The Shadows from Beyond

13 ~ It's Definitely A Trap

~ Annika ~
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The moment I feel her die, I collapse. Sinking to my knees on the floor, a sob breaks its way out of me. I clutch my chest, gasping for breath. No way. No way she's fucking dead. Scarth stops and looks at me, her worried expression making this so much worse.

"She's gone," I breathe. "Wren just died."

Her eyes widen. "No..."

After several minutes of me sitting there, staring off into space, hoping, praying to whatever gods may still listen to me that this isn't real....

I stand up and brush my pants off. "I know where they took her. And I know why we couldn't sense her until it was too late."

"Where?"

"They took her to Aggie's mausoleum."

Her shocked face grows pale. "No. They ... they didn't..."

I nod slowly. "Yes, unfortunately, they did."

Scarth shakes her head. She picks lint off her dress, and sighs heavily. "This isn't right. Why would they take her there, of all places?"

"Because if she's in a graveyard, she's ten times harder to detect," I answer.

"Annika, you do know we will be walking right into a trap. If they lowered the wards enough to let you feel her death, they are expecting us."

"Not all of us," I say. I pull my phone out. Tap on the group chat that Scarth, Wren, Darius, Torin, Valkyrie, and I are in. I hit the call button.

Scarth frowns, but doesn't pick up when her phone rings. I don't blame her, as she steps up beside me so the others can see us. When Darius, Torin, and Valkyrie appear on screen, I cut right to the chase.

"Wren was killed," I say. "She's at Aggie's mausoleum, and we need to go there, right now. All of us."

"I'm calling River and Dilwyn," says Torin.

"I'll call some friends of mine," says Valkyrie.

"Well, will they be up this late?" Scarth asks.

Valkyrie shrugs.  "Most of them, yes."

"My friends are nocturnal, anyways," Torin replies. "Oh, and Scarth? Get me some Sense."

I turn to Scarth, who just nods solemnly.  Once they've hung up, it's just me, Scarth, and Darius.

"How the hells did this happen?" he asks.

"We were distracted," I say. "It's a mistake we can't take back — but if Torin can truly do this, we will get Wren back, alive and well."

"And if it fails? If something happens?" Darius presses.

"Then we will handle it," says Scarth.  "We aren't new to this game, Darius."

"This isn't a game, Scarth," he snaps. But then, he sighs. Pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. We have to be careful, we don't know what we are riding into."

"We know it's a trap, that's why we called you," I reply.

Darius snorts. "I'd hope you'd call me." Then, he hangs up.

I turn to Scarth, who sighs heavily once more. She rubs her face, and looks at me. "I'd just like to say .... what the ever-loving fuck is going on nowadays?"

I laugh.  "Yeah, I'd like to know, too."