Salem crouches down to the heptagram, shining her light over it.
“Seven points. Seven sins. Seven hells.” She reads the script that circles the drawn-out shape. I feel a wave of unease in my chest, and I recognize the feeling as Envy’s. It looks as if this place was used for rituals at one time.
“What is this place?” Graham asks. “And where the fuck do all these tunnels lead?”
I swipe my flashlight taking in the room to see if there are any clues as to what this place could be, but as I move my flashlight it stalls on a dark curled up form.
It seems to be breathing and it’s massive. At least twice the size of me. Its teeth have to measure the size of my head at least. I notice it’s missing one of its horns, as I stare down at a monster that could snap me in half with little effort. I feel like I’ve just shit my pants as I stare, body shaking with terror. I am like the lawyer inJurassic Park,right before the T-Rex eats him, while he sits on a fucking toilet.
“Guys.” I say, flashlight tremoring in my hand as I watch the sleeping demon dog. They either don’t hear me, or they ignore me. My feet back up slowly. “Guys!” I say again a little louder.
“Shh.” Garrison says. I tilt my head for him to look at what I’ve found.
“Oh shit.” Walker says, readying his bat and stepping in front of Salem.
Salem stands and pushes past Walker, to where I stand. She looks over the dog with wide but assessing eyes. I see what looks like a severed hand resting next to its large hand. It’s definitely been able to get out somehow.
Lukas stumbles, eyes wide as he takes in the slumbering form of the demon dog. His face turns a sheen of white as he looks at the severed hand.
We scramble back up the tunnel that we came from, shoes slipping on the loose dirt.
A loud yelp fills the air. We don’t stop. We don’t pause for a moment. We all break out into a full-fledged run. My legs pump up the incline burning with each step. My chest tightens as I funnel strength from my demon into my body.
A howl echos through the tunnel. A sweat breaks out over my skin, rolling down my back as we try to scramble up the tunnel.
Loud thuds follow close behind us, letting us know the demon dog is coming for us.
Garrison yanks out the walkie, pressing to talk. “Skye, Sloan. Open the fucking door. We’re coming in hot.”
Static answers us. And my heart hammers hard in my chest.
Oh fuck, please be there to open the door.
ChapterForty-Six
SKYE
SONG: MY DEMONS BY STARSET
We sit on folding chairs in the cellar waiting to hear when they’ll need us to open the door back up. Sloan seems unusually quiet as we sit together, and I wonder if he’s figured out that I hooked up with Lukas earlier today.
We haven’t had a chance to talk since I woke up with him the other morning, and I owe him a conversation, I just don’t know where to start.
My knees still ache from earlier, and my body feels fully ravaged. It’s been a crazy day. Not at all how I thought I’d spend the day before leaving campus to spend Thanksgiving with my dad.
“Any holiday plans?” I ask, trying to break the awkward silence. Sloan just stares ahead, completely ignoring me.
Okay…
“Listen, I’m sorry about the other day. I really do like you. I’m such a mess right now. I feel pulled in three different directions and I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
Silence.
I frown, turning in my chair to look at him fully. He seems rigid, not angry, just sort of… vacant.
“Sloan?”
He stares at the door in front of us. I wave my hand in front of his face, and he smacks my arm away.
