Page 18 of At the Mercy of Midnight
When the world stopped shaking, the wind returned, blowing the long strands of hair away from her face and stinging at her eyes. The fire returned in full force, their only current light source. The arcane lamps stayed dark, their crystals within likely broken.
The rest of the camp hurried towards the fire, seeking the safety of the light. With the dying arcane lamps, the perimeter of safe space had decreased significantly. The clouds covered what she knew to be a full moon, all natural light extinguished. Amelia could no longer see any of the tents, the rest of their campsite had plunged into complete darkness.
“Crawlers!” someone shouted, and there was a single shot of a gun that had Amelia flinching in fright. She hadn’t even realised that Silas still held her upper arm until she was pulled closer to him at the sound of the shot.
The two mercenaries backed into the fire’s circle of light, their guns pointed out into the pitch dark.
The group huddled close. Someone was whimpering.
They were all scientists—academics, with the exception of the mercenaries. None of them were equipped to deal with true danger such as this. Amelia had researched the Rift fastidiously, and the risks it could present. But nothing prepared you for the shock of being in the thick of it, of imminent danger, of the threat of harm or death.
She felt numb and terrified all at once. She was lightheaded while also being rooted to the spot. Her hands were curled into tight fists, nails digging into her palms, but she felt no pain.
The only thing she was acutely aware of beside the waves of panic, were the tight fingers curled around her arm and the warmth of a chest pressed against her back.
Amelia could never have said before the last handful of hours that she had ever felt grateful to Silas Finley, but she did in moment, for grounding her, and reminding her she wasn’t alone.
“Everyone, stay by the fire,” called one of the mercenaries over the roar of the wind.
They were tense and silent as the armed men stared out into the abyss, their weapons pointed at nothing.
That was when they all heard it.Them.
There was movement, all around. The sound of a hundred tiny pattering footsteps, somewhere just beyond their visual field. Clicking and chittering, reminiscent of a thousand cicadas in summertime. Amelia shivered.
“That’s not normal,” Silas muttered.
“Brilliant observation, Finley,” she hissed.
“Quiet,” said Hank, narrowing his eyes. He turned back to the darkness and fired off a shot. A screeching sound rung through the night, followed by the pattering of feet. The chittering growing louder, more menacing.
“We need to repair the lamps,” Halpert said, voice seemingly calm, though when Amelia looked over, she saw his face was pale.
Amelia swallowed. “I have—”
A piercing cry rang out, and her head whipped around just as Hank disappeared from the fire’s light, his body pulled away and disappearing into the night.
Several people screamed. Amelia might have been one of them, but she couldn’t tell. She was pulled back a step by the hand on her arm.
Frank was firing into the darkness, swearing quietly as his shoulder jerked from the force of the shots.
After a moment, Hank’s cries were cut off abruptly.
Amelia raised a hand to her mouth and covered her whimpers, eyes filling with tears. When she had gathered herself, she lowered her hand and cleared her throat before speaking.
“I have spare crystals locked in my tent,” she said, voice rasping out.
“Oh sure,” Silas said, his shaky voice thick with what she felt was forced sarcasm, “let’s just go on a stroll through the death-infested darkness, shall we?”
Amelia pulled away from him and turned, glaring up at Silas. “Do you have a better idea? Would you like to spend all evening praying the fire doesn’t burn out until we’re picked off one by one?” She didn’t wait for a response. Amelia bent and retrieved a burning log from the fire, gripping an end that hadn’t yet burned through. She raised it high before taking a deep breath and shifting away from the others to move towards Frank.
She stood behind him as he fired one more shot.
“I’m going to my tent to find replacement crystals for the lamps,” Amelia announced. “It’s the only way we’ll survive the night.”
Frank shuffled back and faced her. He looked around at the others and then nodded. “I’ll accompany you.”
Amelia shook her head. “You have to protect everyone here. I’ll have the fire.” She looked over her shoulder to the huddled, frightened junior scholars. Halpert stood next to Somara, one looking much calmer than the other. Silas was watching her with an intense look on his face. Amelia turned back to Frank. “You’re all they’ve got.”
