Tension coiled within me like a spring as Storm ascended ten feet into the air, summoning a cyclone of swirling dust, rocks, and debris. The shrill, agonizing wail they released as they were swept away pierced my eardrums and stung my brain.
Storm slammed her hands together with a thunderous force. She conjured a bolt of lightning, flinging it at the specters in midair, completely obliterating them. The remnants of their forms turned to dust, descending to the ground like a torrential spring shower.
She brushed her hands together and motioned for us to join her. Nightmare gave her a single nod before cautiously surging forward with determined strides.
“Come on,” he called back when my feet didn’t move. “Let’s go!”
I chased after him, my heart pounding as I caught up to him. “What do we have to worry about if she can just do that to anything?”
“She won’t be able to do that again for a while,” Nightmare said, wiping his brow. “She is probably quite drained.”
“How long until she can do it again?” I asked.
“Too long. She’d probably have to regain her energy.”
My legs felt like they were forged from steel, resisting every effort to keep up with Nightmare’s brisk, urgent pace. “What if there is something worse inside?”
“It’ll be up to us,” Nightmare said, his eyes locking with mine. There was a burning determination simmering deep within them.
“What are your powers?” I asked, slowing as we approached the massive doors.
Nightmare drew in a breath. “Nothing like hers. And I am not as well fed as I would like to be.”
Storm crouched low as we stood beside her. She cautiously pressed her ear against the old wood, urging us closer with a solemn finger curl.
“The doors will make a sound,” she said, glancing at Nightmare. “Be ready.”
The doors squeaked, but Storm only pushed them wide enough for us to slip inside. We crossed the threshold, wincing at the thick, foreboding stench of vomit and mold.
Sprawling before us was a large open chamber with a towering ceiling. The walls were adorned with faded grand tapestries and forgotten paintings of beasts. Portions of the wall had crumbled, exposing the sky beyond casting eerie shadows on the uneven stone floor.
Against the far wall, Darkness stood shirtless, chained to the wall. There were wounds on his body, including one on his shoulder that looked like a painful bite mark.
The ground shook under our feet as a colossal beast stomped out from behind a large deteriorated sculpture in the middle of the room. A flash of light outside illuminated the massive horned hybrid of a rhinoceros and an elephant.
“Behemoth,” Nightmare said, his eyes darkening with rage.
“What do we do now?” I asked.
Before Nightmare could answer, the medallion pulsed against my wrist. Like a magnet, it began pulling me into the open from my hiding spot in the shadows.
“What is she doing?” Storm said with a frustrated grunt.
“I’m not doing it,” I muttered as Behemoth turned its massive head, its eyes burning with malice.
Darkness lifted his heavy gaze, our eyes electrically meeting for the first time in a long time. An unspoken connection surged between us, causing my throat to constrict as if it were gripped by unseen hands. My heart aggressively fluttered as overwhelming waves of emotion crashed over me, threatening to shatter my senses into oblivion.
Seeing him again after all this time felt like stepping into a forgotten dream. The subtle curl of his lips ignited a wildfire within, liquifying my insides.
“You’re going to get us killed,” Storm’s voice cut through the air, her fists clenching as she stepped up beside me.
“I’m not doing it,” I replied, as my eyes shifted to my wrist, which seemed to be pulling me toward Darkness. “It wants me to go to him.”
A deafening cacophony exploded from Behemoth. It was a seismic roar that shook the foundation of the castle, breaking the spell that had entrapped Darkness and me. Nightmare and Storm readied themselves, poised for the impending attack.
Thick snot erupted from its flared nostrils, and drool cascaded from its gaping mouth, forming a disgusting puddle at its feet. It scratched the floor with its massive hoof, causing debris to fall from the ceiling and sprinkle down on us.
A bone-chilling roar reverberated through the air as Behemoth’s colossal front legs raised upward. The atmosphere seemed to throb as it filled with the scent of feces and death.
My entire body trembled as Behemoth took a deliberate step forward, closing the already much too small gap between us. “Oh, shit.”
Chapter
Ten
Nightmare took a brave step forward, pressing his palms together as he lowered his eyes. A strange incantation spilled from his lips as an enormous black vortex materialized beneath Behemoth.
It was only a second, but terror flickered in its eyes before it plummeted through the floor into the dark abyss. There was no sound. Behemoth was just gone, but the hole in the floor remained.
Nightmare collapsed to the ground, and Storm dropped beside him, cradling him in her arms. She whispered something into his ear before turning to me.
Anger turned her eyes dark. “Hurry. Get him free. We need to get out of here.”
I sprinted around the hole in the floor, keeping a safe distance. With each step, I worried the fragile tile would crumble and drag me down into the abyss with Behemoth. Reaching Darkness, I yanked the thick chains that bound him, but they didn’t budge.
“Is there a key?” I asked, frustration raising my tone.
“Good to see you too,” Darkness said, smirking. “Wasn’t sure you’d make it in time.”
