Page 101 of The Curse of Indy Moore
“You’ve weakened me. You created an opening for it. I ran, but it may have followed me here. No, I know that it has, that it’s been searching for a weakness, and now—” Carline gasped from where she stood on the porch. Her wolves growled, rushing outside.
Keeping the blanket close to my chest, I moved to get a better look, only to find Rooke standing in the snow with a red dress folded in his arms. His smile had an edge to it, something between elation and guilt. The wolves growling in warning when he inched closer. They didn’t phase him, didn’t so much as warrant his attention. Those eyes were on me alone.
“You’ve done it, little wolf. Congratulations, truly. You are incredible,” he said.
Slate perched on his shoulder, his green eyes focused on Carline. The wolves crowded in front of her, granting me a chance to escape the cottage, but as I went for the stairs, Carline grabbed me.
“Let go,” I said, though quickly realized she held me so tightly not to hurt me. There was fear in her eyes directed at Rooke. She put herself in front of me like a shield.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
“It’s you,” Carline said, awestruck, a finger pointing accusingly. “You used this child to get to me.”
“Your defenses were formidable. I hadn’t expected Indy to be the key, but she was.” Rooke hadn’t taken his eyes off me, the color of them suddenly igniting like a flame. “Thanks to her, I will finally get what I came for.”
“What are you talking—” My question fell silent when Slate flew above Rooke’s head to reveal exactly what I imagined demons to be.
28
Where Indy Takes His Place
Slatemorphedintoamonster of shadows, wings spreading far into the trees and erupting into the sky. Those great green eyes of his flourished into waves of fire that melted the snow. The soil drank the carnage, becoming swamp-like and reeking of scorched earth. Below, the shade fell over Rooke’s eager expression. His eyes had the same fire in them, a fierce hunger that disappeared in the darkness as he and the beast became a singular entity.
Carline held me in a protective embrace. Her trembling spoke of a fear I couldn’t fathom one of her abilities to have. It was a strange sensation to cower in the arms of one who put a fear into me for weeks. We gazed in horror as a monster took form. The wolves readied themselves to defend their master, but they were nothing in the face of shadowy wraith.
That shadow became a crow with too many eyes, each of them that fearful green. Shrieking, the creature descended upon us. The darkness carried physical weight,crashing with the force of a violent gale. The pressure sent me into the cottage. My shoulder hit the door frame, stinging in pain. I fell at the edge of the stairs, cowering beneath the umber and clinging to the blanket that offered no protection.
What was happening?
When light fell upon me, bringing about a hint of warmth, I opened my eyes to discover an empty doorway. I crawled to the threshold, maintaining a firm hold on the blanket struggling to shelter me from the chill.
Carline had been dragged out of the cottage into the meadow. She sank in the mud to the ankles. The wolves snarled, coated in grime and saliva dripping from their bared fangs. They clawed at a domed shield constructed of misshapen shadows separating Rooke and Carline from the rest of the world. The shadows bled from Rooke, the vortex of the madness.
“I promise this will be better for both of us.” His voice twisted too deeply to belong to him. “You can move on, and I will move forward.”
The festering darkness at his back knew not what form to take, twitching and unfurling around him. He loomed over Carline, his hand pulsing with a corrupted magic the same fierce green as his eyes.
“Rooke, wait!” I called. My feet met the snow, feeling its bite against my skin. “Whatever you’re doing, stop, please!”
Rooke’s hand paused above Carline’s throat. He looked at me, a moment of recognition ceasing the attack, where Carline crawled toward the edge of the shield.
“You need not worry about her, Indy. This will hurt for only a moment, then it will all be over. Wait for me a moment longer, my dear, please,” he said in a warped voice.
“Don’t hurt her at all. The deed is done. Let’s go, please.” I chanced stepping closer, flinching at the cold ripping through my bare feet.
Frowning, Rooke stepped toward me. “Go back inside. You’ll catch a cold like this.”
“Come inside with me, then.” I held out a hand, closing in more and more.
Rooke glanced at that hand, his eyes dimming. The vortex screamed a horrible noise, like an animal’s final, rageful breath. Rooke’s eyes flashed. He cracked his neck to the side. “After this. I have waited long enough.”
He cut the space between him and Carline in a blink. Leaning down, he grabbed her by the throat to lift her high. His movements were effortless. His mouth unhinged like a snake, a green glow emanating from within.
“Wait!” I ran toward them, mortified, clutching the pendant.
“Stop, you’ll take them from me! You can’t!” Carline kicked against Rooke’s chest. He didn’t flinch. She clawed at his wrist, tearing through skin. He didn’t stop. Tears built in her eyes as she stretched a hand toward her wolves, whispering silent pleas.
Around Carline, a gray mist fell, draping over her. Her gold eyes flickered with power she couldn’t call upon. At her back, a wolf came into being, one of smoke dancing around her, but could do nothing more as Rooke’s light grew stronger and stronger. Carline fell limp. Her eyes took on the same green hue, her mouth gaping wide. Light fell from her mouth into Rooke’s, an endless stream of energy that warped the world.
