The Darkness That Hunts
Chapter 15

Wecollapse into the chairs of the J.B. Rhine Auditorium where we’d learned aboutSandra’s first victim. A few dim emergency lights highlight the exits, butotherwise we keep the room dark so as not to alert the guards stalking thegrounds. Occasionally flashlights peek through the auditorium’s windows and wehear orders barked through radios, but no one tries to come inside.

Ihuddle with my knees up to my chest. Inside me, the black hole is immobile andominously silent. I see Melissa collapse. I watch Hamilton float in the sky,swallowed in a bronze halo. I don’t realize I’m crying until Kamiron brushes mycheek. His tenderness causes me to cry even more--but silently. The scaldingtears seem foreign to me, as if someone else has laid claim to my body and usesit to weep for the fallen.

Kamironmurmurs things meant to soothe me. I don’t pay him any attention. My fingerstrace Gjinna’s chain at my throat and I use the rhythmic thumping of Dace’stennis shoes against wood to drag me back to reality. The small blond hums withanxiety as he paces between the stairs leading up to the stage and the podium.

“It’sonly a matter of time before she’s here, if what Shari says is true. We need aplan.”

Iwipe the last of my tears away. Priority one: survival. I can do this. I haveto.

“Ihave to kill the Steel Fang.”

Theweight of their gazes collectively settles on my mouth.

“Shari--”

Icut Kam off with an absent wave. “I know you love her, but she’s under thecommand of The Darkness-That-Hunts.”

“Ican persuade her. She hesitated to kill me.”

“Hehas her soul. He owns her. Hiscommand is . . .” I struggle, trying to replace the words to convey the power ofhis enthrallment. “A compulsion she can’t help but heed. She hesitated, yes,but she can’t disobey for too long. Only her hatred for me gives her thestrength to not target you yet. That’s the good news--she’s after me first andforemost.”

“Good news?” Zakk snorts in disbelief. Dirt and sweat dull his longhair. “Hate to see what’s bad with you.”

Daceflops down at the edge of the stage and lets his feet dangle over the rim. “Sohow do we kill her? A stake through the heart? Holy water? Garlic?”

Kamirontenses and I feel Zakk weaving peace for him.

“We don’t kill anything. I do. Alone.”

“No,”they simultaneously reject.

“Look,she wants me dead above all. She’s hunting me. I’ll lead her away from you.Stay in here and you should be safe from the hounds.”

“Andhow do you propose to beat her? Bullets didn’t work.” Zakk’s fingers curlaround mine. Despite the waves of calm assaulting me, I pick up his underlyingfear.

Mytongue dashes across my dry lips. “I don’t know yet, but I’m not entirelyhelpless. I feel . . . something inside me. I can’t describe it, but I know Ican stand up to her.”

Atleast I sound more confident than I feel. “Just stay hidden ’til I get back.”

“Andif you don’t?”

Gee,thanks for the vote of confidence, Dace.

“Thenget help. Tell Lieutenant Butler and the Director. Say Sandra’s had a psychoticbreak.”

Irise and it’s Kamiron who blocks me. His stormy eyes are at their mostbrooding. “We’ll face her here.”

Ifrown as Zakk takes up the mantle. “This is as good a place as any, Shari.We’re in this together like it or not--and we have some abilities of our ownthat could prove useful.”

“Speakfor yourself, Z,” Dace snickers, his heels rapping against the wall of thestage. “I’m thinking being a medium ain’t real helpful.”

“Butyour mouth is,” Zakk retorts. “We’ll do our best to distract her. I can makeher more agitated with my ability. Kamiron has telekinesis and Dace can be . .. well, Dace.”

“Shittalker ’til the end,” he grins but quickly sobers. “Shari, Mel and Ham aredead. We have to end this.”

Irelease a long, slow breath. A vise chokes my heart. “Hamilton’s not dead.”

Theirheads swivel to me but before I can explain, we overhear nails pawing at theauditorium’s locked double doors.

“What is it, boy?” Sandra’s voice whirlsaround us in deadly caresses. The boys immediately fan out, hiding in theshadows. Dace remains onstage and faces the entrance.

Sandracontinues to croon. I can feel her menace circling, closing in. “Do you smell a bitch in heat? You do? Oh,good boy. So do I!”

Agrowl. The doors rattle.

Somethinglarge bangs against the oak. It holds firm. Huddling behind a seat, I curlmyself into a tight ball and seek out the black hole inside. I grip it firmlyand tug.

Anotherrattle followed by a bang. The metal hinges groan and screws clatter againstthe floor. They sound like rusted bells.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,”Sandra taunts in a singsong manner.

Bang. The hinges pop off withthe collision. I tug harder, willing the maelstrom to return to me. I’ll needit if I’m to survive.

Thedoors shudder in their death throes and faint, plummeting inwards in a plum ofdust, oak, and glass.

Ipeek around my row of seats and spy the Steel Fang, hands on her slim hips,hounds at her thighs, staring at Dace with raised eyebrows. Dace pushes up hisglasses and smirks.

“Tookyou long enough.”

Sandragestures and the dogs separate. “Tell me where she is and when I kill you,it’ll be quick.”

“Inthat case she left with Chameleon. If you hurry, you’ll catch up to them, but Ithink he’s made his choice pretty clear at this point.”

Windshrieks past me and Sandra is onstage with Dace’s throat in her white hands.

“Now,Kam!” he gasps.

Thepodium shivers and lurches across the stage, slamming into Sandra and Dace. Herhold loosens and Dace scrambles away. Wood splinters as Sandra rips apart thelectern as if it is little more than cardboard. Her gaze replaces Kamiron at myside.

“Youshouldn’t be here with her.” She peels pieces of wood from her strawberry hair.“Why did you have to tell my Master who you were?”

Kamiron takes a step towardshis girlfriend. “He had our friend, Sandra. I wanted to save Mel.”

Sandrawaves the answer away. “Lost cause. If you hadn’t involved yourself, I wouldhave made sure you lived . . .”

Isit my imagination or does she seem truly regretful? A sadness creeps into hermismatched eyes and I replace the same emotion reflected on Kam’s face.

“Thisisn’t you, Sandra.”

Ifshe hears him, she doesn’t indicate it. “Come with me. I know he ordered me tokill them--it’s out of my hands, sweetie--but I can help you. I never imaginedI’d meet you and I can’t bear for it to end this way. Onegai.” Her voice rings with sincerity. “Be with me, Kam. We’llhave eternity. All you need to do is join him. It isn’t so bad.”

Isense two hounds behind me, navigating the rows with cat-like silence. Sandra’sdistraction is paying off well. I wrestle with the power inside me, but itdoesn’t bulge.

Patience, child,coaxes the voice. Not yet.

“Allit will cost is my soul, right?” Kamiron hangs his head for a moment. His broadshoulders rise and fall with his steady breathing, and I can see the veinspoking through his golden skin. When his head lifts, his eyes are like mercury.“I can’t do that. I won’t have the blood of my friends on my hands. Not evenfor you, honey.”

Forthe first time since entering the auditorium, Sandra looks at me. Her blue eyeswears vengeance. Her green eye promises death. “We’ll see how you feel when Ikill your whore.”

Iexpect Andhakar’s hounds to attack me first, but it’s the Steel Fang whocatches me in her charge. Folding her white fingers around my neck, she rams meinto the wall across the auditorium. My head strikes the drywall and my visionspins as wet pain assaults me. Plaster rains down around us.

Sandra’sfist connects with my jaw. She screams at me but I can’t make out her words.They sound far away, lost behind an odd ringing sound. Again and again herfists slam into my face. Blood bursts out of my mouth and my lip splits. Herfury heightens at the smell of blood and she bares her canines at me. Over hershoulder, I notice my friends wrestling with the giant dogs. Massive jaws andfetid saliva spear the air. Makeshift weapons fight back. Ferocious teeth--

Apunch to my gut winds me and I collapse. Sandra kicks me as I try to block theblow. Before I can scramble away, she grabs my ponytail and hauls me to myfeet. I lash out with nails, fists and feet but even with lingering strengthfrom Gjinna’s blood, I am no match.

“Somuch trouble over you, you little cunt.”

Shebites me.

Herrazor-sharp teeth sink into the flesh of my shoulder and wrench a wail from thepit of my soul. I fight and struggle but she latches on like a pit-bull. Herhands secure mine behind my back and she pins me against the wall, pressing herbody against mine. Our breasts mold against one another until I can feel herheartbeat. Unlike mine, which hammers like a bullet train travelling from Osakato Tokyo, hers is measured and slow. It evidences no exertion.

Almostas if she has entered a state of Zen. Zen in destruction. Is that ascension? Isnicker at my own absurdity before I realize--in a sudden, sobering instant ofclarity--that she is draining me. She isn’t drinking my blood, but swallowingmy life-force.

Ragewashes me in heat.

Thecow is killing me!

Let her. The masculine voice reelsme with its conviction.

No way! My friends need me!

Give it to her, Shari. Don’t fight.

Lethargytakes over and my body feels heavy. My heartbeat begins to match the SteelFang’s unhurried pace. Her will rips into the shields protecting my mind,stabbing over and over against the fortifications in search of an entrance.

You’re trying to trick me!

Ifthe voice were a real person and not a figment of my disturbed imagination, I’dswear it (he?) just cursed at me. Foolishimbecile. Give her it all!

Andthen I see.

Theblack hole inside that I couldn’t pull out or use--I’m too weak. It’s Sandrawho can wrest it from where it’s lodged.

Islump against her and open myself to her psychic assault. Certain of impendingvictory, she latches onto my energy and sucks in deep, unchallenged pulls.Without registering the danger, she grabs at the black hole.

Bodyshattering with the strain, I release it.

Thestorm sweeps us up in its hurricane winds. Suddenly Sandra no longer pulls atit. The energy sinks its claws into her and does not relinquish its newfoundoutlet. Power that I have gathered pours from me into her. She tries to ebb theflow but can only tumble over and over in its chaotic whirlwind.

Herheart speeds as mine assumes her earlier Zen-calm. Her hands loosen from mywrists. Her head snaps back from my shoulder, but it doesn’t sever the flow ofenergy. Sandra staggers away and an orange light leaks through her alabasterskin like she’s swallowed the sun. Power melts her eyes and erupts from herears, mouth, and nose.

Sensingthe Steel Fang’s danger, the hounds turn as one and rush for me. I can donothing to protect myself. The energy funneling out of me threatens to destroyus both.

Sandrashrieks in agony. Chasing her scream, a quasar burst of heat and orange lightslams me back into the drywall.

Moreraining plaster that reeks of chalk and mothballs.

Theshockwave picks up chairs, banners, and anything not bolted to the ground andhurls it in all directions. It snatches up Andhakar’s hounds, launching theminto the air before burrowing into their bodies. Yelping, the dogs shatter in astarburst of light the hue of apricots. Windows shatter, the ruined oak doorsexplode outward and disappear into the night, and Sandra . . .

Shedisintegrates into a puddle of translucent jelly. Skin-colored Vaseline thatbubbles and pops across the floor, and ruins her designer outfit. I turn awayfrom the rancid smell.

Myears ring and the auditorium--or the chaos that used to be the J.B. Rhinebuilding--hums with the aftershock of the energy explosion.

Zakkreaches me first, careful to skirt Sandra’s oozing remains. He kneels beside meand tenderly touches my split lip. Pain flares, but he steals it away. His longfingers skid down my throat to my shoulder where Sandra has bitten me. Soothingcoolness saturates my feverish skin and I moan with pleasure.

Dacewhistles and eyes the jelly-puddle with unveiled disgust. He extends a hand andhelps me up. “Holy crap. What’d you do to her?”

“Don’tknow.” My throat burns and my body aches with each bruise. Getting the crapkicked out of me seems to be a recurring theme in my life. “I just felt thisforce, this energy, inside me. I couldn’t contain it anymore, and it sought herout.”

“TheLaw of Transference. Pure energy will always seek an outlet.” Dace eyes me withnew respect. “Clever.”

I’venever heard of the Law of Transference, but I accept the praise.

Kamironstaggers around the wreckage and replaces what remains of Sandra. The look hegives me is withering. I know I’ve crossed an unforgiveable line with him,perhaps even damaged our friendship beyond repair, but I had no choice. Kamironcollapses beside Sandra’s jelly-stained clothes. Despite the grime and dustcoating his skin, tears streak down his cheeks in reflective rivulets.

“Shehad good in her,” he whispers.

Zspares me a questioning glance and I nod in acquiesce. He limps to Kamiron andplaces a hand on his shoulder, weaving comfort.

Kamiron’s deep sobshaunt the destroyed auditorium.