Black Holes - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 3

Chapter Fifty One

Arelie darted away from the creature, biting down a scream as it missed her by a hairsbreadth. It launched past her, it's claws screeching on the pavement as it came to an abrupt stop. Listening, waiting for her to move.

Arelie stayed still, not even daring to breath, but Jared followed her, keeping her between himself and the creature. It hovered over the two of them in a distorted, bloated stance that Leah's imagination wouldn't have been able to conjure up, even in her nightmares, its mouth hanging open wide, dark saliva dripping.

"Anything else we need to know?" Jared asked.

Arelie's eyes bulged, fear nearly popping the capillaries, and the creature lunged again.

She dived to the side, landing on her hands and knees, and Jared side-stepped after her. When she looked up at Jared, her expression was wild.

"Stop," she breathed. "Please."

But Jared just shook his head.

"That's not how this works."

And the creature lunged again.

It continued like that for a long time — a dark, grim dance. Jared baiting the creature, making sure Arelie stood in its path, and asking her question after question about how they could fix this.

Leah watched on, horrified at how brutal but efficient Jared's tactic was. He pulled information from Arelie piece by piece, unyielding even when Arelie's foot was swiped, bright blood springing to the surface, when she landed on her hand badly, a crack echoing through the silence.

"There can't be anyone in the wrong world when it happens," Arelie gasped after Jared's tenth or twelfth question. "You need to each be in your own world, touching the portal from your side."

This time, when the creature swiped for her, Arelie wasn't fast enough. It's claws sunk into her forearm and her scream ripped the air apart as it jerked her backwards, throwing her from feet. Leah stepped forward instinctively, but Alice grabbed her arm, holding her still.

"You can't go near her," Alice said quickly, her voice pained. "It'll just get you too."

Other creatures were coming out the front door now, attracted by the commotion, and Arelie's eyes flew to Leah, a deeper horror flooding them as she saw her inaction, as she realised they might not help her.

She started struggling, kicking out at the creature, but it did nothing. Whatever strength Leah and Jared had been granted when they were given their powers, it clearly wasn't something Arelie shared.

"Please!" Arelie screamed, and she was wrenched back further, her voice filled with terror.

Leah glanced at Jared wildly, but he was still, watching Arelie with a cold, calculated anger. He wanted Arelie to be taken, she realised. He wanted to see her pulled into that house to never appear again.

Leah shrugged Alice's arm off and brought her gun up quick. She shot twice, one bullet hitting creature in the arm that held Arelie, the other sinking into it's leg, knocking it off balance.

Arelie broke free, scrambling away and cradling her injured arm as she darted down the street, running from them all. Some of the creatures lunged after her, following her footsteps, but several also came for Leah, following the snap of Leah's bullets, the waft of gunpowder.

Leah darted aside, dodging one creature, then another, her movements quick and light, and Alice did the same, retreating into the shade of a house across the street, putting the porch railing between herself and a creature that'd shadowed her movements.

Leah waited a moment, checking that none of the creatures were close enough to be a threat, and then she turned and watched Arelie go, breathing evenly and deeply, keeping her heart rate steady.

Arelie crested the hill and disappeared, and Leah stayed still, Jared and Alice standing silent beside her. There were still three creatures in the street with them, including the injured one, waiting for them to slip up, to move. Leah could feel the friction in the air, the danger that surrounded them.

But when none of them gave the creatures anything to go off, the creatures gave up, slinking back to the house and retreating into the shadows.

Leah turned to Jared, and for the first time in a while, she had absolutely no idea what to say to him.

"I can't believe you."

Her voice was low, cautious, but the horror in it was loud.

Jared met her gaze for a moment and then flinched, looking away.

"She had to think we were going to let them take her," he said quietly. "She wouldn't have told us anything otherwise."

"But you were going to let them take her, weren't you?" Leah asked. "Even after she'd told you everything, you let that thing get her."

Jared stayed silent for a moment and then he looked at her again. His eyes held a tint of apology, but there was no regret.

"Yeah," he said. "I did. She's the one who caused all of this. She's the one who tormented you. And if what she said is true..."

Jared trailed off, and Leah's stomach twisted. She knew what part of Arelie's confession Jared was stuck on, knew because the moment Arelie said it, Leah's stomach had hollowed out too.

"That doesn't mean she deserves an eternity in hell."

Jared looked down at his hands, knowing she was right but wanting to argue anyway.

"This isn't productive," Alice whispered, glancing between the two of them. "We don't have much time. We need to figure out what to do next. Do you want me to drive back to Narra? I can get Zarah and bring her here."

Jared stared at Leah a moment longer, clearly wanting to say more, but then he ran a hand down his face, his expression strained.

"I don't know," he said. "Yes, we need to get Zarah, but I doubt we'll get her back here in time."

"We don't have another choice," Leah said. "We can't do it without her."

Jared opened his mouth to speak, but the scrape of shoes on gravel made him pause, falling silent. Someone was approaching again, possibly one of the creatures, maybe Arelie. They all turned, looking up the road, but it wasn't Arelie who appeared at the top of the street.

It was Zarah and Danny, both puffing for breath, as if they'd been running, and Jared blinked at them.

"Well," he said, squinting at them again, as if to make sure he was actually seeing the right thing. "That's convenient."

...

Next chapter out in two weeks!

- Skylar xx