Once we were out, I glanced around. We were in the Granary Burying Grounds. We’d exited through the tall obelisk that marked the grave of Benjamin Franklin’s parents in the middle of the cemetery.
“Did you see that? They came out of the memorial.” A woman’s voice caught me off guard, and I realized we had an audience. Families with small children, a group of women in their sixties, and some teens stared at us blankly. It was daytime, and there were tourists in the graveyard. Behind me, the memorial moved and slid back into place, covering the tunnel we’d just exited. My eyes found Emily and Afton. Both were stunned to their spots, not knowing what to do.
The obelisk shook. Someone was trying to figure out how the knob worked.
“We must get these people out of here,” I said. “Afton take the right and Emily left. I’ll take the center. Tell them all to go.”
I ran to the group of six women. “You have to go. There’s bad crea—” I stop myself from saying creatures. They’d think I was pranking them or something. “Men. There’s bad men coming.”
The women smiled, and one asked, “What is that, dear?” Her eyes went wide, and I spun around.
The obelisk shook and slid to the side. First, a Laniar came out, followed by a horned man and a creature that resembled a six-foot troll.
Panic made my heart flip in my chest. I can’t beat them. I’m outnumbered and hurt. I had to get out of my head, push back the fear, and fight. There were too many people around. Someone could get hurt, or worse, killed.
I couldn’t tell if it was two women or all of them who screamed. But they did, their screams matching the ones blaring in my head.
“Get out of here,” I ordered them. The women, some still screaming, dashed for the gate. I summoned my globe, and fire swirled on my palm. Taking a few running steps, I chucked it at the creatures. It hit the horned man, setting his clothes on fire.
I launched globe after globe at them—stun, fire, glass.
Ice.
Missed my target, but it spread across the steps of the memorial. The creatures slipped around trying to get their footing.
I shot a purple globe, and it stunned the troll-like beast. It collapsed to the concrete with a reverberating thud. The stun would stop his breathing. He would die if someone didn’t release him from it.
The Laniar stooped to all fours and soared off the steps. The ice globe I propelled smacked him in his wide chest, freezing him in midair. He crashed to the ground, his body breaking into several pieces.
Noises came from the tunnel under the obelisk. There were others and they’d be out soon.
“Running would be good now,” I yelled to Afton and Emily, sprinting down the pathway to the street. I followed the last of the people scrambling to get out of the cemetery. With all the adrenaline rushing through me, I had renewed strength. Afton and Emily panted behind me. I darted up the street and headed for the Boston Athen?um.
“Emily, get my membership card,” I said over my shoulder. “It’s in the front pocket of my bag.”
She unzipped the pocket and took it out. “Got it.”
I slowed down as we approached the library. “Keep close to my sides so the desk person won’t notice a sword hiding under this trench coat and the blood on my shoulder.”
Afton bit her bottom lip as she stared at the red-leather salon doors of the Boston Athen?um. “That’s not going to work. You’ll have to remove your coat. And they now have lockers in the lobby for bags.”
“I have one of those entry cards,” I said. “We’ll have to find an emergency exit.”
“Entry card?” The confused look on Afton’s face said she didn’t remember the magic Arik had used to open the library doors before.
I retrieved the card from the breast pocket of my vest. “It’s magic.”
“Right, that,” Afton said, tugging her cell out of her back pants pocket. “I’ll search Google for a floorplan of the library.”
Several minutes later, she looked up from the screen. “Got it. This way.” She led us down the sidewalk.
A black cloud of dread hovered over my head, and I searched the road. Maybe the creatures inside the tunnel hadn’t seen which way we went.
I slid the card across the lock on the emergency exit and opened the door.
The street filled with screams and crunching metal. I tensed and fought the fear turning my stomach. Afton and Emily needed me. I couldn’t give up.
“Get inside,” I said, opening the door wider. “Beacon Hill just met some scary Mystiks.”
“We have to hurry,” Emily said, shutting the door behind us.
“You and Afton go ahead of me,” I said. “Make sure the coast is clear. I don’t want anyone freaking out about this blood. I’ll be right behind you.”
Afton gave me a slight nod, and I responded with one. It was our secret signal, our way of saying we had each other’s backs. She hurried after Emily.
Each step forward sent pain surging through my body and fear to twist in my stomach. The elixir was losing its edge. I took the bottle from my pocket and downed the rest of the liquid inside.
We passed the Children’s Library and got to the elevator leading to the fifth floor without running into anyone. Excited voices came from the foyer just around the corner. They all must be gathering by the entrance to see what the commotion was on the street. We dashed inside the elevator.
The voices turned to screams, and feet scrambled across the marble floors. Inhuman growls and grunts rushed over the library. A Mystik, tall and lanky, with long arms and grayish skin, came around the corner. I’d seen one of his kind before, after the council hearing with Bastien. I’d found out later he was a Grigiolian. Panic pinged my stomach like moths hitting a porch light.
At spotting him, Emily and Afton sucked in a collective breath.
The Chiave’s blade shiiinged as I drew it out of my scabbard. I willed my hands to stop shaking.
Don’t show fear.
Keep calm.
But my body ignored me.
Emily’s finger kept stabbing the fifth-floor button. The noise alerted the Grigiolian to where we were, and he charged after us. The door started to close, but it was too late. His long-fingered hand stopped the door. Our backs slammed against the walls of the elevator as he lunged inside.
Afton and Emily shrieked at once.
I held up the Chiave. The blade picked up the light from the overhead lamps.
“Gianna, you needn’t fear me,” he said in a growling tone before I could take a swing at him. “I was sent by Katy. She said to say she loves you and something about a bug. Not quite sure about that one.”
I love you, Bug, I could almost hear Nana say. It was her term of endearment for me.
Emily’s and Afton’s backs were still pressed against the wall.
“It’s okay.” I inserted the Chiave into my scabbard. “Nana did send him.”
“Anyway,” he said. “I’m Doylis of Grigiol. I have met you once. You were with the honorable Bastien.” He practically pushed me into the corner as he stepped in and let the elevator door close.
The space was already too small for my comfort. Adding him made it stuffed. You will not freak out, I tried to convince myself.