Page 100 of Carved
Taking a deep breath, I shoved the door openso forcefully the metal hinges screeched as the door bentbackward.
“Kobal…”
Her words trailed off when I turned towardher and thrust out my hand. The sensation of her skin sliding overmine eased some of the pressure building within me, but I wasvolatile enough to set fire to the world right now.
“Don’t let go of my hand,” I commandedgruffly.
“I won’t,” she vowed.
The promise did nothing to pacify me or thehounds. They disliked her being here as much as I did. I pulled herflush against my side, snarling at one of the humans when theyapproached. “Get back!”
The young man held his hands in the air andhastily took a few steps away. River wrapped her free hand aroundmy arm. “Kobal, don’t. You knew this was coming. It will beokay.”
I had known it was coming, but I hadn’texpected for it to be this difficult to walk her in there myself.“There will be some creatures inside who will seem shocking to you,but they won’t harm you. They are the other guardians of the gates,besides myself and the hounds.”
“If they’re guardians, won’t they be eager todefend it?” she asked.
“Not against me.”
“What exactly is in there?”
“I’m not entirely sure how to describe them.They’re more something you have to see to believe.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teethand bit into it. “Sounds intriguing.”
“That’s one way to describe it.” I turned toface the others as they cautiously approached us. “Corson and Balewill come inside with us along with Erin and Vargas. The rest ofyou are to stay here with Verin, Morax, and Shax watching over you.We’ll be back out shortly.”
“I’d like to go,” Hawk said and took a stepforward.
“Your injury—” River started.
“It will be fine,” he replied briskly. Hefocused his gaze on me. “I want to go. I can be of use.”
River tightened her grasp on my arm. “Yousaid it wouldn’t be dangerous inside.”
I didn’t know if he should be in there, butif he was changing…
Then he might have more right to be in therethan any of the other humans, and he could be of more use than therest of them. Or he could be a bigger threat. If that was so, therewere beings in there who would happily take him down and also takethe problem off my hands.
“Fine,” I relented.
“What about the other demons and soldiers,the ones you said would be meeting us here?” River asked as wewalked toward the building.
My gaze flickered down to her. Her face hadpaled, her full mouth was compressed into a thin line, and a sheenof sweat beaded her forehead, but her step didn’t falter as shecontinued toward the building. “They should be here soon, if theywere able to make it this far,” I told her.
“Good. I want to get this over with.”
And I wanted to keep her from this for aslong as possible. “I know.”
I tore my gaze away from her as we reachedthe front of the wooden steps.
CHAPTER 43
River
I stared at the large, wooden building beforeus. Weathered, gray shingles made up the siding. My head tiltedback to take in the white sign hanging from the chains above us aswe climbed the steps to the porch. In need of oiling, the chainscreaked in the slight breeze drifting over us as the sign swayedback and forth.
The LastStop, had been sprawled across the sign in blackpaint.
