Page 101 of The Stone Secret
We made the turn onto a wider street lined with stores. It opened out into a larger space with a raised pergola in the center. This must have been the center of this settlement where markets were held and functions were hosted. Maybe the pergola had once held a band of musicians. It might even have been hung with pretty lanterns.
Damn, I’d watched too many olden time movies.
The rain fell harder, lightning flashes coming closer together as the storm drew near.
We ran in formation, ground-battle unit in the center with Hawke’s teams falling back slightly to flank us.
We were ready for whatever came our way.
We were halfway across the square when the twins came to a halt.
“Incoming!” Ginia pulled her sister to the ground as something inky and viscous whizzed over their heads.
“Incoming wraiths. One o’clock!” Hawke confirmed.
They had wraiths here?
What had Levi told us about these creatures? They fed on life force through touch, but goyles had some resistance, and it would take more than one touch to debilitate one of us. More of the creatures flooded the square until the air was filled with them.
“I can’t see the punch plates on them,” Shar called out.
“Me either,” Touron said.
“Run!” Curi grabbed my hand and yanked me forward. We managed to get a few yards before we were forced to swerve and turn back. We ran around the pergola, then through it, with two wraiths on our tail. Then three. I feinted left while Curi feinted right, and all three turned toward me.
Curi yanked me toward him, and their hooded heads turned, still focused on me.
“What the fuck?” Curi said.
Another blocked our path, and suddenly we were surrounded by cloaked shapes floating a couple of feet off the ground.
They closed in on us.
“Cameron!” Touron shouted from outside the circle.
Curi’s grip on my hand tightened. “I can’t see any punch plates, Cam. This is wrong. Something’s gone fucking wrong.”
They were focused on us…No…not on us, onme. They were all looking at me. What the actual fuck?
“Cameron…” Curi hugged me to his chest protectively. He’d picked up on it too.
The wraiths let out a collective mournful wail, then rushed us.
Derek materialized in front of us, letting out a roar that sent a blast of light outward, forcing them back.
It was impossible to tell whether their screams were of pain or anger at being thwarted.
Derek cried out and dropped to his knees. “Cameron, run,” he pleaded, looking up at me with dull gray eyes.
He was depleted. His energy was too low to fight these fuckers off, but he’d beaten them back and created an opening for my escape.
They were after me, and if Curi was with me, he was in danger. But his grip on my hand was so tight there would be no getting away.
I’m sorry, Curi. I let loose my talons and stabbed his hand.
He yelped and released me on reflex.
I ran.
