Page 83 of All Hallows Game

“No.”

“If you don’t come with me, I’ll find a way to go alone.” My brother was in danger, and a sense of foreboding wound tighter around me with every minute since the power went out.

Tor dragged a hand down his face, shaking his head. “You do everything I tell you to, Cactus. Everything.”

My heart leapt even as my stomach quivered at the sound of my full name on his lips. Nerves rippled through the numbness. I nodded quickly. “I won’t argue with you. Thank you.”

Tor grunted, clearly unhappy, but he turned towards the light. “You’re the one who has to explain to Miz and Death why we’re not here when they come back out.”

I swallowed, a pang in my chest at the thought of the stress I’d cause them both, but the amber light drew my eye again, and urgency settled over me. I needed to get to Virgil before Nightmare sprung whatever trap she’d set this time. I refused to lose anyone else. Not Honey or Virgil or anyone.

“Stay close,” I warned Phil as we set off walking, tension wrapping over all three of us. “It’s not safe out here.”

“I’m getting that vibe,” she agreed, chewing her bottom lip. “Maybe this isn’t the best idea. Who’s Virgil, anyway?”

Panic clawed at me, enraging my darkness. It didn’t speak, didn’t offer any gruesome suggestions, just surged through my soul, ready to unleash itself on my enemies. I didn’t know why I lied. “Just a friend,” I answered after a moment, “but I haven’t seen him in days.”

Phil bit her lip so hard she drew blood. “Like the others that went missing last month,” she murmured, her eyes downcast. I wondered who she’d been made to kill. It was there in the slump of her shoulders, the clench of her jaw—guilt.

The path ended after a few more steps, the light’s glow leading us into grassy hills darkened by tall trees. The dark hid any distinguishing features the area might have. Were we close to the gates? I couldn’t tell, couldn’t recognise anything.

Another howl sounded, far closer than before. I shuddered as cold rushed into my side, edging closer to Tor—

I stumbled on a protruding tree root, careless as I turned to look behind myself, searching the shadows for Tor. Where was he? He’d been right beside me, clingy in his determination to keep me safe. He would never have just left me.

My heart quickened. Panic shredded my numbness like the fine threads of cobwebs and I shook harder, turning on the spot, searching for any sign of him in the dark.

I reached into my pocket to get my phone, meaning to use the torch to find where Tor had gone, but something slammed into the back of my head, hard enough that fireworks exploded across my vision. A cry of pain ripped from my lips, my torch forgotten.

I was falling before I knew what was happening, the dark disorienting around me. There wasn’t enough light to tell, but I thought my vision wavered as I splayed there on the cold ground, the mist soaking into my clothes. Pain was like a river of fire, scalding across my skull and neck, a sharp contrast to the cold.

Get up, my darkness urged, wrenching on my soul. Get your knife and kill her before she can kill you.

Kill who…?

My killer instincts were clearly working faster than my mangled brain, because they’d already worked out who hit me over the head. I didn’t realise who’d hit me until Phil knelt beside me, breathing fast.

“I’m so sorry, Cat,” she said with genuine regret, and then she hit me again.

True darkness reigned after that.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

TOR

One second I was walking beside my girl, scanning the darkness through a veil of magic, alert for threats, and the next teeth snapped around my ankle and dragged me away from her.

I was taken so off guard I didn’t even cry out to her, didn’t shout a warning until it was too late and I was too far away. I knew what had happened the moment my brain stopped rattling around my skull. Whatever had its teeth locked in my ankle finally stopped dragging me in a patch of muddy grass.

The monster had grabbed me.

I waited for Nightmare to peel out of the shadows of a tree, waited for her gloating voice to fill the air, but instead there was only the loud panting of the creature. Disappointment made my heart sink. I wanted to rip that bitch’s head off her shoulders more than anything.

“Piss off,” I snapped, flicking my hand at the creature looming over me. Magic poured from me in response to my anger—and the fear burning steadily brighter at the thought of Cat and her friend alone with no one to protect them—and slammed into the dark, furry beast. When my darkness collided with it, it yelped and stumbled away, releasing my leg with a gush of blood. Ugh, great. Now, I’d be limping for days.

“Fucker,” I snapped, climbing unsteadily to my feet, putting my weight on my good leg as I kept the creature’s luminous eyes in my sight at all times. I refused to be caught off guard by it again. “You took me away from my girl when she needs me. I hope you don’t think you’re getting away with that.”

At least the creature was here. At least it couldn’t attack me and Cat at the same time. I knew we shouldn’t have budged from our spot outside the library. I knew following that damn light was a bad idea, but I couldn’t refuse her anything. If I wasn’t so weak for her, she’d be safely protected and I wouldn’t have a dozen oozing holes in my leg.

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