“You can come out now!” yelled my father, staring up towards us. “I know you’re there.”
I stared at Duncan in horror.
“It’s not him,” said Duncan.
“It is him,” yelled my dad. “Now, both of you can come down here. I made dinner for you. Hurry before she gets too cold to enjoy.”
I stood up and pointed towards him. “Who in the hell are you?” I screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Nikki!” growled Duncan, reaching for me.
“Ah…” smiled my father, a triumphant look on his face.
Before I knew what was happening, Duncan and I were flying through the forest, away from the cabin, as if we were faster than the speed of light.
Chapter Thirty
We landed clumsily, rolling in the snow.
“Shit, I’m sorry. You okay?” asked Duncan, helping me up.
I nodded and looked around. We were at the marina, inside of the fenced-in area where some of the boats were wrapped and stored.
“Duncan!” I screamed, as a shadow flew over our head.
He grabbed my hand and we began to run as our pursuer landed on the ground not far from us.
“It’s pointless to run!” laughed my dad. “You can’t escape me.”
We jumped over the fence and soon we were speeding out of town again, with my dad still hot on our tails. When something grabbed my arm and pulled me back, I screamed in terror.
“Nikki,” smiled my dad, holding me firmly by my shoulders. “Come on, that’s no way to greet your father.”
Duncan came back around and tried grabbing my dad by the back of the neck, but he was no match for him.
“Fool,” he growled, releasing me. He turned to Duncan, grabbed him by the hair, and punched him in the face several times, sending him flying backwards with the force of the last one.
“No!” I choked, rushing towards Duncan, who was getting back up from the snow.
“So, where is he?” hollered my dad.
I turned to him. “Who?”
His smile was cold and evil. “Ethan.”
I watched in wonder as his face and body began to change. Seconds later, we were staring at Faye, still dressed in the oversized sheriff’s uniform.
“Ethan is gone,” I snapped. “How did you find out about my dad?”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t difficult. Now, what do you mean, Ethan is gone?”
“He’s dead,” answered Duncan.
She stepped closer and stared up at Duncan. “Dead? Don’t tell me that you killed him?”
Duncan’s lips thinned. “I didn’t get the pleasure, but he is most certainly dead.”
“Dead,” she whispered hoarsely. “That can’t be.”
“It is,” I said. “Someone shot him in the head.”
Her face darkened. “It was your fault, you know. If you wouldn’t have come back, he’d still be alive.”
“I am not Miranda!” I hollered.
“Oh…but you can’t fool me,” she raged, spittle forming at the corner of her mouth.
“What in the hell do you want with us?” asked Duncan. “We’ve done nothing to you.”
“You can leave,” she told Duncan, still staring at me with a strange light in her eyes. “I have no quarrels with you.”
“I’m not leaving without Nikki.”
She turned to him and frowned. “Very well, then you’ll die as well.”
“There is no way in hell that I’ll let you harm her.”
“Fool,” she spat.
Duncan tried grabbing my hand just as Faye pounced on him, knocking him flat to the ground. He kicked her and sent her flying backwards, but she recovered quickly. I stared in horror as she flew back towards him, her body changed, yet again, into the gargoyle-like creature I’d met in the woods the other night.
“Run!” hollered Duncan as he punched her in the face while she tried to rip his throat out with shark-like fangs.
“No,” I choked, desperately trying to think of a way to help as they rolled around on the ground. I didn’t want to get in the way, but I wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to defeat her on his own.
“Fools,” hissed Faye, grabbing him by the neck. “Nobody can escape from me.”
“Run!” repeated Duncan as Faye’s claws tore into the side of his face. I watched in horror as blood began to seep out of the wound and her long, black tongue reached out to taste it.
“Duncan!” I screamed as the touch of her tongue seemed to scorch his flesh.
He raised his face in pain and let out a deafening roar. Then, although in obvious agony, he grabbed her face with both hands, and somehow managed to pin her down. He raised his fist to punch her in the face just as her hand snaked up and slammed into his chest, sending him backwards. In a flash, she was on top of him again, slamming the back of his head against the ground. “Is that all you’ve got?” she rasped, her lips twisting into a triumphant smile.
I quickly moved behind her and grabbed her neck, which was actually very scaly and hard to hold onto.