Page 16 of Dead End

I had to end this.

I tossed the slides into a large metal sink and rooted through the cabinet underneath for chemicals. I cheered when I spotted the bleach. I emptied the contents of the bottle onto the slides. Then I went in search of a more permanent solution for the rest of the lab.

I felt my inner clock ticking as I tore through the remaining cabinets. If I didn’t hurry, I was going to lose my chance to escape.

There was nothing useful. I kicked one of the cabinets in frustration.

“Problem?” a voice asked, smooth as glass.

I spun toward the door to see an unfamiliar figure. “Who are you?”

“Ogun. Posy sent me. She thought you might be in need of my help.”

“You were in the warehouse?”

His face hardened to stone. “I was.”

“Ogun,” I repeated. “Yoruba god?”

His mouth split into a grin. “If you know me, then you know what I can do.”

I nodded. “I think so.”

“In that case, you might not want to be here when I take my revenge.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I dashed from the room and sprinted down the corridor to the lobby. Obnoxious red lights flashed, and the relentless noise had all the hallmarks of a torture device, but no one pursued me.

Heat nipped at my heels. As I slipped outside, a fireball shot through the lobby. I ran, choosing to avoid the trail and stick to the trees. It didn’t quite rise to the level of a forest, but there was a certain comfort in keeping myself surrounded by nature. It was how I’d grown up, and it was how I lived now with Wild Acres on my doorstep. When I dared to turn around, the entire lab was in flames. I couldn’t relax—not yet.

Relief pulsed through me as the stables came into view. I ignored the fighting noises in the distance. They weren’t here for me. If I was smart about my movements, I could avoid becoming collateral damage.

I paused behind a tree and checked that the coast was clear, then I charged to the stables.

Thirty feet.

Twenty.

Ten.

I felt a stabbing pain in my lungs as I blew through the entrance and skidded to my knees. I scrambled to my feet and searched frantically for a trusty unicorn steed. Instead my gaze alighted on a better option.

A pegasus.

Why had no one mentioned the horsewith actual wings?

The sharp pain subsided as my breath normalized. A quick scan of the stables revealed only one such creature. The plaque on the gate identified her as Lolly. Not the fiercest name. I didn’t need her to fight, however, only to fly.

I glanced around for anything to entice her. My pulsequickened when I spotted a basket of carrots in an empty stall. I swiped two carrots, stuck one in my pocket, and held the other at the gate for Lolly.

The pegasus sniffed the air and trotted closer.

Thunder rolled. One of the gods with that seemingly ubiquitous talent was nearby. If he discovered me here, I could kiss my escape plan goodbye.

There was no more time to woo the pegasus. It was now or never.

I opened the gate to the stall. “Hey, Lolly. How would you feel about stretching those wings of yours?”

Another deep rumble rocked the stables. The drumbeat of death pounded my heart, jolting me into action.

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