The Shadowed Manse by David Alastair Hayden, Pepper Thorn Page B

So, when can I sleep then?” Morgan asked.
    “I think you have to wait at least twelve hours.”
    “No way I can stay up all night; I’m already exhausted.”
    “Well, maybe if we get some food and you seem alright after a few hours … then maybe it'll be safe for you to go to bed real late tonight.”
    “Food … I hadn’t even thought of that,” she said. “We are going to need to eat tonight, to keep up our strength. Where is the kitchen?”
    Through gestures, Valet told them it was the first door on the left when entering the Grand Hallway from the Great Room. That should be relatively easy to reach from the Armory, which was the third door on the opposite side; they would be running away from most of the shades.
    Arthur passed the raygun back to Morgan. “You didn’t have to elbow me in the throat.”
    “You didn’t have to get fresh.”
    “Get fresh ? Who talks like that anymore?”
    “I do.”
    “Well, I was just reaching for the gun.”
    “You got too close. Let that be a lesson.”
    Arthur shook his head — whatever . “I say we make a run for the kitchen as soon as we’ve caught our breath.”
    “I’d like to rest longer, thank you,” Morgan said.
    “The lady has a point,” Vassalus added. “You have been through a lot.”
    “I know,” Arthur replied. “But I think if I rest too long, the adrenaline is going to drain right out of me, and all these aches are going to get worse, and my sore muscles will seize up on me. I say we go while we can still move.”
    “Let’s do it,” Lexi piped. “Food, food, food!”
    “You cannot eat, Alexis,” Vassalus said.
    “Well, I can … I can enjoy food vicariously. Let’s go.”
    “Who made you two boss?” Morgan said.
    “He is the Multiversal Paladin,” Lexi told her.
    “Yeah, but he’s also a moron.”
    “Maybe,” Arthur said as he stood up. “But I’m right, and you know it.” He retrieved his rayguns. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Eleven
     
    A Perfect Meal
     
     
    Arms and Valet prepared to open the door. Arthur tightened his helmet’s chinstrap and drew both rayguns; Morgan activated her shield; Vassalus and Lexi eased in between them.
    “Everyone clear on the plan?” Arthur said. “All right then, let’s go.”
    The two servitors threw open the door, revealing the crowd of shades waiting on the other side. They didn’t destroy themselves running into the sigil-protected doorway this time. Arthur opened fire, pulling the triggers on both guns as fast as he could. He didn’t bother aiming — as long as he kept the guns at chest level, he couldn’t help but hit them.
    He must’ve killed a dozen shades and wounded more before the monsters took the hint and scattered. Arthur angled himself against the doorframe so he could fire as far down into the hallway as possible, driving them farther away. Lexi peeked in the opposite direction, back toward the Great Room, where they had first entered the Manse and toward the door to the kitchen.
    “I see only three shades on this side,” she said. “Vassalus and I will take them out.”
    The wraiths, for whatever reason, had retreated to the other end of the Grand Hallway, and Arthur wasn’t going to complain about that.
    “Arms and Valet, you open the door to the kitchen,” Arthur said. “If anyone gets in a rough spot, help them out. Let’s go.”
    Morgan stepped out into the hallway with her force field up and spread out as wide as possible, which was nearly six feet across. The numina darted into the hallway and attacked the three shades on the left. Arthur followed and helped out by shooting a shade near the door to the Great Room. Two shades rushed forward — splatted against Morgan’s shield — and staggered backward into their comrades. Others tried to rush around the side, but Arthur shot at them. Once the numina took out the shades at their backs, they rushed in to help cover the flanks.
    The plaque over the double doors said DINING HALL, and a sigil hung in the