Page 61 of Rune Assassin

Tegan pointed in the direction of the beach where some activity was happening. “Land there!”

I turned sharply and flew us down. We were nearly there when the gong of a clock began to strike the hour. Midnight had arrived.

I landed us on the beach just in front of the crowd. The bleachers had been turned to face the ocean and the four contestants and Lusio stood before them near the water’s edge. Clara stood to one side and the waves lapped at her ankles. She had her hands spread out to her sides with the palms facing the ground and a soft purple glow emanated from her palms and flowed into the water. Her eyes widened as we landed between the groups.

“Stop!” Tegan shouted as he hurried off the broom. “You have to stop the trial!”

Lusio glared at him. “What are you shouting about? Explain yourself!”

“I will explain it for him.”

The voice came from the crowd and the people parted to reveal Hugh. The young man strolled out into the open with a crooked smile on his lips. He looked us over with interest mixed with slight irritation. “I will have to spread more blood for the next trap.”

I glared at him. “There’s not going to be another trap.”

He laughed. “How naive. Of course, I have several traps, and I will spring one right now.” He lifted one hand in the air.

My eyes widened as I watched the crowd at his back mimic his movements. It was just like the carving on the door.

“My God. . .” I heard Lusio whisper as he pointed a shaking finger at Hugh. “Hugo!”

Hugo chuckled. “So you remember me, do you? I thought perhaps your feeble mortal memory had erased me.”

Lusio’s eyebrows crashed down. “Then you’re the one behind all this trouble! It was you who tried to have me killed!”

“I am not done trying,” Lusio warned him as he turned his head toward the crowd.

The well-dressed audience climbed off the bleachers and toward us. Even Morrigan and Conor were among them. They all had the same empty eyes as I had seen Miles exhibit during his possession.

“Conor! Miss Shea!” Quinn shouted but he received no response.

Hugo folded his arms over his chest as the crowd passed him by. “Now I will be the audience and you the contestant. The goal is to not die.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

“W-what are you talking about?”Lusio stammered as he backed away into the ocean. “I did nothing to you! Absolutely nothing!”

Hugo sneered at him. “Of course you did. You ruined the lives of so many vampires with your greed. Now your greed will be the death of you.”

The earth shook and cracks formed between my legs. I yelped and Tegan scooped me out of harm’s way before my legs were swallowed by the sand. He turned us to one side so we could look behind us. Cordelia, Fidel, and Quinn had backed away from Beringer. The elderly gentleman had his cane stuck in the ground where the source of the crevices had occurred. His eyes, too, were blank.

Hugo laughed at us. “Do you think I would leave any stone untouched?” He used an arm to gesture at Beringer. “I have this man to thank for informing me of the trial dates when we met in the city. Now I have even more to thank him for in doing away with you all.”

“Not if I can help it,” Cordelia quipped as she reached into her dress and drew out a vial.

She threw the glass into Beringer’s face and the man choked on a cloud of smoke. He stumbled back and fell into the ocean where Quinn whipped up a wind and swept him down the beach.

“Run!” Fidel shouted before he gave a great whistle. The soft roar of a flock of birds was heard far off.

“Get them!” Hugo shouted as his gaze fell on Clara whose hands still glowed brightly. “Deal your revenge!”

Her eyes flickered between the insane vampire and us. I shook my head. “You don’t want to do this! Lusio isn’t worth hurting this many innocent people!”

Tegan’s strong hand on my shoulder brought me back to the trouble that was approaching us. We backed away from the bloodthirsty crowd as they stretched out their hands to us like zombies. I rolled my eyes up to Tegan. “Remember what we were talking about in the tomb? About that thing that could squish people?”

Tegan nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”

My eyes widened as I watched his body expand. Scales sprouted from his form and his face elongated into a snout. I scrambled back to make room for his ever-increasing girth. Some of the zombies broke off from the main pack and scrambled across the sand after me.

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