Page 89 of Creatures of Chaos

I’m trying to direct Talon, who’s working on the last symbol of the starburst, when I hear Kiaro tell him he’s useless and to shove off.

The shade ivy spores are definitely affecting Talon, and for his sake I hope this trial is almost over or he’s not going to make it.

It only takes a few adjustments to get the last laser pointed in the right direction, and when it connects to its symbol, the light in the room changes to purple and the emblem glows. There’s a grinding noise and Titus calls out that the door is opening. I quickly join the rest of them and together we watch the door slide open. Some of the mist clears from the room, and light from whatever is beyond shines in, giving us a little more visibility. I don’t see anything much past the door except a white hallway, but that’s new. Each room so far has dumped us into a new room.

Titus looks down at his watch. “Eight minutes. We gotta go,” he says, and then takes off.

Kiaro starts to follow him, but then Talon shouts and starts backing up, swinging wildly at the fog around him.

“Talon!” I call, and try to go to him, but I can’t get close without getting hit as he fights an imaginary foe.

I’m trying to decide what to do when the purple light goes out. I swing around to see that Kiaro has moved one of the mirrors so that the laser is no longer properly aligned, and then a thump tells me that the door has slid closed again.

“What are you doing?”

Kiaros’ gaze is fixed on a thrashing Talon when he says, “Bettering my chances for a win,” and then flies at him, tackling him to the ground.

Talon tries to fight him off, but he’s also fighting imaginary demons in his mind and can’t fend off Kiaro’s fury of punches.

“Kiaro, stop!” I scream.

Running over, I try to pry him off an almost defenseless Talon, who’s now hardly moving under the onslaught of Kiaro’s attacks.

With a growl, Kiaro swings toward me, abandoning Talon to his temporary madness. He comes to his feet, and I back up, apprehensive of the unhinged look in his eye.

“I’ll deal with him in a minute. You and I have unfinished business.”

“This is stupid. We’re running out of time. Just tilt the mirror back and leave.”

“Oh, I intend to. But not before I get a taste,” he says, and then lunges at me. But I’m ready for him and twist out of the way before he can touch me.

He licks his lips with his split tongue, and I have to suppress a shudder. He truly is vile.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” he says with a lecherous grin, and then springs at me again. I spin out of the way a second time, already familiar with his moves from the time we faced off in the cages. But unlike the time we faced off in the cage, Kiaro can now use his magic. The third time he makes a move at me, the ground below my feet shakes and I lose my footing and go down.

I pop to my feet, but Kiaro is already on me, all hands as his fingers skate over my body. With a scream I rear up, headbutting Kiaro right in the middle of his face, breaking his nose. He falls back with a roar, cupping his face, and I scramble to my feet, trying to figure out what to do next.

I chance a glance at Talon, but it’s hard to see him through the mist. I think he’s unconscious in the corner of the room. I don’t know how to get us both safely out of this room and away from Kiaro.

Kiaro lumbers to his feet, throwing obscenities and curses at me the whole time.

“No more playing around,” he says when he faces me, the lower half of his face covered with the blood from his broken nose.

He gathers his power and fear shoots through me when I realize what he’s about to do. There’s nothing I can do to stop him before he shifts into a snake. But Kiaro doesn’t turn into just any snake. He shifts into a giant, white-scaled anaconda.

I back away from his coiled body, my muscles going weak with fear.

Snakes. I can’t handle snakes, especially ones big enough to swallow me whole.

My back hits the wall and I look for somewhere to flee, but there’s nowhere to go.

I’ve moved far enough away from Kiaro that I can’t see him through the mist anymore, which is a mistake, because now Idon’t know where he is, even though I can hear his slithering over the floor.

I have to move. I can’t just stand here and offer myself up as prey. I don’t know where Kiaro is, but I think I hear movement to the left, so I jut to the right. I only make it two steps before Kiaro flies at me, his body cutting through the mist and then winding around my legs.

He takes me down easily, but I’m not giving up. We’re close to one of the pedestals so I grab the thin column and drag myself forward a few feet. But it doesn’t help. Kiaro just manages to wrap more of his lean body around my own. Letting go of the pedestal, I try to squirm out of his hold, punching his scaled body that’s twisted around my legs and midsection, but Kiaro just squeezes until I’m sure he’s going to crack a rib.

I cry out; the snake hisses, and I swear Kiaro is laughing at me, and that makes me furious. I’m done with creatures treating me like I’m weaker than them.

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