Page 15 of Shadow & Stars
“What was that?” Darcy squeaked.
A second boom made the door shake harder.
Xavier growled at the blue door. “Hurry up!”
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Tiles split or popped off the wall around the elevator, shattering on the ground. A series of cracks spidering across the walls spread quickly, tremors reaching the soles of my feet.
Oh, shit. This wasn’t good, my nerves in a blender.
A guttural roar sounded from behind the white door. Something was breaking its way through the elevator shaft.
Where the hell was our exit out of here?
Butterfly moved forward, slowly approaching the booms. “I sense… I sense darkness.”
I swallowed, my mouth rapidly losing its moisture. “What do you mean?”
“A demon of darkness. A demon who swallows light.” He cocked his head, taking a few steps forward. “Changed by the change… The hammer… The hammer will… The hammer will make you lost. Once…”
“Once?”
He didn’t answer.
Oh. Shit.
I prepared to flee, flipping every switch to battle mode.
“Where are you?” Xavier barked. He still had his back to me, facing the blue door. “Come on!”
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
We had no weapons, only our fists.
“I am terribly sorry, Shadow,” Margarite said. “The clock is ticking but not fast enough for me to help you.” She tutted. “Butall strength to you. Win for me to live. Win for me to aid you tomorrow.”
What lovely, unhelpful words. “It’s okay. We should be out of here soon.”
You could make a wish…
Xavier appeared beside me, givingthatidea a slap. “The elevator isn’t here yet.” He took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”
The booming increased, the thing coming through close to arriving now.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said, squeezing his hand back, looking up at him. “Let’s hope hard for that ding. Presuming it gives off a ding.”
He smiled and it almost took my legs out from under me.
You’re not scared to touch me.
