Aru shivered. Was she imagining things, or was the ground trembling harder now? Pebbles bounced up and down in the grass.
“Something’s coming,” said Aiden. He moved to the front with Brynne, who immediately brought out her wind mace.
“What’s that sound?” asked Mini, edging closer to Aru.
A hundred feet away on their left, the dark mist began to harden into shapes—glossy flanks, serrated hair, flaring nostrils.Nightmares.
Nightmares. Nothing at all like the nightmare hounds she’d met ages ago in the Dreaming Grove of Ratri. This was a different kind of creature entirely.
A dozen Otherworldly horses galloped out from the darkness of the dream world, towering nearly ten feet tall. Their black tails swished behind them, the ends dissipating into smoke. Blue flames burned in their eye sockets, and when they huffed in the air, Aru could smell fear burning off their bodies. It was acrid and salty, like a combination of metal and tears.
“Nice…horsies?” said Aru.
The night mares regarded them with their burning eyes. One of them took a step forward. Where its hoof met the ground, the blades of grass turned to ice.
“We’re just trying to go that way,” said Aru, pointing toward the door in the distance. “So, you know. We’ll go do that.”
Ido notlike this, said Brynne through the mind link.Maybe I should blast them—
No!said Mini.They’re probably frightened….
You mean frightening, right? said Aru.
Mini broke from the line, holding out her hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of…see? We just need to pass.”
One of the mares snorted and stepped forward. Its muzzle was maybe less than a foot away from Mini’s outstretched hand.
“See?” said Mini, smiling.
Aru stared at her sister, amazed. Mini would refuse to put her hands on a kitchen counter if she suspected it wasn’t thoroughly disinfected, but give her a twisted living creature, and she’d cuddle it.
The blue infernos in the horse’s eyes began to dim. It angled its head down, huffing steam, when movement flared behind it.
“Watch out!” yelled Brynne.
Skeletal wings whooshed out from the night mare’s shoulder blades. Aru gasped. Brynne grabbed Mini’s arm, hauling her backward.
“No, wait!” said Mini.
The horse reared, towering above them, its hooves punching the air. The other night mares screamed. Around them, the air churned with shadows and wings.
Brynne raised her wind mace, aiming it at the line of creatures. A jet stream of air shot out, hitting a night mare square in the chest. The horse brayed, and the sound raised the hairs on Aru’s neck. It was an unearthly screech, and in the echoes of it Aru heard all her worst nightmares reflected at her….
The vision the Sleeper had showed her years ago, of her sisters turning away from her.
Her father’s smug voice ringing in her ears.You were never meant to be a hero.
Kara’s heartbroken face twisting into a superior grin.I’m the daughter they wanted. Not you.
The shock of these fears struck Aru like a punch to the gut. She staggered back, avoiding the night mare’s landing hooves by mere inches.
“Aru!” shouted Brynne, aiming Gogo again.
A jet of blue light struck the night mare in the forelock and the horse cried out, vanishing.
But only for a moment.
Smoke rushed in to fill the absence and the horse rematerialized moments later. It swung its head toward Brynne, baring its blackened teeth.
