The fiery liquid poured down her throat, setting everything in its path alight. Her eyes burned, and her taste buds revolted beneath the heady assault. She gasped for air like a fish on land, slapping the counter with her palm.
The bar erupted into laughter, howling with glee at her discomfort. David nearly fell off his chair, forgetting his grief for a moment. Jessica chuckled into her glass, while Bear’s entire body shook with mirth. Even Seth joined in, fending off her murderous glare with an apologetic grin. “I’m sorry, but you should’ve seen your face!”
“Haha, very funny,” she muttered.
When the laughter subsided, Tony said, “Try it again. Small sips.”
Rogue wrinkled her nose. “No, thanks.”
“Just give it a chance. You’ll get used to the taste,” he prompted.
“Fine,” she replied, taking the tiniest of sips. It still tasted like crap to her, but she kept at it, not wanting to spoil the mood.
It didn’t take long for the liquor to take effect, and a warm glow settled into the pit of her stomach. A sense of languid ease stole over her body, and she found her cheering along with the rest.
“To our first hundred miles,” Jessica said, raising her glass.
“Hear, hear,” Bear said.
“To the Water Lily. She was a good craft,” Tony added.
“To the Water Lily!” the rest joined in.
“To Ralph and Allen,” Imogen said, her voice slurred. Like Rogue, she wasn’t used to alcohol in any form, and her cheeks were flushed.
“To Brittany,” David said, tipping his glass back.
Rogue watched him with a worried frown, but he seemed more relaxed than earlier. Perhaps he needed a little time-out. A way to process the loss of his childhood friend. Either way, she would not stop him.
“Cheers,” she said, clinking her glass against Seth’s.
The rest of the night passed in a blur. It didn’t take long for her to seek her bed, wobbling across the room on unsteady legs. She fell onto the bench and passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Seth crawled in next to her not long after that, but she hardly stirred. For once, no dreams or nightmares plagued her sleep.
Chapter 17
The next morning, Rogue woke up with a sense of unease. She sat upright and winced as a stabbing pain lanced through her skull. Her stomach churned, her mouth tasted like sandpaper, and she was reminded once again of her reasons for avoiding alcohol. I should not have had that second glass.
Her unease grew as she looked around the room. Everyone else was still fast asleep, and Bear’s resounding snores echoed throughout the bar. It was still early, and dawn was a couple of hours away. All seemed at peace. Still, she couldn’t shake off the dread that had hold of her.
Then she heard it again. The sound that had roused her from sleep. Howls. A chorus of distant howls. It started off slow and built into a crescendo of noise that tapered off into a deep silence. What is that?
Rogue shivered, her mind racing with possibilities. Wolves? Feral dogs? A weird dinosaur species that howled? She’d seen nothing like that before, but that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. Anything was possible.
She got to her feet and padded toward the counter. With fumbling fingers, she lit a couple of candles. A golden glow suffused the bar, and she located her spear. With the weapon gripped in one hand and a candle in the other, she searched the restaurant.
It was empty. The windows and doors were shut. Nonetheless, she tested them all to make sure. Finally, only the front entrance remained. With her heart in her throat, she edged toward it one step at a time. When a distance of three feet separated her from the door, she paused. Her ears were cocked for the slightest sound, and she was ready for anything.
Scratch.
Scratch, scratch.
A hand gripped her shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
“Holy shit, don’t do that,” Rogue cried, jumping with fright. She whirled around and came face to face with Seth. “You scared the crap out of me!”
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
She studied Seth’s face. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen, and he winced with the slightest move. He looked as bad as she felt, but that was the least of their problems. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” he asked with a look of confusion.
“That,” she said, pointing at the door.
Scratch.
Scratch, scratch.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
“What is that?” Seth asked.
“Something’s trying to get in,” Rogue said.
Together, they stared at the entrance. Deep sniffs followed the scratching sounds. Whatever was trying to get in could smell them. Then it growled, and a thud rang out as it rammed the door.
Rogue took a step back, her mouth dry. “Seth?”
He backpedaled with her. “This isn’t good.”
As if in answer to their fears, the mournful howls began once more. This time, it was a lot closer. The song shivered throughout the restaurant and rose in pitch as more howls joined in. It melded into a ghastly symphony created by too many creatures to count. It felt as if they were surrounded, hunted by ghostly beasts that rose with the night.
“There must be dozens of them,” someone said from behind them.
For the second time that night, Rogue jumped, her heart racing in her chest. She whirled around and spotted Bear silhouetted in the light. “Dozens of what?”
“Dogs,” he replied. “Those are feral dogs.”
“Dogs?” Rogue repeated, her mind conjuring up all sorts of terrifying images. “How do you know?”
“I’ve heard them before,” he said.
“What do we do?” Rogue asked.
“They know we’re here, they’re hungry, and they won’t give up without a fight,” Bear said. He turned around and walked back toward the bar. “We need to get ready.”
“Ready for what?” Rogue said, her eyes wide, but she already knew the answer. They were being stalked by a pack of feral dogs, and there was only one way out. Through them.
Inside the bar, everyone was awake, roused by the terrible noise. Questions rang out, and people
