ended in a pop as he used one of the magic portal ropes, and then he was gone.
I collapsed to my knees. 'What's going on?'
Milo yelled in my ear. 'My secret weapon!'
'I'm blind, not deaf, damn it.'
'Sorry. I just made the world's biggest flash-bang. That was a whole bunch of magnesium and aluminum powder there! I didn't know if I had the mixture right either, but we didn't all blow up, so I guess I did. Come on.' He helped me up. Stumbling, led by Milo's elephant-blood-covered hand, he led me away from the noise. He found a clear spot, and had me sit.
I could barely see my hands. 'What's going on?'
It took him a moment. 'Hunters are securing the area. The crazy shadow dude is gone. All the undead are blown up. Fed choppers overhead.'
'Where's Earl?' I asked. Milo hesitated. 'Milo? Where's Earl?'
'They're working on him, but… he's not moving.'
I was still blind. 'Take me to him!'
'You're not a medic. Let them do their thing,' he said calmly. I reached out and grabbed his wrist, hard. 'Ouch!'
'No time to explain. Get me over there quick, or he's going to die.'
Milo might not have understood, but Hunters were flexible under pressure. He pulled me back the way we had come. I was starting to see shapes and color further away. There were a group of Hunters clustered over a still form.
'He's not responding,' someone said. 'Physical wounds are regenerating, but something's wrong. Temperature's dropping rapidly.'
'Let me through,' I said. 'I can help.'
'Z, what're you doing out here?' It was Holly. She sounded shocked to see me. 'What happened to-'
I cut her off. 'No time. This is like what happened to Carlos.' Milo guided me closer. I knelt at Earl's side.
Holly understood. 'Everybody step back,' she ordered.
'What're you talking about?' a purple shape that sounded like Cooper asked.
'Z knows what he's doing,' Holly said tersely. 'You Newbies get ready in case something bad comes crawling out of Earl's head. And come with me, Coop, we've got a rat to catch.'
I had no idea what she was talking about. I touched Earl's chest. His breathing was almost undetectable and he was utterly cold to the touch. Blood drizzled down my lacerated face and onto my open hand.
I have to save him.
Having no real clue what I was doing, I concentrated, trying to remember what I had felt before when I had activated the power. I could sense it. I could feel the alien presence. Hood had called it an imp, a demon. Whatever the hell it was, I had to figure out how to evict it, and fast.
The world blinked out of existence.
Chapter 17
My eyes no longer hurt. I couldn't feel the aches, injuries, or fatigue. I was standing on bright white sand while powerful waves crashed ashore at my feet. A brilliant blue ocean stretched for what seemed like forever. It was gorgeous, a veritable tropical paradise. For whatever reason, it really wasn't what I had pictured the inside of Harbinger's head to be like.
'What's going on?' Earl asked from behind me. I turned. He was standing there, looking pained and confused. Behind him was a black rock cliff, and atop it was a rough shack of some kind. 'Marty knocked me out and now I'm here.'
'We're inside your memories,' I responded. 'Hood put a demon inside your brain to devour them. We have to stop it before it kills you.'
He didn't seem surprised, as if my explanation made perfect sense, flexible minds, and all that. 'Did you get the ward activated?'
'Milo did, but why isn't it chasing this thing off?' I asked.
'Maybe it's safe as long as it's in somebody's head?' Earl shrugged. 'You got any idea what you're doing?'
'No. The last time I did this, the monster killed the host, then animated the body and tried to eat Doctor Nelson. But if we attack it before you get too weak, we might be able to throw it out and step on it.'
'Well, that sounds like a hell of a plan,' Earl replied sarcastically. 'Remember when I told you not to screw around with this Old Ones' magic bullshit?' I nodded. 'Belay that order. Let's go kill this little fucker.' He suddenly grimaced, raising his hands to his temple. 'Oh damn. That hurts.'
I looked around for a giant earwig. 'Where is it? Show me.'
'Near,' Earl said through gritted teeth, glancing from side to side. 'I know this place. It's attacking where I'm most vulnerable.'
Obnoxious seagulls were wheeling overhead. 'Where are we?'
'This island is where I learned to finally control the beast. This was my exile.'
'Nice exile,' I exclaimed.
'It wasn't my first choice,' he muttered, swaying a little, as he put his face in his hands. 'I can feel it… in my head…' The sky was darkening rapidly. I could no longer tell where the horizon ended, as it all turned to an ugly shade of purple, like a spreading bruise. Earl cried out and went to his knees. I moved to his side to help. He gasped and shoved me away. 'No. This was where I became a man again… I came here, where there was no one to hurt. I can't let him have this.'
Werewolves were normally borderline psychotics. Earl was an exception. He exercised unbelievable mental control over his state and had done so for the better part of a century. If you were an evil force intent on destroying his mind, you would go right for where he had learned that control. With that iron will broken, the demon would be sure to win.
'It's here,' Earl growled.
A purple dome appeared, rising over the horizon, dwarfing the cliffs, the shack, then the sky, and finally the entire world. 'You've got to be kidding.' It was far bigger than Feeder had been. It made the other creature look like a pathetic bug by comparison. A single giant eye opened in the center of the dome. It blinked once, the lid slamming back and forth with a concussion like a hundred sonic booms. A shockwave traveled down the beach. The seagulls exploded.
The unspeakable entity of the Old Ones, summoned by Hood, and dumped into Earl Harbinger's skull to devour his mind addressed us solemnly. Greetings. I am Rok'hasna'wrath, reaper of souls, devourer of worlds.
The thought hit our minds like a battering ram.
'Aw hell,' Earl muttered.
There was a terrible screeching noise as the creature said its master's true name. - ordered me to this world long ago to serve its mortal priesthood. The High Priest has commanded me to rend this mind to pulp. Already I can see that this is a strong mind, hardened through strife and honed in conflict. I shall consume your memories one by one, growing stronger with each victory. You will attempt to defeat me. I welcome this challenge. This will continue until your spirit departs this shell or the Dread Overlord's servant no longer requires my services and I return to my home plane. Only one of us can survive.
'Aw hell,' Earl repeated himself. The sky began to spin violently, a maelstrom centered on this one place in his memory.
'How the hell are we supposed to fight that?' I shouted.
This is not your fight.
It was addressing me.
BEGONE.
A wave of force struck me, bludgeoning my con-sciousness. The world dimmed as the pressure increased. He
