We’d been gathering wood from the collapsed buildings on the other side of town and using it to build a giant pile of debris at the end of the road. The massive pile, which was meant to become a giant bonfire, might set every building around it on fire too, but I didn’t care if this whole town burned.
Hawk stepped back and used his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead as Bale joined us. “I spoke with Caim and told him about our plan.”
“What did he say, and any sign of Raphael or the horsemen?”
She brushed a strand of red hair over her shoulder and studied the pile while she spoke. “No sign of Raphael, and he said we’re nuts. I didn’t argue with his assessment. He wants to come into town and help us. I told him to stay out. If we don’t make it through this, someone has to report to Kobal what happened.”
“It’s too bad; we could use his help,” Hawk said.
“We could,” Bale agreed, “but he has to stay out.”
“I agree,” Corson said as he and Wren emerged from the other side of the pile. “We’re all set.”
“Then it’s time to retreat to the library; if it comes back tonight, we’ll be ready for it,” Bale said.
We were halfway to the library when we met Lix coming out of the restaurant; he’d gone there to convince the others of our plan. Judging by the slope of his shoulders and the lack of demons and humans following him, he wasn’t successful.
“They’re still against it?” Corson asked.
“I convinced a few to help, but the rest are being stubborn,” Lix said as he tugged on his tie.
“Then they can die here,” Wren said. “But we won’t.”
* * *
Hawk
I wasn’t surprised when vibrations rattled the earth the next night; it was only a matter of time before the minotaur returned, but the demon with the tusks put up a good fight before being caught and killed.
Lifting my head from where it rested on top of Aisling’s head, I looked out the glass doors of the library. Aisling kept her head on my chest, but I knew she was awake when a small tremor ran through her before she straightened her spine.
I kissed her temple before releasing her and rising to walk over to the doors. The minotaur was already out of the cave. We had to get out there if we were going to set our traps into action.
“Can you see it?” Aisling asked.
The hulking beast stood feet away from the exit of the cave; its head swung back and forth while it surveyed either side of the mountain. It must be searching for a trap as the others had said they’d once tried ambushing it outside its lair.
Seeming to decide no one lurked in the shadows, it rolled its shoulders and turned its head from side to side like it was cracking its neck. It wouldn’t surprise me if it stretched its arms wide and yawned as if about to go for a Sunday stroll.
“I see it,” I replied.
“We have to go out there,” she whispered.
“We do.”
I held my hand out to her as I heard the others shuffling around in the main section of the library. It wouldn’t be long before they joined us. Even those who weren’t going to help with Aisling’s plan would leave the building and meet the minotaur in the street like they always did.
She grasped my hand and squeezed it. The love shining in her eyes reaffirmed my conviction to do whatever it took to get her away from this town and the minotaur, even agreeing to her crazy plan.
I kept Aisling by my side as I opened the glass doors; we walked down the front steps and into the middle of the road. At the end of the way, the pile of debris blocked the street. The ground shook when the thing stalked away from its cave before turning the corner and vanishing.
It would encounter the first of our traps soon.
Corson, Wren, Bale, and Lix came to stand beside us on the road as the others filed out of the building. Anticipation and stress thrummed on the air as the beast stalked closer. Someone whimpered as a piece of wood leaning on a porch rattled against the railing before sliding to the ground.
“Are you ready for this?” Bale asked.
“The only choice we have is to be ready,” Lix said.
