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- Darius -
“That was Jimmy!”Merri races toward the entrance of the Poison Frog, leaving me and Marceau to chase after or be left behind.
Out on the street, Merri shoves past demons, using her baton when some fail to move fast enough.
Several paces ahead of her, a skinny man with greasy hair weaves through the crowds like a frightened rabbit, losing his lead every time he casts a terrified look over his shoulder.
In the brief flashes of his face, I glimpse sallow skin, hollow bruises beneath his blue eyes, and a gaunt face. In his picture, Jimmy hadn’t looked especially healthy—as expected of a long-time drug addict—but the week that he’s been gone has done a number on him.
Jimmy casts another frantic look over his shoulder, stumbles, and catches himself against a building before ducking down the alleyway.
“Pen, wait!” Marceau shouts, but she either can’t hear or she ignores him as she follows, her lithe form vanishing from view.
My pulse leaps with fear.
While my warrior queen is more than capable of taking care of herself, this is the Bone Yard, and the alleys form a twisted maze where we could easily lose her.
Beings surge around us, and I send spurts of fire ahead to force them from our path.
Marceau’s hand grips my arm, yanking me clear of a barbed tail that slashes through the air inches from my face, and then we reach the alley, ducking into the shadows.
The close press of buildings on either side muffles the sounds from the streets and blocks out the sweltering sun. I raise a hand to light our path as we charge down the narrow space.
The air grows heavy with the scent of ozone and decay, making my gut tighten. Beings have lost their lives in these tight confines, dragged from the street or wandering here unwary of the danger.
We reach a T-intersection, and a glance to the left shows the way clogged with broken furniture, so we race to the right.
Another intersection comes up ahead, and I spot Merri’s ash-blond hair in the shadows as she darts to the left, around the corner of a building.
I reach out to grab Marceau’s arm, pulling him in the correct direction.
The ground trembles beneath our feet, and I stumble, the fire snuffing out in my hand. I land against the side of the building and brace myself as the stones beneath my feet vibrate, while the sound of breaking wood and falling stone comes from up ahead.
When the shaking stops, a firm hand grips my elbow.
Flames bloom to life on Marceau’s fingertips, illuminating his furrowed brow. “What was that? An earthquake?”
I shake my head. “I’m not sure. If it was, this is the last place we want to be trapped.”
His hold on my elbow tightens, and we race forward once more, fueled by desperation to reach Merri.
We round the corner to find her shoving fallen boxes out of the way, her angry gaze fixed on a fire escape attached to the wall on the other side. A flicker of movement halfway up shows Jimmy clinging to the railing, his eyes wide with fear.
“Dammit, Jimmy!” Merri kicks a box, sending it flying. “We’re not here to hurt you!”
Jimmy ignores her words as he picks himself up and continues to climb.
Marceau catches her shoulder. “Don’t run off like that! Not here!”
“I can take care of myself!” She flings a hand toward the rooftop. “He’s getting away!”
I send fire out, turning the boxes to ash, and race for the ladder as Jimmy disappears onto the rooftop, leaving us in his wake.
The ladder to the fire escape ends just out of reach from the ground, and I kneel beneath it, cupping my hands. “Come on. We’re not quitting now.”
Merri hurries forward and plants her filth-covered shoe against my palms. I ignore the sticky feel of it against my skin as I heave her upward, and she nimbly catches the bottom of the ladder, pulling herself up.
I kneel once more and look at Marceau.
