Epilogue

Epilogue 1.07

---Tahj---

     The floor quakes as the door recedes into the ceiling. Comma staggers into the central chamber. Her shredded clothing hangs in loose tatters. Dark, wet patches seep through her shirt around gashes in her right shoulder and lower abdomen. A vivid streak of white interrupts the flow of her black hair. Only her toque remains unscathed.

     "What the hell happened to you?"

     Grayson ascends the stairwell into the central chamber, his hands clasped together in front of him. "The trials are not to be taken lightly."

     Comma collapses midway down the path, her arm dangling over the pit of sand to her left. One of the submerged shapes swims over to her. I sprint down the path and scoop her up in my arms just as an enormous, mucous-oozing grub surfaces, snapping at me with its serrated teeth. I carry Comma back to the centre of the room and set her down by the pedestal.

     "You okay?"

     She forces a grin. "I kicked that trial's ass."

     "Looks to me like it was the other way around."

     She breathes deep and glances over my shoulder. Her voice is hoarse, as though she's got a sore throat. "Where are the others?"

     "Apparently, Em decided to take a little detour."

     Grayson waltzes over to us. I spin around to face him.

     "So now what?" Em's rashness has put a kink in our plans, no doubt about that. But I'd feel a hell of a lot better about it if I could take out some of that frustration on the glowdarks. "You gonna take us to the zillbane?"

     "Who's he?" Crawford asks disapprovingly. Miu-sama observes us from atop his shoulder. Apparently, she couldn't stomach the negative vibrations I was radiating, whatever the hell that means. And yet she's okay hanging around the king of pessimists. Hell if I understand shikigami logic.

     I roll my eyes. "He's the weretiger. I explained this already."

     "No kidding." Crawford glances up at Grayson. "Can you show us?"

     "What do you mean a detour?" Comma shifts uncomfortably. I wish I had a pillow or something for her to rest her head on. I mean, I'd offer up my lap, but something tells me that wouldn't go over well with her.

     "He found a rip in the nothing," says Crawford. "Mentioned someone named... Olivia, I think. Then he just up and left us. Gail and Topher went after him. Me, I figured someone ought to stay behind to bring you folks up to speed."

     "That imbecile!" Comma punches the pedestal. It splits down the middle. Note to self: do not piss her off. She claws her fingernails into her cheeks, drawing quick, rapid breaths. The veins beneath her forehead pulse visibly. She closes her eyes.

     "You all right?"

     "Just a hitch," she says, coming back to her senses. "I have faith in our little ripper; he'll find his way back to us. In the meantime, we should carry on as planned."

     "Then, shall we set out for the third trial?" asks Grayson.

     Comma groans. "Third trial?"

     "All will become clear once we reach the hallowed ground."

     "Great." She casts a look my way. "We still got any jerky? I'm so hungry I could eat a koala bear."