World Eater

56

SARIEL’S WORLD WAS TURNING UPSIDE DOWN. His vision swam as he turned on his heels, heart fighting to stay within his ribcage. He had to run.

He crashed through the kitchen, flinging anything he could get his hands on in Judas’s direction. Judas took even, slow steps after him, arms crossed behind his back.

“Keep still, human,” Judas said between grit teeth, pulling a kitchen knife from his throat, “You're making me angry.”

He shoved past Judas, colliding with the wall as he scrambled for the stairs. His feet slid against a floor slick with blood.

For a moment, the staircase twisted and fell beneath him, trapping him in a daze of black. He felt the drywall against his shoulder, but it was lost to the haze in his vision.

“My lord,” a voice urged, burning in his ears.

“Who's there?” Sariel cried, hiding his head in his hands. His flesh began to crawl, invisible fingers clawing down his back.

Eyes forced their way through the darkness, bloodshot veins twitching and pupils glaring down at him.

Suddenly, Sariel’s feet hit solid ground, rough carpet materializing under him. Heavy footsteps told him Judas was behind him, and he blindly groped in front of him, his head in a whirl. A door frame scrapped the searing flesh on his arms, and he fell to his knees, trembling.

Sariel screamed, an agonizing nail of pain driving its way through his skull. He forced his eyes open, a pounding frame of red in his vision.

Alzar’s room. He was in Alzar’s bedroom.

“Hello, Sariel,” Judas said slowly, appearing at the threshold of door.

Sariel scrambled backwards, hugging his chest.

He was trapped.