Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 19

  She shook her head at him. “People don’t always believe, even if they know it’s true. Case in point.” She gestured wide to the entire room around them.

  He shrugged. “I could have been having an off day, and I told you before, I never didn’t like you. It was the lies.”

  “Well, now you know why I lied,” Mira said.

  “Yeah, but when they came from you, it was like hearing nails on a chalkboard.”

  “Everyone lies. I would have thought you’d be used to it.”

  “For most people, I know when they lie, but it doesn’t bother me. You? It’s damn aggravating.”

  “Huh.” She didn’t know what to say to that. “Maybe it’s a witch thing. And should an angel be saying damn?”

  He chuckled, and she began to laugh with him. It didn’t exactly break the tension, but every little distraction helped ease the stress a little more.

  They lapsed into silence again and Mira thought about what magic she might have around the house.

  “I’m not saying that going to my apartment will help us, but being here is definitely not getting us anywhere,” she said.

  Gabriel’s smile faded away. “Maybe we should talk to whoever—whatever those things were.”

  “You want to talk to those things?” Mira’s gaze darted to the door. “Easy for you to say, they said you could go. Who knows what they want to do to me.”

  “They want you for a reason,” Gabriel said. “What did you do?”

  “I don’t think this is because I spelled Ian. If we were dragged here because of the spell, my chances of getting out are nil and I’ll be lucky if I just die here.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gabriel asked.

  “Any damage caused by the spell I cast on Ian falls back to me. I’m pretty sure getting you trapped here could be worse than a death sentence if it’s related to the spell.” Mira shivered at putting the thought into words. “Anyway, if we are forced to communicate with those things, then sure, we can have a chat, but I am going to go far out of my way to avoid that.”

  “What do you think you can do at your house?” Gabriel asked.

  That was even harder to explain. “Sensing this magic,” she shook the cord in her hand, “makes me think that other magic may fall into the Ether from our world. If any of it spills into this world, there may be a chance I can use it.”

  “This place could be easier to defend,” he said, looking around.

  “We can defend or try to find a way out,” Mira said. “Defense is only going to work for so long. There’s no water here for starters.”

  “Right,” Gabriel said. “My car is in the garage. We can go out that way and avoid the front door.”

  Steering clear of whatever was scratching at the door was something she dearly wanted to do.

  “We go straight to the car and steer clear of anything that may get in our way. If we have to talk, we talk. If we have to fight, stay behind me.”

  “Got it,” Mira said. She hated the idea that she would have to step aside if it came to a fight. Why hadn’t she listened to Emmit and prepared some offensive spells?

  Once again, Gabriel took a white-knuckled grip on his gleaming sword and shield, and they made their way out of the room. Getting to the door was easy—it was straight down the hall. Gabriel tried to give her some hand signals as he stood next to the back door. Mira gave him her best what the hell look, and he rolled his eyes.

  “Stand back to the left side of the door, look to the right and let me know if you see anything, or if we’re clear.” Through the whole exchange, he made the hand signals again.

  They were still lost on Mira, but she knew what needed to be done.

  Gabriel did a countdown from three on his fingers and kicked the door open. The darkness in the garage was thicker than they had anticipated. Mira tried to catch movements in the shadows, but found nothing.

  “Clear to the right,” she whispered.

  Gabriel sprung out of the door. His skin blazed in light, and the haze and shadows fell away. They rushed out into the garage, pounding feet echoing in the empty, cavernous space.

  Mira saw movement. She grabbed the back of Gabriel’s shirt.

  “To the right, to the right,” she said, tugging on his shirt at the same time.

  He swung around, but whatever had caused the movement was long gone.

  They were so fast. Mira’s hands started shaking, and she still clung to Gabriel’s shirt, her hand twisting the material into a tight knot.

  “We’ve got a problem,” Gabriel said, stopping in his tracks.

  “What? What is it?”

  “The car is gone,” Gabriel said. He strode forward a bit more, dragging her along with him. “Mira, let go. There are no cars. No cars anywhere.”

  Chapter 22

  Mira had been concentrating so hard on the creatures that the fact that the parking garage was empty hadn’t registered.

  No cars anywhere. Turning back to the station, she found the way blocked. Something, or possibly many somethings, if the shifting shadows were any indication, blocked the way. She clenched and unclenched her fists. How had she not picked up a weapon?

  “Back inside?” she asked.

  “Back inside,” Gabriel agreed. “Put your hand on my back. Don’t grab the shirt; just place your hand on my shoulder. As I move, you’ll get an idea of where I’m going to move.”

  She found herself staring at a mass of feathers. “I can’t reach your shoulder.”

  “You’re not that short. I need to know where you are so I don’t hit you on accident. My sword skills are non-existent.”

  “Right,” Mira muttered. She put her hand on his wing, feeling feathers softer than cotton and smoother than silk.

  “Good. Keep an eye behind us.”

  It was interesting that he thought she was holding his shoulder.

  Gabriel moved forward, striding purposefully for the door. She felt him tense, but she hadn’t expected him to stop in mid stride. Mira ran into his back and almost inhaled one of his feathers.

  “Let us through,” Gabriel said in a loud voice.

  “The witch is ours,” said a voice in front of them.

  Mira tried to ignore the voice and concentrate on their surroundings.

  “She has things to answer for in our world,” Gabriel said. “We’re going home.”

  “Her debt to you meansss nothing to usss,” came another voice.

  “Out of our way.” Gabriel’s voice didn’t hold the forceful demand that it had earlier, but he was glowing brighter. It seemed the higher the emotions, the brighter he glowed.

  Something darted forward.

  “Left,” Mira called to Gabriel.

  He was already moving. In one swift turn, he lashed out with his sword. The blow struck home on a short creature that had too many eyes. It shrieked and collapsed. The smell of smoldering oil permeated the area.

  Gabriel turned forward and swiped his sword. Another shriek.

  Mira felt an urgent need to help, but she could do nothing except watch Gabriel’s back. He couldn’t see everywhere at once.

  “It’s still clear behind us,” Mira said in a low voice.

  “On the move,” Gabriel said.

  Before Mira could take in the meaning of his words, he was already moving around the limp form in front of him and toward the station. Their path was now clear. Things were still shifting out in the haze, but whatever was out there kept its distance.

  Gabriel reached the door and pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled again.

  Something surged forward, trying to take advantage of their delay.

  “Behind us,” Mira called.

  Hoping she was dodging the right way, Mira moved aside while Gabriel turned, slashing the beast. It let out a wounded howl. The thing wasn’t down, but it moved quickly away.

  Mira let go of Gabriel and tugged at the door, trying to fight down the frantic feeling that was rising up. It didn’t budge.

  “Where’
s the key?” Mira asked.

  “No keys here.” Gabriel wasn’t keeping his voice down. He looked amped with adrenaline from the fight. Breathing heavy, his head twitched from left to right, ready to lash out.

  “Let’s go to the front,” Gabriel said.

  “You locked the front door.” Mira’s mind frantically thought through her everyday spells, hoping there was something, anything, that she could use.

  Gabriel pulled back his sword arm and raised his shield. He slammed into Mira and their fall was blocked by the door. Something thudded to the ground off his shield. Gabriel’s weight on Mira disappeared while she staggered up and he lunged forward, swinging his sword as though he were a gladiator.

  “Right,” he said after another creature was dispatched. “We had a plan, let’s stick to it. We’re going to your house.”

  “Are you frigging kidding me?” Mira yelled over a new chorus of howls that echoed in the parking structure.

  “We have to move,” Gabriel said. “Staying here isn’t going to help us. It’s not safe. Besides, I think the smell might be attracting something that we don’t want to deal with.”

  Mira looked at the motionless bodies on the ground. “My shop is closer.” She didn’t want to go any further than she had to with these things running around.

  “Do you have everything you need there?” Gabriel asked.

  “Hard to say.” Mira thought over what she kept in her shop. Thankfully, her mail order business was thriving. “I’m not sure what we need. I’m not even sure anything can reach into this world.”

  “It has to be worth a shot,” Gabriel said.

  “Stick to the streets?” she asked.

  “Unless you know more than you’re saying, we have to play this by ear.” Gabriel set off down the sloping structure and out onto the street.

  There was no time for Mira to think this through. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead and it was all she could do to keep up with Gabriel.

  Seeing a tremble in his wings did not help her frame of mind. Her eyes bulged, trying to take in everything at once. Was it night here? There was light of a sort, but everything around them seemed to absorb it.

  Was it night in their world already? It had seemed like they had been trapped in this nightmare for days with their nerves stretched tight.

  They hadn’t gone more than a block when screeches and howls picked up in intensity.

  The noise came from every direction, and each fresh sound made their heads jerk, expecting to see something running their way.

  Compulsively, Mira looked behind and to the sides.

  Gabriel slowed when they reached a cross street. Shadows darted around just out of sight. Mira stuck close as they rushed across the street.

  Breathing hard, Mira caught sight of something approaching.

  “Behind us!” It came out much louder than she’d intended.

  The creature was already gone when Gabriel turned.

  He didn’t say anything, but he did pick up their pace.

  “To the right!” Mira yelled.

  It was moving away when Gabriel turned, but he lashed out with his sword anyway.

  The smell of burning oil fell away as they distanced themselves from the station. It was hot and the air felt denser and closer, as though the haze trapped their warmth against their skin.

  It has also grown quiet.

  Gabriel was keeping vigil up front. Mira could see his head checking from left to right and occasionally back. They were moving quickly, but Mira was beginning to feel the futility of what they were doing. There was no way she would be able to keep up the pace, and her store was miles away.

  Gabriel swung at shadows of his own, almost as often as Mira called out others. They tried to stick close to buildings, but each door seemed to be inset from the wall. Each time they approached one, they’d have to slow down and carefully peek around the corner. Every moment in the hazy landscape seemed more terrifying than the last.

  Howls and screams rose up once again. The beasts were closer. Mira began seeing them at each intersection, gathering and watching as Mira and Gabriel rushed by. Some dared to lurch forward, but they always fell back when the sword was raised.

  “We turn left here,” Gabriel said, looking around the corner.

  “Wrong way,” Mira said.

  “There are fewer to the left, so we have to turn,” Gabriel said.

  Mira leaned back against the wall and tried to catch her breath. Her terror-filled mind was jumbled, and she needed a minute to pull herself together.

  “What are you doing?” Gabriel turned. “We have to keep moving.”

  Mira shook her head, but kept her eyes moving ceaselessly, trying to take in every possible movement in the darkness.

  “Look,” Gabriel said, “if we turn left here, we can circle back around.”

  She shook her head again.

  “Damn it, we have to keep moving!”

  Gabriel looked like he wanted to drag Mira along or leave her.

  It took Mira a few tries to find her voice again. “They’re like animals, but they’re smart.” Her breathing was still rasping. “We can’t go left just because it looks good.”

  “Talk while we move,” Gabriel said.

  “Fine. But move forward,” Mira said.

  Gabriel’s face was pale. He was sweating, and now his nostrils were flaring and his eyes looked hard and cold. Finally, he nodded his head.

  “I can’t be sure,” Mira said. “I don’t know what these things are, but they seem smart. They talk and move like they are, anyway.” She tried to take deeper, slower breaths. “When packs of people or animals hunt, they try to corner whatever they’re hunting.”

  “You think they were herding us somewhere?” Gabriel scoffed.

  The howling broke way into a snarl as one of the creatures jumped out. It had tufts of hair growing in patches over its body. The legs looked too thin and frail to support the rest of its bulk. Arms stretched far too long, but where the elbow should be, the arm broke into three long limbs.

  It reached out, ignoring Gabriel, trying to grab Mira.

  Gabriel was too quick. The arm of the thing, if it was an arm, was severed by Gabriel’s sword.

  The high-pitched keening noise that rang up from the creature was answered on all four sides. Then a chorus of voices took up the chant, “Give us the witch.” It struck fear into Mira’s heart and she froze, rooted to the spot.

  Gabriel grabbed her arm. To Mira, it was as if he was talking through a tunnel. “Stick close behind me, we have to run.”

  Mira managed to nod in return. Fear was giving way to terror, which Gabriel must have noticed, because he hesitated.

  “Give me that string,” Gabriel said.

  Hoots and whistles broke up the chant briefly, but it came back again, stronger than ever.

  “The string,” Gabriel snapped.

  Mira fumbled in her pocket and wordlessly handed it over.

  He wrapped it once around her arm and then to his belt.

  The smell of burnt oil was thick in the air, which brought Mira’s brain back from where it had fled.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, covering her mouth.

  “Making sure we don’t get separated,” Gabriel muttered. When he finished, he looked up and down the street. “Ready to go?”

  They started at a jog to get away from the stench and find clean air.

  Then they tried running. It had sounded like a wonderful idea. They’d shoot forward for a few yards only to be attacked by some hideous beast that jumped from the shadows. Sticking behind Gabriel was harder than Mira had imagined. Gabriel was breathing hard, but he swung his sword as if he had all the strength in the world. Mira knew that wasn’t the case. He had to be as worn out as she was. This constant terror, the running, it couldn’t only be Mira that felt tired to the bone. Right?

  She knew she wasn’t going to last much longer.

  They trotted up to a wall that didn’t exist in the real world. I
t was a little taller than Mira, but Gabriel could see the other side.

  “Do you want to boost me over it?” Mira asked without much conviction.

  “Not a good idea.” He looked down its length each way.

  “Maybe it could give us some extra time while those things have to get over it.” And give us a break, Mira thought.

  “It’s covered with some sort of spikes,” he said, “and little holes.”

  Hesitantly, Gabriel reached out a hand. As soon as it touched the wall, he yanked it back hard. Howls rose up behind them. Mira looked around, trying to catch sight of what might be following, and wondered how many and how far away they were.

  She had backed up against the wall without realizing it. Gabriel grabbed her, almost dropping his shield in the process, and yanked her away. Mira stumbled and fell to the ground. She turned to yell at Gabriel, but saw that he visibly paled.

  Gabriel took his sword and hacked at the wall. The long line of stone quivered. It started to bleed.

  “Dear god,” Mira whispered. Her mind couldn’t grapple with that. Does that make it a living wall or one of those things? Both?

  Gabriel pulled her to her feet with shaky hands. Wordlessly, they started to run, staying away from the wall, trying to find a way around.

  They stopped short when confronted by a group of a dozen nightmare creatures. More monsters appeared out of the hazy darkness. They backed up a few paces.

  “There’s more behind us,” Mira whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

  Gabriel turned, putting their backs facing the wall, which Mira didn’t think was much better.

  “The witch is oursss.” Something stepped forward. Others jostled themselves out of the way as it moved, looking in awe at the creature. It was the same beast that Mira and Gabriel had first encountered at the station.

  “What did I do to you?” Mira called.

  “You meddled.” The other creature from the station stepped out. It, too, got the same reverent treatment from the others.

  “What does that even mean?” she yelled.

  “You sided with the Harkers,” it said.

  “Oh shit,” Mira said under her breath. “Oh shit.”