Just near the stairs, I peer down at the spanning floor below.
Ten women of all ages are scrambling across the open space. A redhead leaps atop a table and comes crashing down with a chair in tow. Her strength seems magnified. It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It breaks over the head of an older woman. The wood severs right through the woman’s skull, and she falls face-first to the tile floor. Her body lands so harshly, the stone cracks beneath the weight of the blow of the redhead. And then she’s striding out to find her next victim.
Anxiety rips painfully through me. I’m searching the chaotic space. Blood and debris are everywhere, but I can’t find Ivy.
Leavon stands at the foot of the stairs, just near the side door hallway, and though I can barely see him, Malace stands there, too, his face pale and disgusted as he steps aside for two women beating each other with violent hooves and talons.
Leavon touches Malace’s shoulder. Even from here, I can see the way his body stiffens at Leavon’s touch. Something is whispered between them. Malace’s jaw ticks, and instead of replying, he walks away with his hands in his pockets like the anarchy around him is just another beautiful walk in the park.
He gets lost in the violence that’s thrashing through the room, but the glare Leavon pins to my friend’s back is clear as day. Leavon hates him. Despises him even.
I have to find Ivy.
Before it’s too late.
Before she ends up hurt, or worse, she ends up hurting someone she cares about. Just like I did.
My heels are silenced as I glide quietly down the dark stairwell. At the bottom, my shoes slide over the flooring, nearly taking me down fast.
I lift my heavy, wet dress and find particles dusting the tile. They’re hard to see, but the grit of it grinds under my shoe.
“Sand,” I whisper.
He’s right on the other side of this wall. The held breath in my lungs is painful. I peer out just slightly. Golden hair is combed to perfection, and his back is fully to me. He’s distracted.
It’s then that I dart out.
The moment I’m on the main floor, I’m fair game, it seems.
I spot blonde curls, and my heart leaps as I chase after the girl in the cornflower blue gown. I’m not the only one though. Another woman a bit older than myself stalks behind Ivy. Sharp, elongated fingers lift, and she rips them high in the air to bring them down with brutal force. My hand snatches her and pulls her elbow back, twisting her creepy arm back away from my oblivious sister. Ivy sneaks on through the crowd without incident.
“Look at me,” I command.
Her glare meets mine, but the fury in it disappears the moment my trance catches her.
“You’re going to cross this room. You’ll see a closet door in the far corner. Go inside. And lock it. Do not come out until it’s quiet. Do you understand?” I ask as peacefully as I can for someone who’s holding this woman hostage at the moment.
She blank-stare shines up at me. She says nothing.
I wait, but... I don’t have fucking time for this
I release her and watch for a second as she staggers toward the corner of the room.
“Thank fuck,” I whisper at the one good thing I’ve done right since I got here.
I turn on my heels to find Ivy once more. A little girl is standing right in front of me, though, no older than ten or so. Her pretty, curled pigtails sway as she turns to look innocently up at me. And then she rushes me. Her petite shoulder hits my stomach, and she takes me down like a fucking linebacker. My hands grip her little wrists to try to stop the child from hurting herself, but when I look up at her features, snarling, jagged teeth are snapping out at my face. I shove her twisted features away, but her rows of teeth nick my thumb.
I’m conflicted about hurting a small child, but at the moment, all I want to do is punt this little demon girl across the room.
She’s jerked off of me and thrown to the side before I have to make that choice. My lashes lift, and a familiar smile is shining down on me.
“Who knew Gremlins could be so vicious,” Ivy says as she nods at the wicked little devil girl.
“Gremlins. Great.”
“I don’t think you’re allowed to help me.” She side-steps two women who are literally pulling each other’s hair out and for what?
Leavon? A man with a fucking unkempt skin condition? Are his promises really worth all the bloodshed?