Linda squeaked.
“Shhh!”
Cassie’s stomach lurched, and she swallowed the acrid bile down. Someone was shouting, but she didn’t understand the words. Her skin tingled like a thousand pricking needles. She couldn’t stay here, just listening, waiting for someone to save her or kill her, trapped in a closet with no escape. This was her life they were fighting for. She had to do something.
“Stay here,” Cassie whispered, her lips against Linda’s ear.
Linda’s arms tightened around her. “You can’t go out there!”
Cassie pulled free of her friend’s grasp, then held Linda’s hands in her own. “I have to,” she whispered. “And I have a feeling you’re safer here without me. You’ll be okay.”
Another wave of nausea nearly doubled her over, but it was quickly followed by that push of strength that cleared it away. Cassie eased the closet door open and slipped out, closing it softly behind her with a tiny click of the latch.
“She’s here!” an unfamiliar male voice shouted.
The laugh that followed sent a blade of fear down Cassie’s spine.
The sounds intensified as the struggle lurched closer. Cassie groped her way over to Linda’s dresser and picked up the heavy ironwood statue of the Indian goddess Durga, the multi-armed demon slayer. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it would have to do. She opened the bedroom door a sliver.
The air crackled with a sizzling energy that pulsed through her, squeezing her heart and stopping her breath. The living room was a shambles. Lamps lay on the floor, casting crazy shadows. She could just barely see Gideon down on the carpet beyond the sofa. The man from her vision had his back to her. Aelziroth. Whoever that was. Dressed all in black, like some kind of ninja, he had Jared in a headlock, choking him. Cassie didn’t hesitate. She rushed forward and brought the many-armed statue down on Aelziroth’s head with all her strength.
The blow rocked Jared’s attacker forward. One of Durga’s scimitars sliced the man’s scalp under his crew cut. Blood darkened the side of his head and he swore, but he didn’t loosen his hold on Jared’s throat. He just turned to Cassie with a smile so full of malice it froze her blood. A shock of recognition hit her. The man was Dave, from the restaurant. And yet it wasn’t. There was something essentially different about him.
Jared reached back and put a thumb in Dave’s eye. With a scream, he sprang back and clapped a hand over the socket Jared had gouged. Jared coughed raggedly, then straightened, holding a sword gleaming with white light.
Where did that come from? Cassie barely had time to wonder before Jared leapt toward Dave with athletic grace. The shadow of upswept wings flared across the wall behind him.
Cassie stared, confused by what she saw—and didn’t see.
Dave, or Aelziroth, whirled toward her, reaching.
“Cassie! Get out!” Jared shouted, but she was already jumping away.
The air felt thick with a strange energy that puckered her skin. She forced her arms and legs to move. She raced for the hall closet where she knew Linda kept a baseball bat, but her legs seemed trapped in mud. A flash of light behind her threw her shadow against the wall. A cry of raw pain and outrage filled the room, raising the hair on her neck. The light grew brighter behind her. Cassie blinked back tears and shielded her eyes.
Someone stumbled, running from the room. The kitchen door slammed. The light faded. The thrumming pulse of power dissipated into an eerie calm.
Cassie turned, rubbing moisture from her eyes. Aelziroth, or Dave, was gone. Jared slumped, propped against the back of the couch, breathing hard. There was no sign of the glowing sword he’d wielded only a moment ago.
Gideon groaned and tried to sit up. Jared flew to his friend’s side faster than Cassie thought anyone could, and propped him up with pillows from the couch.
“Took you long enough,” Gideon said, offering a lopsided grin that was
“Shhh!”
Cassie’s stomach lurched, and she swallowed the acrid bile down. Someone was shouting, but she didn’t understand the words. Her skin tingled like a thousand pricking needles. She couldn’t stay here, just listening, waiting for someone to save her or kill her, trapped in a closet with no escape. This was her life they were fighting for. She had to do something.
“Stay here,” Cassie whispered, her lips against Linda’s ear.
Linda’s arms tightened around her. “You can’t go out there!”
Cassie pulled free of her friend’s grasp, then held Linda’s hands in her own. “I have to,” she whispered. “And I have a feeling you’re safer here without me. You’ll be okay.”
Another wave of nausea nearly doubled her over, but it was quickly followed by that push of strength that cleared it away. Cassie eased the closet door open and slipped out, closing it softly behind her with a tiny click of the latch.
“She’s here!” an unfamiliar male voice shouted.
The laugh that followed sent a blade of fear down Cassie’s spine.
The sounds intensified as the struggle lurched closer. Cassie groped her way over to Linda’s dresser and picked up the heavy ironwood statue of the Indian goddess Durga, the multi-armed demon slayer. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it would have to do. She opened the bedroom door a sliver.
The air crackled with a sizzling energy that pulsed through her, squeezing her heart and stopping her breath. The living room was a shambles. Lamps lay on the floor, casting crazy shadows. She could just barely see Gideon down on the carpet beyond the sofa. The man from her vision had his back to her. Aelziroth. Whoever that was. Dressed all in black, like some kind of ninja, he had Jared in a headlock, choking him. Cassie didn’t hesitate. She rushed forward and brought the many-armed statue down on Aelziroth’s head with all her strength.
The blow rocked Jared’s attacker forward. One of Durga’s scimitars sliced the man’s scalp under his crew cut. Blood darkened the side of his head and he swore, but he didn’t loosen his hold on Jared’s throat. He just turned to Cassie with a smile so full of malice it froze her blood. A shock of recognition hit her. The man was Dave, from the restaurant. And yet it wasn’t. There was something essentially different about him.
Jared reached back and put a thumb in Dave’s eye. With a scream, he sprang back and clapped a hand over the socket Jared had gouged. Jared coughed raggedly, then straightened, holding a sword gleaming with white light.
Where did that come from? Cassie barely had time to wonder before Jared leapt toward Dave with athletic grace. The shadow of upswept wings flared across the wall behind him.
Cassie stared, confused by what she saw—and didn’t see.
Dave, or Aelziroth, whirled toward her, reaching.
“Cassie! Get out!” Jared shouted, but she was already jumping away.
The air felt thick with a strange energy that puckered her skin. She forced her arms and legs to move. She raced for the hall closet where she knew Linda kept a baseball bat, but her legs seemed trapped in mud. A flash of light behind her threw her shadow against the wall. A cry of raw pain and outrage filled the room, raising the hair on her neck. The light grew brighter behind her. Cassie blinked back tears and shielded her eyes.
Someone stumbled, running from the room. The kitchen door slammed. The light faded. The thrumming pulse of power dissipated into an eerie calm.
Cassie turned, rubbing moisture from her eyes. Aelziroth, or Dave, was gone. Jared slumped, propped against the back of the couch, breathing hard. There was no sign of the glowing sword he’d wielded only a moment ago.
Gideon groaned and tried to sit up. Jared flew to his friend’s side faster than Cassie thought anyone could, and propped him up with pillows from the couch.
“Took you long enough,” Gideon said, offering a lopsided grin that was
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