Page 80 of Shadow

I grabbed some workout clothes from the drawer and dashed into the bathroom to change, Boot’s stressed expression etched in my mind. In under a minute, I was back out, ready to go.

We left the room, Boot taking the lead.

“This way,” he said, guiding me down a corridor I hadn’t used before. “These halls lead to the personal quarters. It’s early enough that there’s less chance we’ll run into anyone.”

At the end of the hallway, he unbarred a heavy metal door, and we stepped outside into the cool night air.

“This is where his bike was,” he said, pointing to an alcove. A large toy truck lay abandoned in the dirt next to an empty patch where the bike must have been.

My stomach clenched again as Boot continued, “We’ll take my motorcycle and see if we can head him off before he leaves the city.”

“Are you sure there aren’t any hellhounds around here?” I asked, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. Memories of the two captured monsters flooded my mind, and I fought back the terror clawing at my chest. It had taken me weeks just to sleep peacefully under the same roof as them.

“They come out of the ground and head for the other side of the island,” Boot explained. “We still don’t know why. We’ve only seen a few in the city, and none recently.”

I nodded, not reassured, and climbed onto the back of the motorcycle.

Wrapping my arms around Boot’s waist feltnothinglike it did with King.

When Boot took off, the bike lurched forward, and I almost fell. I gripped tighter, my fingers digging into his sides. He didn’t so much as flinch, but it made me think.

What was it about Shadow Warriors being near me when King was in the room?

The question nagged at the back of my mind.

Boot took a sharp turn, and I let it go.

We sped through the streets, scanning for Che. I kept my eyes peeled, glancing down alleys and side streets on the right while Boot checked to the left.

After thirty tense minutes, Boot pulled over and shut off the bike, frustration etched on his face. “I thought we’d find him. He must be outside the city.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Then let’s go. We need to get to him before a hellhound does.”

I couldn’t believe I was saying it, but it was true.

Che was out there, and we had to find him before it was too late.

“We’ll go back, and I’ll face King. He won’t kill me,” Boot said, but the uncertainty on his face betrayed the lie.

“We need to find Che, and we don’t have time to waste!” I shouted.

The thought of running into hellhounds almost made me reconsider, but I forced the fear down. I couldn’t let it stop me. Not now.

Boot started the bike again, and we took off, the engine’s roar drowning out any other sounds.

Twenty minutes later, a strange noise pricked my ears. I leaned closer to Boot, shouting over the wind, “Stop the bike! I heard something!”

He pulled over and cut the engine once more.

For a moment, there was only silence. I began to doubt myself, wondering if the sound had just been part of the bike’s engine.

Then it happened again, a short, sharp scream.

“Che!” Boot yelled, jumping off the bike.

He left me scrambling to figure out the kickstand. Precious seconds ticked by as I finally managed to stabilize the motorcycle before taking off after him.

I rounded a corner and nearly collided with Boot’s back. The heat radiating off him seeped through my clothes, and I knew what that meant.

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