Page 50 of Truth Revealed

It went to voice mail.

“Persy didn’t answer,” she cried, worry infusing her tone.

“It’ll be okay, they’ll be okay,” Hope chanted to her, but not even his affliction could touch the fear that laced through her.

We’re not too late. We can’t be.

* * *

TRUTH

Truth floated into wakefulness with a groan, groggy and slightly irritated that his phone was buzzing. Instinctively, his left palm reached out to the other side of the bed, but it was cold and empty.

Daria must have gone to work hours ago. How late was it?

The phone buzzed again, reminding him that electricity existed, and he could answer his own question if he’d just look.

With a groan, he stretched and pulled the phone off the nightstand, blinking erratically into the bright light of the screen as it buzz, buzz, buzzed in his hand.

He shot straight up in bed when he saw who was calling.

“Youth? Everything okay?” he questioned, as he accepted and pulled the phone to his ear.

“Truth! Truth, are you okay?” he frantically called into the line.

“Yes, I’m fine, why—”

“Good! Get everyone out of your house, now!”

Truth stumbled from the bed, obeying even though he didn’t know why. Placing the phone on his shoulder, he tilted his head to the side to hold it in place and grabbed sweatpants from the floor and yanked them on. “Why, what’s going on?”

“Pandora called us all in. They started a fire at the bar as a distraction and she’s coming your way! She wants Sofia. Truth? Truth, are you there?”

But Truth had stopped listening. Daria was at the bar. Which meant Daria was in danger.

“Why didn’t you call me earlier?” he snapped, fear making his tone sharp, then he sucked in a breath. “Never mind,” he replied, “it’s not your fault, thank you for calling me. How far are you?”

“We’re about five minutes out, but another set of demons was dispatched ahead of us—”

Truth dropped the phone to his side as a crash sounded from the lower floor. They had already arrived.

He hung up on Youth and slid the phone into his pocket before tiptoeing across the floor.

He barely spared a second to wonder who the we was that Youth referred to. Maybe one of the demons keen on turning against Pandora?

The floor downstairs creaked and groaned with each step the demons took, giving away their locations. Some in the kitchen, some in the living room. Luckily for Truth, and the demons that lived there permanently, they knew exactly where the tricky spots were and how to avoid them.

Slowly, Truth drew open his door and peeked out. No one was in sight of the stairs… yet.

With a deep breath and quick feet, he darted across the hall to Persy’s bedroom and threw the door open. As he entered, a shadowed figure came at him, and he held up his hands and hissed, “It’s Truth!”

They stopped just inches from bashing his head in with a bat. “Oh,” Pain said. “Sorry, man.”

“It’s Pandora,” he whispered. “She’s here for Sofia. We need to get her out.”

A whimper came from the corner of the room and Truth locked his eyes on the girl in question. Persy was right beside her, arms curled around the younger girl. A hand was clenched over her mouth, eyes wide. “I’m so sorry,” Sofia said softly as she lowered her hand.

“Not your fault. We’re gonna keep you safe,” he vowed.