Jax rests his hands on his other shoulder and says, “It’s alright. If everything goes to plan, I’ll jump into the room a couple of doors down and lock myself in while the monster is out there.”
“You’ve got this,” I say mechanically. “I will protect my brother.”
Jax removes his hand from Cole’s shoulder, grabs my hip, pulls me in and roughly kisses me. His tongue forces its way into my mouth, and I feel nothing but a faint sense of disgust. We break apart, and his hand slips through my hair as he says, “I fucking love you so much.”
“I love you too,” I lie.
He moves towards the door as I pull Cole into the room. We press our backs against the wall, my fingers throbbing against Cole’s frightened grip.
We wait for Jax’s signal. We’ll only have one chance at this, and if we mess it up or make any noise, we’re done.
Two monsters. The nightwalker was right. The Hellsgate is opening, and more creatures are spilling out.
A loud bang a few doors down pulls me from my thoughts. Then another bang. With it comes a rattling from the vent above. A shadow rushes past as the red light blinks on for a few seconds before plunging us back into darkness.
Cole presses his lips together, trying to stifle his fear.
I breathe in, the scent of rotten fruit thick in the air, and then exhale. As I inhale again, my breath catches at the clinking of claws nearby.
In the corner of my eye, I glimpse a sharpened, clawed hand and leathery wings. The creature slinksacross the door opening, making a series of noises as its wings quiver. Nearby, another creature echoes the same tune.
They can fucking communicate?!
“Oh, fuck me dead,” Jax says with a groan from out in the corridor. “Two of you ugly fucks? Come on then. Eyes on me. All eight of them!”
Darkness fades from the monster. For the first time since it crawled into my vent, I see the creature for what it truly is: gnarled, with translucent red spikes jutting from its arms and two large, round eyes dominating most of its head. Two more eyes protrude from its shoulders—orange stains straining to survey its surroundings.
The creature hisses before lunging towards Jax, like a prowling lion after vulnerable prey.
“Now, Saya!” Jax cries.
I pull Cole’s hand close and step out of the room. My heart stutters. Both creatures chase Jax. He’s running and holding something in his hand, but my focus lands on the door just as the red lights blink off, plunging us into complete darkness.
Our hitched breaths quicken, and my movements are stiff and awkward until the red light returns. I catch a glimpse of one creature watching us while the other leaps towards Jax. Sharp claws inch closer to him as the other turns and saunters towards us.
The red lights blink off.
I haul Cole into Jax’s room, slamming my hand on the button outside as we pass. The door shuts behind us, narrowly missing my arm, and I stumble backwards, landing hard on my back and cracking my head againstthe floor. The lights blink back on as the room spins and the open vent blurs.
“Saya, come on! You’ve got to get up!” Cole shouts, shaking my shoulders.
I sit up and touch the wound on my neck where the nightwalker had bitten me, wincing at the sudden sting. As I rise, I see the colour drain from Cole’s face, and when I turn to follow his gaze, I freeze.
Steam blows against the glass panel in the door. The creature stares at us, thick strands of saliva dripping from its jagged teeth.
We have to move!
“Can it get in?” Cole chokes out as I scramble up onto Jax’s bed and peer through the vent. The light down the way flickers on and off. “Saya…”
“We should hurry. Just in case.”
I haul myself up into the vent, reach down, and grab Cole’s hand. As I pull him up, my attention catches on the door. The monster is gone.
Once Cole is up in the airshaft, I check both ways and spot fingers wiggling through the vent ahead. I press my lips together and curl my hands into fists, but as I turn away, Cole whispers, “I see Jax’s fingers.”
Cole crawls towards him, and I close my eyes with a sigh before I follow. Jax is smiling up at us. “Step away, Saya and Cole.”
We shuffle back.
