“No,” Darkness said, shaking his head as he placed his hands on my shoulders. “They are likely here for you.”

Darkness walked to the front door with Honor at his side. They stepped outside and were swarmed by a crowd of the creatures. Darkness pulled them off one by one and threw them to the side, but each one was replaced with another.

I took a step forward, and one of the imps grabbed my hand. He shook his head, begging me with his eyes not to leave the living room.

“It’s okay,” I said.

It shook its head again. “It isss not.”

The imps followed me closely as I inched closer to the front door. Storm, Nightmare, Honor, and Darkness waged a fierce battle in the front yard, picking up the creatures and destroying them one by one. But their numbers seemed to multiply at an alarming rate — for each that was destroyed, three more would appear.

“What are these things?” I said, not expecting an answer.

“Gremlinsss,” the imp replied.

My heart raced as I surveyed the chaos, desperately searching for where they were coming from. Finally, my eyes locked on a gaping hole in the ground. The demons clawed their way out of the hole two at a time, instantly launching themselves into a battle without caring if they lived or died.

“I need to close that hole,” I said to the imp at my side.

“I ssseeees it,” the imp said.

The medallion grew warmer, but still, I wasn’t sure what I needed to do. “I wish I knew how to use this damn thing.”

“Focusss,” the imp said.

I shook my head and then vigorously shook my wrist as if that would somehow make the medallion work. As I was focused on my arm, a shadow darkened the area around me, and a putrid order of rot crawled up my nostrils.

My eyes flashed up, fixating on the grotesque, inky black monster before me. It was shorter than I was by a few inches, and it was horrifyingly angular and jagged, as if it were made of tree bark.

A slimy trail of drool oozed from its mouth, rolling down its chin before dropping sloppily to the floor. Its lips spread wide as it released a piercing hiss.

The creature’s skin was tarry, and its eyes gleamed like terrifying orbs of molten lava. It scratched its long, clawed foot against the floor like a malicious bull getting ready to charge. Steam puffed out of its wide nostrils as it shook its head, the curled, sharp horns pointed at my throat.

The imp at my side lunged at the large gremlin, but the abomination anticipated the assault. With supernatural speed, it ensnared the imp before it could make contact.

Keeping its eyes fixed on me, it launched the imp over my shoulder like a pitcher throwing a baseball at top speed. The sickening splat of the imp crashing into the wall clenched my stomach as shivers ripped down my spine.

It took a calculated step toward me, and I instantly stepped back, keeping the space between us the same. The other imps moved around me, guarding me, but the gremlin didn’t seem to pay them any attention.

“Leave,” I said, my voice shaky.

Sweat poured down my neck as the temperature inside the house abruptly rose. It was like I’d stepped inside a sauna… or perhaps a preheating oven.

The gremlin lunged, and I dodged to the side, nearly knocking over one of the imps. I grabbed the lamp on the end table and swung it awkwardly at the creature.

“Get out of here!” I yelled.

The gremlin released an eerie hiss as it recoiled, raising its arm to shield its ugly head. It reached forward, swatting at the lamp, which sent it hurtling across the room, shattering against the wall. The creature’s jaw moved as a screeching noise escaped its stretched mouth, a sound I could only assume was a laugh.

Desperation coursed through me as I scanned the room for something else I could use as a weapon, but there was nothing in Darkness’s mostly empty house. The only thing I had was the medallion, but it wasn’t doing much more than keeping my wrist warm.

The gremlin stalked closer, stretching out its sharp claws toward my throat. I stumbled to the side to put more distance between us — I needed more time to think. My eyes stayed on the creature as I took several steps back, but my body was stopped by the wall.

Gritting my teeth, I wrapped my fingers around the medallion as I moved left and right like a boxer, getting ready to dodge an assault. It may not be helping me, but I knew I had to protect the ancient artifact. The beast continued to advance, its horns mirroring my side-to-side movements.

“Go away!” I said, my voice shaky.

The gremlin froze, stretching its mouth into a nightmarish, high-pitched screen that pierced through the air like a banshee’s wail. The sound sent shockwaves through the walls of the room.

In a savage and somewhat coordinated assault, the imps charged at the gremlin, swarming over its repulsive form. They moved quickly, clawing their way up its back and clamping onto its limbs as their teeth sunk into its gross flesh.

The gremlin convulsed, sinking into itself as the imps savagely tore into the beast. With each bite, it seemed to get smaller and smaller before it sprung up, flinging the imps in various directions.

With jerky movements, the gremlin straightened its spine, its eyes burning with an unholy rage fixed on me. Its movements were slow and methodical, but there wasn’t anything to stop the creature’s advance.

It extended its arm and, with a sneer, wrapped its twisted claws around my throat. I punched, but it felt like my fist collided with a stone.

“Ow!” I cried as the bones in my hand crunched in agonizing protest.

Desperate, I pressed the medallion against the gremlin’s gnarled arm, but the emanating warmth did nothing to stop the monster. A surge of frustration ripped through me as I tried to push myself out of its hold.

The gremlin tightened its cruel grip, and my vision blurred. My eyelids fluttered as it lifted me off the ground.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Adeafening explosion rocked the room, and I crashed to the floor. I gasped for precious air, my nails frantically raking at my neck, desperate to breathe.

Through a haze of disorientation, my eyes focused as Darkness crushed the gremlin with righteous fury. With an earth-shaking stomp, he flattened the monster before brutally flinging it out of the front door.

“Burn them all!” Darkness commanded before slamming the front shut.

He scooped me out and carried me to the couch. Concern filled his glowing eyes.

“There is a hole,” I said, pressing my hand to my forehead. “It needs to be sealed.”

“It has been closed,” Darkness said, his words running together. “Are you hurt?”

Wincing, I slowly moved my head from side to side. “Not really. Are you? The others?”

“We’re all good,” Darkness said, his jaw stiff. “They’re just, um, cleaning up.”

“We’re not safe here, are we?” I asked.

Darkness exhaled a long breath as if he’d been holding it for too long. “To be honest, I am not sure. We need you to try on the artifacts to see if that stops all of this. Time is running out.”

“Okay,” I said, touching my throat. “Is there any water here?”