Their teeth clacked together as chatter roseup between them. There was no skin or lips to pull into a smile,but their jaws tilted in such a way they appeared to be grinning atus. Their skeletal frames resembled a human’s or perhaps a demon’s,as Kobal and many of the others didn’t look all that much differentthan us body-wise. Most of them were about four and a half feettall. Some were smaller, some were taller, but they were all aroundthe same height.
“Kobal! It’s Kobal!” some of them criedeagerly.
“He’s returned,” others murmured.
“We thought he’d given up.”
“Humans, he’s broughthumans!”
“Why would he bring humans?”
“What can it mean?”
“Do you think one of them could be who theywere looking for?”
My head bounced around as I tried to followthe rapid-fire conversations from the skeletons filling the bar. Mygaze latched onto the bony feet of the ones sitting on the stoolsbefore me as I realized almost all of them had their toes hookedaround the bottom of the stools.
“Which one would it be?” one askedeagerly.
“He’s holdingherhand.”
All of them fixated on our hands at oncebefore those empty eye sockets rose to me. I tried to step back,but Bale was behind me, blocking the way.
“She’s easy on the eyes,” someoneapproved.
I almost pinched myself to see if I’d fallenasleep, but I knew this was completely real.
“I’ve never been more disturbed in my life,”Erin murmured.
I had to agree with her. I had no idea whatto make of this. The bar was so normal, so a part of our world, yetentirely a part oftheirs. One ofthe skelleins, wearing a tie and top hat, lifted his full mug ofbeer and downed the contents in one gulp. My head tilted to theside as I breathlessly waited for the liquid to start pouring outfrom between the bones of the skeleton-like figure, but not asingle ounce slid free. Nor did I see the liquid making its waythrough his body, though I could clearly see the female skeletonsitting on the other side of him.
“Ay dios mio,” Vargas muttered and kissed thecross on his necklace when the skeleton placed his empty mug on thebar.
Another skeleton, wearing a wide-brimmed hatwith a big daisy in the center of it and a ruby ring on her righthand, made her way down the inside of the horseshoe bar. What Iassumed was a female skellein, lifted the empty mug from the bar,filled it at the tap and returned it.
“What are they?” I murmured.
“Skelleins,” Kobal replied.
“Yes, but are they magic or something?”
“They’re not skeletons as you know them. It’ssimply the way they evolved in Hell.”
It was afreakyway, and I couldn’t get over it as theycontinued to watch us. “We’ve come for the gateway,” Kobal said tothem.
“You know what must be done,” another said asit rubbed its bony hands together eagerly.
As I processed his words, I swallowed heavilypicturing the “what must be done” as something horrific.
Kobal’s muscles bunched, and he threw hisshoulders back. “As your king, I don’t obey those rules.”
“You don’t,” another replied. Again, all ofthose black eye sockets focused on me and I could feel the weightof their empty stares. “The humans will have to though.”
I could hear Kobal’s teeth grinding togetherbefore he spoke. “You will allow us entrance to the gateway.”
“We will allow the demons in your presenceentrance, as they have all passed the tests and gone through thegateway before. However, you know any newcomer must pass the testin order to be granted entrance. It is the law. Only those who aremeant to pass through the gates shall. The hounds can turn themaway after if they choose.”
I glanced at the markings on Kobal’s body.The hounds could turn us away? I’d never been more confused in mylife.
