Hall of Games [The Celestial Chronicles #1]

Chapter Eight: Nowhere is Safe

  "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." 

-C. S. Lewis, "A Grief Observed"

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Chapter Eight: Nowhere is Safe

The Hall of Games.

What...what is this? Cady's hands trembled. Josh was taken to the Hall of Games. Firaun was from the Hall of Games. What is the Hall of Games? A loud sob tore from Cady's throat.

Her father jerked awake at once, staring around in confusion. His eyes glazed over the photograph on the floor before wandering back to Cady. "Cady," he started. "Listen, I—."

She burst into tears.

"Tell me, Dad! Just tell me already—no more lies, no more hiding. What the hell is going on?"

"Cady..." Van tried again. "You won't understand. It's too—"

"What?" she spat. "Complicated? I'm fifteen, dad! I can handle things as well as you do!"

"Cady—"

"What is this Hall of Games? Why do you freak out whenever that name is mentioned? Why are you in that photo? Why? Why?!"

"Cady—"

"And what about that bullet in your gun? Firaun said human bullets don't hurt him but yours obviously did! What are you dad? Just tell me already!"

"CADY!" her father exploded. "JUST LET ME SPEAK!"

Cady swallowed back another sob.

"I know this is a lot to take in. But trust me, you'll know what you are supposed to know when the time is right. This is for your protection." Her father ran a hand through his wild hair. "The Hall of Games, it was my—"

Without warning, the door crashed open and an army of dark shadows rampaged inside with the force of an avalanche.

Cady's father grabbed his gun and started firing. "Cady, lock yourself in the bedroom!"

"But Dad—" Cady tried to argue.

"Just go!"

Cady fled into the bedroom and slammed the door. Pressing against the door, she peeked through a small crack.

Her father took on the shadows with a ferocity she had never witnessed in him. One after another, the shadows were hit and vanished into puffs of smoke. Suddenly, one of the shadows grabbed his leg and sank its sharp teeth into his flesh.

Swearing, Cady's father kicked the shadow out of the way. He fell back onto the couch and pulled out a curved sword, just like the one Firaun Strauss had held.

The crystal blade glowed like the heavens, causing a spectrum of colors to splash about wherever it caught light.

Cady felt her breath catch. Since when did he own such a blade?

At the sudden appearance of the blade, the shadows retracted.

Furious howls erupted into the air as the sword bit through the shadows like a meat cleaver. One of the larger shadows broke away from its companions and focused its laser-red eyes upon Cady's door.

It barreled into the door with full force, almost throwing Cady off balance. A small scream escaped her lips as two sharp horns penetrated the wood and a triumphant bellow sounded from the other side of the door.

It only took the shadow one more push to barge through the door, tossing Cady onto the bed.

Panicking, her fingers closed around the nearest object to her—a spoon.