free of their perches and stepping onto theglass.
“Hawk…”
He clasped my hand against the rock wallwhen my voice trailed off. Power flooded me from him as the forceof his life seeped into me. The flow of life from Hawk was nowherenear as strong as what I received from Kobal, but it caused mypower to flair.
I turned toward the three white creaturescharging at us. Their claws and hooves clicked against the rockfloor, and air plumed out of their snouts. On an exhale, I releasedanother bolt. More squeals erupted from them as they were flungacross the room.
“I think we can make it to the door,” Hawksaid.
“Do we want to go through it?”
“Even if you take them all out, we’ll stillbe trapped in here with that door as our only way out. Do youreally think we’ll be able to stay here without some kind ofrepercussion?”
“I think you’re right,” I whispered and shotanother bolt of life at a creature with a bull head on a horse’sbody and one with a bull head and the body of a goat as it came atus on two legs. The bolt pierced into them and spun them toward theback wall with the rest of their brethren. “We should go, now!”
Hawk kept hold of my hand as we ran acrossthe rock floor to the carousel. The lights flashed faster acrossthe glass. The music had taken on a demented, high-pitched beatthat set my teeth on edge. Hawk jumped onto the glass first,pulling me up behind him.
I staggered on the glass floor, nearly goingdown when my feet slipped on its smooth surface. The blindinglights and music caused my head to spin and my vision to blur. Icould no longer see the door as I tried to get my bearings in themiddle of the chaos swirling around me.
Beside me, a head swiveled in my direction.A blast of air so cold it froze my skin hit my bicep as thecreature snorted. I instinctively jerked back from it and nearlytumbled into another one. Hawk’s hand tightened on mine, draggingme toward him as the jaws of a beast that reminded me of analligator snapped at me.
Unable to get my bearings in all the chaos,I could do nothing more than stumble away from it. Spinning, Hawkunleashed a series of savage punches on the creature, caving in itshead before knocking it off the carousel. Shock radiated throughme; Hawk had always been strong, butthatamount of strengthwas something out of place with anormalhuman. But then nonormal human would have been able to make it this far into Hellwith me.
“This way!” he shouted above the music anddragged me across the blinding glass surface.
I strained to keep my balance as I followedbehind him, my hand locked within his. I dodged away from themonsters looking to break free of their poles and tear into us.Jerking me forward, Hawk pulled me down and into the center of thecarousel as the door rotated into view once more.
My stomach lurched sickeningly as dizzinessswept over me. Leaning against Hawk for support, I braced myselfwhen he shoved the door open.
