Page 79 of Nearly Dead

“Thanks,” I gasp, immediately back in the fight.

“Always,” he replies, his eyes briefly meeting mine with an intensity that steals my breath.My heart is beating fast and I’m ashamed to realize I’m partly enjoying myself.

We reach the church steps, battling through the last ring of zombies.Costin shoves himself against the heavy wooden doors, which fly open with a crash.We tumble inside.Anthony immediately turns to slam the doors shut behind us with his magic.Undead hands thrust through the gap, but he forces the doors closed with a final surge, dropping a heavy beam across them as a makeshift barricade.

The banging starts immediately, dozens of fists pounding against the wood.I look around half expecting the building to fall down on top of us.It’s surprisingly stable, more so that it looked on the outside.

“That won’t hold them long,” Anthony pants, leaning against the wall.Dirt and blood mar his body.He pushes up his dirty sleeve and swipes his forearm at the blood on his face.“You so owe me a spa package after this, Tam.”

I take stock of our surroundings.The church interior is a ruin of collapsed pews and fallen rafters.Moonlight streams through holes in the roof, casting eerie patterns on the dusty floor.At the far end, where the altar would have been, a faint glow emanates from beneath the slatted floor.

“There.”I point.“Underground.”

We pick our way through the debris, alert for traps.The glow leads us to a section of the floor that has been cleared of rubble.In its center is a stone slab with a metal ring.

“A crypt,” Costin says, his voice tight.“How uninspired.”

“Allow me,” I say, bending to grasp the ring.The stone is heavy, but my new strength makes lifting easy.It swings upward, revealing a set of narrow stone steps descending into green-tinged darkness.

The stench of rot is stronger here, mingled with something else.

“What is that?”I ask, glancing at my brother.

“I had a class that smelled like that.Alchemical compounds,” Anthony says.“Alchemy.The basis for most necromancer magic.”

I wrinkle my nose but can’t hesitate.Paul needs me.

“I’ll go first,” I say, already placing my foot on the top step.

Costin catches my arm, his grip firm.I nod.He blurs as he disappears into the hole to scout ahead.

Anthony and I descend side by side.

“I know men and that one is crazy in love with you,” Anthony whispers.I didn’t need him to tell me that, but I like hearing it.

“The feeling is mutual,” I admit, keeping my voice soft to match his.“Thank you for coming with me.Thank you for being my brother and always protecting me.”

“Stop thanking me.It sounds too much like a goodbye,” he answers with a wry grin.“Tokens of appreciation will be accepted in the form of spa vacations and hot escorts named Hans.”

I can’t help but smirk at his deflective humor.

The stairs lead to a vast underground chamber that bears no resemblance to a simple crypt.It’s more like an unholy laboratory, with glass containers lining the walls, each holding floating specimens I can’t bear to examine too closely.Many look like the orb I saw Leviathan carry Conrad’s spirit away in.Arcane symbols cover the floor and ceiling.They glow with that same eerie green light.

And at the center of it all, chained on his back to a stone altar, is Paul.I see bruises forming on his cheek and neck.

“Tamara,” he calls, struggling against his bonds.“Run.It’s a trap!”

“Of course it’s a trap,” Leviathan’s voice echoes through the chamber before he steps from the shadows.He looks exactly as I remember him.Unremarkable features somehow convey ancient malice.His simple black clothing is a stark contrast to the elaborate setup around him.“But that doesn’t make the invitation any less sincere.”

“Let him go,” I demand, stepping forward.Costin moves with me, his presence at my side a reminder that I’m not facing this alone.

“You brought uninvited guests.How rude,” Leviathan tsks though he hardly looks surprised.Or concerned.

“Paul has nothing to do with this,” I insist.

“On the contrary,” Leviathan smiles, the expression never reaching his eyes.“Your human pet is the perfect bait.He is your weakness.And look, here you are, right on cue.He’ll make a nice first soldier for our army, don’t you think?”

“Tamara, get out of here,” Paul yells, struggling against his restraints.

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