And that’s exactly what I did. The slug balls were after me with alarming alacrity. Amaya was a fierce storm battering my thoughts, wanting to stand and fight, and frustrated that we weren’t.
Later, I promised her. We need to catch the sorceress first.
Kill, she muttered. Feed.
If we catch her, you can do both.
Faster run, she muttered.
I snorted softly. Like I wasn’t already running as fast as I could. The trouble was, even though this world was destined to become mine on my death, it wasn’t yet, and the constraints of flesh were affecting me here. I wasn’t a particularly fast runner in the real world, despite being part werewolf, and that – unfortunately – translated over to the field.
But at least the promise calmed Amaya’s storm. She still wanted to fight, but the promise of blood had quieted her for the moment.
The wind of the approaching slug masses grew stronger. I bit my lip, reaching for greater speed. The slender shadow I chased was no longer in view, so either this corridor turned or she’d already left it.
Door, Amaya said. Left.
I flung out my free hand, saw an answering flare of warm light, and threw myself through it. As I hit the ground and rolled, the slug balls went past. I jumped up, pressed a hand against the door to close it, then ran after the shadow.
We were in a wide expanse of what looked like a courtyard. Buildings soared above us, casting no shadows even though they dominated the skyline. Something swooped, and I ducked instinctively. Two forms appeared out of the gray, one that was black and winged, the other lilac and serpentine. The Dušan – mine and Azriel’s. Relief slithered through me. The Dušan might have as little luck against the slug mass as me, but at least they’d be able to delay the progress of the things.
Maybe enough for me to catch the bitch ahead, anyway.
From behind us came an odd cracking. I glanced over my shoulder. One section of the honeycombed tunnel was smoking, collapsing. A heartbeat later, the two massed balls rolled through. They didn’t even slow, just made a beeline for us.
The Dušan screamed and dove into their midst, sending gray forms scattering as they bit and slashed. Several rolling lumps re-formed out of the main two masses, the smaller ones immediately skirting around the larger two to come after me.
Amaya, flame and encase!
I jumped out of their path and swung Amaya. Purple fire trailed from her blade, hit the two masses, and rolled around them, sizzling and spitting as it encased the sinuous forms in a flaming lilac cage but didn’t actually touch them. The mass writhed with greater agitation and white muck splattered against the fiery cage. Amaya hissed and the trailing edge of her flames snuffed out, leaving the mass encased together but free. It did a long looping turn and came at me again. I jumped aside, then ran like hell.
The shadow had disappeared around the corner of a building that had an impossibly small base against a wider top, reminding me somewhat of a pyramid turned on its end. As I rounded the corner, the Dušans screamed. I glanced back, saw the Dušans rise from the midst of the two larger masses, their skins dripping with white matter and god knows what else. They twisted in midair, then dove again, teeth wide as they chopped down on gray forms and flung them left and right. They might be stopping the main two masses, but every time they tore them apart, they were creating new, smaller masses. And those smaller masses were coming after me.
I swore, but kept running. There was little else I could do. The sorceress had to be stopped, and it seemed I was the only one who could do it.
God help our worlds, I thought bitterly.
I wasn’t gaining on that shadow, but I wasn’t losing ground, either. We ran across a vast empty space, but in the distance the vague outline of a structure gradually became visible. It seemed to glow with an odd light – it was neither bright nor warm, and yet it wasn’t cold or unwelcoming. But it seemed to draw me forward, as if it were something I had to see.
It is the gates that lie ahead.
The voice was male, and it came from everywhere and yet nowhere. It hung on the ethereal air and yet reverberated through my mind. It held no threat, but I sensed it could kill without a moment’s hesitation or thought.
My grip tightened on Amaya, and yet – oddly – she didn’t react. Whatever – whoever – this being was, my sword had no sense of immediate threat.
Which didn’t mean there wasn’t.
Meaning that light is the gates? If a mind voice could come out croaky with fear, then mine undoubtedly did just that.
Yes. It is what you would call the gates to heaven and hell.
Surprise rippled through me but it was quickly pushed aside by frustration as a small sphere came out of nowhere and charged toward me. I leapt over the top of it, but it flung white goo at me, forcing me to twist in midair to miss it. I landed awkwardly, and felt pain ripple up my leg. But was that even possible when I was energy rather than flesh?
The mass began a long looping turn. I kept an eye on it, and said, Wait, what do you mean gates? Are they both here? Together?
Why should they not be? There was an odd sense of amusement in the reply, and it filtered across the gray world in much the same manner as his words did.
Because… My reply faded. In all honesty, I couldn’t actually think of a reason why the gates to heaven and hell wouldn’t be together. I guess I’d just imagined the two would always be separate. Instead I asked, Who are you?