Chapter 26

26

O ne day later and Leo was gone. A week later Matt disappeared. His clothes and electronics were still in the yurt he'd been staying in, and his film crew said he'd missed a meeting with them. After twenty-four hours, Jabril had been forced to call in the local police, and they opened an investigation.

We'd had to take a day off filming for the police to interview all of us, and you'd think Jabril was about to have a stroke.

‘The next day we rose at the crack of dawn and by early morning had returned to the abandoned mining town in all our costumed glory. Jiz had set up in an old r0ugh hewn tunnel that ran from rusted rail cars to the entrance of a now defunct copper mine.

This scene highlighted Alistair's role as our necromancer. Our unsuspecting band was about to be attacked by ghouls—undead zombie-like creatures, except with sharp rows of teeth and long claws, and who moved more like spiders. The makeup artists should get an Oscar for their creations. Jabril also had outdone himself by hiring contortionists for the role. The way they moved was creepy and would be further enhanced with CGI in post-production.

The ghouls crept into the tunnel waiting, the camera already set up. We rode up to the tunnel on our horses. They wouldn't be going inside. We were supposed to be looking for a fabled coin and had heard rumors that it resided in Doomglory Caverns. We'd go on foot and then pow ! Ghouls.

No one messed up their lines, so we proceeded into the cavern. A disembodied voice counted down and we needed to be to our mark when they reached ‘one.' We had no trouble getting there in time. The zombies attacked. In close quarters I couldn't shoot arrows, so I drew my short sword, while Poppy drew her dagger, and Kade drew his larger blade and stood back to back. Rory only had his hurdy gurdy to use as a weapon, which would provide a hint of comic relief before the action kicked in. Alistair stepped a few paces away from us and pretended to call on his magic. The ghouls writhed in agony, contorting into shapes that human beings shouldn't be able to do.

But some kept coming. That wasn't in the script. Noticing them, Alistair pretended to hurl his magic their way. He was nothing if not the consummate professional. Plus, we wanted to get out of the tunnel as soon as possible. While I wasn't particularly claustrophobic, the tunnel creeped me out, and poor Rory was a little green around the gills. Poppy didn't look much better.

The ghouls kept coming. I didn't remember so many of them. Maybe Jabril had added some without telling us to keep us on our toes. Their sounds were so believable, and we could even hear their claws scrabble along the rock wall.

When the ghouls didn't fall, Alistair huffed and went still. He raised his nose to the air. And then he was gone.

He reappeared at Rory's side a ghoul in his grip and threw it across the floor. It hit with a thump, but began to rise almost immediately.

"Fuck, those aren't actors," he said.

Kade sniffed the air and swore, his claws popping out.

"What do you mean those aren't actors?" I hauled Poppy toward me as a ghoul swiped at her.

"Don't let them bite you," Ali said. Appeared next to another and snapped their neck. They kept coming. "Dammit, we need to behead them. Kade you get everyone out, I'll distract them."

"What about you?" Rory called, taking a step toward Ali before Kade placed Rory between himself and the wall.

"They can't turn me into an undead creature. I'll be fine. Kade, get them out of here. Ali winked in and out of our vision tossing ghouls in a pile as we sprinted for the exit.

But more ghouls appeared and blocked our escape. I felt something thud on my boot and when I looked down, I saw the coin. Raven. Of course.

"Would have been nice if you'd told us before entering the tunnel." I scooped it up, but it slipped from my fingers and instead of falling to the ground like gravity dictated, it flew through the air and struck Kade's sword. Where it stuck. Dragon side out. What the . . .

"The sword! Kade, use your sword."

"It's a prop," he said swiping at the oncoming ghouls to keep them back. Only a few seconds before they'd rush us.

"Trust me. The sword. Ali! We need you!" I flanked Kade and waved my own sword. Poppy held up her dagger.

Ali appeared by my side. "Here, take this. You can cut off their heads."

He didn't question me, just sped to the closest ghoul and ran the blade over its neck. It's head hit the ground. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second and he was gone.

Ghoul's heads started to roll and Kade moved in to help him, the length of his blade combined with his strength keeping them from getting too close. Poppy thrust her dagger into the throat of one who made it past Kade and lunged for me. Rory followed up by cracking the hurdy gurdy over its head. It gave Ali enough time to appear, lop off its head and continue to the next. And the next. Until not one ghoul remained. Kade breathed heavily and Ali was as pale as I'd ever seen him. He wobbled on his feet, claw marks all over his body.

Rory rushed to his side. "You're hurt."

"Just tired, little laird. I'm out of shape." He tried to take a step away from Rory, but Rory closed the gap and threw his arm around Alistair's waist to help support him.

"I've got you," he said.

"No, let me go." He wriggled, but Rory held on. "Rory, I'm wounded and need to feed. I could attack you."

They staggered to the wall. Rory held out his arm. "Then feed."

Ali shook his head wildly. "I could take too much."

Poppy stepped up. "You can feed from me, too."

"Whatever you do, do it fast." Kade kept his sword raised high scouting for any stray threat.

"You stubborn vampire, you're not going to hurt me." Rory sounded so sure. He pulled his sleeve up and stuck his wrist under Ali's nose. Alistair's eyes turned an angry red, and he grabbed Rory and hauled him to him, sinking his fangs into his arm. Rory stifled a groan.

Alistair proceeded to feed and Rory didn't try to pull away. When Rory's posture began to droop, I rushed over and gripped Rory's waist. Ali growled and continued sucking.

"Let him go, Ali."

He ignored me.

"You'll never forgive yourself if you drain him." I purposely waved my arm near his nose. He'd said my blood smelled delicious. His eyes snapped to my wrist and he stopped sucking on Rory.

Poppy stepped up.

"You get Rory," she said, "I'll be his next donor."

Ali let go of Rory. I caught him and Ali didn't try to reach for me, his eyes returning to a less angry shade. Poppy stepped in and put her wrist to his mouth.

"Go ahead." She nodded.

This time he gently took ahold of her wrist and bit down. She didn't even wince. He only fed a little. Rory remained slumped against me, his eyes closing.

When Ali pulled off, he bared his bloody fangs. "Little fool! I told him not to feed me." He tore his own wrist open with his fangs and stepped up to Rory. He shoved his wrist against Rory's mouth. "Drink."

Rory tried to turn his head away.

"Drink you bloody, stubborn redhead or I will turn you over my knee until you wish you'd complied."

That got Rory's attention. This time when Ali shoved his wrist against Rory's lips, he didn't turn away. He gagged as Ali's blood spilled into his mouth.

"Don't waste a drop," Ali snarled. "Swallow."

Rory did. And then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

I caught him. "What happened?"

"He just needs rest." Ali looked as angry as I'd ever seen him. "Here, let me carry him."

"Are you sure that's—"

"Precious, give me the little laird."

"You're not going to drink from him again, right?"

"No, I've had my fill. He's safe with me."

I gingerly handed him over, and Alistair swept my best friend into his arms in a bridal carry like Rory weighed less than a feather. Maybe to Ali, he did.

"Let's get out of here," Kade said. "Poppy, you okay? Do you need some help?"

"No, he hardly took from me. I give more when I go to the Red Cross. I'm fine." We walked back down the tunnel. It seemed a lot longer than when we'd gone in.

"Did we go the wrong way?" I asked. Didn't seem possible, but terror did weird things to a person.

We walked for an hour. We should have come out either side of the tunnel by then. Or at least see the light. But there was nothing. Rory jerked awake and startled us all. Ali put him down.

"Are you all right?" I pulled him into a hug.

He hugged me back. "I'm fine. Better than. I feel fantastic."

Ali gave him a withering look and stomped down the tunnel. We hurried to catch up. We continued on for another hour, still nothing. Could we somehow be in a loop?

"Hold up, everyone." Kade stopped and we all followed his lead. "This clearly isn't working." He shifted into his wolf and placed his nose on the ground and snuffled. A moment later, he was off, and we followed.

Five minutes later he drew to a halt and snuffled around a large pile of debris. He shifted back. "I can smell fresh air behind those rocks."

He and Ali set to work, while Rory, Poppy, and I did our best but probably got in the way more than helped. Sure enough the passage opened onto another passage with a point of light at the end. Ali zipped down to the end and back.

"It's clear." His eyes looked a little wider and a crease formed between his eyebrows.

"What aren't you telling us?" I peered at the pinpoint of light.

"It's better if you see, cupcake."

We trudged after him until we came to the exit. An expensive douchey watch with a broken face sat next to the opening. I recognized that watch. I picked it up and showed it to the others.

"This belongs to Matt."

We exchanged glances. Then we stepped outside . . . into a meadow. But nothing like I'd ever seen. The air shimmered and a low hum filled our ears. The sky was a brilliant orange with inky tendrils of clouds spreading across the horizon like a spider web, and ozone, cloying flora, and blood scented the air.

A forest with enormous trees that dwarfed redwoods, with sickle-like leaves and stretching hundreds of feet up into the air spanned the area in front of us. Even as we watched they rippled like a wave and slowly began to blacken. Thorny black vines crept up the tree trunks with flowers larger than my head and made out of some sort of crystal. And they had fangs. Big ones.

What the hell?