A flash of daylight up ahead confirms it, and suddenly I’m outside, deep in the forest. I straighten up and look around. I don’t recognize the part of the forest we’re in. I turn back to the entrance of the tunnel and watch as one by one the team pops out. Ya-Ya is fussing around, wiping soil from herself and moaning about dirt beneath her nails and in her hair.
Everyone is out except Nexus. I am about to go back in to find her when she bursts out, gasping for breath.
“This body is broken,” she wheezes.
I take a step toward her. The janitor’s body isn’t made for sprinting and I think Nexus is about to flake out. She bends double, her hands pressed on her knees as she tries to catch her breath.
“Ummm, guys,” Sailor says quietly.
We all turn to look at her. Nexus instantly straightens back up, ignoring her own labored breathing as she moves closer to Sailor. In Sailor’s hand is the medallion. And it’s glowing an intense red.
“How did you do it?” Nexus asks.
“I don’t know,” Sailor admits. “I felt something warm in my pocket and I pulled it out. And it was red.”
Nexus and Grace exchange grins.
“What is it?” I demand.
“Looks like Sailor doesn’t need extra scribe training after all,” Grace says, pointing. “The cave we’ve been scoping out is just over that hill.”
“Grace, portal everyone back to the cabin and get ready. You have to retrieve the dagger now. Today. And I have to take this stupid body back to the school,” Nexus says.
My heart is racing again. We’re about to get the dagger that can kill the horseman. I should be pleased. It brings us closer to achieving the first stage of what we have to do. But instead, I feel a knot of dread in my stomach. As strong as Sailor is, she isn’t even close to ready to be able to kill a horseman, and once we have the dagger, things are going to move quickly.
***
“Is everyone ready?” I ask, looking around at the team.
Everyone is loaded up with weapons and I get a round of nods back.
“Grace, whenever you’re ready,” I say.
Grace steps forward and opens up a portal.
“This will take us back to where we came out of the tunnels. Sailor, you’ll need to use the medallion to guide us the rest of the way. We know where the cave is, but unless the medallion leads us there, it won’t open the door to the dagger,” Grace says.
We all step through the portal and are soon back in the woods in the spot we left less than an hour ago. Sailor reaches into her pocket, suddenly looking nervous. She pulls the medallion out and I can see her relax when she sees it’s glowing red. She points it toward the hill and the red intensifies. I don’t think I’m the only one who breathes a sigh of relief when it works.
“Lead the way, Sails,” Mel says.
I walk at the front of the group beside Sailor, on high alert, waiting for an attack. This isn’t going to be easy and I know we’re far from the only people looking for the dagger. We reach the top of the hill and the cave entrance comes into sight. The medallion is almost fluorescent now it’s glowing that brightly.
“Put it away until we’re inside the cave,” I say to Sailor, nodding to the medallion. “This feels too easy. Something is going to try and stop us from accessing the cave, and when it does, we can’t afford to lose the medallion.”
Sailor nods and pushes the medallion back into her pocket. We keep moving down the other side of the hill. Everyone has a weapon drawn. We reach the bottom of the hill and start making our way across a clearing toward the cave mouth. I hear a rustling from the trees to my left. I turn my head as a Mung Demon runs out of the trees. All around us, more pour out and within seconds, we’re surrounded.
We stand in a loose circle, our backs to each other, covering each other. The Mung Demons circle us. They’re fucking huge, easily twice our size. Where their eyes should be, two fiery orbs burn. Their skin is the gray of days old corpses. And that’s what they smell like. Rotten meat. Their arms end in long, sharp metal hooks.
“What the hell are those?” I hear Sailor hiss.
“Mung Demons,” Sunday whispers back. “They’re the meanest demons we know of. They kill indiscriminately and if you look into their eyes for too long, you’ll start to burn.”
“Nice,” Sailor says. “Why aren’t they attacking?”
“Because they’re waiting for my orders,” a voice says.
A Mung Demon who is larger than the others emerges from the trees. The circle of Mung Demons opens just enough for it to slip through.
“Who leads this mission?”
“I do,” I reply.
“Then you have a decision to make. Give us the medallion and live, or we’ll kill you all and take it.”
I throw my head back and laugh, sounding much more confident than I feel. We’re seriously outnumbered and I don’t like our chances one bit.
“I have a better deal. How about you fuck off now and take your ugly little friends with you and we’ll let you live.”
“That’s a good plan,” Ya-Ya says thoughtfully. “I’m wearing brand-new pants and I’d hate to get them dirty killing these demons.”
I tense up, waiting for what I know is coming.
“Attack,” the Mung Demon leader shouts.
The demons pour in from every angle and instantly the air is filled with the sound of daggers and knives colliding with the
