Panic slapped his face. “No! Don’t you get it? He is coming for someone’s soul!”
And now the book burning made total sense. He clearly had a Greek underworld fixation.
“Deep breath,” Barabas said. “Calm . . .”
“He’ll take no one.” Christopher’s voice dropped deeper. “I won’t allow it.”
“Calm . . .” Barabas repeated.
Christopher jerked his hands up and shoved Barabas aside. The weremongoose flew across the floor and smashed into the wall to the left of me.
Oh shit.
Christopher’s body expanded, ripping through his clothes. He opened his mouth and his canines grew, curving down like vampire fangs. Red smoke spiraled out of his back. “Stay inside!”
He ran out the door.
“What the fuck?” Barabas charged after him. I grabbed the hem of my gown and ran after them.
I burst onto the lawn. Barabas spun around, searching the street.
No Christopher.
Nobody outside except Teddy Jo flying in from the west on his dark wings.
“Stop!” I yelled, waving my arms. “Stop!”
Teddy Jo waved back at me.
The gown tangled around my legs and I nearly tripped. I grabbed the hem and ripped the skirt all the way to my waist.
“What the hell was that?” Barabas snarled.
“I don’t know.”
“Where is he?” Barabas spun around.
“I don’t know.”
Julie dashed onto the lawn.
A piercing scream rolled through the air. Fear grabbed me into a tight fist, an instinctual deep terror rising from somewhere within, from the place where the primal fears of fire, darkness, and predators lived. Barabas let out an odd high-pitched chatter that no human mouth should have been able to make.
A winged shape swooped down from above, propelled into an eagle dive by enormous blood-red wings. Somehow Teddy Jo saw it and careened to the left, banking hard. The creature that used to be Christopher spread its wings, trying to slow, and landed on the lawn. He was muscled like an antique statue. He opened his mouth, his fangs glistening. Madness churned in his ruby irises.
“What the hell!” Teddy Jo screamed.
I rushed at Christopher. Barabas beat me by half a second, but before he reached him, Christopher beat his wings and shot into the sky. The weremongoose’s arms closed over empty air.
Christopher flew up and smashed into Teddy Jo. The angel of death threw his arms up trying to deflect the blow, but the impact of Christopher’s body knocked him sideways. If he used his flaming sword, Christopher was a goner.
The two winged shapes spun in the air, ripping at each other, black wings and blood-red wings slapping against each other again and again.
Another scream. Terror gripped me, crushing my ability to think. It couldn’t be . . . Crap. Crap, crap, crap.
Teddy Jo fell from the sky.
I jumped one way, Barabas jumped the other, and Teddy Jo crashed between us like a rock. He rolled to his feet, huge wings sweeping the ground. Blood spattered his face and chest. Above us Christopher flew up, getting ready for another dive.
“That’s an avatar!” Teddy Jo snarled at me. “Damn it, Kate!”
“I didn’t know! Where is your sword?”
“I don’t have it! I can’t fight him without the sword.”
Of all the times to not bring the flaming sword.
“Get inside before he hurts himself!” Barabas pointed at the door.
“Himself?” Teddy Jo turned purple in the face.
Christopher plummeted from the sky and landed in front of the doorway, blocking the entrance with his wings.
The car. It was our only option.
“Stay behind me.” I put myself between Teddy Jo and Christopher and began moving sideways toward the Jeep. The back row of seats was down. If he folded his wings, he’d fit.
“Chris.” Barabas approached Christopher, his arms raised, open palms up. “Hey. It’s me. Calm down. It’s okay.”
Christopher pulled his wings to him, covering himself completely. The wings snapped open and he took off into the air. The wind blast knocked Barabas off his feet.
“Run!” I pushed Teddy Jo toward the Jeep.
He sprinted across the lawn. Christopher swooped over him. Teddy Jo landed by the Jeep, pressing against it. I covered him, trying to block Christopher’s access. Julie crouched next to me. Teddy Jo pushed us aside and dashed around the car, wedging himself into the narrow space between the two vehicles. Christopher dived at him, but the gap was too narrow. He flew up, circling. I saw his mouth open and clamped my hands over my ears.
Christopher shrieked and the world drowned in fear. My thoughts scattered . . .
So afraid . . .
Have to run.
. . .
I heard myself screaming.
Barabas was screaming next to me, abject terror turning his face into a bloodless mask. Julie was on the ground, curled into a ball.
Curran leapt over the seven-foot fence and ran to me.
“Help!” I yelled.
He looked up, his eyes following Christopher back and forth as he circled us in the air. Curran’s muscles tensed. He gathered himself, jumped up as if shot out of a cannon, knocked Christopher out of the air, and landed on top of him on the ground.
Christopher tried to rise. Curran’s body twisted into warrior shape, packing on muscle and pounds. He strained, keeping Christopher down.
I threw myself on him, adding my weight to Curran’s. Barabas landed on the other side, clamping Christopher’s left arm. Julie grabbed Christopher’s leg.
“Christopher,” Barabas called. “We’re all safe. You don’t have to hurt anyone. Nobody’s in danger . . .”
Christopher snarled, baring his fangs, and stood up, heaving all of us up with him.
“Curran!” I yelled.
“I’ve got him.” Curran’s body thickened again. He was almost completely lion now. Hundreds of pounds of weight, but Christopher was still standing.
“Chris!” Barabas called.
Christopher screamed. Every nightmare I’d ever had came together and punched me in the face.
. . .
I had to stay. I had to hold him down. I had to or he would kill Teddy Jo.
I had to protect Teddy Jo.
Tears wet my cheeks.
Behind me Maggie shot out of the house, barking at the top of her lungs, and bit Curran’s ankle.
“Julie,” he growled.
She let go of Christopher, grabbed the little dog, and carried Maggie back into the house. Every muscle in my body shook under the strain of keeping Christopher down.
A rider on a black horse galloped up and dismounted.
“I’ve got this,” Roman called out. “I’ve got this!”
He reached between us and stuffed a clump of dark fabric into Christopher’s mouth.
Christopher flailed. My legs left the ground and I swung free above the grass.
Roman’s staff opened its eyes. He thrust it into the ground. Magic shifted around us.
“Syra mat zemlya, ne dershi ty ego!”
Christopher sank into the ground up to his hips. Curran grabbed his right arm, while Barabas wrapped himself around his left.
“That ought to do it,” Roman said. “Greeks and their wings. Flying here, flying there, screaming their heads off, scaring the horse.”
The fashion division of Clan Nimble applauded from the doorway. Nice of them to help.
“Christopher,” Barabas called. “Christopher!”