Текст книги "Total Eclipse"

Автор книги: Rachel Caine

Соавторы: Rachel Caine
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Holy crap, we need to go! she said breathlessly. Thats what you were going to say, right?

Thats what I was going to say.

Soglad I didnt unpack the luggage from the trunk. Lets do it. But you go first and unlock the doors, okay? Because I am not standing out in that.

She hung up before I could tell her that the castle had called and wanted its princess back. She was right, actually. I had the keys. I was the point person for this little expedition.

Stay here until I get everything open, I told David, and tossed a towel over my head as I opened up the door. The wind promptly blew the wood back against the wall with a crash, and knocked me back two steps by sheer force before I got control and leaned into it.

Then I stepped outside, into the teeth of the monster.

I didnt dare look up, or around, or anywhere but at the Boss, sitting there with its chrome blazing in the flashes of lightning. Water was running off it in silver strings, and I lunged for the drivers-side door, got in, and manually unlocked the passenger side before diving out again, honking the horn. Cherises door opened, and Kevin ran out, heading for the other side of the car.

Cherise followed him, staggering in the buffeting wind like a post– happy-hour drunk on her clunky platform shoes. The wind definitely made that flirty little South Beach dress not safe for anywhere, but in seconds rain had flattened it securely down against her body. It was the next best thing to a swimsuit, really. Not that my shirt and jeans werent waterlogged and streaming.

I didnt feel it coming the way I would have as a Warden. I felt the hairs rise on my arms, as if trying to escape my body, and for a blank second I wondered, What the heck is that?

And then a pure white bolt of power hit Cherise.

The force of it blew me over, and if it made a sound I dont remember hearing it. The shock lasted for at least three heartbeats, and then the cold rain brought me back around and I realized that Cherise had just been struck by lightning.

I staggered up. Cherise was still standing there, exactly as she had been. Wisps of steam curled off her bare arms and legs, up from her hair, and I screamed and closed the distance fast, waiting for her to collapse into my arms.

Instead, she opened her eyes, looked at me with a drugged, blissful expression, and said, Wow. That felt . . . great.

I stopped, fighting for balance in more ways than one. She looked utterly relaxed. Unafraid. Maybe it was some weird side effect . . . ?

No, I realized. No, it wasnt, because over the two of us, the rain had stopped falling. It was running off a clear shield that enclosed us in a warm, still cone of air.

I knew what that was. Id done it myself, many times.

Not Cherise. Cherise doesnt have Warden powers. . . . She cant . . . She never . . .

The shock was slowing me down, obviously, because I should have known already. David did, as he threw open the door of the Mustang and got out again. I saw the sudden, rigid set to his body, and the way he went completely still, even pounded by the rain.

Kevin got out, too, and in the next lightning flash his face looked ghostly and haunted, his eyes gone huge as he stared at Cherise. He looked empty. No, he wasempty, I realized; he had gone up into the aetheric, and for a few seconds his body was just a waiting shell. Then he flinched and shook his head. It cant be, he said. Shesshes

Shes got Warden powers, I said flatly. What are the odds that they came from someone else but me?

Cherise smiled, warm and sweet and lovely, and said, And it is awesome, by the way. Just so you know. It feels sobig! Like Im part of everything, everywhere in the worldtheres all this energy, and

Cher! I grabbed her by the shoulders, hard, and shook her until the bliss faded from her eyes. Cherise, listen to me. Youre not trained. You have no idea what youre doing. Dont

Electric shocks zapped through my hands, straight up my arms, and knocked me back with a stunning blow all the way to the Mustang. I found myself on the ground, skin tingling and aching, shaking all over. My muscles were buzzing.

David no longer moved at Djinn speed, but he was just as fast as any man seeing a threat to someone he loved, and as I tried to shake off the shock he did a classic cop roll over the hood of the car and went for her.

Kevin summoned up a fireball and dropped it neatly between David and Cherise, sending my husband stumbling back. Dont try it, man, Kevin said. Its not her fault.

I wasnt the only one in shock. Cherise hadnt moved since shed given me the zap, but now, as the fire flamed unnaturally high between her and David, she let out a sharp, horrified cry and dropped to her knees next to me in the filthy water. Oh my God, Jo, I didnt meanI justI just wanted you to let go of me, I She reached out to touch me, then hesitated, staring at her hands.

I coughed and sat up. My ribs ached. I could feel residual trembles in all of my long muscles, but my heart seemed to be ticking along, if rapidly, and I was in control enough to be able to push dripping hair back out of my eyes. Even if it felt like a lot of effort to do so. I think that proves my point, I said, and then had to pause for a racking round of coughing.

David tried to get to me. Kevin moved the fire in front of him, and I saw David really get angryangry enough to do anything.He was only human now, but that kind of anger was nothing to fool around with. There was still a trace of Djinn in there somewhere; I could just feel iteven if it was only a memory of power. It made him fearless, and a little bit crazy.

He plunged through the fire.

Kevin yelped, surprised, and damped the flames down quicklyincluding the ones that had taken hold of Davids clothes even in that brief instant of contact. David ignored the burns. He grabbed Kevin and slammed him back against the car with a hand around his throat, and I saw his muscles tighten. Kevins eyes widened, and he clawed at Davids hand, wheezing.

David, dont, I managed to gasp, and got my coughing under control. There was something unpleasant in my mouth. I spat it out and tasted blood, but not a lot. That was good, right? Not a lot? Some part of my brain was grasping desperately for good news. We dont have time for this.

Dont, David said, attention still locked on Kevins face, everdo that again. Do you understand me?

Kevin managed to nod. David let go, shoved him away, and knelt down to gather me in his arms. The look he turned on Cherise was black with fury.

Its not her fault, I told him. Kevins right. She got slammed with a ton of power, and she has no idea how to use it. Shes like a baby with a nuclear bomb and a big shiny red button.

Hey! Cherise said, in almost her old tones. Im right here! Have a heart.

No offense, I said, but Wardens get trained. They get trained a lot. And even then, we make massive mistakes, and people die. You dont have that luxury, Cher. Youre too powerful, all at once. Your learning curve means death tolls. Now take down the shield.

What? Cherise seemed blank. I pointed up at the invisible umbrella she was holding over us. Rain was pouring off of it in silver sheets. Im notoh. I guess I am, huh?

Instinct. Itll kill you. Or actually, other people, I said. Drop it. Ill show you how to build it right.

Idont think I know how to drop it. I mean, I didnt know how to put it up in the first place.

Talk later, flee now, Kevin said, rubbing his throat and glaring at David. Seeing as how were going to dieif we hang around here in Lightning Central.

I looked up at David, and saw his fierce love and anger and desire to lash out. And protect me. He was taking this being human thing harder than I was, after all. Kevin has a point, I said. Lets work it out in motion.

He didnt like it; I could see that, but he nodded and helped me to my feet. I was shaky but serviceable. Wetter than a sponge on the bottom of the ocean, but maybe I could get Cherise to dry me off as a training exercise. Then again, shed probably desiccate me completely and leave me a dry, dead husk, so maybe not such a great plan after all.

Maybe you shouldnt drive, David said.

Ha! The day I cant drive the Boss is the day that you need to wrap me in plastic and leave me by the side of the road for the buzzards.

Jo, Im serious.

So am I, I said. Nobody drives it but me. Those are the rules. Now get in the car. Please. I dont need to argue, I just need to drive.

He didnt like it, but he nodded and helped me in. Cherise was maintaining the rain shield above the car, which was convenient even though it worried me in a Warden sense. There were all kinds of ways to power that kind of defensive capability, but the best ways, the ones that would ultimately have the least impact on the world around us, were the most difficult to learn. Cherise was, without a doubt, just grabbing raw power and slamming it into a form without regard for how out of balance the equations fell.

The storm had already noticed her. And it was going to get very interested now.

Everybody piled into the car, and I found the keys and started up the Boss. His engine caught with a fierce grumble, and I threw it into reverse as another lightning bolt slammed home, this one torching a tree near the corner of the parking lot. Combined with the still-burning telephone pole, the place was starting to look like it needed to be renamed the Disaster Drive-In.

Sorry, I whispered, and peeled out of the parking lot. Once I hit road speed, I began to really start liking Cherises shield, even if it was an energy suck monster. It was like driving under a mobile bridge, and it kept the rain from hammering the windshield, which was excellent. I opened up the Boss as we gained the access road for the freeway. When we reached the top of the ramp, I glanced over and saw three stabs of white-hot light smash down from the boiling clouds into the roof of the motel.

The trees werent the only thing on fire anymore, and now there were innocent lives at risknot just ours. The roof was burning, and it was possible that even with the rain, it would spread. The tree and telephone pole werent showing any signs of going out.

Kevin, I said. Get that fire out.

The rain will take care of it. I dont need to

Did you hear me ask? Because Im pretty sure I put it as an order, not a request for your opinion. Just do it. Now, Kevin!

Kevin shut up and looked toward the burning roof. Seconds later, it snuffed itself out. He ended the blazes on the telephone pole and tree for good measure. Show-off. Anything else, boss?

Yeah. Be quiet.

He shot me the finger, which did not shock me, and slumped back in his seat with a mutinous, pouty expression. Still not out of his teen angst, I saw. Or maybe hed just grow up to be a pouty, petulant man. Yeah, that was going to be attractive.

I took a deep breath and looked over at David. Are you okay? Not burned?

Im fine, he said. He put it out before it did any damage.

I made sure I had the Boss aimed straight and steady on the nearly empty rain-slick highway, and focused on the blurring lane markers for a while. Finally, I said, Cherise, I need you to think how it felt when you put up the shield. What made you do it?

Um . . . I guess . . . I was getting wet. I didnt like it.

Okay. Are you getting wet now?

Obviously not . . . Oh. Right. Okay. But Im still wet. And kind of cold.

I turned up the heater and directed the blast toward the back, although I was cold and shivering, too. Once your body is convinced you dont need it, youll be able to let go, I said. Your instincts are controlling your power, and thats a very bad thing, Cher. The other bad thing, although I didnt dare say it, was that in my experience, regular people werent Wardens for a reason. There were changes in body chemistry in Wardens: different nerve conduction times, subtle differences that allowed us to handle and channel the kinds of power that would destroysooner or laternon-Wardens who tried to handle the same forces.

I didnt know whether the transfer of powers from me to Cheriseif that was what had happenedhad also given her an upgrade on the physical side. If it hadnt, it was like putting jet fuel in a cars gas tank. It would run for only a short time before it exploded under the stress.

I needed her to back off from using them until a specialist, an Earth Warden with real knowledge, could get a look at what was happening inside of her. But if she allowed instinct to dictate how those powers were used, we were all in serious trouble, and there was no way shed be able to control any of it. I didnt feel much like Yoda, but Id have to do as a mentor.

There is no try, I said, and then swallowed a laugh. Okay, how is it now?

Better, Cherise said. I feel better. Not as cold.

And sure enough, overhead, the shield holding the rain off us cut in and out for a few seconds, then collapsed completely. Instant white noise, from the rain pounding on the Bosss metal, and I engaged the wipers on full. No trouble seeing the road ahead, even with the torrential downpour. . . . Lightning was a constant event, strobing everything into horror– movie shadows and glares. Good, I said, and put warm approval into my voice, even though I was freezing, still. Good work, Cher. Did you feel it when it let go?

Yeah, I think so.

All right, heres your first test. Try putting the shield back up again.

It took about thirty seconds, but she reestablished a flickering, uncertain rain shield above the car, then, at my direction, let it go. We did that three times, until she could put up and take down the shield on command. Good, I said. Now youre controlling it; its not controlling you. You feel that pulse of power that comes when you call? If you feel it coming when you didntmean to call it, stop it. You know how. Its the same way you dropped the shield.

As teaching went, this was desperately inadequate. She ought to be sitting safely in a secured facility, hooked up to biofeedback equipment, getting instruction from a qualified Earth Warden who could walk her through things properly. But this was the Warden equivalent of first aid to the injured. . . . I just needed to get her stable for now. That meant teaching her whatever I could, as quickly as I could, while limiting her use of powers to the smallest expenditures possible.

It also meant outrunning this storm.

I opened up the Mustang and let him fly, and oh man, could he fly.The road vibration that was noticeable at lower speeds vanished as he hit his stride, and then it settled into a power glide so smooth it was like levitating as the speed needle hit a hundred.

This was dangerous. It wasnt that I hadnt driven this fast, under these conditions, before; Id even done it while splitting my attention between controlling external supernatural forces and the road. But now I felt acutely human, powerless, and exposed. David couldnt cover me. Cherise was now as much of a hindrance as a help, and KevinGod only knew what Kevin could do, other than blow things up. Which he would do with great enthusiasm, of course. That wasnt always a downside. . . .

Somethings happening, Cherise said suddenly. There was suppressed panic in her voice, and when I looked in the rearview mirror I saw that her eyes had gone wide, her face tight with fear. I feelits like a spike, in my head, this feelingsomethings looking at me. . . .

I knew that feeling. It was the storm, and it had found her. We were about to be targeted.

Easy, I said, in my most calm and soothing voice. I gripped the steering wheel tightly to keep my hands from shaking. Thats okay, thats normal, all right? Take a deep breath. I need you to close your eyes now, and tell me what you see.

What I see? With my eyes closed? She laughed wildly. I can tell you that right now. Black!

Just do it, Cher.

Bitch, you are on my last nerve right now.

I know. Just do it.

She shut her feverish, terrified eyes, and said, Okay, happy now? Its dark. And Her words fell away into a sudden silence, and then she said, Oh, in an entirely different voice. What the hell is that?

Oversight, I said. Its sort of the heads-up display version of going up into the aetheric, the energy realm. In the beginning you have to close your eyes to see it so you can concentrate. What do you see?

Uh . . . colors? Lots of colors. Its a trippy lava-lamp groove thing up in here. Which is cool, I guess. She was back on firmer ground now, and I could hear the relief in her voice. What am I looking at?

Remember those Doppler radar maps we used back at the TV station? I asked, and that helped steady her, too: the reference to our time together working at that low-rent local station as your stereotypical weather girls. Not that we hadnt gotten our own back on that one. The neon-colored ones?

Oh yeah. Those things. So this is the storm Im seeing.

Youre seeing the energy flows. I need you to tell me where it looks worst.

Worst how, exactly?

Youll feel it. I couldnt explain it any better than that; I wasnt sure that how Id perceive it would be a guide to how she would be able to process the information.

After a few seconds, she said, That spot looks radioactive.

Where?

Without opening her eyes, she lifted a hand, and pointed.

Straight through the front window.

Ahead of our speeding car.

I jerked my attention away from her and took my foot off the gas exactly one second before the next lightning flash revealed what Cherise had seen in Oversight. . . .

A person.

Standing in the road.

Waiting for us.

Thats a Djinn! Kevin yelled.

Like I didnt know that already, even without powers.

Chapter Four

Hold on! I screamed, and tried to change lanes. It was deadly at this speed, on wet roads, but I didnt have much choice; I had the distinct impression that hitting this particular Djinn would be like slamming full speed into the side of a mountain. Car versus mountain: never a good thing.

Unfortunately, physics was not my friend on either side of the choice just now, and as soon as I changed direction, the seal broke between the tires and the road, and we began to hydroplane. No antilock brakes on a vintage Mustangit was all up to me, and it was happening in hypertime, speeded by adrenaline and sheer, massive momentum. I acted on ingrained training, turning the wheel gently into the skid, letting off the gas, staying off the brake. I kept us out of a spin and managed to keep us on the road, but wed gone into a Tokyo drift sideways, sliding past the motionless Djinn at better than eighty miles per hour.

It turned, tracking to follow us.

David! I yelled.

Old Djinn! he said back. Not one of mine! Not good news under the best of circumstances, and these were far from the best.

The Djinn suddenly turned as we slid along, leaving it behind, and ran after us. In only three long strides it had hold of the bumper of the car, and I felt the slamming jerk of it stopping our skid. We were all thrown forward, hard enough to make my head feel a little fuzzy. Before I could blink, my drivers-side door was open, and the Djinn was leaning over me, close enough to bite my throat out. Which they had been known to do.

I yelped and flailed, but the Djinn put a hand flat on my chest and shoved me firmly against the seat. I thought for sure he was going to lean in and smash me like a bug, but the pressure seemed just enough to keep me still, not enough to shatter bone.

He unhooked my seat belt, picked me up like I weighed no more than a bulky bag of feathers, and came around to Davids side of the Mustang. David was fumbling for the door latch, just about as out of it as I felt. The Djinn got there first, dumping me unceremoniously on my husbands lap. I pulled my legs in as he started to close the door again, and put my arms around Davids neck.

What the hell is going on? David asked. I shook my head, mystified, as the unknown Djinn got in on the drivers side, ignored seat belt laws, and slammed the car into gear.

Whoever he was, he could drive like the proverbial devil. The Boss roared like a lion as he opened the engine up, and no matter how fast Id gone, this was faster, wet roads be damned. I tried not to look. It was way too scary.

Hey, Cherise said, in an out-of-it kind of voice that gained strength as she went along. Whos driving this thing? By the end, she sounded positively paranoid, which was a very bad thing. A scared Cherise was a dangerous one right now. I shook away my lingering bleariness and looked at her over the seat.

Its okay, I said. Everythings fine. Were in good hands. I dropped back down on Davids lap and looked him in the eyes as I moderated my tone to a whisper. We are, right?

David cleared his throat and addressed himself to our new driver. I dont know you. That was a neutral opening gambit, neither aggressive nor friendly. Considering the dude had just supernaturally carjacked us, I thought it was quite thoughtful. It was also quite useless, though. The Djinn didnt even glance at us. He just drove like a machinelike some extension of the car itself. He didnt even blink. His eyes were glowing, an unsettling color that hovered somewhere between green and gold, andlike most Djinnhe was striking in features. His were prominent and blunt, not handsome as most chose to be. A face of strength and immovable power, and a body to match. Greek sculptors would have adored him.

Chatty, I said. So what do we do?

David shrugged very slightly. Hes taking us in the direction we were going anyway, he said. Hes better protection than we could ask against whatever might want to get in our way, including bad drivers. I suppose we wait and see just what he wants. He shifted a little, settling my weight better on his lap.

Sorry, I said. I know Im not that light.

Youre fine, he said, and dropped his voice to an intimate whisper by my ear. This is going to be a veryenjoyable ride for me, you know. But frustrating.

I smiled and touched my lips gently to the pulse point below his jaw, where I knew he was especially sensitive, and felt him shiver. His hands tightened around me. Well, I whispered back, well just have to see about that once we have some privacy.

Time was I could make our privacy.

I didnt say anything to that, just put my hand flat on his cheek and looked into his eyes. He was tired, and still, on some level, quite sick. Lewis had done his best, but Davids nature had been Djinn for a long, long time, and being human wasnt something he was good at dealing with long term. Some essential core of him couldntdeal with it. I could no longer feel the slow, inevitable drain of energy inside of him, but I knew very well that it was there.

Nice as it was to pretend that everything was going to be fine, we needed to get Davids powers back where they belonged. That was much more important than recovering mine, at the moment. I could live without them for now. Not well. But . . . live.

Im okay, he said, and kissed my palm. I rested my head against his shoulder, content for the moment to be cuddled in his warmth as we hurtled at Djinn– inspired speed toward . . . what?

I couldnt begin to guess.

And somehow, with him, that was okay.

I fell asleep, and when I woke up the sun was blazing in the window like the fiery wrath of God. I winced and groaned, shifted my weight, and felt uncomfortably locked muscles protest. David woke up, too, and must have felt identically horrible, because he winced and tried to stretch out his legs.

The Djinn at the wheel hadnt blinked, moved, or otherwise communicated, as far as I could tell. I looked over Davids shoulder. Cherise and Kevin were tangled together on the backseat. Kevin was snoring. Cherise was drooling on the knee of his blue jeans.

Where are we? I mumbled, and swiped hair out of my eyes. How the hell did my hair get messed up when I had nowhere to move? Mystery of the universe. I didnt seriously expect anyone to answerKevin and Cherise were obviously in La-La Land, and David wouldnt have any more of a clue than mebut I got a response.

The Djinn who was driving opened his mouth, and said, Im taking you to the Oracle. He had a very odd voicealmost a chorus of voices, as if some group was speaking through him. Chilling, in fact. Well arrive in a few moments.

I felt a bolt of pure adrenaline that sent my heart racing at uncomfortable speeds. Which Oracle? There were three to choose from, and only one of them could be said to be on our side, even a little. The Earth Oracle was my daughter, Imara. . . . But we hadnt magically sped across half the country overnight, either. This still looked like eastern seaboard, to me, not the desert around Sedona. Which meant one of the other two Oracles, most likely . . . Air, or Fire.

God, I hoped it was Fire. Please.

David was looking . . . odd. I guessed he didnt know how to feel, considering that he used to have every right to talk to the Oracles, and nowbeing busted back to humanhe wasnt sure whether hed even be allowed to enter their presence. Or survive the experience.

Relax, I said. If whichever one it is hired us a driver, Im guessing theyre not going to just kill us on sight.

But it was a guess, pure and simple, and he knew it. I turned to Cherise and Kevin, who were waking up, yawning, stretching, and groaning just like David and I had done. Before you ask, I said, were almost there. Wherever that is. And when we get there, the two of you are going to stay in the car. I dont want you anywhere near this.

This what? Cherise mumbled around a jaw-cracking yawn. Ow.

You dont need to know, I said. And you dont need to do anything stupid, like try to rescue us, no matter what happens. Understand?

Kevin nodded, not looking overly concerned one way or the other. Comforting. Cherise, at least, frowned and looked cutely annoyed, but she finally agreed.

Me, I was just hoping that wherever our newfound chauffeur was taking us had a bathroom, because I was in need. Badly. And my throat was parched, too.

It only took another five minutes or so after that for our driver to pull off the freeway, expertly whip in and out of traffic (which he could do with impunity, being Djinn and therefore beyond the reach of human law enforcement), and pull to a stop in front of a . . .

A mall.

He shut off the engine and sat there like a marble statue. David and I exchanged looks. I finally said, Uh, hello? Instructions? Are we supposed to go shopping?

His head turned. Well, it was more of an Exorcisttwist, reallylike it was on a swivel, not connected to the rest of his body. Creepy.Also creepy were his eyes, which continued to blaze an unearthly fire in a color that defied description.

Out, he said. Just that. And the passenger-side door flung itself open, Davids seat belt snapped back, and I felt a supernatural shove that sent me stumbling out onto the pavement. David collided with me a second later, and we steadied ourselves as the Mustangs door slammed shut again.

Cherise and Kevin goggled at us from the backseat. Cherise tried the door. Locked. She held up her hands in defeat and mouthed, Sorry!

That was fine. The last thing I wanted was for Cherise to try her hand at slinging some power around. It wouldnt end well for anyone concerned. She was so far overmatched right now that the Djinn in that car wouldnt even have left a smoke trail in destroying her. Not that she didnt have the potential inside of hershe did, in spadesbut she had zero ability to channel and control it. Shed be more likely to blow herself, the mall, and whatever major metropolitan area we were in off the face of the Earth instead.

Right, I said, and steadied myself on my cramping legs. I guess we go in?

Seems like it, David said, and took my hand. He smiled. Remember the first time you took me to a mall?

Yeah, that ended well. I almost got suffocated.

And you drove off and left me behind, he said. Dont try it again.

Not a chance.

We looked at the glass doors of the entrance like it was the gates of Hell, and after a second to gather our composurewell, I was gathering mine, at leastwe moved forward and into the mall.

I dont know what I expected to happenmaybe that wed be transported to some other, intimidating supernatural place?but on the other side of the doors was a busy food court, full of cheap tables and flashing neon and the smells of a dozen different kinds of food. Families with crying kids in tow. Teens traveling in packs, for whom nothing existed outside of their own insulated circle of friends. Seniors in walking shoes making the rounds. It was a bustling indoor community, with snacks and shopping bags and a life of its own.

I love a good mall, I said to David, but I really have no idea what were supposed to do here. I mean, I could use a pair of shoes. . . .

If youre going to shop, youd better get Cherise, or shell kill you, he pointed out. But I think were supposed to do something else.

Well, itd be nice if someone gave us a sign. . . .

At the far end of the food court was the neon– lit entrance to a multiplex theater. The NOW SHOWING signs were giant TV screens, which I supposed was easier than the old stick-up letters.

One of them was flashing text in the biggest possible letters. It said ENTER HERE.

I cleared my throat and pointed. Would you call that a sign?

The letters immediately changed to read ENTER NOW OR DIE.

Id say so, David said. And not a welcome-to-the-neighborhood sign, either.

Didnt seem so. I tried to control the twisting of my stomach as we moved off toward the theater, threading past baby strollers and people just standing in the way. When we were still twenty feet away, the lettering changed again.

It said, in red flashing letters, FASTER.

Crap, I said, and dropped Davids hand to race him to the entrance. That drew stares. I wondered why nobody could see the sign, but then decided that the Oracle wanted it that way. It was meant for us. And it was meant to scare us.

It was working.

I plunged through the door under the flashing sign, just a step ahead of David, and stumbled into . . . fog. White, featureless fog, cool and damp and cloying on my skin. It felt thick and heavy and alive, pressing down on me as I stumbled to a stop, unable to see anything in the thick white mist.