exit—a wide, corrugated iron gate. Likely electronic, and I guessed now defunct.
Disappointment swelled within me. I had traveled down the entire building and still not found anyone. Granted, I hadn’t felt safe enough to spend much time in each room in order to do a completely thorough search, but if someone was here they should have heard me. Dammit. They could have left a note or something for me, even the slightest explanation would have helped—the vaguest indication of when they might return, or even if they would return.
My frustrated thoughts evaporated as a scatter of debris fell from the ceiling.
When I glanced up, my heart stopped.
The ceiling.
I hadn’t yet checked the ceiling.
Grace
T he ceiling was lined with naked, pale backs. Bloodless.
I’d just walked right into a nap room.
I didn’t have time to chastise myself for not having the presence of mind to look up the moment I entered the basement. Heck, I barely even had time to think as the Bloodless that had caused the falling debris—the first Bloodless to have awoken—dropped to the floor ten feet in front of me.
The others—there were maybe twenty in total—were quickly aroused by its motion and the next thing I knew all of them were stirring, their legs lowering and long, lanky bodies dropping down all around me like stick insects.
I was practically choking from fright as I made my fire blaze and spark out toward them. The Bloodless nearest to me let out ear-splitting screeches. At least the flames caused them to step back.
The coil being of no use to me anymore, I hurled it toward the crowd before moving forward, forcing those around me backward. I spun around fast and continued rotating my fire to ensure that none of them caught me from behind.
I had to get out of this basement. I had to get to the exit!
I managed to cause enough heat to pave a path to the door. As my left hand closed around the metal handle, I cast a backward glance. The Bloodless were following me—encroaching as close to me as they dared. I pulled open the door, darted up the stairs and raced down the corridor even as my fire singed the walls and carpet. In my panic, I wasn’t even sure where I was heading. Just anywhere away from the loping crowd behind me.
I found myself heading toward the reception area. Reaching a set of double doors whose glass was smashed, I barged into a spacious lobby which was just as dilapidated as the rest of the building. I lunged across the room to the broken revolving doors at the other end and burst out into the frigid street.
I barely had time to think which direction to head in. This street was clear of other Bloodless for now—at least, from what I could see.
Somehow, I just had to get these monsters off my trail… even though they had already scented my blood.
I darted to my right. The sky above was overcast with heavy, black-gray clouds.
If it started to rain, this situation would escalate to a whole new level of desperation.
I raced down the street, my blood pounding in my ears. I reached the end of the sidewalk and took a sharp right turn again, around the corner of the building. When I glanced around me, it was to see that several Bloodless had caught up with me by now, running parallel with me and several feet apart to avoid my heat.
And then one leapt right in front of my path.
Shocked, I stalled before coming to my senses and continuing to surge forward. Would this creature stand getting burned to have me?
Could a half fae turn into a Bloodless? What would I be, half fae, half Bloodless? I shook the thought aside. I couldn’t start entertaining thoughts like these. I’m going to escape this. I’m going to escape.
As the Bloodless leapt aside just as we were a few feet from colliding, it appeared that they really were afraid of my fire. They did not want to feel pain.
Thunder rumbled overhead. And then I felt it: the first drop of rain on my face.
Crap .
I could still manipulate fire in rain, but it
Disappointment swelled within me. I had traveled down the entire building and still not found anyone. Granted, I hadn’t felt safe enough to spend much time in each room in order to do a completely thorough search, but if someone was here they should have heard me. Dammit. They could have left a note or something for me, even the slightest explanation would have helped—the vaguest indication of when they might return, or even if they would return.
My frustrated thoughts evaporated as a scatter of debris fell from the ceiling.
When I glanced up, my heart stopped.
The ceiling.
I hadn’t yet checked the ceiling.
Grace
T he ceiling was lined with naked, pale backs. Bloodless.
I’d just walked right into a nap room.
I didn’t have time to chastise myself for not having the presence of mind to look up the moment I entered the basement. Heck, I barely even had time to think as the Bloodless that had caused the falling debris—the first Bloodless to have awoken—dropped to the floor ten feet in front of me.
The others—there were maybe twenty in total—were quickly aroused by its motion and the next thing I knew all of them were stirring, their legs lowering and long, lanky bodies dropping down all around me like stick insects.
I was practically choking from fright as I made my fire blaze and spark out toward them. The Bloodless nearest to me let out ear-splitting screeches. At least the flames caused them to step back.
The coil being of no use to me anymore, I hurled it toward the crowd before moving forward, forcing those around me backward. I spun around fast and continued rotating my fire to ensure that none of them caught me from behind.
I had to get out of this basement. I had to get to the exit!
I managed to cause enough heat to pave a path to the door. As my left hand closed around the metal handle, I cast a backward glance. The Bloodless were following me—encroaching as close to me as they dared. I pulled open the door, darted up the stairs and raced down the corridor even as my fire singed the walls and carpet. In my panic, I wasn’t even sure where I was heading. Just anywhere away from the loping crowd behind me.
I found myself heading toward the reception area. Reaching a set of double doors whose glass was smashed, I barged into a spacious lobby which was just as dilapidated as the rest of the building. I lunged across the room to the broken revolving doors at the other end and burst out into the frigid street.
I barely had time to think which direction to head in. This street was clear of other Bloodless for now—at least, from what I could see.
Somehow, I just had to get these monsters off my trail… even though they had already scented my blood.
I darted to my right. The sky above was overcast with heavy, black-gray clouds.
If it started to rain, this situation would escalate to a whole new level of desperation.
I raced down the street, my blood pounding in my ears. I reached the end of the sidewalk and took a sharp right turn again, around the corner of the building. When I glanced around me, it was to see that several Bloodless had caught up with me by now, running parallel with me and several feet apart to avoid my heat.
And then one leapt right in front of my path.
Shocked, I stalled before coming to my senses and continuing to surge forward. Would this creature stand getting burned to have me?
Could a half fae turn into a Bloodless? What would I be, half fae, half Bloodless? I shook the thought aside. I couldn’t start entertaining thoughts like these. I’m going to escape this. I’m going to escape.
As the Bloodless leapt aside just as we were a few feet from colliding, it appeared that they really were afraid of my fire. They did not want to feel pain.
Thunder rumbled overhead. And then I felt it: the first drop of rain on my face.
Crap .
I could still manipulate fire in rain, but it
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