AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As I rose to my feet, the sound of clacking drew my attention to where the Mortunath lowered to their knees. An endless horizon of undead bowing before me.
Overhead, the dark sky wavered and flickered. Shifting. Dread stirred in my gut.
No.
The heart.
I spun around and dashed back into the cathedral doors, which spat me into the gray corridor.
Carrying Farryn in his arms, Vaszhago strode toward me, the little boy following after him. “The clergyman stole the heart.”
“Fucking Venable,” I muttered as I scooped Farryn into my arms, pushing aside the fear of what that would mean. “We’ve no time. We have to get out before the portal closes. Tell me you ended the bastard, at least.”
“I had more pressing matters,” Vaszhago said as he lifted the boy into his arms, and the two of us jogged through the corridors, away from the center of the labyrinth.
Mortunath clustered in the hallway ahead of us, teeth bared at Vaszhago and the boy.
“Kneel,” I growled, and every one of them bent down to one knee. As we passed, one snapped its teeth toward Vaszhago, and before it could bite his flesh, I slammed it with the back of my hand, sending it flying into the stone wall. The wall rippled on impact, and a crack climbed up toward the ceiling. The labyrinth was collapsing. “You so much as touch any one of us, and I will destroy every one of you.”
They lowered even more, their bald foreheads touching the concrete as we passed.
A sound echoed from somewhere behind us. Not the screeches of the Mortunath, but something deeper, more threatening. The roar of a beast.
Vaszhago frowned back at me, and both of us turned toward it. A clackity noise steered my attention toward the Mortunath around us, who sat trembling, rocking back and forth as if in fear.
“I don’t like this one fucking bit,” Vaszhago said beside me.
Shadows flickered down the endless stretch of corridor, lit by the lanterns hanging along the path. One by one, the lanterns flickered off, the darkness edging toward us. I only just caught sight of a humanoid figure with long black goat horns, before the next lantern snuffed out.
I yanked one from its bracket, holding it up. Waiting. A figure emerged from the darkness, beyond the halo of light. About fifty yards away stood a beast whose flesh had decayed, its matted fur clinging to abnormally contorted bones, which protruded at odd angles. A stunted nose and pointed ears, set over a black bearded piece of flesh dangling from its jaw, made up a grotesque face, the eyes of it a deep, almost greenish black.
“What in seven hells is that supposed to be?” Vaszhago shifted the boy in arms, as the kid shook and scratched at the demon, undoubtedly terrified.
“If mythology serves me correctly, I’d say that’s the ancient Hellborn. Eradyean guardians. Two more of the creatures joined the first, followed by three more after that–all of them looking like decrepit goats.
Clutching Farryn tighter, I took a step back. “I’d also say this is our cue to get the fuck out of here.”
The lead goat opened his mouth abnormally wide, letting out a vicious sound that fluttered the Mortunath.
The lantern in my hand flicked off.
I spun on my heel and took off down a dark corridor, my unpatched eye navigating the pitch-blackness. The sound of hooves, like a stampede chasing after us, told me the beasts were gaining quickly. Vaszhago kept pace, both of us tearing through the corridors on a mission.
Over the thudding rose another harrowing sound, like an air raid siren going off, tensing my muscles as we made our way toward the labyrinth’s only exit. The walls wavered and flickered as if heat climbed over them, skinny threads of electricity dancing over the surface.
The portal was closing.
At the clamor of Vaszhago’s outcry, I turned to see one of the goatmen claw at his back. Vaszhago shot out a hand, which failed to stop it. The boy jumped from the demon’s arms and cowered against the wall.
Hoisting Farryn over my shoulder, I gathered power into the palm of my hand, the heat and electricity dancing over my skin, as the other goatmen scrambled over the walls toward us. A silvery halo framed my view, as I directed a bolt of lightning toward the goat attacking Vaszhago.
The creature flew backward.
I raised my fist and brought it down hard against the concrete, which sent a bolt of lightning up through the labyrinth’s wavering walls. The stone cracked and split. The goat figures shot backward on a shock of force.
Vaszhago swiped up the boy again and jogged ahead of me. A quick glance showed his back bloodied and torn up.
The goat creatures scrambled to their feet.
