I rushed over to the window to see himconfidently walking down a large branch that brushed up close tothe window.
The night was dark, and soon he was out ofsight as he climbed down the tree.
I wanted to lean out of the window andshake my fist at him. Instead, I simply gaped at his retreatingform then slowly drew myself back into the room.
I rested my hand on the chipped windowsillfor several seconds before I found the concentration to closeit.
Then I locked it, paying special attentionto the tarnished brass clasp to ensure it was fastened as tightlyas it could be.
Then?
Then I just stood there.
With nothing much else to do, I walked overto my bed, climbed inside, and tried to close my eyes.
Tried to.
Every time I did, I swore I saw a few ofthose latent sparks buzzing through the blackness.
I knew if I followed them, they’d lead to avision again.
They beckoned me, pulled me on as if theywere waving me into the darkness.
But me?
I just screwed my eyes shut and ignoredthem.
Which would prove to be amistake. A big one.
Chapter 9
It was when I was lying in bed that I heardsomething. Faint at first, I tried to ignore it as I pulled thepillow further under my face and nuzzled it.
But soon the noise became too loud toignore.
It sounded like something scratching at thewindow.
Though I was sleepy, I rolled my eyes as Irealized what it must be.
Max.
“Max, why do you have to insist on usingthe window?” I roared as I snapped out of bed.
It was dark and had to be the middle of the night.
There were no lights on in my room, and forsome reason there didn’t appear to be any functioning lights on thestreet outside, either.
Stomping, I made my way over to thewindow.
I jerked back the corner of the curtain toreveal the window.
I expected to see Max tapping on the glasslike a giant Scottish bird.
I screamed and jerked back.
All I saw were two red eyes. Two redglowing eyes. Then four glowing eyes. Then six. They kept poppingout of the impenetrable darkness beyond the window like daisiesappearing in a field after rain.
I felt backward, struck the carpet, andscooted along on my back.
My whole body shook with convulsions of fearas more and more red eyes appeared just beyond the glass.
Then the rattling began.
Black, formless hands started to pound onthe glass, trying to break through.
I screamed, using every ounce of vocalstrength I had to let it pitch and rattle through the room.
Suddenly I heard thundering footstepsfrom downstairs. Theymounted the stairs, growing louder and louder until I heard anequally insistent pounding on the door to my room.
“Chi?” Max bellowed.
I screamed hysterically as the windowpractically buckled.
“Open the door!” Max insisted.
I didn't have time to punch to my feet andsail towards the chest of drawers that were still blocking entryinto the room. Instead, I just sat there in total fear as thosethings outside continued to pound on the glass as if it were ablacksmith's anvil.
When I didn't respond, I heard a boom fromthe other side of the door.
Suddenly the chest of drawers was blastedfrom its barricading position and toppled forward, spewing itscontents all through the room. I had to duck and roll out of theway not to be pinned by one of the drawers.
A second later, Max came barreling intothe room.
At first, he locked his eyes on mycowering form in the corner. Then he swiveled his attention to thewindow.
The eyes had disappeared. And for asingle, gut-shaking second I wondered if it had all been in my head– if I'd imagined everything.
Nope.
Suddenly the eyes appeared once more, andI even saw black-clad fistsreach forward and pound the glass like a hammer to anail.
“Move,” Max suddenly spat as he twisted on the spot, shoved down toone knee, locked a hand around my wrist, and pulled me to myfeet.
I was a cowering mess, and yet I managed to find enoughbalance to follow him out of the room. I had to pick my way throughthe mounds of clothes and the drawers that were spilledeverywhere.
When I didn't move fast enough, Maxscooped me up from behind with such a smooth move it was like wewere figure skaters.
He leaped over theremnants of the chest of drawers and landed outside in the hallwaywith a heavy move that shook the very walls.
From behind us, I finally heard the sound ofglass shattering.
I screamed. But my scream wasn't nearly asloud as theirs. For suddenly I heard ten or more screeching bellowspierce the air and rattle my bones.
“Shit,” Max swore under his breath as he indulged in looking overhis shoulder for a brief second before snapping around and poweringdown the corridor.
I was shaking, all over. Heck, I was shakingon the insides, too. It felt like I would dislodge my internalorgans and squeeze them out of my mouth.
Though that was a truly sickening image,it wasn't nearly as sickening as the sounds of thechase from behind.
Whatever foul magical creatures were afterus, they sounded like hell itself. Their screams and hissingbreaths were so otherworldly, all I could do was turn my head andpress it against Max's chest.
Before today, I'd never been the kind ofgirl who would run from a fight. But before today, my fights hadbeen fair.
Max reached the stairs and hesitated, head jerking upwards. Itwas clear he wanted to take me up to the attic. But as the soundof chasebecame louder from behind, itwas just as clear that we didn't have the time.
With another loud expletive, he shoved hard on his foot and pushed down thestairs, somehow taking two at a time.
I made no attempt whatsoever to pull myselffrom his grip. For one, I would need a crowbar and a blowtorch. Foranother, I didn't fancy my chances of being able to outrun ourattackers.
Our attackers… they'd gotteninto the house, found me in the middle of the night.Though we were still in the middle of a chase for our lives, thatfact struck me as if someone had written it on a placard andslapped me across the face with it.
This was real.
