CHAPTER 158

"So it won't explode?" he asked.

"Not a lot, but—" there was a loud boom, followed by a roar as the fire expanded, filling the air with smoke and fumes. The barn shifted around them, the structure groaning. "We need to go."

They crawled toward the door as the flames surrounded them. The barn was old and full of plenty of things for the fire to consume. His leg dragged across the uneven ground, each bump causing him to grit his teeth in agony. He didn't bother looking back over his shoulder at the burning vehicle, nor contemplate how this was exactly the kind of situation that would put him back in therapy.

He could feel the flames licking at his back when Abella arrived. Saying nothing to Dana, she picked up the zombie and threw her out the door. Dana bounced and then slid across the snow, safe from the flames almost thirty feet away.

"Didn't take you long to get in trouble," she muttered, kneeling down to pick him up. With her body between him and the flames, he felt the temperature drop several degrees. Abella looked over at the giant head, which had caught on fire, and gaped. "What the fuck is that thing?"

"That's Todd." Mike tried to laugh at his own joke but started coughing instead. "Nine out of ten dentists hate him."

She cradled him against her body and leaned forward, hot embers bouncing off her back. Once they were outside, she set him in the snow and turned her gaze toward the roof of the barn.

Leeds stood up there, his coal-red eyes blazing in the fading light of day.

Abella tried to leap toward him, but the shadows at her feet wrapped around her ankles and held tight. She stomped her talons, but couldn't get free.

"I don't think so, gargoyle." He sneered in their direction. "With that busted wing of yours, you'll never be strong enough."

Mike looked toward the forest. Leeds had come far earlier than predicted, but the owl should still be watching. Where the fuck was she?

"Maybe she's dead," Leeds replied, likely reading Mike's thoughts. "Or maybe she betrayed you. Wouldn't that just be delicious? Or maybe I'll kill you and you'll spend the rest of your life wondering which it was?"

"Are you going to talk me to de—" Something wrapped around his neck and squeezed. He turned his head to see that his own shadow had reached up to strangle him.

His magic raced through him as he let out a scream of rage. Streamers of white light leapt from his hands and twisted around his shadow, causing it to burst and reappear back where it should be.

"Maybe you should come down here and finish the job," Mike said, his voice raspy. His magic was crackling through his body, just below the surface of his skin.

Leeds sniffed the air, then stomped his hooves on the roof.

"A temporary setback, Caretaker. I have all the time in the world, and you? I am well aware that you are operating under a time limit."

Mike's nostrils flared and the air around him sizzled, his magic hungry for blood. Behind him, he heard Abella grunting as she fought to free herself.

"I have no intention of leaving this land or letting you capture me. Kill me a hundred times and I shall only return to torment you again." Leeds laughed, the smoke of the fire billowing up around his body. "And you certainly can't kill me. One way or another, I will win."

The farm groaned beneath Leeds, who took a couple of cautionary steps, then fixed Mike with his blazing eyes.

I will take everyone from you that you love. Leeds' voice was like nails on a chalkboard inside of Mike's head. It is no longer enough to have your land. I would have your absolute misery, to see you wallow in grief as I crush your family into blood and bones.

The smoke billowed upward, obscuring Leeds from sight.

Who should I take first, Caretaker?

"Ah, there you are." Bigfoot stepped from between a pair of trees, his colossal shoulders knocking free a bunch of snow. Velvet watched him approach from atop a young buck. It flailed its legs, unable to gain any purchase in the snow. "I've been looking for you."

"Sorry, Uncle Foot." She didn't have the heart to tell him that she had been trying to lose him all day. Not only did she feel his attention would be best used elsewhere, but she also wanted to go check on her egg. The glove box had been a safe place to store it, but with Abella always atop the barn, she hadn't been able to relocate it somewhere better, like her own room.

What would the gargoyle think if she knew that one of the eggs survived? Velvet felt guilty about the deception but had no regrets. Of all the clutch, that one had been the most important to her and she still needed some time to contemplate whether she should even let it hatch.

"Don't play with your food," he chastised.

The buck let out a pathetic bleat. She had bitten it a few minutes ago, the frantic beating of the deer's heart speeding the digestive enzyme through its body. It had grown considerably weaker, and she gave its haunch an exploratory squeeze.

Satisfied that the buck would make a good meal, she snapped its neck. A final gasp escaped the beast along with some steam from its nostrils. Her dad used to tell her that it was the animal's soul escaping the body, but he also used to tell her that there was a monster on the roof that ate little spider girls if they snuck out of the house.

Still, it was a poetic thought. She took an exploratory bite and almost moaned in relief when liquified protein filled her mouth.

"C'mon, it's getting dark," he said. "We should get back home soon. I don't know if Leeds is coming tonight, but I don't want to be caught in the woods if we can help it."

"Why? It's just Leeds now, right?"