Page 18 of Sound
Jumping up, I grab the one broken-off heel in my hand and, without waiting, bolt straight at the door. There is a moment where my brain screams at me to stop, tells me I’ll slam my face in the wall the closer it comes to my face, but I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath, not allowing myself to stop. A ripple passes over my body, my skin tightening like a sunburn under it. One second my muscles stiffen expecting impact with the wall, and the next misty air washes over me. It smells horrible but I’ve never inhaled better tasting air in my life. My eyes snap open and darkness greets me, shooting panic through my head. I stand frozen for just a second, my feet squashing under me before the reason I’m in this darkness kicks in. A wide grin stretches my lips so much my face hurts. Sucking in a shuddering breath, clutching the broken heel in my hand so hard the chipped edge bites my skin, I blot through the darkness. Two steps are all I take. Crippling pain makes the eyes roll to the back of my head and I drop on the ground, my cheek sinking into a mushy goo. My brain screams no but I can’t take a breath.
The darkness swallows me.
14
Étienne
Crouched on the roof of a building, I’m debating the wisdom of coming on foot. I have every intention of bringing Melody home with me. The more I think about it, the more the roots of that thought sink deeper into my brain. I walked out of that cursed place once without her, leaving her at the mercy of the witch without a clue what I may find when I return. I’m not sure I can do it a second time.
Jumping the few stories down, my knees bend slightly to soften the impact before I’m out and away from the stench of the alley. It’s a good thing this part of town has been deserted, leaving just a handful of residents still clinging to it. Those that remain either have no other place to go or are hiding secrets of their own from the rest of the humans.
It’s almost dawn, the sky lightening with each step I take. It’ll be monumentally stupid if I get stuck outside hiding from irrelevant humans so the sun can kill me before I reach her.
Gathering the mist around me like a cloak, my boots beat an even rhythm on the streets. My heart thumps in sync with it as I weave through buildings and broken-apart homes until my eyes land on the ancient church, its depleted walls and broken windows the best sight I’ve seen in a long time. My feet move faster as I streak across the street and round the ruined place.
Stumbling when a sharp pain zings through my chest, I catch myself just before my hand slaps the wall next to me. With hands pressed on my thighs, I clench my jaw and breathe through my nose until the pain subsides. I have no idea what that agony is but I do know the pain is not my own. It isn’t from my brothers, either. That only leaves one other.
“Melody.” Jolting upright, I push all the pain away.
Sharp blades tear my gut as I rush to the place I used for an entrance, fear for her life choking the air in my lungs. She can’t be hurt. I will lose my shit if a hair is missing from her head. All rational thought leaves my mind as my instincts take over. The lightening sky turns shades of reds and greens, which scares the shit out of me. I’ve never reacted to anything this way, my body moving of its own accord as if a part of myself I don’t know exists is taking over.
The predator in me rejoices at the burning pain of the wards as I pass through and enter the dark tunnel. The colors swirl, dancing in front of my eyes as I move through it, not bothered a second by the nasty scent or sludge covering everything. I can always see through the dark, my genetic makeup assuring I can see my prey. This is different.
Darkness comes alive around me, the colors of my vision lighting the intricate weaving of the wards as well. Slowing down, I let my eyes roam where the links have been broken to forge this passage. The cobweb of magic has been pinned to the sides with a golden thread five strings thick. Silver puffs of magic pop in and out through the golden strings like musical notes showing themselves before disappearing again. They playfully twinkle around me, guiding me along the path the same way the cat did when he led me here.
Is this the cat’s doing?
Shaking my head to disperse the enchantment the notes are weaving through my head, I look straight ahead keeping my gaze pinned to the ground. If I keep staring at them, I’ll be stuck here forever. Melody needs me now. I’ve wasted enough time.
Forcing my feet to move, I walk deeper inside the tunnel. It’s much different from the first time I was here in a lot of ways, and it’s not just my vision. The air gets thicker the deeper I go like it’s doing its best to stop me from getting closer. Shoulders hunching, I lock my muscles and push through, moving as sluggishly as a drunk human. Everything in me wants to let go of any rational thought and tear this place apart. For her sake, I hold onto my sanity with all I’ve got.
Do it!a primal part of my brain urges with a chuckle.Let her see you for what you are so her human brain can tell her to run. Show her the monster that you are so that she can fear you.
My nails dig in the skin where I’m clenching my fists, my forearms bunching like stone under my shirt. A muscle is ticking on the side of my jaw as I push forward dragging one foot in front of the other. Other thoughts come too, tormenting me with everything that has eaten me alive through the years after my father’s death. All the ways I wasn’t fit to take his place.
I couldn’t save him.
You can’t save her either.
A feral growl vibrates my chest as I push that treacherous thought away. I will save her if it’s the last thing I do. It might ease the guilt I’ve carried for so long, at least some of it. It might give meaning to my useless existence, at least for a little while. The fact that I can barely move right now—little less get Melody out of here—is something I refuse to acknowledge. I’ll figure it out when I get to her.
Rounding the elbow of the tunnel where it curves to the right, every thought disappears from my mind. There in front of me, close to the end, a lump is raising from the ground. No, not a lump. One pale hand is flung to the side, the fingers disappearing in the sludge covering the floor. Fear like a living thing surges through me, dispersing everything but my need to get to Melody. Her lifeless body is sprawled in the gunk like a broken doll.
One moment I’m far enough away that I can barely make out her form, and the next my knees hit the ground where her head is pressed down, her hair covering her face. Yanking her up, I push at the dark strands, my trembling hand smoothing them away as I drink her in. Mud covers her right cheek, sliding down to her neck. Leaning closer, I lower my ear to her lips and press my palm to the center of her chest. There is no breath passing through her lungs and no heartbeat meets my hand.
Panic short-circuits my brain, freezing me in place. It’s not just her lifeless body I’m holding in my hands. It’s my father’s too. Her face and his flickers in front of my unseeing eyes, changing from one to the other and tainting my incompetence to do anything for either of them. Unaware of what I’m doing, desperation claws at me as I jump to my feet and cradle her to my chest. Her body hangs loose in my arms, her limbs and head flipping around with my jerky movements. Turning my back to put her room behind us, I bolt down the tunnel the same way I came.
Melody convulses in my arms.
My feet plant on the ground and root me in place. I almost drop her, her body jerking so violently it pushes me to take a few steps back. The convulsions slow down but don’t stop. Frowning, I take a couple more steps back. The second I reach the place where I found her she goes limp again.
Not dead.
My knees buckle and I stumble from the relief that thought brings with it. Not wasting more time, I face the moss-ridden wall of the tunnel and step through it into her room. As soon as we pass the barrier, Melody bolts upright in my arms and sucks in a deep breath. I clutch her to my chest, falling on my knees while she gasps, coughs, and claws at my shoulders, but I’m not sure whether she’s trying to hold onto me or push me away.
I don’t care.
Laughter bursts out from my chest and I squeeze her tight. The galloping of her heart thunders against me, making me feel as weak as a human.Not dead. She is not dead. I’m not too late.I keep repeating the thought in my head as I bury my face in her hair. The scent of blooming roses fills my lungs and my whole body moves from the tremors of relief.
