Black Holes - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 3

Chapter Thirty Four

The moment the live world disappeared from view, the creatures of the in between became manic, furious. Leah felt the energy coming off them triple, anger driving them towards her, Riley and Cassandra with renewed vigour. If these creatures could talk, she was sure they'd be screaming.

She launched back into the fray, guarding Cassandra and Riley's back and trying to throw off the gluggy feeling seeing Seth had left her with. She was glad he'd closed the portal. Elated, really. But seeing him disappear like that, watching this world creep over his chest, his face, his eyes. It reminded her of how distant she was from him now, how even if they fixed things and everything went back to normal, she would never get him back. Not while he remained the Mors Mortis Device.

But she didn't have time for the emotions those thought churned up. So, she collided with the creatures of this world with a fury that matched theirs, venting all her sadness onto them.

The portal had been acting as a barrier before, and in it's absence more creatures were able to reach them, swarming from every direction, and Leah slashed through them in ruthless swipes. She gutted one to her left, lobbed the head off another coming on her right. And the whole time, she backed up, following Riley and Cassandra as they edged towards the world of the dead.

The portal beamed in Leah's peripherals, its light flickering and failing as creature after creature entered ahead of them, screams rising in their wake.

She fought harder, ignoring the sweat that dripped down her forehead, the throbbing in her muscles.

In their desperation to protect Seth, they'd left it undefended, vulnerable, and once again, Leah realised how out of their depth they were, how terribly they'd underestimated the forces they battled against.

"We need to go faster!" Leah yelled, her focus half on the creatures in front of her, and half on the portal, watching as more and more of these monsters disappeared through it.

One. Two. Three. Four.

They moved with eerie silence, somehow so much worse now she could see them. Even as she cut them down, they didn't make a sound.

"No shit," Riley yelled back. "I'm going as fast as I can."

A cut shone on Riley's arm, blood spilling down to her hands. It slicked the grip of her knife, and Leah saw her fumble, saw the blade slip from her fingers, just as one of the creatures loomed over her.

Leah drove her blade through the creature in front of her with a yell, and lunged in front of Riley, meeting the creature's blow as it fell. The force knocked her back, hard enough that it would've carved Riley's chest open, and she stumbled into her friend. Riley grunted, but she slammed a palm into Leah's back, keeping her upright, and Leah made quick work of their foe.

Air whooshed past her back as Riley ducked down for the knife she'd dropped, her breaths coming in gasps.

"Thanks," Riley said, rising.

The word was raspy, exhausted, and Leah's heart lurched. Riley and Cassandra had been fighting longer than she had, and she could see the toll on Riley's face.

They needed to get back to the portal soon. Very soon. If they didn't, she doubted they'd make it all.

"You drop back," Leah said, lobbing the arm off another creature as it came toward them and letting the blood loss do the rest. "Just make sure none come for my back. I'll fight our way to the portal."

They were only a few metres off now anyway. Close enough to be taunting. Close enough to fill Leah with an unbearable hope.

"I'm fine," Riley grunted, taking on another creature as she spoke. "You don't need to—"