Page 48 of Monsters of Midlife

“I can’t keep singing nonstop,” I rushed the words out as I went back to the keening song that seemed to be making the hellhounds docile and peaceful in my hands.

“Just give it a little bit longer. They’ll bond. The other two are coming forward now,” Sophie pointed out. Much to my surprise, all three of the hellhounds were now bowing in front of me.

“I think they’re going to become loyal to you,” Sophie said.

My voice faded out, but this time they didn’t growl.

“The singing made them docile.” Sophie smiled.

I relaxed, petting the hellhounds and smiling at them.

It was a moment of respite before a loud rumbling filled the air.

“Caroline, watch out!” Sophie shouted. I turned my head just fast enough to see the tunnel wall breaking and water burst into the tunnel.

Chapter 29

RYDER

I could feel the break in the rift. It was like a jarring motion going through my bones. The jolt was so strong it was clearly local, but that sounded crazy, because although a rift ran through the San Francisco Bay, it wasn’t like it had been used in eons. I never faced monsters coming through this rift, but I could feel it cracking and breaking now in an instant. I stood outside the temple, staring toward the water, turning instinctively where the rift was cracking.

“Ratchet,” I said loudly, using a telegraphic magic system that allowed him to hear my message immediately. It was a special capability we had. “There’s a break in the rift in the Bay Area.”

I glanced around. There was nobody watching. Taking a deep breath, I allowed my body to shift and form and change its shape, black hair flying out from the pores of my body as my face elongated and I turned into the monstrosity I actually was. Black wings protruded out of my back and stretched to the side. The wards I had on me would keep any human from seeing me but this was the only way I was going to get to the break and the rift with any amount of speed that would allow me to stop the damage being done.

With a bit of luck Ratchet would meet me there.

Beating my wings, I rose in the air, sailing over the bay bridge. The water was turbulent and crazy, as if a maelstrom was happening right near Treasure Island, which connected one end of the Bay Bridge to the other.

Water Monsters.

I hadn’t seen any of those in years. My wings moved up-and-down in large sweeping motions, propelling my body through the cold San Francisco air. When I got to the top of the maelstrom, I didn’t even hesitate. I pointed my head down and dove right into the center of it, both hands out, willing to face whatever beasts were down there causing havoc. The water surrounded me, and I pushed through, forcing my way to the center of the maelstrom. It was then I saw the subway tunnel. BART: the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. Why the hell would monsters be attacking a BART train.

“About time you got here!” Ratchet screamed at me over the sound of the swishing water.

“Where are they?” I yelled.

“They’re inside BART. The train’s filling with water. People are down there, and they’re all going to die.”

Why had the monsters suddenly attacked a BART train full of humans? The thought breezed through my mind as I pushed my way down to the edge of the tunnel. We had to get the train out of the tunnel before the hole sealed up.

“I’ll go to the monsters, you seal the hole,” I screamed at Ratchet. His demon capabilities were better suited for the water than mine. I broke a hole in the tunnel, crashing in through the crack, and then to my horror I saw a circle of monsters surrounding Sophie and Caroline. The only thing stopping them from being killed were the hellhounds that were standing between Caroline, Sophie, and the demons.

“What the hell are you doing down here?” I yelled at her.

“A little help please?” she screamed back at me, seemingly unimpressed with my monstrous form.

I had gotten the monsters’ attention and they turned on me. The water was filling up the tunnel even as Ratchet was working to try to seal off the tunnel.

My job was to save Caroline.

The monsters came at me in force. There were more of them than I had expected, and it seemed like reinforcements showed up the minute I did. They had burning hands and fiery hair and they immediately started throwing firebombs at me which didn’t exactly go well with the black hair that covered my body.

Just as I was fighting two off with one hand, one flew up in the air and hurled its complete body at mine, knocking me to the ground. In seconds five of them were on top of me.” The monsters pummeled my head, and my chest, their legs kicking me in the groin. It was hard to gain purchase in the water that was flooding around me, but I knew I had to.

“Ryder!” Caroline screamed.

“Get her out of here,” I yelled to Sophie.

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