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“Is it Michael?” Julie asks a bit too hopefully.
If it is Michael, I doubt he’s here to kiss and make up, no matter how hard I hope he will come to his senses and find us.
“Not unless he has radically changed.” Water sloshes around Theo’s legs, then he stills in the knee-deep water. “Stay quiet.”
I want to slide down and prepare myself to fight, but I’m wearing a purple silky robe that’s only staying closed because I shoved the serrated spike through it. The robe was much funnier when it wasn’t my only clothing, plus it looked better on Julie. And now that I’m virtually human, I have no massive tail or spikes. I’m not made for fighting. I might have poison in my fangs, but I’m too fucking scared to use it in case I turn back in a complete monster.
The fear grips me tight. I don’t want the consequences of a fight. I want to climb the spire and go home. I’m too close to living to risk dying.
In a fight, I’m worse than useless. I’m a hinderance.
Theo is motionless. Beyond the shadow, someone is splashing through the water. I hold my breath, listening and praying that the monster tracking us will go past.
I hope Theo is invisible. That we are nothing but a smudge over the water.
Julie has her eyes closed. Her grip on Theo is so tight her knuckles are white. Theo’s skin has sunk and withered since this morning, like his meal is wearing off. That means he’ll also start getting smaller soon, and then he won’t be able to carry us.
I’m not sure that he can save us this time.
Standing in the water, hoping that the monster will pass us by, is a shit plan. But we’ve managed before on little more.
I pull the spike out of my robe. I’m going to have to fight. If I change, then I hope I’ll be able to change back.
Theo gives me a nod and eases me into the water. The water is cold and up around my waist. The robe drifts open and floats around me. In a fight, it’s a hazard, so I shrug out of it. Then I sink low in the freezing water and creep to the edge of the shadow until I can see what’s going on.
Only four yards away is something that’s nine feet tall. It has four arms and a set of mandibles that look like it could bite off one of my legs with ease.
That is a proper center monster.
It lifts its head as though trying to find our scent.
I don’t dare move, even though I’m about a breath from being seen. Could I slide beneath the water and sever its hamstrings?
Then it turns to face me.
In that moment I vow I will not die easy. I will not be a nice meal. I will make sure it chokes on me.
Julie drops into the water next to me. She gasps at the cold. Then Theo is charging the monster.
“Run!” he orders.
He won’t defeat it on his own. We should stay and fight. Julie grabs my hand. “Come on.”
We have no idea where we are going and running will be too slow. “Swim for the edge.”
This body of water is more than a puddle. We aim for the nearest side and clamber out. From the edge, it’s clear to see that it is like a moat. I turn and the castle and spire are only a hundred yards away. The castle rises up, stark and dark, but out of it grows the tall white spire. It doesn’t look like a needle from here. It’s massive.
“Fuck.” We are closer than I expected to get. It feels like an achievement even if we fail.
There’s a howl from the moat and blood spills into the water. I don’t know who it belongs to. I take a step into the water, still gripping the spike like it matters.
Julie grabs my arm. “You can’t help him.”
I know that, but I left Michael, and now I’m leaving Theo. But if I go to Theo, I’ll be leaving Julie. Torn, I stand there, naked and freezing and completely fucking useless. Unable to help anyone.
“Julie!” something snarls.
I jump and turn as a monster like a shark on legs approaches. His eyes are black pits, and his mouth looks like it could open wide enough to fit her in. His hangs are big enough to crush our heads. Fear pumps through me. I don’t want to fail this close to the center.
