“No, it doesn’t hurt, but,” Beaufort rolls his shoulders, “be prepared. Things are different on the other side.”
Without another word, Thorne passes right through the shimmering wall and out of the realm. His form is distorted on the other side as if I’m looking at him under water.
“I’ll go next,” Beaufort says, “then you, Briony.”
He steps through and for a moment I’m taken by how similar this is to a trial, waiting to pass through the great fence, not knowing what lies beyond and what challenges I will face.
I don’t give it any more thought though; if I do, I’ll only be consumed by fear.
I step forward.
Passing through the barrier is like stepping through a rainbow, there’s a myriad of bright vibrant colors, a high-pitched hum and then I break through to the other side, Dray stepping out right beside me.
Immediately, I understand what Beaufort means by this place being different. The landscape is suddenly darker as if the light and color has been leeched away and the sun’s power extinguished. Everything is gray and mute. A fierce wind sweeps across the landscape, brutal against my face and a howling sound mingles in its force.
It’s as if what life had existed out here has been sucked away and nothing but shadows, dust, and death remain.
And almost immediately a horde of demons comes swooping towards us, shrieking at us like a deranged flock of crows.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Thorne
The sky erupts into angry cries and then they’re coming for us.
There are scores of the things, filling the sky like a flock of grotesque birds.
“There are too many of them. We’ll never get through,” Briony cries, alarmed.
“Maybe not alone,” I tell her, “but together we can.”
Usually stepping into this hellhole is enough to send me crashing towards the edge. All those twisted memories come rushing back, haunting me, blaming me, hating me.
The force of my shadows. My mother’s anguished face. The carnage. My little brother’s motionless body.
They are images, feelings, sounds that haunt me all the time. But when I step out into this wasteland, it’s much much worse. The memories are relentless, dragging me down, tearing me apart, ripping at my sanity.
Not this time though. This time I have a walking ball of light beside me and she seems to lift the gloom and chase away all those memories. “Any plan?” Dray asks.
“I thought you hated plans,” I say.
“Yeah, I do, but you lot inflict them on me anyway.”
“No plan,” Beaufort tells him. “We blast the heck out of those demons and then we run for that rock over there. It should give us some cover.”
He pulls the sword from its scabbard and we all stare at it in disbelief. The blade is glowing a dull red color.
“What the fuck?” Dray mutters. “It wasn’t like that before, right? Did you break it?”
“No,” Beaufort answers, turning the sword around in his hands. “I think it’s the demons. I think it’s warning us they’re nearby.”
“What makes you think that?”
Beaufort looks at us all sheepishly. “It’s like it’s talking to me.”
“Fuck, he’s lost his mind,” Dray mutters.
“I haven’t!” Beaufort scowls at our bond brother, looking like he’d happily stab him with the glowing sword. “It may sound ridiculous but–”
