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He took a left, then a right, then another left, his boots pounding on the stone floor. He was beginning to recognize where he was. They had been here earlier today, when Neen’ya was giving them a tour.
He was almost there and the killer was ahead of him…he could feel it…
FIFTY-ONE
SKY
If Sky had any question about how fast the killer could liquidate himself and then reform, it was answered by how quickly he caught up to them in the stone corridors of the Shrine. One minute the way behind them was clear and the next minute he was striding along, baring his teeth in that horrible, impossibly wide grin.
“I’ve almost got you, Agent Sky’lar, my dear,” he called, his voice buzzing with hate-filled excitement. “Won’t we have fun together when I catch up? Why don’t you wait for me and we can start right away?”
Then, horribly, his face melted and reformed to look like Torin—her Torin—except when he smiled, his teeth were still fangs with black oozing between them.
“Oh, Sky’lar—would you like to fuck again?” he crooned, his voice gone deep, in an imitation of the big Kindred. “Maybe I can fuck you this time, instead of the other way around. What do you say?”
And then, the black material that covered his crotch began to grow and change. In the blink of an eye, a long, wickedly sharp silver blade was protruding from between his thighs.
“Let me fuck you, baby,” the killer crooned, pumping his hips obscenely. “Let me give it to you, just the way you gave it to me…”
“No!” Sky shrieked. “No, you’re not Torin! You’re not him!”
“Sky’lar, come on!”
It was Neen’ya—the acolyte was tugging anxiously at her arm.
Sky realized she’d been standing there, frozen in place as the killer advanced on her. What was wrong with her?
“Don’t look at him, Daughter—he has the power to mesmerize!” warned the Goddess’s voice in her ear.
Sky forced herself to turn away from the horrible sight of her lover’s face on the body of the killer. She hurried along the corridor at the acolyte’s urging, with Soon’ya and the High Priestess—whose hood was raised in alarm—in tow.
At last they reached the vault-like entrance to the Chamber of The Book Which Writes Itself. As Neen’ya fumbled with shaking fingers to punch in the code that would open the door, Sky wanted badly to turn her head and look—to see how far away the killer was. But she knew if she looked, she would be lost—pulled into his orbit, unable to free herself until his blades slit her throat…or slid into her body lower down.
“Hurry,” she said grimly, forcing herself to face forward, her shoulder blades itching as she expected to feel silver blades slashimg her skin at any moment. “Hurry, Neen’ya!”
“There—I’ve got it!” the acolyte gasped as the huge, round door at last swung open.
“Everyone in!” Sky pushed them all into the circular chamber as fast as she could, ignoring the High Priestess’s hissing protests.
Don’t look! she told herself as she grasped the handle of the thick, heavy door and leaned all her weight against it to drag it shut. Don’t look—don’t look!
Just as the door was swinging shut, she couldn’t stop herself from looking anymore. The killer was there—right at the door, his grin widening as his silver clawed fingers inched their way into the rounded doorway.
Slam! The heavy vault door slammed shut, cutting off the shiny silver tips of the finger-blades. They turned black and fell to the stone floor of the chamber, writhing like grubs or slugs.
Sky threw the locking switch, grateful that she knew how it worked from doing duty guard at the Money Houses before she’d been made a Special Agent.
From outside, she heard an outraged howl from the killer. His voice carried, even through the stone walls and thick metal door.
“Do you think this can stop me, Agent Sky’lar? All you’ve done is trapped yourselves in a nice neat little package for me! I’ll fuck you and cut you, my pretty little ladies! Just like I fucked all three of the Kindred Ambassadors and the rulers of Zetta Prime and Yonnie Six! I’ll have you all—just wait and see!”
“Mother of All Serpents,” Sky gasped, moving back away from the door.
“Isss he right? Isss he going to get usss?” Soon’ya had begun to cry—well, the Serpentine version of crying, anyway—which was a lot of prolonged hissing that made her words hard to understand.
“No, I don’t think so,” Sky said, trying to keep her own voice calm. She looked at Neen’ya. “Didn’t you tell me that this chamber was hermetically sealed? It’s air-tight—right?”
“Yes.” Neen’ya nodded. “But…there’s only enough air in here for a little while. And are you sure he can’t get in?” she added, a frightened look on her face.
“I don’t think so. Look.” Sky pointed to the floor.
