Chapter 63: Fade In (4)
I wanted to scream. The entire cave was a web made of flesh. It felt as though it was saying that the only thing that had entered was prey.
Owen, who had grabbed me, looked desperate as he spoke.
“Listen carefully, miss. Right now—”
—Bang!!!
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Or maybe my eyes couldn’t keep up with what was happening.
When things returned to normal, Owen Cassfire was no longer beside me. He had been hurled by an invisible force and was now crumpled against the wall, his body twisted unnaturally. Blood was seeping from his abdomen, where a shard had pierced him. Through the torn fabric, I could see the broken bone protruding.
Who could possibly throw a grown man like that?
“Owen!” I screamed. At the same time, I sensed a presence behind me. It was something I couldn’t ignore.
Turning slowly, I saw Herschel Hopkins half-emerging from the stairway, reaching out. His face was a mix of surprise and relief as he called out to me.