Page 216 of Eternal Ruin
Soon, the violin began to morph too, flat and silver as a shield. Until the final piece at the end of the arc depicted Slen holding out the sword to the audience, eyes fierce, shield against her leg.
A few seconds later, footsteps echoed in the still room.
Slen was standing there, her eyes roaming the walls. Slowly, she approached a drawing, her combat boots making no sound.
“What is this?” she asked, her voice unusually soft.
“You didn’t text me?” Kidan asked.
It took Slen a moment to avert her attention from the sketch. “No. I thought you texted me.”
Worry crowded them at the same time, laced with danger.
Leave, Kidan.
A horrible wrench twisted inside her, following GK’s warning. Something was wrong.
The storeroom door screeched open and Yusef came out dragging a large box of canvases. He straightened and wiped his forehead. His clothes were smeared in charcoal and dust.
When he noticed them across the marble floor, he jerked straight as if he’d seen a ghost.
“What are you doing here?” His voice was barely audible, filled with fear.
Before Kidan could explain, he rushed toward them, grabbed their wrists, and turned them to the door.
“We need to leave. Now. Right now.” He sounded unreasonably afraid. Jittery.
“Hey, slow down,” Kidan protested as he dragged them to the doors.
“Letgo.” Slen struggled as well. “What’s wrong with you?”
Yusef reached the door handle and pulled. It didn’t open. He tried again, using both hands, rattling the whole thing.
But it was locked.
“No,” he whispered. “It’s not time yet.”
“Hey,” Kidan said, her own fear rising now. “Talk to us. You invited us, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t.” His eyes were the size of saucers when he turned around.
“Yusef,” Slen said, concern tightening her face. “What did you do?”
Yusef’s head tipped up to the domed ceiling, a look of violent horror climbing along his face. The chandelier trembled, thousands of crystals chattering like broken teeth, trying to warn them of what was to come.
Yusef grabbed their hands again, hard enough to crush, but neither of them complained.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Thunder ripped from the sky.
The chandelier snapped, gold and crystals hurtling to the floor. Yusef yanked them lower, throwing his arms over their heads as a devastating sound boomed over them. Kidan’s heart slammed to the concrete, a high-pitched screech blocking all other sound.
Dust filled the air and she wanted to scream or call their names, but her throat was choked full of terror.
Yusef hauled Kidan and Slen up, pieces of plaster covered their hair and shoulders, a few scratches along their faces.
He was shouting at them but Kidan couldn’t hear anything. Her legs were shaking too much to move.
