“It’s leading us this way,” I said, gesturing toward a bridge.

Storm grabbed Nightmare’s arm and pulled him back. “Can we trust her?”

“Yes,” Nightmare said, jerking his head to the side. “We’re not alone.”

“There have been eyes on us the minute we fell into this place,” Storm said, balling his hands into tight fists.

“This is different,” Nightmare said, stepping in front of me. “I’ll lead.”

Storm chuckled. “Our hero.”

“Shh!” Nightmare hissed.

With each step, our caution heightened. Menacing shadows grew around us as the overhead clouds gathered, casting an ominous veil across our path. It felt as though something was trying to stop us from proceeding forward.

As we delved deeper into the hilly terrain, the medallion radiated with a searing intensity, penetrating my skin through the chilly, mist-laden air. Everything inside me begged me to stop… to turn back, but Darkness’s life depended on us pressing onward.

The sounds of the raging river intensified, causing my ears to ring. I couldn’t ignore the feeling of unseen eyes tracking our every move, which caused paranoia to set in like a leaden shroud.

Indistinguishable whispers were carried on the wind. Panic surged as rustling disturbances disrupted the sounds of the flowing river.

A disembodied laugh echoed around us, causing Nightmare to halt abruptly. He stood protectively in front of me as Storm crouched, arching her back like an angry cat.

We were most definitely not alone.

I clung to Nightmare with trembling hands as the medallion thrummed with an aggressive urgency.

“Should we run?” Storm asked, her voice quivering.

“Run where?” I asked, attempting to look in every direction at once.

She shook her head. “We need to move. Find cover. I can feel them around us.”

Another laugh erupted seemingly from a different direction, shattering our discussion. Nightmare pulled me with a newfound urgency, scrambling forward in search of refuge.

“This way,” he urged, his voice lacking the confidence I’d become used to.

The oppressive darkness grew deeper, causing the sinister shadows to become darker. Thunder rumbled over and over, shaking the rocks until they rattled on the ground’s surface.

“Well, we must be on the right track,” Storm said, clenching her jaw.

As another laugh erupted, Nightmare pulled me down behind an enormous pile of rocks. Storm followed, creeping close and staying low to the ground like a silent predator stalking its prey. I strained my senses, listening intently for any unusual sound, but that was part of the problem… it all sounded unusual.

A bone-chilling growl reverberated through the shadows. I turned to see a terrifying hound-like beast with horrifying red eyes emerging from the inky blackness.

With a guttural snarl, it lunged forward. Storm reacted instantly, throwing a ball of twisting dust at the creature, propelling it back several feet.

“Yeah, we gotta run,” Storm said, shaking her hand.

We bolted out from our hiding place, with Nightmare leading the way. I glanced back to see the vicious monster shake its head before setting hungry eyes on me.

In the disorienting dark, lit only by the flickers of lightning from within the evil clouds, I spotted a silhouette of a castle. I pointed as the beast growled as it nipped at our heels.

Between my frantic breaths, I found a single word. “There!”

Chapter

Nine

The monstrous beast unleashed a blood-curdling howl that echoed through the air, causing the ground to tremble beneath our steps. We raced toward the decrepit castle, charging across the rickety bridge over a churning moat of foamy, puke-green liquid.

Upon reaching the far side of the bridge, I dared a glance back, realizing the hell-hound had abruptly halted its pursuit. I bent at the waist, sucking in a breath that filled my lungs as I worked to steady my heartbeat.

Nightmare pulled me behind a dead tree trunk as two specters stepped out from behind the towering castle doors. The ghastly beings wielded massive, gleaming scythes as their cold, empty eyes scanned the area.

“They know we are here,” Nightmare whispered.

“They heard the hell-hound. It alerted them,” Storm said as she climbed up the tree, her outfit blending into the branches.

I itched the skin around the scalding medallion. My lips pressed together as my finger fumbled to remove the medallion from my wrist before it could permanently brand my flesh.

Nightmare grabbed my hand, pulling it away. “You must leave it on.”

“It’s burning me.” I winced, water collecting in the corner of my eyes.

“You can and will endure,” Nightmare said, giving me a gentle nod.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you know about it? I’m not like you.”

Nightmare pulled down the front of his shirt, revealing a circular scar with an intricate pattern detailed into his skin. His fingers traced over the design as a smile curled his lips.

“I know,” Nightmare said.

“What happened?” I asked.

“A story for another time perhaps,” Nightmare said, his eyes shifting back toward the specters.

I stopped trying to claw the medallion away from my skin. “Why don’t you have your artifact or whatever?”

“It’s where it needs to be,” Nightmare said before tapping his finger to his lips.

“What’s our plan here?” Storm asked. She hopped out of the tree and held up a finger. “Stay here. I’ll scout out the situation.”

“Storm,” Nightmare said, reaching out for her, but he was too slow. She was already prowling her way closer.

We crouched as Storm crept along the side of the bridge like a spider clinging to a wall. The specters seemed to have absolutely no idea she was close.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Nightmare mumbled, clenching his jaw.