Page 49 of Court of Evil

Glancing up, I see the glowing portal above me, the water lapping at it dark and serene. I guess I’ll have to climb if I want to . . . How did whatever this is get out?

A noise has my head jerking up again, and I see three bodies heading through the portal. I throw myself from the bones, rolling across the concrete floor and sliding to a stop in a crouch as I watch the fae and Tem hit the pile. The fae lands in a crouchbefore he stands and pushes his hair back, while Tem hits the bones in a belly flop. Ronan simply floats down and stands next to me.

“Took you long enough,” I mutter. “I was wondering if you chickened out.”

“Just giving you time to get eaten first.” The fae smirks as he walks delicately from the bones like he’s sauntering down a runway. Tem, on the other hand, just rolls and flops onto the floor before bouncing to his feet and smiling at me.

Rolling my eyes, I crack another flare and turn back, eyeing the place as I move deeper. The walls seem to drip with condensation. There’s a camera, old and forgotten, high up on the corner of the wall, as well as a busted metal door before the narrow corridor. Stepping on it, I peer inside the darkened hallway beyond.

“I guess this is the way.”

“I like their decorations. I never thought to use bones,” Tem remarks. “It gives it more of an intimidating aura.”

Ignoring him, I step into the corridor. Ronan floats behind me, and the others trail after me, discussing the pros and cons of using bones as decorations.

The passageway has a round roof and isn’t very long, and when I stop at the end, the hair on the back of my neck rises. I cannot see much, but I can feel.

“Enough,” I hiss, holding my hand up as I peer into the dark room beyond. “There’s something in there.”

“Well, obviously. Isn’t that why we are here?” Ronan jokes.

Ignoring him, I pull my hand from my glove and press it to the wall. Instantly, I recoil as if scalded. Screams and death fill my vision, as do flashes of people running, white coats, and so much blood.

“Something really bad happened here,” I admit.

“If you mean the lack of colour, I agree,” the fae comments. “If you are going to do the creepy Gothic thing, it’s all about colour.”

Ignoring them, I step into the room, my senses stretching beyond. I feel the buzz of electricity so I follow it. I walk into a rolling stool and curse before fumbling across a desk. The buzz grows louder in my head, letting me know I’m close.

Putting down the red light, I spy a thick, horseshoe-shaped handle set into a square case. There’s wording above it, but I can’t read it. It’s not any language I know, that’s for sure.

As I brush my fingers across it, I feel the tingle grow, indicating there’s electricity there. It’s probably a bad idea, but it’s better than fighting in the dark.

I grip the handle and flip it up. There’s a buzz, and then light blares on above us. It’s so bright, I have to shield my eyes for a moment. When I drop my hand, I glance around and find we are in some sort of control centre. Computers and screens all come back to life, some in the middle of programs as if they were abandoned. None of them look new, maybe five or so years old, but there’s an immense amount of power and technology here.

What were they doing?

What is hiding down here now?

Ronan makes a noise, and I look up to see him wide-eyed as he lifts his arm.

“Erm, I think you woke him.” I follow Ronan’s pointing hand, and my mouth drops open.

The blazing white lights exposed the glass-fronted lab beyond, and inside, hooked to a giant machine in the middle, is a man.

No, not a man.

A machine.

A mix of both.

His blood-red eyes snap open as he snarls, flashing huge fangs as his gaze lands on us.

“Prey,” he hisses in a deep, earth-shattering voice.

This was the monster from the vision, the one who killed.

“Oh fuck.” Ronan groans. “I’m so glad ghosts can’t be drained, but good luck, Tate.”

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