Magic Spawn Origins

Magic Spawn: Chapter 66

by Meredith Skye

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As the skeleton leapt for them, Anya and Haley dove for the mausoleum door. They slipped through and ran, not looking back, across the small room to the heavy stone door on the other side.

On a few candles cut through the chilly gloom of the small stone room. The door had been left slightly ajar, but it was heavy.

"Help me!" cried Haley, yanking on it. She glanced back and saw no pursuer, as yet. Anya grabbed hold of the door and pulled. It opened and they slipped into the dark narrow passage beyond the door.

But someone ... or something ... was coming. They heard the heavy footsteps and breathing of a creature ahead of them in the passage, though here it was too dark to see.

Haley stopped, grabbing Anya's arm. "Shh," she whispered.

Right there, where she stopped, a strange icy breeze blew from a thin cross-passage. Actually, it might have been nothing more than a rip between worlds, if indeed they were traveling into Molan's world.

Pulling Anya with her, Haley moved sideways towards where the cold air emanated. They went in 3 or 4 feet, then squatted down and waited. Soon a form came down the passage, stopping right where they had been, almost as if it sensed their presence.

Suppressing a gasp, Haley recognized the overgrown form—it was Westin ... or whatever he was now. The girls crouched even lower, as if they could vanish into the very ground. A moment later, the Westin-wight continued on, followed by four skeletons.

Once they were gone, Haley took a deep breath. "Come on," she whispered. She wasn't sure where they would end up if they followed this small fracture in the tunnel. She couldn't see where it led, but to find Ehina, they'd have to take the main hall, where Westin had come from.

Quickly, Haley peered down the hallway. All was quiet. She and Anya scurried down the hall, further into Molan's keep. Soon they came into a circular room, supported by a ring of pillars in the center. An orange twilight sky showed through an opening on the ceiling. The room was empty.

They started to move into the room but they heard a sound. Footsteps! Immediately they froze, still hidden in the shadows of a pillar on the edge of the room. Behind them stood an open door. Quickly, they slipped into it.

As their eyes adjusted to the low light, provided by a few candles, they realized that they were in a small armory. The air smelled stale. Dust covered some of the shelves. But the room had been used recently.

Anya and Haley exchanged glances. A lucky break at last!

Haley found a buckler shield, one that was smaller and easier for her to use, and a small mace, which she imagined would do good damage on a skeleton. Who knew for sure?

With a nod of encouragement, Anya found a war hammer but that proved to be too heavy. Instead, she picked up a sling and a pouch of stones, along with a dagger.

Then Anya went over and took the small hurricane brass candle holder, lifting it off the hook that held it to the wall. It had small glass doors to protect the flame from a gust of wind.

When Haley gave her a quizzical look, Anya answered. "So we can see."

"And they can see us..." said Haley. Anya hesitated a moment, but Haley shrugged. If they couldn't see, how else would they find their way?

Then they peeked out the door to see if the way was clear. Anya covered the candle holder with her scarf to dim the light. The one skeleton she could see wasn't quite facing their way, so Haley signaled Anya and they hurried out of the room and continued down the hall.

Once clear of the large room, they ran down what at first seemed like an endless, straight hall. Soon they slowed down, though. Anya's light showed the long gray hallway. The problem was—who else saw their light?

Haley stopped. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

They both looked around. It looked like there might be an intersection up ahead. Anya covered the wooden candle holder with her scarf again to dim the light.

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