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“Doesn’t look like much now, but I’ll bet this was grand once,” remarked Miniver.
Esmerelda grunted, and they took a step inside to see around the corners a little better.
“Welcome,” came a voice.
“Who said that?” whispered Esmerelda, clutching Miniver’s hand.
“I did,” came the voice, louder this time.
“I don’t see anyone,” responded Miniver.
“I’m right here. Look up.”
Miniver and Esmerelda took a single step forward, searching the room for a presence.
The moose head turned to look at them and bared its teeth with a loud, “yaw!”
They screamed and ran from the room, as the fireplace behind them suddenly erupted in a blaze of heated doom, casting long orange light that pursued them out of sight.
***
Daemona was irritated. Why must she be the one on her own? Sure, she thought herself capable, but that didn’t mean she should be abandoned.
A ribbit from within her satchel reminded her that she wasn’t completely alone. She wished Harlin were here as himself.
The air wasn’t as musty with fungus when she reached the upper level, though the scent of rust and decay was still very strong. The wooden floors creaked beneath her soft tread, and she wondered if that was because it was old or because it was a warning system for the vampire. Shadows seemed to move and dance at the edge of her light, and she wondered if ghosts were playing with her.
Farther on down a long hallway, she thought she could hear a scuffle. Then it was behind her. She whipped about but saw nothing in the gloom.
She turned to face the threat as something chased up the stairs after her. It was Esmerelda.
“Something got Miniver!” she panted. “We walked past a door and he put a hand against it and it turned and he fell inside. I couldn’t open it.”
Daemona scanned the darkness in all directions. She didn’t believe in coincidences. “Stay close to me, we’ll get out of this.”
They crept on softly, then Daemona wondered at a curious thing. “How did you find me in the dark, without your candle?”
“Just lucky I suppose,” said Esmerelda.
“When this is all said and done, I’ll bet you’ll be happy to see your Gran again huh?” Daemona remarked casually.
“Oh, yes. I miss her very much.”
Daemona wheeled and pinned what looked like Esmerelda to the wall. The little girl’s initial look of surprise rapidly changed to a vile grin. Her small frame suddenly expanded to a size roughly twice as large as Daemona.
“Changeling!” snarled Daemona.
The Changeling flung Daemona away, unsheathed its claws, long as fingers, and charged at her.
Daemona dodged and ported away, but the Changeling was incredibly fast, countering most of her intended locations. Daemona realized it was trying to back her into a corner. She blinked away to be behind it again and slashed her daggers to keep it back. But something tripped her, and she fell backward into deep darkness.
***
The wailing skeletons went down easy enough beneath Ghul Lykos’s sword strokes and Ivy’s frying pan, but there were so many, they seemed endless, another two appearing for every one they took down.
“We have to get back up the stairs and hold the door. We can’t stay here,” growled Ghul Lykos as he smashed another skull and ribcage to splinters.
“I’ll get the door, you speed up after me,” she said.
