in the instant before the explosion. He and Colleen had been following Conklin’s smeared trail of blood, had spotted him and Katherine just outside the entrance to the hospital and begun running toward them. Katherine had been standing with her back to the hospital facing Conklin, saying something to him. And then without warning Conklin had drawn his fist back, and McGowan realized he was about to punch Katherine, a heavy blow that could hurt her seriously. But an instant before his right fist slammed into her face another Katherine stepped into view and grabbed his left wrist, shouting something McGowan couldn’t hear. And then Conklin’s fist connected with the first Katherine, and a searing, white-hot light, accompanied by an explosion, erupted from the point of contact. That was all McGowan could remember. And now both Katherines and Conklin were gone.
Colleen leaned heavily on him for support as he said, “There were two Katherines.”
“I know,” she said breathlessly, sounding like someone who’d just sprinted a mile. “Had to be a vampire, old one, under glamour. But where did they go?”
McGowan thought he knew, but to say the words was a death sentence for his daughter. No, possibly not a death sentence, but death would be preferable to the alternative. “I think it dragged them into the Netherworld.”
“Oh dear God!” Colleen said. “We have to get them back.”
McGowan shook his head. “We may not be able to.”
Something tugged at his pant leg. He looked down to find two leprechauns standing there. “We can help,” one said excitedly.
“Ya,” the other said with a big grin on its face. “Isn’t this fun?”
Baalthelmass stood in a glamour of deep shadow across the street from the hospital. The Lord had dragged the stupid Tertius and the young woman into the Netherworld, either a very cunning move, or a very stupid one. Baalthelmass would try to bring Trogmoressh back, but Its protégé might now be beyond hope. In any case, if the Lord made it back from the Netherworld still possessed of his soul, and that was by no means a given, then Baalthelmass would have to reevaluate Its entire approach to this Lord-of-the-Unliving, perhaps something less direct. Cloaked in Its shape and identity as a human mortal, It could draw on many resources. It could afford to be patient and careful.
Chapter 6: Oh Hell!
Paul scrambled to his feet and stood there unsteadily, his right fist surrounded by a pale blue halo. A hot wind howled overhead in a dirty brown sky lit by a sun Paul had never before seen. The vampire, no longer draped in a glamour of human disguise, climbed awkwardly to its clawed feet a few paces from Paul, one leathery wing twisted at an odd angle. It faced him for a moment and hissed at him angrily, exposing a snouted mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. His heart climbed up into his throat as he took an involuntary step back, instinctively putting more distance between him and that thing. But it turned away from him, turned almost casually as if he didn’t matter, turned toward a dark form lying in the reddish-brown dirt at its feet. A slimy ichorous drool dripped off its chin as it bent over the form, which Paul suddenly realized was Katherine lying on her back with her arms and legs sprawled at odd angles.
Blind panic tugged at him. His primitive fight-or-flight instincts told him to take to his heels and run, screaming hysterically like a madman. In his present state of mind he thought he could probably let out a good girlie scream as he ran, but he owed her. She’d come to his rescue in the hospital. She’d warned him this monster was a monster, even when it looked like a nice middle-aged female doctor, and she’d fought by his side in front of the hospital, fought this thing and fought homicidal Joe Stalin.
As the vampire bent down over Katherine’s still form he charged, screaming hysterically, ran straight at the monstrous creature, trying to convert his fear into
Colleen leaned heavily on him for support as he said, “There were two Katherines.”
“I know,” she said breathlessly, sounding like someone who’d just sprinted a mile. “Had to be a vampire, old one, under glamour. But where did they go?”
McGowan thought he knew, but to say the words was a death sentence for his daughter. No, possibly not a death sentence, but death would be preferable to the alternative. “I think it dragged them into the Netherworld.”
“Oh dear God!” Colleen said. “We have to get them back.”
McGowan shook his head. “We may not be able to.”
Something tugged at his pant leg. He looked down to find two leprechauns standing there. “We can help,” one said excitedly.
“Ya,” the other said with a big grin on its face. “Isn’t this fun?”
Baalthelmass stood in a glamour of deep shadow across the street from the hospital. The Lord had dragged the stupid Tertius and the young woman into the Netherworld, either a very cunning move, or a very stupid one. Baalthelmass would try to bring Trogmoressh back, but Its protégé might now be beyond hope. In any case, if the Lord made it back from the Netherworld still possessed of his soul, and that was by no means a given, then Baalthelmass would have to reevaluate Its entire approach to this Lord-of-the-Unliving, perhaps something less direct. Cloaked in Its shape and identity as a human mortal, It could draw on many resources. It could afford to be patient and careful.
Chapter 6: Oh Hell!
Paul scrambled to his feet and stood there unsteadily, his right fist surrounded by a pale blue halo. A hot wind howled overhead in a dirty brown sky lit by a sun Paul had never before seen. The vampire, no longer draped in a glamour of human disguise, climbed awkwardly to its clawed feet a few paces from Paul, one leathery wing twisted at an odd angle. It faced him for a moment and hissed at him angrily, exposing a snouted mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. His heart climbed up into his throat as he took an involuntary step back, instinctively putting more distance between him and that thing. But it turned away from him, turned almost casually as if he didn’t matter, turned toward a dark form lying in the reddish-brown dirt at its feet. A slimy ichorous drool dripped off its chin as it bent over the form, which Paul suddenly realized was Katherine lying on her back with her arms and legs sprawled at odd angles.
Blind panic tugged at him. His primitive fight-or-flight instincts told him to take to his heels and run, screaming hysterically like a madman. In his present state of mind he thought he could probably let out a good girlie scream as he ran, but he owed her. She’d come to his rescue in the hospital. She’d warned him this monster was a monster, even when it looked like a nice middle-aged female doctor, and she’d fought by his side in front of the hospital, fought this thing and fought homicidal Joe Stalin.
As the vampire bent down over Katherine’s still form he charged, screaming hysterically, ran straight at the monstrous creature, trying to convert his fear into
Similar Books
